Galatians Week 4

Jesus died to SET us free, but LIVING free is a process, and one that requires Jesus at its core.  Often we’d rather be chained to the things that hold us captive than to trust God for an abundant life of freedom, because sometimes it doesn’t look all that abundant. Things like self-reliance and pulling yourself up from your boot-straps isn’t the abundant life, it’s what the Bible calls “the law,” and it’s what we settle for. And I’m not sure why we do it? Maybe because we don’t want to be vulnerable and acknowledge our need for help? Or maybe the law is just easier on some level? We can say, I checked off my spiritual boxes today.

But Jesus isn’t after behavior modification. He’s not asking us to add more “ands” to our lives, in order to appear more holy. He’s offering us a transformed life….where HE provides the power for the transformation.

This week, let’s not be a people who yearn for the slavery of Egypt, where at least it was comfortable. Instead, let’s allow Jesus to do the hard work of transformation for the good of ourselves and for those around us.

Questions for Reflection

• What chains does the gospel need to break in your life?
• Are you allowing Jesus to do the work through time in the scriptures and in prayer, or are you trying to do it through your own power and old routines?

Further Study

As much as we probably hate to admit it, we have a lot in common with the Israelites after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Although they had been delivered, they somehow thought that meant that everything was going to be smooth sailing after their rescue. They complained about a lot…some of it understandable, I complain when I get hangry too. But they had been SET FREE from literal slavery and they began longing to go back to their lives of bondage. One of the ways God, Moses and other leaders helped the Israelites to continue to live freely was to constantly remind them what God had done for them. God literally told them over and over. “I am the Lord your God, I rescued you from slavery in Israel.” Sometimes I think we need that same reminder. “I am the Lord your God, I rescued you from slavery to ________.” Insert what God has delivered you from.