Have you ever stopped to consider where you were five years ago? What about one year ago, or even six months ago? Sometimes it’s good to pause and remember the journey—to reflect on how far God has brought us and what He’s rescued us from.
The Christian life is a fascinating journey. We start with faith in Jesus Christ, saved by grace, rescued from the pit. But somewhere along the way, many believers begin to feel like something’s missing. A nagging thought creeps in: Maybe I’m not doing enough. Maybe I need to add something to my salvation.
This is where things get dangerous.
The Galatian Problem
The early church faced this exact issue. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul addresses believers who had started their journey with Jesus but were being convinced they needed to add something more—specifically, obedience to the Old Testament law—to complete their salvation.
Paul’s words are sharp: “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you?” (Galatians 3:1). He’s not attacking them out of malice; he’s trying to wake them up from a dangerous deception. These were people who loved Jesus but were being told that faith in Christ wasn’t quite enough.
Paul asks them a pointed question: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:2). The answer was obvious—they received salvation through faith, not through keeping religious rules.
Then comes the kicker: “Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).
Starting One Way, Finishing Another
Imagine running a marathon. You start at the starting line, following the marked course with all the other runners. You’re making good progress, you’re on the right path. But then, halfway through, you decide to turn around and run the opposite direction. Or maybe you get on a tricycle for the last lap instead of continuing to run.
Sounds absurd, right? Yet this is exactly what happens when we start our faith journey trusting in Jesus alone, then begin adding our own works, rituals, or religious observances as though Christ wasn’t sufficient.
The law was never meant to save anyone. If it could have saved us, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come. The Old Testament sacrificial system required a high priest to enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement—and they tied a rope around him in case he died in there so they could drag his body out. Year after year after year, this ritual was repeated.
Why? Because it didn’t work permanently. It was like putting duct tape on a leaking hose—a temporary fix that would need to be redone again and again.
The Fulfillment
Jesus came to fulfill what the law could never accomplish. When He died on the cross, His final words were, “It is finished.” Not “It is mostly finished, but you’ll need to complete it by keeping the law.” Not “It is finished, but you better make sure you do enough good works to keep it.”
It. Is. Finished.
One sacrifice. One time. For all sin—past, present, and future.
Consider Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. He lived before the law was given. There were no Ten Commandments yet, no 613 regulations to follow. Yet the Bible says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).
Faith. That’s how Abraham was saved. That’s how Enoch, who walked with God and was taken up to heaven, was saved. That’s how Joseph, sold into slavery but faithful to God, was saved. Faith has always been the key.
God introduced the law because His people kept misbehaving, but it was never meant to be the path to salvation. It was meant to show us we need a Savior because we cannot possibly keep all those rules perfectly.
The Danger of Adding
There’s a movement today—sometimes called Hebrew Roots or Torah-keeping—that teaches Jesus is the Messiah but that believers must also observe Old Testament law to maintain their salvation. These aren’t necessarily evil people trying to lead others astray. Often, they’re sincere believers who feel they haven’t done enough and are trying to add to what Christ accomplished.
But here’s the problem: the moment we add anything to Jesus, we’ve changed the gospel. And if we’ve changed the gospel, we no longer have the gospel that saves.
Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Jesus plus anything equals a different gospel.
The Sufficient Gift
Picture a man drowning in debt. Credit cards maxed out, loans unpaid, bills piling up. He stops opening his mail because he knows every letter is another demand for payment. Then one day, he opens a letter from the bank: “All your debts have been paid. A benefactor has covered everything. You owe nothing.”
Incredible news, right? But then, week after week, this man keeps writing checks and sending them to the bank, trying to pay back what’s already been paid. The bank keeps returning his checks with the same message: “You don’t have an account with us anymore. Everything’s been paid.”
Why does he keep trying to pay? Because he’s afraid the gift might be taken back. He can’t believe it’s really free.
Many believers live this way with their salvation. They keep trying to “pay” for what Christ already purchased. They can’t accept that grace is truly sufficient.
The Christmas Gift
This Christmas season, remember what we’re really celebrating. Not trees or lights or presents, but the fulfillment of God’s plan from before the foundation of the world. We celebrate that God entered time and space as a baby, lived a perfect life, and died to pay a debt we could never pay.
His grace is sufficient. You don’t need to add to it. You can’t add to it. Trying to add to it actually diminishes what Christ accomplished.
So rest in this truth: if you’ve placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are saved—completely, fully, eternally. Not because of what you’ve done, but because of what He did.
That’s the gift. And it’s enough.
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 