Who Are God’s People?

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal. 3:27–29)

Who are God’s people?

Ask ten people off the street this question and you’ll likely receive ten different answers. Thankfully, God has not left us to our speculations or opinion polls, as He has clearly revealed such truths in His Word. The Apostle Paul takes on this topic in his letter to the Galatians. However, rather than beginning with a definition of God’s people, Paul begins with the gospel. While many today invent checklists such as works of charity or a vague “spirituality” to discern God’s people, Paul starts with the good news. So vital is this message that if even an angel should preach a so-called “different gospel,” Paul says, “Let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). These are strong words indeed, but it only further underscores the weightiness of the gospel.

What’s all the fuss?

The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus is the Son of God who gave His life as a perfect sacrifice upon the cross. Christ bore the penalty of God’s holy wrath unto sin for all who would trust in Him alone. In union with Christ, sinners are declared righteous and justified before God.

However, this good news was obscured in Galatia as some started to teach that works played a part in a sinner’s justification. Some were so bold as to rely on the works of the law, even insisting that circumcision, for example, was required to be a Christian. Have you ever had the sneaking thought that your works, at least in part, are what make you right with God?

If so, you’re not alone, and you’d have sympathizers in Galatia. But it is this dangerous idea that has Paul exclaiming, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Gal. 3:1). The great folly of trusting in our works is that it directly opposes trusting in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift of His grace, unmerited by man’s works. Paul makes plain the damnable and dead-end road of works-righteousness when he declares that “by works of the law no one shall be justified” (Gal. 2:16). Indeed, “if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” (Gal. 2:21). In other words, the death of Christ accomplished what the law never could—the justification of sinners before a holy God.

Why then the law?

But this raises an interesting question. If the law seemed to be so unhelpful, why did God give it to Israel to begin with? Paul clarifies that the Mosaic law functioned as a “guardian” (Gal. 3:24). Think back to when you were a child. At some point, you probably had a guardian or supervisor placed over you. You remained under this guardian’s care until you reached your destination safely and soundly. Upon arrival, the need for that caretaker expired.

In the same way, the law of Moses functioned as a guardian for Israel. To be clear, God did not give the law to Israel in order to introduce a new path to salvation by works rather than by faith. Nay, just the reverse, Israel was “held captive under the law” (Gal. 3:23). So where exactly was this guardian leading them to? In one word, Jesus. All that the Mosaic law typified and symbolized was fulfilled in Christ. From every animal sacrifice to every circumcision, it all pointed to Him.

While God’s law no longer functions as a guardian today, God’s law still remains our guide for all of life. Christians do not obey God’s law in order to be saved, but rather because we have been saved. Unfortunately, some in Galatia reversed this order by teaching that law-keeping brings salvation.

If you guessed that such a teaching would create all manner of confusion and chaos, you’d be right. The careful reader of Galatians will notice tension between the circumcised and the uncircumcised (or more simply, Jews and gentiles). Their squabbles revolve around our very question, Who are the people of God? If anyone could make a claim to be the people of God, wouldn’t it surely be the Jews, the sons of Abraham?

What is the good news?

Perhaps so, were it not for the awesome truth that Paul proclaims: the gospel was preached to Abraham and that “in [him] shall all the nations be blessed” (Gal. 3:8). Once again, the gospel takes center stage. It is (and always has been) the gospel—and nothing else—that defines the people of God. The good news of Galatians is that the gospel formerly promised to Abraham has now been realized in Jesus Christ.

This is not just good news but globally good news because whether Jew or gentile, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring” (Gal. 3:29). The Messiah came not only as the glory of Israel but also as a light to the gentiles (Luke 2:32). Just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, the same reality applies to all who believe upon Jesus Christ today. The difference is that while Abraham looked forward by faith to God’s coming promise, believers today look upon the promise fulfilled in Christ.

In belonging to Christ, believers also belong to God’s family. Although we’re separated by millennia, we have similar strife today over things such as identities, ethnicities, gender, and status, as they did in Galatia. We see the world around us madly clamoring to fabricate a unity through ideological buzzwords like inclusion or belonging. But it is only the gospel that freely declares, “You are all one in Christ,” and makes that unity a precious reality (Gal. 3:28). Are you in God’s family?