The churches in the region of Galatia had started off by believing in Jesus by grace through faith for their salvation. Then a group of legalistic Jewish Christians came into the region and began preaching a different Gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). A gospel based on works through keeping the Old Testament Mosaic law. Paul’s letter to these churches was written to refute this legalism and should be studied by many churches today.

The freedom or liberty that Paul is speaking about is more than the freedom of the law. Its about what comes with knowing Jesus Christ. It’s a freedom from law because of the knowledge of God’s grace. It’s a freedom of the law because of the knowledge of Jesus’ totally atoning sacrifice for us upon the cross. It’s a freedom of the law because of the knowledge of the Holy Spirit living inside us, making us new, making us more like Jesus, and guiding us into truth — the truth that the promise of God’s salvation through Christ’s perfect sacrifice is better than the law. Relying upon all that we know regarding the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is so much better than cheating ourselves of God’s work for us, in us, and through us by taking on the works of the law. It’s so much better to have Jesus in your heart than to have the law hanging over your head!

Paul starts this section off by clearly stating that returning or adding the law to grace is a yoke of slavery! He refutes the the teaching that we need to uphold certain sections of the law because we are those who have been reborn in Christ Jesus. He goes so far as to say if we intend to keep certain aspects of the law with the intention of winning over God then we need to complete the entire law or suffer the fires of hell. This is a very interesting because it seems to reverse what we typically think of when we think about falling out of grace. We usually think that falling into sin is falling from grace, but that’s not what the verse teaches, is it? No! As a matter of fact the verse says that when we decide to live according to the law instead of living by faith we no longer experience the fellowship with Jesus that He paid to gain for us. Not having that intimacy with Jesus because of our choice to be made right based on our own righteousness is what falling away from grace is about. Remember that grace is God’s undeserved, unearned favor. Can we have grace if we are trying to earn it and therefore think we deserve it? — Certainly not!

We don’t wait or rely upon keeping the law to please God and to be accepted by Him. We rely solely upon Christ’s perfect atoning sacrifice made for us because of the incredible grace of God on our behalf. This is what we place our faith in, never upon ourselves. You see God’s grace has nothing to do with our goodness or badness, but wholly upon His sovereignty. So now that we have that straight its time to lovingly live out our faith before God and man. I do not say we are to be lawless or reckless. No, we are to prove our position as Children of God in Christ Jesus through loving faith.

*The heart of the matter*

Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “ Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” (I Kings 18:17-19 NKJV)

Elijah’s challenge was to take 2 bulls one for the false prophets of the false god Baal and one for the true prophet of the true and living God of the Bible. Neither side was to set fire to the sacrifice, but rather call out to their god/God to send fire from heaven and consume the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal tried and tried to get Baal to answer them, but Baal did not answer because Baal is not a real god at all. Elijah even mocks them and their god which results in them cutting themselves trying to get Baal’s attention, but their was no answer. Then Elijah rebuilt the alter of God which had been broken down, set the wood in order, dug a trench around the alter, and has the onlookers fill water pots with water. He then instructs them to pour water on the sacrifice, the wood, and to fill to overflowing the trench. The end result is verses 36-40.

Now the question: Why did God tell Elijah to do all this? Was it so that God could allow Elijah to boast and brag? Was it so that Elijah could show the anger of God?

*Live out your freedom*

The great cloud of witnesses are the examples of great faith listed in the previous chapter. Who are Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephtha, David, Samuel, the Old Testament prophets, and New Testament saints (disciples of Jesus).

Since we have seen what God has done with them we have an unwavering confidence of what He is able to do with us. In that confidence (or faith [Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Hebrews11:1]) we find the key that unlocks the shackles and chains of this world. His name is Jesus!

You see laying aside the weight and sin which very easily ensnares us and takes away or freedom isn’t so much our work. It is the work of God in our lives. He gives us the ability to lay these things down. Think of it as a partnership with the Lord where you are more of a silent partner. As the Lord says “I want you to trust Me and place your confidence in Me and not the things of this world that are so familiar to you” your right response is “yes Lord I trust you”. In that action He takes those things from you. We are commanded by Jesus to abide in Him and in His love (John 15). Abiding is a word that describes an action of holding tightly or clinging to something. As we cling to Jesus we have no room in our hands to hold onto the weight, and sin any longer.

As the spiritual weight and sin is shed we suddenly have the freedom to live (run) our lives for our Creator how we were created to do. But we need endurance to push through the tough times. The trials, tribulations, temptations of this life. Don’t worry this endurance is freely given to us by our gracious God as well. It comes when we keep our eyes vertically, fixed on Jesus and not horizontally, fixed on the things and issues of this fallen world. Remember that Jesus being the author and finisher of our faith who will not abandon us, but rather will accompany us through the hardest of times.

