stand fast
When
you think of your
religious experience, what gives you the confidence you have it “right”? ___________________________________________________
When we are daily walking with
Christ, we can also experience a daily liberation from things which mentally
and spiritually bog us down. But when we
stray in our thinking, we may feel the security of our “right standing with
God” begin to give way. In response, we may
grab hold of something else that boosts our confidence that we really are “okay”.
Perhaps it is a church ritual or a personal freedom.
Paul here encourages believers to stand fast in the
liberty by which Christ has made us free.
The Galatians may or may not have already begun to adopt practices of
the Judiazers, but there was no doubt they were contemplating more. Yet to pursue entry into fellowship with God
by their own human acts would be to proclaim the work of Jesus as insufficient
if not altogether unnecessary. The
Galatians were at fault for buying into a system of men which reduced the
importance of Christ and increased the importance of “self”. The Judiazers were guilty of creating a
requirement other than Jesus for entry into fellowship.
Do you find you identify more with the Galatians in
this passage, or the Judiazers? Are you
trying to impose standards on others, or more often trying to meet the
expectations of others? Paul really
makes no provision for boasting in being circumcised or uncircumcised, religious or non-religious. Either one would simply demonstrate an “I’m
more spiritual than you” type of attitude.
Some Christians these days seem quite proud of the
fact that they can drink alcohol, smoke, or swear, and their faith is not
jeopardized. Other Christians seem quite
proud that they never watch movies rated above ‘G’, don’t get tattoos and
piercings, and only listen to ‘Christian’ music. Some are quite proud of their liturgical
church services and ‘closed communion’, while others boast of Pentecostal
expression and ‘open communion’ at church.
Is any of this Biblical?
Look again at verse 6. What is it that really makes the
difference? __________________________________________________________________
When Christ set us free, it was because of His love for us. If we receive His gift of forgiveness, grace
and love, a corresponding love will be birthed in us. And our faith, if sincere, will find
expression not in a religious distinctive behavior, but in attitudes and
actions of love. Justifying faith is not
just an intellectual experience. We are
to stand fast not in the confidence of our own right behavior, but in the
righteousness of Jesus which draws us into relationship with God.
Read
and Pray: Acts 15:7-11, Romans 10:8-13, Philippians
3:17-4:1
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