DEVOTION – DAY 386

Galatians 5:1 “Freedom In Christ”

Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

The freedom used in Gal. 5:1 refers to freedom from the yoke of the Law of Moses. Before Jesus Christ’ sacrificial death on the cross, the Jews were bound by the Law of Moses. In order to gain God’s favor, the Jews had to keep the Law of Moses that included the ten commandments. Since the Jews like all sinful human beings failed to keep the Law, the Law became a crushing burden for them. The apostle Paul declared in v1 above, that Jesus Christ had set all believers free from the yoke of the Law of Moses. Paul then encouraged the Galatians not to complicate matters, by adding new restrictions on themselves, in order to be considered followers of Christ. At that time, there were Jewish believers that insisted that new Gentile converts had to be circumcised. Such demands on new converts was like being burdened again by a “yoke of slavery”.

Today, there are some churches that put “stipulations” on their regular worshippers. The women may be requested to wear veils or hats. Some churches may emphasize the use of the gift of tongues, even going as far as to teach worshippers who do not have the gift to learn how to roll their tongues. Some churches require members to join cell groups and so on. These requirements are unnecessary burdens on church-goers and are precisely what the apostle Paul was reminding the Galatians not to do.

A young man once showed up in church wearing shorts and slippers. Another young man showed up wearing a T shirt that was more suited to a gym than to a church service. This caused some concerned members to ask me why our church does not enforce a dress code. I had to gently tell them that there is no dress code, because our church welcomes everyone to church. We do not want to cause anyone to feel unwelcomed because of the way they dress. Of course, once we know them better, we can slowly guide them to dress more appropriately without offending them. In this way, we are not creating a “yoke of slavery” for anyone.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son to set us free from the Law, and you have given us a new covenant in Christ. Thank you for also setting us free from the yoke of sin in our lives. Please help us to be mindful not to set up rules and conditions that may cause them to stumble in their walk with you. We humbly pray in the great name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Questions

  1. Have you come across any additional requirements that are unbiblical that have been imposed on you in some churches that you have attended?
  2. How did you feel about these requirements?
  3. How can you safeguard your church from imposing unnecessary requirements on church-goers that might deter them from going to church?
  4. How can you thank Jesus for setting you free from the yoke of the Law and that you are now under a new covenant in Christ?