Passage of the Day:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! – Galatians 5:1-12
Reflection:
Devout Jews in the first century struggled with the freedom that Jesus brought to local synagogues. Subsequently, those who were unable to let go of their strict religious practices joined a sect known as the Judaizers. This group infiltrated the Church at Galatia and began to add stipulations to salvation, breaking a command God gave Moses in Deuteronomy 4:2. Anyone new convert who wasn’t already circumcised was pressured into doing this if they really wanted to be saved. This is the reason for the apostle Paul’s warning about the yoke of slavery. Modern day Judaizers continue down this road by claiming if you don’t speak in tongues, you truly aren’t saved. This is the type of teaching that results in spiritual bondage, overwhelming the souls of new converts to Christ.
Prayerful Action:
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me, Psalm 142:6-7.
Refreshing Your Soul:
While addressing the church leaders of Galatia, Paul asks “who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” Unfortunately, life is full of distractions which cause many Christians to get sidetracked. If you are young in your faith and don’t know any better, you can easily be misled. This is one of the reasons the Psalmist cries out to God for help. If you feel like you’re being held back due to some sort of spiritual bondage impressed upon you by modern Judaizers, cry out to the Lord so that you might be rescued and set free.
Song of the Day:
When I wasn’t really good at praying, I would incorporate the words of Christian songs into my prayers. The lyrics of Rescue Me provide a good outline for pouring out your heart to God so that in time your soul will be freed from spiritual bondage.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 