Grace in Galatians (Part 133): Avoid Toxic Influence

https://youtu.be/YLClIOUEFA4

Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.

As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.

Key scriptures for this year:

(2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT)

"Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do."

(Galatians 5:4 TPT)

"If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!"

(Romans 6:14 ERV)

"Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God's grace."

(1 Corinthians 15:10 CEV)

"But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's grace at work and not me."

Scripture we will study today:

(Galatians 5:7-9 TPT)

“You were running a great race! Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth? This kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. You should know the saying, ‘It takes only a little yeast to permeate the entire batch of dough!'”

(Galatians 5:7-9 ERV)

“You were running the race well. Who stopped you from following the true way? It certainly was not the one who chose you. Be careful! ‘Just a little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise.”

Supporting scriptures:

(Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

(1 Corinthians 15:33 ERV)

“Don’t be fooled: ‘Bad friends will ruin good habits.'”

(Matthew 16:6 NKJV)

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Setting the Stage:

Friday, we discussed the “secret sauce” of the Kingdom: faith works by love. We learned that our faith is energized not by how well we love others (though that is important), but by how convinced we are that God loves us. When you are settled in God’s unconditional love, your faith works effortlessly because you trust His heart even when you can’t trace His hand.

Today, Paul shifts his metaphor from a courtroom (justification) to an athletic stadium (a race). He looks at the Galatians and says, “You were running a great race! You had momentum. You were free. You were moving forward in grace. But then… someone cut in on you.”

Paul is painting a picture for us. He wants us to imagine a runner in a track meet, running in their lane, focused on the finish line, moving with speed and agility. But then, all of a sudden, another runner cuts into their lane, bumps them, and knocks them off stride. That is exactly what the religious legalists did to the Gentile believers in Galatia. They were running freely in grace, and these religious people came in with their rules, their regulations, and their requirements, and they hindered their progress. They became a TOXIC INFLUENCE. Paul is asking, “WHO did this to you?” because he wants them to realize that this hindrance did NOT come from God!

So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.

1. The Christian Life is a Race to be Run, Not a Law to be Kept.

Paul used metaphors in his writings. He often compared our walk with God to a race. The beauty of running a race (in the natural) is that to run effectively, you must be unencumbered by any unnecessary weight. You cannot run a marathon wearing a heavy coat and combat boots. In like manner, Paul is letting us know that the Law is heavy. The Law is a burden. Grace is light. Grace provides the “wind at your back” to help you run with endurance. I love living #TheGraceLife.

How this applies to you:

— If you have ever been weighed down by the pressure to perform, then you can identify with what Paul is saying here. When you were running by grace, you were light, free, and focused on Jesus. But the moment you picked up the burden of performance, you slowed down, because you shifted your attention to you, what you can and can’t do, and once you focus on your limitations, you are no longer relying on God or His grace.

— The Galatians were doing well until they started listening to people who told them they needed to “do more” to please God. The moment you start thinking your running (where your life is concerned), depends on your grit, determination, and sweat; you have lost the rhythm of grace. All those things are important, but you must do them by grace to remain free in God’s power.

— Running by faith means looking forward to the prize (Jesus), not looking backward at your mistakes. The Law keeps you focused on your past failures; grace keeps you focused on your present power and future victories.

— You were designed to run freely. When you accept the condemnation of religion, it acts like a 50-pound rucksack on your back. You might still be moving, and you may even be on the path God called you to run down, but you are not running your race the way God called you to run it (by His grace and your faith).

— Notice that Paul says they were stopped from “obeying the truth.” In this context, obeying the truth doesn’t mean keeping the Ten Commandments; it means holding fast to the truth of the Gospel of Grace.

— The greatest act of obedience you can offer God is to believe and rest in the finished work of His Son. When you trust Jesus, you are “obeying the truth.”

— Check your stride and your pace today. Are you running with the joy of the Lord, or are you trudging through the mud of religious obligation? God wants you to run light, empowered by His grace!

— This is a great time of the year to check your heart. Don’t go into 2026 weighted down with the burden of performance or the limitations of your humanity. Release your faults, flaws, and failures so you can open your heart to believe what God believes about you. When you do, you will experience His overwhelming grace in 2026 and beyond!

2. Distractions and Detours Often Come from “Who,” Not “What.”

Paul asks, “WHO cut in on you?” He doesn’t ask “WHAT.” Why? Because false doctrine and legalism are almost always transmitted through people. Specifically, religious people who think they are helping you by correcting your “too free” theology.

How this applies to you:

— You must be very careful about who you allow to speak into your life. The Galatians were influenced by people they probably respected, but those people were steering them away from Christ.

— Just because someone quotes Scripture doesn’t mean they are leading you to the truth. The devil quoted Scripture to Jesus in the wilderness! You must discern the spirit behind the words.

— Legalists will often come to you with a “persuasion” that sounds holy. They say things like, “Well, grace is good, but you really need to follow these rules to make sure you are holy.” That sounds good, but it is a detour from faith. Don’t let anyone get you back under the trap of performance-based religion.

— Paul is clear in verse 8: “This kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” If the message brings fear, condemnation, or a focus on self-effort, it is not from God.

