08 Jul Galatians 5:4-5 Receive Righteousness #279
Can you imagine having to follow a set of rules to be accepted and loved? What if you had to check a bunch of boxes to receive gifts from Jesus? It sure does sound miserable, doesn’t it?
Last week on In Due Time blog I shared Galatians 5:1 and today I want to continue with this topic of freedom by sharing Galatians 5:4-5 which says, “For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.”
Paul does not beat around the bush with this verse. He tells us that if we try to make ourselves right with God then we cut ourselves off from him. Why? Because you can’t earn your way into something that has already been given to you. Jesus has already paid a price to gift you with righteousness and your works do nothing in the end except block you from receiving this free gift.
So how can you receive righteousness? It won’t be by focusing on what you need to do. Instead it will be denying all the things of the flesh, including the set of rules, otherwise known as legalism. Once you stop trying to earn God’s gifts in your own strength and put away your check-list and long set of rules, then you will be able to receive what God has promised through the Holy Spirit.
Isn’t God so good? He is not after a to-do list or routines, but he is after a relationship with you. Don’t let religion get in the way of your relationship with him. Access the Spirit that is within you and receive by faith the beautiful gift of righteousness God has promised you!
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Lindsay Tankersley
Posted at 08:31h, 10 JulyI am a bit confused by this one. There are no “rules” but isn’t the whole Bible filled with rules. I mean we have the 10 commandments, and also we’re commanded to not curse or have sex before marriage, or follow the flesh, etc. Doesn’t all that fall into “rules”? I’m not arguing, really just trying to understand. If we want to live Christ like then we must be obedient and faithful to his Word…which we do with rules like at school or work. What am I missing? I really do want to understand this more. Maybe I am not getting it from this post! haha. I appreciate what you do with this blog and how it helps me to continue to grow and learn in my faith! 🙂