07.19

More Truth to Deliver Us from the Law "Now after you have known God, or rather are known
by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you
desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years.
(Galatians 4:9-10)"

In our last meditation, we saw that the Lord's promise of liberating truth includes truth
to deliver us from the law. If we are going to be justified (declared not guilty and
pronounced righteous in Christ), we must be delivered from the law (which condemns us,
pronounces us guilty of sin). We are rescued from the law by placing our faith in the Lord
Jesus, thereby receiving His justifying grace. "We have believed in Christ Jesus, that we
might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law" (Galatians 2:16).

Through this exercise of faith, we come to know the Lord. At this point, many Christians
return to a religious striving-under-law performance, assuming they can grow in
sanctification by their own dedicated efforts. "Now after you have known God, or rather
are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements?" These
words from Galatians repeat a major theme of that revolutionary letter: the power and
richness of grace contrasted with the weakness and poverty ("the weak and beggarly
elements") of the law. The grace of God, that was powerful enough to bring us
justification, is the only option powerful enough to provide us daily sanctification
(growth in godly living). The grace of God, that was abundantly rich unto the saving of
our souls, is the only resource rich enough to effect the transforming of our heart and
character. God's law was never intended to provide the heavenly power or riches needed for
justification. Neither was the law intended to do such for sanctification.

The futility of producing godliness through the law can be seen in the Galatians' vain
hope that observing religious holy days would empower them spiritually. "You observe days
and months and seasons and years." Far from liberation, this was a return to religious
enslavement. "You desire again to be in bondage." God's people are certainly free to
celebrate days that may have spiritual significance to them. "One person esteems one day
above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own
mind" (Romans 14:5). We are not to require or prohibit the observance of days.
Nevertheless, if our hope is in religious observances, we are heading into religious
bondage, not into spiritual liberty.

"Dear Lord, I rejoice in the power and richness of Your grace that has brought me
justification from sin! I humbly cry out to You for a daily supply of Your powerful and
rich sanctifying grace. Convict me when I am leaning upon the weak and beggarly elements
of law performance, in Jesus' name, Amen."