Thursday, May 19, 2005
Galatians 5:1-5
5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. (ESV)
by Nick Kersten
Paul dealt with our freedom from legalism as he reminded the Galatians (and us) that we cannot justify ourselves through what we do, despite our frequent efforts. Only through the freedom that Christ provides us are we able to stand firm in grace, assured of our standing before God both now and for the remainder of eternity. Re-chaining ourselves to laws or rules only takes us away from the grace by which we are saved. The underlying purpose for the sacrifice of Jesus, Paul notes, is for our freedom (v. 1).
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
