Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through His perfect life, perfect sacrifice and death on the cross, and His resurrection has accomplished “liberty” (Gal 2:4) for us. This was the gospel preached by the Apostle Paul. The freedom here is the freedom from sin. The deadliest bondage is the bondage of sin. If one believes in a false gospel, then one is still under the bondage of sin.

1. Paul confirmed the liberty (Gal 2:1-2)

The false teachers attacked the gospel that Paul preached to both the Jews and the gentiles. Paul said that this was the gospel that God had given to him, and that his gospel was confirmed by Peter and the other Apostles (Gal 2:2). Paul defended his gospel for the sake of the Galatian church.

Today, we have the written Word of God which we can use to confirm that we are not running in vain. To run in vain means that our gospel cannot save; and those who believe in such an empty gospel are still in sin and are still heading for hell.

2. Paul defended the liberty (Gal 2:3-4)

The false teachers might not deny the virgin birth, sinless perfection of Christ, Jesus is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world, the resurrection of Christ, but they added circumcision to the salvific work of Jesus Christ. This is a deadly attack that undermines the gospel that Jesus alone saves. What Jesus Christ did for us to give us liberty is fourfold: (1) bondage of sin forever broken, (2) dominion of sin taken away, (3) penalty of sin taken away, and (4) guilt of sin taken away. Let us experience this liberty in our lives. Let us confirm and defend it with our heart, mind, soul and strength.

3. Paul guarded the liberty (Gal 2:5)

We do not agree with the false teachers, not even in the slightest. The moment we add anything to the gospel, it is no longer salvation by Christ alone. We must make sure of our salvation with fear and trembling so that we do not allow any false teachings to creep into our lives and to shake our faith. God has, in the New Testament, given us much evidence of someone who is truly born again: he hears the voice of Jesus Christ in the faithful preaching of God's Word, his thinking and motives are according to God's Word, etc.

We have liberty in Christ. We must not let anyone take that away from us. We must not go back to the bondage of sin.