Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 103-105; Galatians 4
Devotional Thought:
Have you ever had your parents say to you during a moment of intense immaturity, “Grow up!” It can be disturbing and disruptive when children get too rowdy, but it is terrible when adults act the same way. Paul, in this chapter, addresses a group of believers who are adults who are acting very childish. Legalism has been defined in many different ways and all of the definitions are not always accurate. The term “legalism” was introduced to describe the adding of works to salvation. These Judaizers were not content to let God be glorified by His justifying of the saints by grace, but rather wanted to add human stipulations (the law) on these new converts in order to glory in their flesh. May I remind you that the Holy Spirit is perfectly capable of convicting and maturing a newborn babe in Christ. Unfortunately, many Christians want to dress up, clean up, and fix up new converts over night. The spiritual growth process is a process and can take time. Some growth steps happen more quickly than others, but changing the outside, before the heart matures, is a recipe for frustration and hypocrisy. Often people are referred to as legalistic, and they are, who push their preferences as equal with Biblical doctrine. For instance, a person that has a preference that a woman should not wear pants, and so they tell a female new convert that if they want to please the Lord and be Christ-like, they should never wear pants. Or one, who says we should not eat at Pizza Hut because they serve alcohol, but then they go shop at Meijer, confuses and frustrates newborn babes. There is nothing wrong with standards and people should develop their own preferences and create standards and safeguards in their life so they are not tempted to sin; however, if it is your preference than let it be your preference. Do not push your standard upon someone else who may not be weak in the same ways that you are. Many of these Christians who have a great motivation to be spiritual are to be admired, but often their methods to accomplish their goal demonstrates their lack of discernment and immaturity. Our old nature has an attraction for the external because the Law enables us to do things and measure external results. As we measure our achievements, we feel a sense of accomplishment, and, no doubt, a little bit of pride. We then think we are going forward when we are actually demonstrating immaturity. Warren Weirsbe describes our new position in Christ with an excellent illustration. “No matter how wealthy a father may be, his infant son or toddling child cannot really enjoy that wealth. In the Roman world, the children of wealthy people were cared for by slaves. No matter who his father was, the child was still a child, under the supervision of a servant. In fact, the child himself was not much different from the servant who guarded him. The servant was commanded by the master of the house, and the child was commanded by the servant. This was the spiritual condition of the Jews under the age of the Law. The Law, you recall, was the “guardian” that disciplined the nation and prepared the people for the coming of Christ (Gal. 3:23-25). So, when the Judaizers led the Galatians back into legalism, they were leading them not only into religious bondage, but also into moral and spiritual infancy and immaturity.” What a blessing to be adopted into the family of God through our salvation. Though, as a new Christian, our condition is that of being a newborn babe who needs to grow; however, our position is that of an adult son who is complete in Christ! What an amazing thing to be a Christian!
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to exalt the work and character of Christ, and to humbly allow the Spirit of God to grow me into your likeness. Please help me to never allow my standards, preferences, or positions to become a cloak of spirituality.
• Lord, please help me to submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit for my life, my family, and my church. I desire to abstain from fleshly lust and selfish pride and to point people to a proper understanding of the character and person of Christ.