Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them, we did not yield in submission even for a moment so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

Galatians 2:1-5

Is anything in your life non-negotiable? For the apostle Paul, the very thought of compromising the Truth of the Gospel was unthinkable and his encounters in the second chapter of Galatians prove to be defining moments in the life of the church.

“The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune.”  – Charles Swindoll

In Galatians 2: 5 Paul tells us of his unwavering commitment in that he “did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.”

What was Paul so worked up about? A group of people had slipped into the church and were now preaching a different gospel attempting to say in essence that in order to become a follower of Christ the follower must practice life as a Jew.

There are advantages to prescribing to the moral law. Loving your neighbor as yourself is simply too much because it impacts every area of life. Instead, moral law gives us very specific limited rules. “Don’t go to movies” or “Don’t drink alcohol” or “Don’t eat this or that.”

We are set free from sin; not set free to sin.

The follower of Christ is moral but does not abide by some set of rules in order to impress God. Instead, we express our gratitude for the love and sacrifice extended to us on our behalf by Christ.

Do you feel trapped by the rules or are you living in freedom submitting your life to Christ?