Monday 13 February, 2017

2 Comments/in /by

Galatians 4:8-11

8 At one time you didn’t know God. You were slaves to gods that are really not gods at all. 9 But now you know God. Even better, God knows you. So why are you turning back to those weak and worthless powers? Do you want to be slaves to them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid for you. I am afraid that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

People can be slaves to gods who are not real or servants of a loving and true God. Human beings it would seem are made to serve.

We can know God and he can know us. This speaks of a relationship rather than just following a set of spiritual principles or moral code.

The apostle Paul is annoyed and frustrated with the Galatian Christians because they have reverted back to the way they lived before meeting Christ. Old habits die hard I guess.   They have slipped back to observing their previous spiritual principles and religious occasions rather than “knowing” God. Because of this Paul feels he has wasted his time working with the Galatians.

These few verses remind me that I am called to have an ongoing relationship with God. We can know him! How amazing! All relationships require effort, especially at the start when we barely know someone. In that respect, nurturing and fostering our relationship with God is no different from other important relationships in our life.   Sometimes with God though, it’s easy to slip back to doing what is right and expected of a Christian ie. just religion.  God wants us to talk to him and truly know Him.

Thank you for the privilege of being able to know you personally. Help me to always value our relationship and not to fall back to just religious practises, Amen.

Written by Ps. Ainslie Woods

2 replies
  1. Linda Quinn says:

    Thanks Ainslie. It’s such a privilege to be able to be friends with God and to have His power at work in us. I was struck with Paul’s question: “So why are you turning back to those weak and worthless powers?” That’s what I’m asking myself – and asking the Holy Spirit to alert me when I do – so I can shift me attention back to my all powerful, personal and super loving God!

  2. David Newton says:

    There seems to be a common thread through most of the post for Galatians. – ‘Relationship defeats legalism.’

    It is just a guess but I would say a legalistic Christian is a miserable Christian.

    Thanks Ainslie!

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