Daily Bread 2011 - Galatians 4
Daily Bread 2011 – Galatians 4
17 Those 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. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
What Does This Mean?
We see again the heart of the pastor in Paul, as he is deeply concerned that having started with the free gospel of grace they are turning back to the Law. Specifically, some teachers have slipped into the church who were preaching circumcision for adult male converts, and also advocating the observance of special days (Sabbaths), months (new moons), and seasons (seasonal festivals such as Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles), which were all stipulated under the Mosiac Law. It wasn’t that these were bad in and of themselves, but the “Judaizers” were trying to get the Galatians to go back to a slavish adherence to these religious observances to obtain additional merit from God.
Paul was deeply disappointed that having started with the Gospel that they were saved by grace, they were returning to these legalistic principles. He is not opposed to zeal, but their zeal was based on a motivation of works righteousness, which is antithetical to the Gospel. Verse 19 is a fine summation of Paul’s pastoral heart. He says, “I am in the pains of childbirth (though he probably hadn’t experienced this LOL, he had probably seen it!), until Christ is formed in you.”
What Does This Mean For Us?
There is always a temptation in our own Christian formation (I.e. “until Christ is formed in you”) to return to the Law. This can happen subtly in the Church, when we make discipleship more about what we are doing for God, than a response to the grace that first got a hold of us. You can tell that you are in danger of returning to a law based system when every time you “do something for the Lord” you expect some kind of credit here on earth.
As we respond to God’s grace, good works will flow naturally out of our connection to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit. As Luther said, “It is as impossible to separate good works from faith, as it is to separate a hot iron from the fire it was in.” Meaning when we are forgiven much, we love much. As Paul was concerned that the Galatian church did not return to the weak and miserable principles of the Law, may we be equally as concerned that having started with amazing grace, we don’t migrate toward second best.
Jesus, thank you for setting us free from the Law, so that we might be the sons and daughters you intended for us to be. As we live out our new calling in Your Spirit, remind us to not fall back into the old way which is destined for failure. Amen.
17 Those 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. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
What Does This Mean?
We see again the heart of the pastor in Paul, as he is deeply concerned that having started with the free gospel of grace they are turning back to the Law. Specifically, some teachers have slipped into the church who were preaching circumcision for adult male converts, and also advocating the observance of special days (Sabbaths), months (new moons), and seasons (seasonal festivals such as Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles), which were all stipulated under the Mosiac Law. It wasn’t that these were bad in and of themselves, but the “Judaizers” were trying to get the Galatians to go back to a slavish adherence to these religious observances to obtain additional merit from God.
Paul was deeply disappointed that having started with the Gospel that they were saved by grace, they were returning to these legalistic principles. He is not opposed to zeal, but their zeal was based on a motivation of works righteousness, which is antithetical to the Gospel. Verse 19 is a fine summation of Paul’s pastoral heart. He says, “I am in the pains of childbirth (though he probably hadn’t experienced this LOL, he had probably seen it!), until Christ is formed in you.”
What Does This Mean For Us?
There is always a temptation in our own Christian formation (I.e. “until Christ is formed in you”) to return to the Law. This can happen subtly in the Church, when we make discipleship more about what we are doing for God, than a response to the grace that first got a hold of us. You can tell that you are in danger of returning to a law based system when every time you “do something for the Lord” you expect some kind of credit here on earth.
As we respond to God’s grace, good works will flow naturally out of our connection to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit. As Luther said, “It is as impossible to separate good works from faith, as it is to separate a hot iron from the fire it was in.” Meaning when we are forgiven much, we love much. As Paul was concerned that the Galatian church did not return to the weak and miserable principles of the Law, may we be equally as concerned that having started with amazing grace, we don’t migrate toward second best.
Jesus, thank you for setting us free from the Law, so that we might be the sons and daughters you intended for us to be. As we live out our new calling in Your Spirit, remind us to not fall back into the old way which is destined for failure. Amen.
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