After beginning this final chapter of the letter with a few last encouragements and serious warnings, Paul finishes by recapping his primary purpose for writing. And here it is:
13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.
Paul understands that even our very best efforts to live for God are tainted by sin, and there is literally nothing we can ever do to deserve the grace and blessing He has poured out and made available to all who would receive the gift of Christ's death and resurrection.
There is plenty in Galatians, Paul's other writings, and the rest of Scripture that pushes us toward right living, but when we get it right, our motivation can never be a desire to earn God's favor. We are unable to deserve blessing from Him based on our accomplishments. God blesses (and redeems) us not because we deserve it, but because of His love. He is our Father and our lives are lived for His sake as a result of that love relationship. That's where I so often go wrong.
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