Jesus Christ is the Savior, Not Helper

Jim ButlerGalatians 5:1–6

Galatians 5:1–6 confronts the ancient and persistent error of mingling law-keeping with faith as the ground of acceptance before God. Paul's four movements through the passage — an exhortation to stand fast in gospel liberty, a warning against the futility of circumcision, a declaration of the consequence of law-reliance, and the practical benefits of justification by faith — together establish that there is no admixture in the way of salvation: it is Christ alone, or it is nothing. Jesus Christ is a Savior, not a helper; he does not assist sinners in saving themselves but accomplishes their redemption fully and freely. The sermon calls every hearer to renounce any reliance on personal performance, embrace the imputed righteousness of Christ, and stand fast against every form of gospel addition.