Galatians 4:8-11

Galatians 4:8-11 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Often, we read Paul and wonder why he's so frustrated, but I like to take a charitable view of Paul.  Paul takes these matters so seriously that it grieves him to see people he loves turn away from the Gospel, especially those who have previously responded positively to the Gospel.  Paul has spent years pouring into these communities, and then he sees so much of his work torn down by divisive debate and rival preachers who don't preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Paul taught them about the beauty of salvation through Christ alone, and then others have come along and started adding requirements to that, leading the Galatians away from the simple beauty of what Christ has done for us.  If there are any requirements beyond faith in Jesus Christ, then we negate what Christ has done, because we are saying that people need to do more, and salvation doesn't depend on what we do -- it depends on what Christ has done, and you are saved by his love and his power and his mercy and his grace.
  This matters deeply to Paul, and it matters to us.  We need grace through faith, because we can't seem to get it right on our own.  Fortunately, we don't have to -- God saves us because God loves us, and there is nothing the world can do to take that away from us!