A sermon based on Galatians 3:23-4:7, Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler, Sr Pastor Emeritus, Our Savior Lutheran Church
Our Christian faith-life has two dimensions. The first three of the Ten Commandments, for example, call attention to the “vertical” relationship we have with God, and the rest of them stress features of the “horizontal” relationships we have with other people.
Both dimensions are emphasized in St. Paul’s eloquent and impassioned New-Testament Letter to the Galatians. In recent weeks, our Sunday-morning adult Bible study has been examining this portion of Scripture, and sections of it are also set forth for us in our worship this Sunday and the two thereafter.
From the time of the 16th century Reformation, Lutherans have focused on the “vertical” dimension of God’s grace. We have repeatedly stated that the doctrine that we are justified solely by grace of God through faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us is the one on which the “church stands or falls.”
However, the “horizontal” impact of God’s grace upon our relationships with other people may well be the one to which we need to give just as much consideration, particularly in this day and time. The sermon text from Galatians 3:23-4:7 provides an excellent starting point.
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