Justification and saving faith - Gal 4 & 5

As the majority of modern Christians struggle with a kind of Judaized-Christian worldview, every Bible teacher has a constant duty to maintain an apostolic view of justification by faith and righteousness.
On this page we learn from the epistle of Galatians. Here we read an important exposition of how the new state of being redeemed in Christ and justified by faith is distinct from the Jewish view of the law.

Background:

Paul writes to the churches he established in the southern part of Galatia during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–14:28). Unlike Paul’s other greetings here you can not find thanksgiving for or reference to the Galatians’ faith, or love.
Earlier, in the chapter 2 he explains, warns that "Justified” life means “counted righteous” or “declared righteous” by God. He points out that by human nature this is not possible: If people obeyed all of God’s perfect moral standards, they could be justified by their own merits. But Paul says that this is impossible for anyone to do (see also in Romans 1–2).
Here in the chapter 4 & 5 he repeats that "Works of the Law" means any human effort to be justified by God by obeying a moral law. We Christians have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ. It implies that justification is the result of saving faith and not by works of the Law {rituals, festivals, special days, etc}
He warns: The Galatians are in danger of forfeiting sonship and abandoning the true God. They risk returning to false gods (v. 8) and to worldly ways of life (vv. 9–10). To require Christians to follow OT laws, rituals, days {Leviticus ch 23 & 25} is to forfeit the gospel of justification by faith alone, in Christ alone.
In 4:17 we can read about false teachers. They flatter the Galatians, they want to form an kind of "exclusive club" of people who observe Jewish ceremonial laws. Here is something important to understand: They avoided persecution {from the Jews} and gained favor from them by requiring circumcision. (6:12–13). This "judaizing" trend has not changed much in the last 2000 years. It was reduced to the observances of feast, celebrations /commemorations and special days and the system of requirements established by the Law, but it was not set aside from the path of saving faith.
As for the 4:23 we must understand: Ishmael was the son born when Abraham and Sarah tried to have a child through Hagar, the concubine. (by human effort) But the promise is the absolute opposite of the flesh. A promise is a word from God that will be fulfilled by God (see Rom. 4:18–21), just as Isaac, finally was born by God’s miraculous work.
The last important fact I would like to emphasise, that in the original apostolic letters we cannot find chapters! In this case, the thought process of chapter 4 is continued in 5:1-12: Those who turn to the Law for "salvation" cut themselves off from salvation.
Let we read this parts of the Galatian apostolic letter!

Gal 4
{8-11} ..in the past, when you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt elemental forces? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? You observe special days, months, seasons, and years. I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted...
{21-23} Tell me, those of you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman. But the one by the slave was born according to the impulse of the flesh {Ishmael}, while the one by the free woman {Isaac} was born as the result of a promise...
{28-31} Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as then the child born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so also now.
But what does the Scripture say?

'Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a co-heir with the son of the free woman.'

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. {5:1-4} Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire Law. You who are trying to be justified by the Law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.
...

This note is based on the ESV Study Bible notes

Assoc. articles:
· Two women
· The 'end' of the Law
· Jesus is better

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HU