Greetings John,
Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
To understand this verse you posted we must let Paul finish his statement.
Verse 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Messiah shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Messiah is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
What is “the yoke of bondage?” In the Bible is the law ever referred to as a yoke? Never! Yahweh tells the Israelites that the law “Is not too hard for you” (De 30:11 RSV). John says it is “not grievous” (burdensome 1Jn 5:3). David insists it is sweeter than honey and in keeping it is great reward (Ps 19:10). Paul explains the law is good and he delights in it (Ro 7:22). We know from the scriptures that many people kept the law with no problem. “They (Zacharias and Elisabeth) were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahweh blameless” (Lu 1:6). So the yoke Peter says is impossible to bear (Ac 15:10) can’t be the law. The yoke he alludes to is “the yoke of bondage” Paul is speaking of here. Paul points out in verse 4 that the law becomes a yoke only when you try to be “justified by the law.”
One of the things that make up “the yoke of bondage” is circumcision. If you believe circumcision is necessary then all the other commandments are also necessary (Ja 2:10). But Paul then makes everything crystal clear with this one phrase, "justified by the law."
4 Whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Preachers today would have us believe Paul wrote, “Whosoever of you obey the law; ye are fallen from grace,” but he didn’t. You cannot be justified by keeping the law and also be justified by faith. It matters not whether you are being justified by circumcision, Sabbath keeping, moral purity or some other portion of the law. If you are depending on your ability to keep any or all aspects of the law to secure your salvation you are doomed. For then Messiah’s death is no benefit to you and you have fallen out of favour (grace).
One of the main things Paul keeps hammering away at in many of his letters is that the law cannot justify you or take away your sins (Ro 3:20 & 28, 4:4 &13, 8:3, 9:32, 11:6, 1Co 15:17, Gal 2:16 & 21, 3:10-11, Php 3:9). The law can only tell you what sin is (Ro 3:20, 7:7 & 13) and once you are found guilty the law cannot help you but indeed then becomes your primary accuser, for you “shall be judged by the law” (Ro 2:12) because “the strength of sin is the law” (1Co 15:56). Once you break any single commandment of the law (Ja 2:10) you must face the consequences and pay the penalty. Keeping the law perfectly after that won’t help because you will remain guilty until you pay the price. And the payment for sin is death (Ro 6:23).
But don’t ignore the scriptural definition of sin hidden in the back pages of your Bible.
1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.David
Shalom,