John Newton’s conversion as his foundering, wreck-bound ship sailed into the eye of the storm on a turbulent, raging sea on the 10th of March 1748, and his unflinching adherence to the faith till death remains a classical model in the evangelical circle. Newton never forgot how God mercifully spared his life, saved his soul and delivered him from wasteful living and a blasphemous lifestyle. He lived the rest of his life juxtaposing what he had previously been with the transformation God had wrought in him. To keep this memory alive, he wrote out the fifteenth verse of the fifteenth chapter of Deuteronomy in bold letters and fastened it to the wall of his study.

Had the Galatians exercised Newton’s wisdom and spiritual intelligence, a thrilling testimony would have trailed their Christian walk. They had spent their lives, plumbing the depths of human sin and degradation of idolatry, before Paul reached them with the gospel. They responded positively to the gospel, became truly converted and free from an idolatrous lifestyle. Of them, Paul said they “received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus”. But their experiences became short-lived. Glib-tongued Judaizers invaded the Galatian Church and swayed the nascent assembly off the pure New Testament faith Paul had laboured to teach and impart.

Would Paul be cowed down, cave in or contend with the detractors of faith? It hurt him to see these Gentile Christians drawn into the spider-web of Judaizing Christians once again. Paul, after the manner of a passionate pastor, pleads with the Galatians in this letter not to return to their former spiritual slavery but rather break away from every Pharisaic bondage and enjoy the liberty Christ gave them freely. He wants them to understand their new identity – saints saved by grace, void of any allegiance to a race, culture or tradition.

These are instructive scriptures for both shepherds and the flock in the fold. While shepherds and leaders of God’s people diligently labour and watch over the flock, fencing out all modern Judaizers, every believer has the responsibility to resist the subtle penetration of the enemies of the cross and make an intelligent choice between Judaizers and the Justifier. We must, in the words of Christ, “Watch and pray” at all times to avoid being beguiled.