Over and over again we have
been studying the words of Paul the apostle to the church members in
Galatia. Since Judaizers have infiltrated their fellowship with false
teaching that declares they must follow the law of God in addition to
experiencing the grace of Jesus Christ, Paul has appealed to them
upon the basis that they could not keep the law of God in the first
place. This is what made it necessary for Jesus Christ to come and
sacrifice Himself on the cross for their sins. However, it seems that
the Galatians just do not get it as Paul adds to his words in chapter
four and verse twenty one where he wrote:
Tell me, you that
desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
Religious
systems and their rules are hard to break even when faced with the
truth. Traditions and ceremonies that have been carried on for years
are not easily altered because people rely upon them so deeply. Paul
begins with this rhetorical reference, “Tell me, you that desire
to be under the law...” Paul doesn't make his appeal to all the
church members, but rather those who “desire to be under the
law.” The implication is that there are some among them who are
not following this doctrine. This is probably the reason Paul was
notified about the dispute in the first place. Generally there will
be factions within a body of people who have different methods and
ways in which they believe things should be done. More than likely
there were those in the church at Galatia who gladly accepted the
grace of Jesus Christ without following the traditions and ceremonies
of the law, and there were those who returned to the law after being
persuaded by the Judaizers.
Paul
asks, “do you not hear the law?” Jesus said often, “You
that have ears, hear” or “Let him that has ears, hear.” The
idea is that words can be listened to but not understood. The noise
of utterance is made, but the true meaning is absent in the
receiver's mind. Paul endeavors to have his readers think about what
they are following. The law brought bondage and condemnation, not
because the law was bad, but because those who were attempting to
follow it could not do so. Basically the law shares perfection, and
those who attempt to keep it come up short. The law says, “you can
not do this”, and the grace of God says, “Jesus can.”
As we
venture into this new section of scripture, we will find Paul using
an allegory to appeal to the minds of those who are following the
Judaizers' teachings. As he employs Abraham as an example we will
find Paul once again using every means possible to convince them of
the error of their ways. When we read this example perhaps we should
consider our own methods of belief and see if we align ourselves in
any manner which depends upon the keeping of the law of God versus
relying upon the grace of Jesus Christ. Rather than be elevated in
our own minds above the Galatians we can evaluate whether we have
“ears to hear” and align ourselves to the doctrine that Jesus
Himself would have us keep.
Next time we will see Paul bring Abraham into his persuasive writing,
so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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