NEW YEAR’S ALERT

This is a sweet reminder that on Monday, January 6. 2020 we will resume our study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians by examining Chapter 4. In its verses, we see what happens the moment a person receives Jesus into their hearts. You think about it, you don’t really know what changed but you can feel it. You’re not aware of what it all means, you just know that in desperation you cried out to God and there was an immediate change in your heart. But sometimes it takes a while for us to fathom what actually took place the moment we received the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior. How awesome it is to know that we learned in chapter three that at the very moment of receiving Him, we became a child of God through faith.

At that same moment when we receive Him into our hearts, we are spiritually baptized into union with the Anointed One. We are totally immersed into His power, His passion, His presence, everything about Him. He is in us; we are in Him. We are immediately clothed with the garment of His righteousness. That’s an amazing thing. If you didn’t know it from Scripture you would not perhaps understand that. Paul says in chapter three that those who are baptized into the Anointed One have been clothed with the Anointed One. This is what Peter tells us in his epistle. He says we have been given everything for life and for godliness. It’s all in the Anointed One. And it was all received the moment that we were saved.

Now in chapter four, Paul wants to illustrate the spiritual immaturity of people like the Galatians who go back up under the old performance mentality of religion, when they would rather live by a set of rules than they would walk in the relationship they could have with the Father. And it’s a beautiful thing he does here. You see, by going back under the law the Galatians not only did a stupid thing; remember the word “foolish” in the early part of chapter three, it is an interesting word. Foolish things are done when you don’t know any better; stupid things are done when you know better and you do it anyway.

And the Galatians did a stupid thing. Not only did they do a stupid thing by going back up under religion, they did an intensely immature thing. You see, we don’t think about it that way. We think religion is maturity. Oh, no! It’s gross! Immaturity is what it is, and Paul’s going to show us that right here. Think about this as you walk through this life, as you choose to do things your way, how immature and childish you may have become. When we can walk as the adult children of God when we can live in maturity if we will just simply learn to relate to Him and walk by faith. This is your contrast. This is what Paul is trying to show us.

So I hope you will join me as we walk slowing through chapter four slowly but methodically to discover any and all other jewels and gems of spiritual insight from this chapter. I praise God over your commitment to know more about Him as you learn more about His Word. You are a treasure to God and a valuable part of the body of the Anointed One.

See you on Monday!!!

Dr. Robert R Seyda