For my reflection this morning I am working through some verses from Paul's letter to the churches in Galatia. They were one of churches that were impacted by the "Circumcision Group" out of Jerusalem, and Paul is writing this letter to defend the Gospel of Grace through Faith. Here are the verses - Galatians 5:1-6 NIV:
[1] 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."
I find as I read these verses, my mind is racing back to the genesis of the Gospel, found in the earliest stories of the Jews. Recently I have been reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer and he was talking about the original fall from relationship that happened in the garden, and how that brought man out of relationship with God, into a place of trying to judge between good and evil. He said that this was the basis for all judgment and that it is not what God desires for us, rather He desires us to be in loving relationship with Him, following Him and being directed by Him to our best possible lives as His sons and daughters. This intimacy and relationship was what was lost in the Garden, and what Jesus came to restore, and in that He desires to release us from wrong ideas about God and open the way for true relationship with Him. (Hopefully I did Dietrich justice in summarizing his deep thinking on this subject)
As I read Paul's opening line of this chapter I was immediately reminded of Dietrich's perspective. Paul is fighting for restoration of relationship, and the law, which was supposed to be a guardian for the people pointing them towards Christ (Gal 3:24-25), had become instead the basis of their judgment of good and evil, and the circumcision group thought that was a better way. They didn't realize they were stepping back into the less than desired state of servitude to judgment (what the Law brings). Rather than being a better way, this essentially usurped God's role, and fractured their relationship with the living God.
Instead of relationship this group wanted rules and judgment, and that was what Jesus came to set them free of. They were like the Jews, who upon entering the wilderness cried out to God to take them back to Egypt, where they had meat in their pots (Ex 16:3) and leeks to eat (Num 11:4-6), willing to exchange freedom and relationship for slavery and comfort. What a terrible thing to lose relationship and again take on the yoke of slavery, yet that is exactly what was being preached as the better way!
Paul spends the next few sentences describing how allowing oneself to be circumcised is the same as trying to be justified by law, (a works based mentality). His simple statement that "the only thing that counts (in Christ Jesus) is faith expressing itself through love" is one of the key mindsets we must hold onto. We are so quick to take up judgment (rules and requirements), thinking we are embracing a better way of holiness or making ourselves pure, and instead we are stepping back into the very thing Jesus set us free from. Christ calls us into Freedom, experienced through faith in Him, expressing itself through love.
Paul continues later on, picing up this theme, expanding it to make sure people are not misunderstanding this "freedom" in Christ. He writes, "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. [14] For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV) The call within this freedom is to loving one another as we were commanded by Jesus, expressed through service and love. We are called to love ourselves (to embrace our identity as God's sons and daughters) and to love one another. All of this is to be founded out of the Gospel of Grace through Faith! We have freely received this salvation and been invited into relationship as sons and daughters, and from this place of intimacy and relationship, we reach outward to those around us, in love and service.
It is amazing to me that we so often are tempted to reject this simple and beautiful Gospel, replacing it with judgment, rules and regulations. We are so desirous of being better, or embracing a lifestyle of following the Lord, that we mistakenly allow others to tell us what to do, or how to live our lives, when we should be looking to the Lord! He wants to be our Lord and savior! We must stand firm in this freedom, this invitation back to intimacy and relationship, and resist any set of rules and regulations that are being lauded as a way to be a better Christian! Christ is satisfied with our hearts and lives embracing Him and expressing our faith in Him through love! Why do we want to add to that. He is satisfied!
Don't mistake this temptation to add rules and regulations for His desire for us to have better lives in context of relationship! In the same way that any father desires a better life for their children, seeing them step fully into their abilities and talents, achieving more and being fulfilled, the Lord desires this for us! He longs to see us set fully free and maturing so that we might produce abundant fruit! In our immaturity and unknowing, we have often embraced things in our lives, behaviors and ways of thinking that are harmful and limiting, and in the context of relationship the Lord will draw us out of those into betterment. This is not the same thing as the rules and regulations of the law, or allowing others to judge us and our relationship with Him. God is a loving Father and only desires the best for us, and He will show us the way. We need to stand firm in our faith in Him, in our relationship with Him, and allow Him to lovingly guide us into the fullness of life He has planned for us. This is the life of Freedom He desires for us! Walking in intimacy and relationship with Him!
In our connection and relationship to Him, as His sons and daughters, we are called to help our fellow brothers and sisters, serving them humbly in love. We should be conscious of the fact that they are in the same family, and while we might be older siblings, we have no right to parent them, but should rather help them and encourage them! I am reminded of the last scene from "The Sound of Music" where the family is hiking over the mountains to freedom and the dad has the youngest daughter Gretl on his back and the other children are helping each other.
This morning I am encouraged to look to my life and make sure I am standing firmly in the freedom Christ purchased for me! I am encouraged to look to my relationship with Him for all my direction and guidance, rather than allowing myself to come under the judgment of someone else. Finally, I am encouraged to love those around me, and to encourage them forward in their relationship with Christ through loving service!
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