Paul really brings out his fastball today. To those who are preaching circumcision and upholding all the law, today he says he wishes they would castrate themselves. I bet you didn’t have that phrase on your Friday morning Rooted in Christ bingo card, did you? Paul reiterates that the law doesn’t save; it doesn’t count. All that counts is faith working itself through love. That’s what matters. The law that we are called to keep is this: the law of love.

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Good morning. It’s great to be with you on this Friday as we head into the weekend. I hope you have some great plans. I actually don’t have much going on, and I’m really looking forward to it. After a busy few weeks, a quiet Saturday morning sounds wonderful. Maybe I’ll even sleep in—what a luxury!

Today, we’re continuing in Galatians, reading chapter 5, verses 2 through 15. Paul is making a strong point here about faith, the law, and what truly matters in our Christian walk.

Paul warns the Galatians that if they choose to be circumcised as a means of justification, they are obligated to follow the entire law. He reminds them that they have already learned that trying to be justified by the law does not work. They had been set free in Christ, so why go back to bondage? Circumcision or uncircumcision doesn’t matter—what matters is faith working through love.

This is a powerful statement. Paul doesn’t just say that faith alone matters—he says faith working through love is what truly counts. It’s not about religious rituals or external markers. It’s about how faith is expressed in love.

Paul then addresses those who are misleading the Galatians, saying they are causing confusion and leading others astray. He even makes a shocking statement, saying that if they are so focused on circumcision, they might as well go to the extreme and castrate themselves. This kind of blunt language shows just how frustrated Paul is with those distorting the gospel.

Paul also emphasizes Christian freedom. He says that while we are free in Christ, we should not use that freedom for self-indulgence. Instead, we are to serve one another in love. True freedom is not about doing whatever we want but about being bound to one another through love.

The whole law, Paul says, is summed up in this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself. If we want to focus on keeping the law, this is the law to follow. Not legalism, not rituals, not external rules—just love.

So today, remember that you are free in Christ, but that freedom comes with a calling—to love. The only thing that truly counts is faith working through love.

Thanks for joining me today. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you Monday!