Scripture: Galatians 4:8-12 (NLT)
8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws. You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you.
Observation:
This passage of Scripture speaks to something I have seen happen several times over many years. People who are delivered from the control of the evil one and from the sin that bound them often times get tangled up in legalism. Feeling they have to do things at a certain time or in a certain way, or eat or not eat certain things, or many other things that seem to bind them again to the things they have been freed from. We should recognize we are free from those things and then live our lives in that freedom and not go again into bondage to anything. I think it is worth noting that Paul says that he fears for them. He also wonders if all his hard work to lead them to freedom in Christ has been wasted. Sometimes I wonder also.
Application:
When we have been freed from the bondage of false gods and idols, no matter what or who they are, we must continue to live in that freedom and only worship the God who sets us free from sin and death. Jesus Christ fulfilled the letter of the Law and gives us a wonderful opportunity to live the Spirit of the Law. If the are in Christ then we are free to walk in the spirit and not be fooled by days, or idols, or months, or years, or food, or anything else! We should FREELY FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Prayer:
Father help me to continue in the wonderful freedom you have given me through Jesus Christ. Help me to avoid all the traps of the evil one, so that I will not be snared again in any kind of bondage. Help me to share the message of freedom through Jesus Christ everywhere I go.