He proved Himself by enduring the cross, rising again the third day, and taking His rightful place at the right hand of the Father, just as He said He would. In all of this He had a joy, and that joy was the knowledge that we would now be able to really know Him, being restored to the Father, and being filled with His Holy Spirit. His joy is now our joy as we live out the freedom that comes only from a loving relationship with Him.

Remember how weighed down you once were? Remember the moment of freedom and joy that came when you discovered the Author of your faith? If so it’s time to spread the good news so others will have the same joy, confidence, freedom, and victory.

Precious brothers and sisters praise God today for His amazing work in and through our lives!

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:4-8 NKJV)

*Where do you live?*

7 times the word “abide” is used in these 5 verses so we should have a clear understanding of that word. Abide is a really neat word when we understand it’s meaning in the original language. It’s a word that means an intense holding onto. More specifically taking up residence in a forever unending unwavering way. To abide in our text is literally to intensely take up residence in an unwavering way so as never to leave or let go of no matter what happens. Jesus says to us that we are to abide in Him in this way and gives us a clear example. Let’s say you have a grapevine growing in your yard and it produces sweet plump delicious fruit. If you were to cut off a branch from the vine and put it on the kitchen table so that you could enjoy those grapes without going outside would it still produce fruit? Of course not. Not only would it cease to produce fruit, it would wither up and die because you cut it off from it’s source of life which is the vine, and dead wood is firewood. So He gives us a clear understanding of abiding in the picture of a vine and a branch. They are dependent upon another. The branch can’t produce fruit or live without the nourishment from the vine and the vine will not produce fruit without an attached branch. This of course speaks of our relationship to Jesus.

We exist to glorify God and to enjoy Him. We can not glorify God if we are not bearing much good fruit. We can not show fruit in our lives if we are separated from Christ. This is one of the most important lessons you and I can learn. Christ desires to bring about this fruit in our lives through the Holy Spirit that we might glorify our Father in heaven. You see God doesn’t require anything of us that He doesn’t provide the means for us to do. It’s not about us producing fruit, it’s about the Lord producing fruit in and through our lives. It’s about being totally surrendered and dependent upon Christ just as the branch is upon the vine. When this happens we prove ourselves to be disciples of Christ. This takes an enormous weight off our shoulders as we realize that it is God who desires to use us to bring Himself glory out of an abundance of His love for us. It’s not our work its His, and yet He loves us and let’s us be a part of it! All we need to do is to stay close to Jesus and not depart no matter what may come in our lives. And the bonus is that all of this is possible because He promises to abide in us.

Beloved of God you are secure in Christ. You will bring about much fruit as you stay attached to Him. You will prove to be His disciples as He performs an amazing labor of love in you, and you will glorify your God which is your rightful place as one who has been saved by His grace through faith.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV)

*The problem and solution*

There is no doubt a crisis in our society today. Our society is broken morally, spiritually, politically, financially, and most other lly’s we can think of. The problems, however, cannot be fixed by our education system, political system, or church programs. They all can be impacted in such a way that they too begin to operate properly and efficiently, but none of them will until a couple of other issues get straightened out first.

So how do we start to fix the increasingly complex issues of our day? As always it begins with LOVE. A love for God that is pure, true, and faithful. A love for God that is above all other things and all other people. Because the profoundly simple truth is that we can not love others rightly until we love God the way He commands and provides for us to love Him through His word and His most Holy Spirit. You see the word of God (Bible) must first make an impact on our hearts before anyone else. The word of God which is a living breathing discerning word has to change our lives before we look to change others. Once His words penetrate and bring about change in us we are to teach them diligently to our children. Reminding them of God’s constant presence and love. Teaching them His standards and His perfect ways.

There is a huge problem of laziness in our culture today and it is proven by the attitudes, language, and actions of our children and youth. The laziness comes in the form of assumption. Parents who assume that their kids will be impacted more in the 1-2 hours a week they spend at church than they will be the rest of the week outside of church. Church is not a building but rather who we are. I am the church just as you are the church. We are to be the church at home before we ever walk into the building.

When we love the Lord rightly, we are faithfully being the church in all places we go and teaching our children His ways, then and only then will we see a worthwhile change in our society. Do we want to see a change in our culture? Of course we do! So we need start that change in our homes and watch our kids grow up and be used by God to bring about a shift from wickedness to righteousness. We have a God given privilege and responsibility to train up our children in the way that they should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

Precious saints you have the solution to a problem we all share. What will you now do with it?