Galatians – Week 1 – Day 5

READ 

Galatians 2:4-5 

4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you. 

Just as in Paul’s time, there are false teachers today who want to take freedom away from believers in Jesus. In that day it had to do with Jewish regulations, and perhaps this is still true in some areas of the world. There are many legalists, however, who want to add their rules to what the Bible says. If one does not measure up to their rules, the legalists do not consider them to be true Christians.  

REFLECT 

Think about Paul’s greeting in Galatians 1:3 where he referred to “grace” and “peace.” This is what Jesus offers to all who trust in Him. Jesus has not called them to live by a system of regulations but of love for Him.  

RESPOND 

Meet with a fellow believer and discuss how to react to those who want to add rules to what the Bible says. A good question to ask about one of the rules is, “Where in the Bible does it teach that?” Many add restrictions of the Old Testament law to life in the New Testament times. Paul, who kept those laws before he was converted, after salvation wrote Colossians 2:16-17. Let those verses guide your life.