Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.” vs. 23
Galatians 3:23-26
Looking back, Paul now sees that his life before Christ, under the law, was like a rigid imprisonment. Strict adherence to the commandments and the ordinances kept him on the straight and narrow, but at a cost. He never experienced the freedom that comes with faith and grace. In this letter to the Galatians, he explores that new life in Christ that now was theirs through faith. It’s a wondrous gift, but he also claims that the law had a purpose in their lives–he calls it a disciplinarian, and says that it prepared them for faith. We can see that clearly in the progression of our own lives too. There is a place for commandments and rules and as we train up our children in the way that they should go, we also want them to be thoroughly familiar with the Ten Commandments and the importance of obedience. We guard them with the law! But on the day that they meet the Risen Christ and realize what it means to live in Christ, the shackles of the law fall away, and they are free to be the persons God has made them to be. Salvation comes, not with obedience to the law, but with faith in Christ–but heaven help us if we ever neglect the law in our eagerness to proclaim the gospel. Liberty without license is a blueprint for chaos!
Thought for the Day: When did I stop living under the law?
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