Galatians 1:13-14. 13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.
How would you describe your former life? Your life before Christ? How would you complete this sentence: You have heard of my former life in ___.
Some Christians were saved out of a former life of gross immorality. Some out of a former life of addiction. Some out of a former life of crime or corruption. But Paul was saved out of a former life of religion. And not just any religion, Judaism. THE religion. The right religion. The religion that God himself created. And make no mistake, Paul was an excellent Jew. A zealot for the faith of Yahweh. As he says in Philippians 3, he was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews,” a Pharisee (trained by the renowned teacher, Gamaliel), and blameless concerning the law. Paul was no rebel, no prodigal, he would never make the mistakes of his namesake, King Saul, and turn against God and his will.
For Paul life was easy – know what God wants you to do and do it.
Does this describe your life in any way? Is this how you see your “faith?” I just have to figure out what God wants me to do, and then do it…zealously.
There are at least two problems with this. First, can any of us actually do what God requires of us? Can any of us live a blameless life before God? Even Paul, who said he was blameless according the law also said that the tenth commandment, “don’t covet,” condemned him. You see none of us can keep God’s law in our hearts. The law can and must condemn. It must show us our need for Christ, the only true law-keeper. The law was never truly meant to prevent sin as much as it was to reveal sin. Especially the sin of self-righteousness.
Second, even if we could (mostly) do for God what he requires, is this really the relationship that God desires? Yes, doing FOR God is good religion, but is that really what God wants? Religious zealots? Or does he want a relationship with us? Does he want our hearts? God doesn’t want us to do things for him, he wants us to receive all that he does for us. He wants us to live and love from within his grace.
The former is bondage. The latter is freedom.
You: Is your relationship with God primarily one of doing things for him, or allowing him to do for you?
You in Christ: In what way does union with Christ require receiving God’s grace?
Christ in you: How does receiving grace motivate you differently than religion?
Pray: Father, like the Psalmist said you don’t require sacrifice. You require a changed heart. Keep freeing my heart from religion and law keeping, and make me ever more aware of my need for your grace. Amen.
To Live is Christ 