Will the Real Gospel Please Stand Up?

The central chapters of the letter to the Galatians, chapters three and four, explain the nature of salvation. People use the term "gospel" very loosely. A reader of Scripture in a formalistic church may call the passage he is assigned to read "the gospel." Is It? Another may refer to the gospel as the set of rules Christians must live by. Is it? Thankfully not because that is what has turned many off organized religion. This begs the question, just what is the real essence of the Christian message? Christianity is personal faith in Jesus and a living, continuing relationship with Him. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 defines the gospel as the main work of Jesus Christ during His days on the earth. "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Christ took our place on the cross. He became a "curse" for us (Gal. 3:13). The marvel in the gospel is that His work is 100% sufficient for mankind. Simply by trusting in Him and accepting His finished work on the cross, we are justified in God's sight. Those united to Christ by faith belong to the people of God and have become heirs of the promise given to Abraham (Gal. 3:25-29). They are part of a new community based on grace and mercy, in which all that divides men in a fallen world can no longer divide them.

Questions to Ponder:
1. The main argument of the Judaizers was that Gentiles had to become Jews in order to become Christians. How did Paul expose the flaw in this argument as found in 3:6-9?
2. The law has two functions. There is both a positive side and a negative side to the law. What are they according to 3:18-19?