my soap journal

Scripture:

Galatians 4:9 “But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?”

Observation:

This entire passage is a treatise admonishing the Galatians for allowing themselves to be pulled into the false teaching that following Jewish law will make them holy – will give them salvation.  In deep angst, Paul asks them what madness has led them from the freedom in Christ to the slavery of law.  And we still deal with this today.  Except, rather than buying wholesale into any particular system, we’ve each set up our own personal set of “laws” which not only bind us, but which we quietly judge the world around us against.

Application:

I know I’ve allowed my preferences, my guidelines to be the constructs a Christian must follow – but ultimately, there is only one, to love Christ.  As it is, I’m attempting to enslave those around me, and a fool if I think I’m not enslaving myself through those same constructs.

Prayer:

Lord – help me free myself and to stop attempting to enslave those around me.