Daily Bread Galatians 4
Daily Bread Galatians 4
Paul's Concern for the Galatians
8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
12I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. 13As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. 14Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. 18It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. 19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Observation:
Paul continues to lament the fact that although the Galatians have been freed by the gospel of grace, they are now returning to a new form of slavery. This new form of slavery is a mentality that thinks that by what we do we are made right with God. Paul sees them going back to observing certain special days or months as a barometer of one’s spirituality. This is more religiosity than spirituality.
Paul goes to the mat for this principle, because he realizes that if the foundation of grace is not secure all else will be on wobbly ground. Part of Paul’s appeal is to show how much he personally gave to them to show them his love and care for them. And apparently it was reciprocated.
In a classic verse, Paul says he is in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in them. (4:19) Again Paul wasn’t content to just bring the gospel to the Galatians, he realized this was only the start. The goal is that the Galatians would become Christ-like (ie Christ formed in you). To the extent that these false teachers were trying to pervert the gospel and turn it into a works righteousness, Paul knew that their ability to become like Christ would be severely stalled. Why? Because we can’t become like Christ by trying harder, or observing special days. We can only do it through His power working through us and our allowing Him to run our lives by His Spirit!
Application:
How is the formation process going? Are you more like Christ now, then when you first came to believe? More than last year? Is this the primary goal of your life, to have Christ formed in you? Someone once said, “If you were on trial for being a Christians, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
By saying this I am not saying that we can by ourselves create this kind of transformation. It is only as we abide in Christ and He in us, that we can bear much fruit and show ourselves to be His disciples. And the greatest fruit, as we learn in other parts of the New Testament, is love. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1, “Let love be your greatest aim.” And, of course, that makes sense because to have Christ formed in us, means to love like Jesus did. This is an unconditional love, which sometimes has to “speak the truth in love”, and a love always with the goal of bringing the person closer to God.
Prayer:
God we submit to the process of Christ being formed in us. Help us be aware of false teachers who pervert the gospel of grace and teach a new form of slavery. Jesus come and live in us and teach us how to live like you did. Send Your Spirit to give us a knowledge of how you would love in every situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Paul's Concern for the Galatians
8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
12I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. 13As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. 14Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. 18It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. 19My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Observation:
Paul continues to lament the fact that although the Galatians have been freed by the gospel of grace, they are now returning to a new form of slavery. This new form of slavery is a mentality that thinks that by what we do we are made right with God. Paul sees them going back to observing certain special days or months as a barometer of one’s spirituality. This is more religiosity than spirituality.
Paul goes to the mat for this principle, because he realizes that if the foundation of grace is not secure all else will be on wobbly ground. Part of Paul’s appeal is to show how much he personally gave to them to show them his love and care for them. And apparently it was reciprocated.
In a classic verse, Paul says he is in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in them. (4:19) Again Paul wasn’t content to just bring the gospel to the Galatians, he realized this was only the start. The goal is that the Galatians would become Christ-like (ie Christ formed in you). To the extent that these false teachers were trying to pervert the gospel and turn it into a works righteousness, Paul knew that their ability to become like Christ would be severely stalled. Why? Because we can’t become like Christ by trying harder, or observing special days. We can only do it through His power working through us and our allowing Him to run our lives by His Spirit!
Application:
How is the formation process going? Are you more like Christ now, then when you first came to believe? More than last year? Is this the primary goal of your life, to have Christ formed in you? Someone once said, “If you were on trial for being a Christians, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
By saying this I am not saying that we can by ourselves create this kind of transformation. It is only as we abide in Christ and He in us, that we can bear much fruit and show ourselves to be His disciples. And the greatest fruit, as we learn in other parts of the New Testament, is love. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1, “Let love be your greatest aim.” And, of course, that makes sense because to have Christ formed in us, means to love like Jesus did. This is an unconditional love, which sometimes has to “speak the truth in love”, and a love always with the goal of bringing the person closer to God.
Prayer:
God we submit to the process of Christ being formed in us. Help us be aware of false teachers who pervert the gospel of grace and teach a new form of slavery. Jesus come and live in us and teach us how to live like you did. Send Your Spirit to give us a knowledge of how you would love in every situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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