A God of Bondage or Freedom?

Going through the book of Galatians again after many times helps us see things that surface through the writings of the Apostle Paul. The aim of the book is to combat the false teachings that were creeping around the church around that time, namely that Christians should be keeping the law of Moses in order to be considered righteous before God.

It’s a very sad attempt to use law as a means of being right with God. It’s almost as we would be saying, “by keeping the law, God will love me/accept me/honor me”, in turn, what is that really saying? It’s saying that God really doesn’t love you the way you are, and won’t, until you get your act together. It’s a slap in the graciousness of God, who did something for you without asking for absolutely nothing except your loyalty to him.

One thing that Paul makes absolutely clear in the book is that nothing I can do whatsoever will grant me eternal life, except to believe (have faith in/intimately know) Christ. No laws, no rules will get me freedom from the bondage of sin.

However it’s also clear in chapter 5 that although the law ceases to be my guardian, I cannot live for the flesh, in immorality, anger, hatred, drunkenness, sexual sins, etc… It is a command to “walk by the Spirit”. And the walking by the Spirit makes us fulfill the law, without even caring about what the law says.

So it stands to reason then, that even though I’m not under the law (or the curse of the law), it is not a free ticket to sin. To go back to Sinai daily is to go under the law, in the sense that if you have to be reminded not to murder and not to commit adultery every day you must be really messed up.

However if we grow up in maturity, there’s NO NEED for the law to remind me not to do that, because I won’t want to, it won’t even cross my mind.

Chapter 5:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we are still in bondage to sin, it means we haven’t given up our flesh and desires of the flesh and have not yet crucified the flesh. My prayer is that one day, I won’t give in to my flesh desires anymore, and no amount of law will achieve that (I can literally bind myself to a chair and not “give in”), but until the Spirit changes our minds, it won’t happen.

Are you ready to crucify your passions and desires, and METANOIA (change your mind, aka repent)?