Again the question
What were the Galatians doing to warrant such strong words from Paul?

Since those of faith are clearly depicted in scripture as being obedient to God's law, why would Paul be upset if they were keeping God's law? Or does the phrase "the works of the law" mean something else?

WHO WERE THE GALATIANS?

Galatia was a province in what is now Turkey, located in Asia Minor. Galatia was not a city, but as a province, it contained several cities, like Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Paul had been to these cities on his missionary trip through Asia Minor. The churches there would have been mainly composed of Gentiles, and the males were physically uncircumcised (Galatians 5:2; 6:12-13). The term ‘Galatians’ refers to Gallic tribes (Gauls, Celts) who are obviously not Jews.

RELIOUS BACKGROUDS:
A number of the Gentile Christians in Galatia were former worshippers of the true God, that is, Gentiles who had come to believe in the God of Israel, but who had not become Jews, probably because they did not want to be circumcised.

They were baptized into the Christian community without circumcision. Were they still ‘Gentiles’? Did they belong to Abraham and his seed? Were they part of the "family of God" heirs of the promises? Were they really in the covenant? These were questions which, if wrongly answered could greatly discourage the new Christians.

Then there were other Gentile converts who, before accepting Christ, probably worshipped in the pagan temples which were very prevalent in their cities.

In the Galatian city of Lystra, during Paul and Barnabas' initial visit there, the people of the area were so astonished when Paul and Barnabas, in the name of Jesus, healed a man, that they supposed them to be the pagan gods Jupiter and Mercury(Acts 14: 12) ! They wanted to sacrifice to them, and would have, if the apostles had not stopped them. (verses 13-18).
We know that pagan religions were strongly ingrained in the culture of this area.

WERE THEY GOING BACK TO PAGANISM OR ACCEPTING JEWISH LAWS?

It was probably a mixture of both--
There is a point where pagan religions and "justification by law" meet. That meeting point is that neither are based on a love and personal connection with God, even though both believe in God (or gods). Religion is reduced to satisfying the commands of God (or gods) in order to reap a positive reward, or escape a negative consequence. Religion becomes an external round of activities, not an inward love for God and the things of God.

Even in Israel itself prior to the exile to Babylon we see the Israelites trying to "please all the gods" in order to cover all bases and reap the rewards of a "satisfied" god. They would worship at the temple in Jerusalem, weep for Tamuz, offer gifts to baal, and feel the gods now owed them good crops and other blessings.

Thus it is the opinion of many, that this very thing was happening in Galatia.
When the Jewish Christians, zealous for the law, arrived and began preaching their version of the law which they grew up believing, there was much confusion.

A covenant, as understood by the Jew, was a contract in which, if they met their obligations to the law, God in turn was obliged to pay the promised recompense in proportion to their performances.
What were the results of such an understanding? The motive became mainly for external benefits, and thus the religious life became essentially an external religion. The letter of the law became the focus -- however, the letter of the law was then divided into categories and rules devised as to best meet the required situation in accord with the law, but then the categories too, were divided into more categories with more rules devised as to how best to meet those situations in accord with the law. And so an endless division with more "rules" was taking place; till one no longer was "good" and "obedient" to the Lord from a heart in tune with God, but rather was just trying to follow all the rules in order to earn a blessing from God.

Well -- if that's how "blessings" are earned, the Gentiles knew of other, more pleasant, ways to please the gods who, according to the pagan understanding, would then bless them.
Those ways were more pleasant than circumcision.

So we begin to understand Paul's enormous concern over what is happening in Galatia.

The Christians are losing their hold on Christ. They are being re-introduced to a pagan concept of "covenanting" or bargaining with the gods, by appeasing and pleasing them in order to win rewards and escape calamity. This in turn seems to be causing them to pick up pagan practices as well (as we will see further on in Galatians).

To them he writes with a passion, and points them back to Jesus,
Jesus, who was crucified and risen that they could be justified, and accepted into the family God.
How could they have forgotten this incredible act of salvation.

He also, later explains more about the true covenant -- a covenant that is Christ centered. We are justified by faith in Christ's sacrifice and life, accepted sons and daughters of God. We obey by faith, knowing that we ARE the children of God and part of the covenant community of faith, through Christ.
The whole focus is that salvation is ONLY through Christ, not through our works. Reach out and accept His justification. Our obedience is not to earn anything, but because we love our Savior, Who has redeemed us, and we desire to bring glory and honor to His name, we seek to live as true representatives of His kingdom.

Paul does not do away with the law. The law continues to define sin. But fully trusting in Christ and reaching out to Him we find forgiveness, removing the guilt of our sins. His love changes our motives, attitudes, and draws us into close relationship with Him, and transforms us in the "inner" self so that we love God's righteous rule, and want to live by it because it is good, but especially because He is so good.

Gal. 3:6-8 Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Paul makes the point that Abraham “believed in God and was declared righteous”.

The timing as to when Abraham believed and responded to God is important. Abraham, Paul declares was declared righteous in Gen. 15, before the sign of the Covenant was given in Genesis 17.

In Galatians 3:7-9, Paul uses a phrase “credited as righteousness” or "accounted for righteousness" in relation to Genesis 15. In this story, Abraham believed in the word of God as revealed to him and God considered him “right with God” as a result.



At this point in Abraham's life, by the rules of the agitators, Abraham should be considered a Gentile, as he was uncircumcised living in a society of pagans.
Since he believed in the God who called him out of his father’s land, he a “converted Gentile,” just like the Galatian believers.

What wonderful words! Such comfort to Roman Catholics. They need not be SDA to be saved after all; as it is indeed written, "Abraham believed in God and was declared righteous" and again, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no [SDA] can boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)

Praise the Lord! Finally, SDA are seeing the light after such a long time, since May 21, 1863 and since even before that. It's amazing!

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So, can we now transgress the law of God? Are we no longer required to keep the 10 Commandments?

The question is WWJD, "What would Jesus do?" All Christians follow Jesus Christ. It is rather surprising that only just recently in the third quarter of 2017 that SDA have finally found the truth and joined the worldwide community of Christians in acknowledging this.

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Jesus kept them all. Now why in 2017 are not all Christians keeping them?

Yes, Christ is our example.
But where does one find the answer to "What would Jesus do?"

Is the answer in one's own head -- ???
Is it a --"This is what I THINK Jesus would do?
That would be making it all subjective as to what I feel???

Or is it in scripture
John 15:10 (Jesus said) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

We must not separate God's gracious gift of justification in which He accounts the believer as righteous; just as if we had never sinned--- from His sanctifying work of leading us into holiness and out of sin.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, (justified) and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3:3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
3:6 Whosoever abides in him does not continue in sin: whosoever continues in sin has not seen him, neither known him.
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doea righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

That is a good point and question. Why aren't SDA perfect? Why do YOU continue in sin?

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See post above.

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Should all Christians strive for, to set a goal for being without sin?