You Who Want to Be Under Law

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You Who Want to Be Under Law

Many people  are of the opinion  that if they go to church  and church activities,  they are obeying the law.      So,  they get to feeling  rather confident  and try to be  on their best behavior.      They imagine  that that  is all there is  to keeping the law — and that  they are doing  a pretty good job of it.      They don’t mind  living under the law  that they think  they understand — but  they aren’t hearing  all that the law  demands of them.

They like to be  under the law  because they imagine  that they are keeping it — and doing a pretty good job.      They are confident  that they will enter heaven.

Many like to be  under the law  because they feel  it is giving them  a chance to grow spiritually  and serve the Lord.      But,  none of those  who cling to the law  are understanding it.      Paul had to get after  the Galatians  for their lack  of understanding.      They were following  false preachers  who insisted  that they keep the law,  but that was totally opposite  of what Paul had taught them  beforehand.      So,  Paul wrote  in Galatians 4:21,

Tell me,  you who want to be  under law,  do you not listen  to the law?

In other words,  listen up  to what the law really  demands of you.      Deuteronomy 18:13 says,  “You shall be blameless  before the LORD  your God.”       The law demands  absolute perfection.      Being  “better”  than we were  is not good enough.      Being  “kinder”  will never come close  to the perfect love  of God.      “Trying harder”  won’t  cut the mustard either.      It’s impossible  to be perfect.      Making resolutions  and taking self-improvement classes  won’t help one iota.      God demands  more than our best efforts.

So,  Paul presented  an allegory  from the Old Testament  to teach us  in Galatians 4:22-31,  what God wants us  to realize.      Basically,  it describes how Abraham  had two sons — Ishmael,  born from Sarah’s bondslave,  Hagar,  because Abraham and Sarah  thought that might be  how God would give Abraham  a son  [ they didn’t believe God’s promise  as they should have ] — and Isaac,  born to Sarah  by God’s promise  when she was 90  and Abraham was 100.

An allegory  is a story  with a hidden meaning  to teach a lesson  and explain a truth.      In this allegory,  Hagar is a slave  and represents  all the laws  people are enslaved to.      Sarah,  on the other hand,  represents the promise of God.      God promised her a child  and she bore Isaac  when she was 90.      In the allegory,  Ishmael,  the son representing  the enslaving laws,  persecuted Isaac,  the son born  according to God’s promise,  according to the Spirit.      Then,  in the scripture story,  Hagar and Ishmael were cast out,  because Ishmael  could not be allowed  to have the inheritance — he was only  a slave’s son,  not the real  promised son.

Then comes the important promise  in Galatians 4:31-5:1,

So then,  brethren,  we are not children  of a bondwoman,  but of the free woman.      It was for freedom  that Christ  set us free;  therefore  keep standing firm  and do not  be subject again  to a yoke  of slavery.

In this allegory,  God has given us  the promise of freedom  from the law.      He kept that promise  in Christ Jesus.      Because Jesus  set us free  from the law,  we are to stand firm  in God’s promise  of salvation  by faith alone.      We are not  to disregard  or forget  God’s promise  that set us free  from slavery  to the law — because Christ  kept all the law  perfectly for us.

When we live by faith,  we are free  from the law  and eternal life  is our inheritance.      If we put ourselves  under the law,  we had better keep it  absolutely perfectly  all our lives — or face the eternal consequences.

As we live in the freedom  of faith,  we say,  “Hallelujah!      Lord Jesus,  thank You  for doing all things  perfectly  for us  and paying the penalty  for our sins.”

Love,
Margaret

 

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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