This episode contrasts the inadequacy of the law to perfect the believer with "faith working through love." Paul effectively says that emphasis on circumcision is a moot point: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything but faith working through love." (Gal. 5:6) Sanctification by appealing to the law is a hopeless endeavor, however sanctification directed by the Spirit leads to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and is aptly described as "faith working through love." This total trust and dependence on God describes walking by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) and this is the stream by which empowering grace floods the soul. So what would occur if a believer reverts to the law as the means of sanctification? The tributaries of God's grace are damned up by appeal to the works of the law. Faith in God is replaced with fleshly works, which naturally appeal to the works of the law as the ground of justification. God's unmerited favor is set aside, rendered ineffective because it's not invited. "Fallen from grace" and "severed from Christ" both describe believers who presumptuously think they can live the Christian life without empowering grace, that their own power is sufficient. Interestingly, Paul's inclusion of sins of the flesh in Gal. 5:19-21 comes after Paul's indictment of Galatian legalism, almost suggesting that appeal to the law as the means of sanctification actually makes one's condition worse. Paul's focus on sanctification in chapter 5 underscores the conclusion that Paul is principally concerned with Galatian rejection of sanctifying grace, not the justifying grace of salvation.
Justified but Barely Sanctified: the Plight of the Bewitched Galatians
Would Paul disqualify the "sainthood" of a believer who reverts to adherence to the law as the source of justification? This episode addresses that question, tying together the principal theme of Galatians with Galatians 5:4. While Paul would not disqualify a believer for reverting to the law to justify or sanctify him, he clearly states that spiritual loss abounds for any Christian who seeks "to be perfected by the flesh." (Gal. 3:3) The work of sanctification stalls when believers rely on their works instead of Christ. Paul contends that Christ would be of no benefit to the Galatians if they received circumcision. (Gal. 5:2) Reliance on works of the law are tantamount to "dead works," and the author of Hebrews maintained that "repentance from dead works" was foundational to the Christian faith. (Hebrews 6:1) The ongoing repudiation of the works of the flesh (works of the law) makes room for the Spirit of grace to cultivate truly good works that naturally flow from abiding in Christ. If a believer loses his grasp on grace (the literal meaning of "fallen from grace") because he chooses to revert to works of the law as the means of sanctification, then he inevitably cuts himself off of the perfecting grace available to him. Peter sums up the potential transforming effect of grace, "God's divine power has given to us everything pertaining to life and godliness." (2 Pet. 1:3) So while the legalistic believer hasn't lost his salvation, his stubborn refusal to access the divine power (grace), preferring his own work, seriously limits his growth in sanctification.
See His Glory and Repent
This episode highlights the dynamics involved in the reversal of the Great Exchange. When we were not in Christ, we had exchanged the glory of God for images and produced a litany of sins based on this fundamental idolatry. In sanctification the Holy Spirit progressively reverses the Great Exchange, moving us to repent from dead works and live for the glory of God. Very interesting is one of the means that the Holy Spirit uses to inspire us to repent. The Holy Spirit uncovers some of the glory of Christ, and we perceive the vileness of our idolatry contrasted with the glory of Christ. The more we see the glory of God in the person of Christ, the more we sin our sinfulness, losing all hope apart from the mercy and grace in Christ. So when we have degrees of the beatific vision in this life, when we progressively behold God's glory, we repent and change our mind about our particular sins based on self-idolatry. The result is we become more and more like Christ. Struggling to repent of particular sins? Ask God to uncover His glory, and that experience will devastate and transform you.
When morality is man-centered and not God-centered
This episode explodes anthropocentric morality as the standard for good works. Deism is cited as a prime example of a philosophical or religious system that defines good and bad based on outward morality. Love of God in the great commandment is not the primary objective, virtue itself is the goal. This redefining of good and evil in terms of outward morality apart from love of God is typical of modernity's penchant for commending itself outside of the standard of God. Repentance from dead works is the repudiation of any man-made system of morality that doesn't have love of God as the prime directive.