Last week we ended with these amazing truths found in Galatians 4:6-7: “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” It truly blows me away every time I read those two verses. I am a son. I have His Spirit in my heart. I can have an intimate relationship with Abba – daddy! I am an heir. Wow, wow, and wow! Now, look what Paul says in verse 8:
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
Paul goes back to the time before the readers of his letter came to faith in Jesus Christ. He reminds them that they were slaves to things that were not really even “gods”. I love how Paul writes “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God.” In Ephesians Paul would say something similar, that God chose us before the foundation of the world and predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. It was not that we came to know God, but God took the veil off of our hearts so that we could begin to know Him. But look what happened to the Galatians “how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.” They reverted back to the Law and began listening to the false teachers. After beginning with the Spirit, they are now trying to attain the goal by human effort as Paul explained earlier in chapter 3. They turned from faith, and walking by the Spirit (ch. 5 will discuss this), to following a set of laws (observing days, months, seasons, and years). We do similar things today. Paul is perplexed. Listen to his words in verses 12-21:
I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you — but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Because of time, we won’t discuss this paragraph exhaustively. However, the Galatians went from loving Paul when he first brought the Gospel to them to becoming like his enemy when he spoke hard truth to them. But Paul tells them “whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” This was Paul’s heart! Yes, he was being hard on them, but his desire was that Christ would be fully formed in them. So, take a look at your life right now. Are you becoming more like Christ and having the abundant life, or are you trying to follow a set of rules? Let’s not be foolish like the Galatians. Let’s walk by the Spirit in faith. See you next week.