Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Galatians 4 and Psalm 135

Galatians 4 is focussed on the contrast between the past and present of its readers.

In the past, those who were Jews had been subject to the Law, which acted like a “guardian” to show them the way to live. But they had been motivated by their fear of failure and of the punishment that would follow inevitably on their failure.

In the past, those who were Gentiles had lived under their superstitious beliefs in the ‘gods’. Paul writes that they were “enslaved by the elemental spiritual forces of the world” (v.3). The “elemental spiritual force” that is stressed in pagan religion (just as much as in Jewish law) is the principle of cause and effect. One may call it karma or “you get what you deserve”. Without Christ, people live under the power of the concept that we get what we deserve; when we are good we deserve to receive good and when we are bad we deserve to receive bad.

For both Jews and Gentiles the Good News of the Gospel is that Christ Jesus came to set us free from bondage to this way of seeing the world and of relating to God. Jesus came to redeem us from the power of sin, the Law, superstition, and any other elemental force that binds us. He came to save us by God’s grace alone and give us the free gift of being adopted as God’s own, beloved children.

And now …

⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child …

We are no longer slaves to the Law, to fear, superstition, “karma” or any other power. We are God’s children in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells. From within us, the Holy Spirit enables us to relate to God with the same loving, tender, filial honour that Jesus did when He prayed – “Abba, Father”.

Life Application: This may sound like a strange suggestion but here we go anyway … Every time you walk through any doorway today (however many times that may be) quietly acknowledge that God is there with you by whispering under your breath or silently in your mind, “Abba Father, I am Yours”.