— God’s voice calls you to liberty. God’s voice calls you to sonship. God’s voice reminds you of your righteousness in Christ. If the voice you are hearing tells you that you aren’t enough, that voice is a lie.

— You have to love everyone, but you don’t have to listen to everyone. Protect your ear gate. If you listen to legalistic teaching long enough, you will eventually start trying to pay for what Jesus already bought.

— Years ago, one of my mentors said to me, “Pina, you can listen to anyone. All you have to do is take in the meat and spit out the bones.” But over the years, I realized that it was not good counsel. I can’t just listen to anyone, especially those who are a toxic influence. Another one of my mentors said, “You can’t just take in the meat and spit out the bones. You are going to mess around and get a bone stuck in your throat!”

— Evaluate your circle. Are the people around you encouraging you to trust God’s love, to live by faith, and to rest in God’s grace, or are they pressuring you to perform for man’s approval?  if you listen to the wrong things long enough, you will eventually become the wrong person.

3. The Persuasion to Perform Does Not Come From God.

Paul is emphatic in verse 8: “This kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” This is liberating! It means that anytime you feel the pressure to earn God’s love, or anytime you feel the heavy burden of religious obligation, you can be 100% sure that pressure is NOT coming from God. The voice of God and the voice of legalism are distinct, and Paul wants you to know the difference!

How this applies to you:

— God is the One who called you, and He called you to grace. He began the good work in you by grace, and He will finish it by grace. He doesn’t switch strategies in the middle of the race!

— If a thought, a sermon, or a conversation makes you question God’s acceptance of you, reject it immediately. That is not the voice of the One who called you.

— The Holy Spirit convinces you of your righteousness in Christ, not your filthiness in the flesh (John 16:8-10). If you feel condemned, you are listening to the accuser, not the Comforter.

— Religious persuasion is subtle; it appeals to your pride. Pride is the silent killer in the church. It tries to convince you that YOU can (and should) add something to Jesus’ finished work. Pride says, “God helps those who help themselves.” But God’s call always points you back to Jesus.

— God’s voice always leads to rest; the enemy’s persuasion leads to restlessness. If you are constantly anxious about your spiritual standing, you are under a persuasion that didn’t come from Heaven.

— You don’t have to listen to every voice that claims to speak for God; test the spirit. Does this message magnify Jesus, or does it magnify my effort? The Holy Spirit will tell you which voices to receive and which ones to reject!

— When you know the character of the Caller, you won’t be fooled by the counterfeit. The One who called you is faithful, loving, and full of grace! And knowing who called you is critical, because you are only as powerful as the power that is backing you.

—  Whoever calls you has to keep you! So when you know that you’re called by God, you know that you will be kept by God. Not only that, you are empowered by God and his grace

4. A Little Mixture Contaminates the Whole Life.

Paul uses a proverbial saying: “It takes only a little yeast to permeate the entire batch of dough.” In Scripture, yeast (or leaven) is often a symbol of sin, but here (and in Jesus’ warnings about the Pharisees), it represents false doctrine—specifically the doctrine of legalism.

How this applies to you:

— You might think, “Rick, what’s the big deal? I believe in grace, but I just want to keep a few Jewish laws just to be safe.” Paul says: NO!

— You cannot mix a little bit of Law with a lot of Grace. It’s like trying to mix a little bit of poison with a glass of pure water. The whole glass becomes poisonous.

— If you try to be justified 99% by Jesus and 1% by your own works, you have polluted the Gospel. The Gospel is 100% Jesus.

— Legalism is subtle. It starts small. It starts with, “You really should dress this way to honor God,” or “You really need to observe this specific day.” Before you know it, your entire relationship with God is based on your checklist rather than Christ’s cross.

— “A little yeast works through the whole batch.” Once you start trusting your self-effort in one area, that mindset spreads to every area of your life. You start judging yourself, then you start judging others, and soon you are a full-blown Pharisee.

— God demands pure grace. He wants you to rely entirely on Him. He is a jealous God, and He will not share His glory with your effort.

— Purge out the leaven of legalism! Search your heart. If there is any area where you think, “God accepts me because I did (or do) _______,” repent of that thought and replace it with, “God accepts me because of JESUS.”

— The #TheGraceLife requires a pure, unadulterated, unmixed reliance on God. When you live this way, you run your race with purpose, power, and speed! You will not be weighted down by your humanity.

That's enough for today.

Declaration of Faith:

Father, I thank You for calling me to run a race of faith, not a treadmill of works!

I was running well, and I refuse to let religious mindsets cut in on me or hinder my progress.

I discern Your voice, Father, and I know that legalism and condemnation do NOT come from You.

I avoid and reject toxic influences. I rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

I guard my heart and my ears against any persuasion that tries to move me away from the simplicity of the Gospel.

I lay aside every weight and the burden of the Law, so I can run my race with the grace for endurance.

I refuse to allow a “little yeast” of self-righteousness to contaminate my faith.

My confidence is 100% in Jesus and 0% in my flesh.

I am obeying the truth by holding fast to the revelation of Your grace.

I am living the Grace Life, unhindered and unrestrained, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!

I declare this by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen!

This is Today's Word. Apply it and prosper!