 The reading for day 83 was Galatians 4:1 - Colossians 4:18.
Heirs
Chapter 4 of Galatians brings to light the Christian's position as a son in God's family. I think one of the hardest things for a child of God to grasp is that they are a child of God. I know its hard for me. I read in chapter 4 verse 7 that "...you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God", but I don't think I understand all of the implications. What does it mean that I am an heir through God? What is this gift that He has bestowed upon me? What am I now an heir to or of? Is this something that I can bequeath to my children? What do I or will I inherit? Thoughts anyone?
Freedom
Chapter 5 speaks of the freedom that is ours in Christ. 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
He's speaking here of a freedom from the Law, of being enslaved to legalism...to manmade regulations. The freedom that is ours in Christ was given to us. We didn't do anything to make ourselves free. He adopted us, made us His heirs, and fulfilled the Law on our behalf. We didn't make ourselves free, therefore, we cannot do anything to keep ourselves free. My flesh loves to be legalistic, because that means that I'm doing something on my behalf or even God's behalf. Its amazing how much I want to do something to earn what has already been given to me. I don't want to just say "Thank you God", I want to say "Thanks God. Now what can I do to repay you." So instead of worshipping I start working, but I have it backwards. Work comes out of my worship, not worship out of my work. This may be a harsh statement, but if I worship because of the work I've done, I've become an idolater. If I don't work because of the worship I've done, then I haven't really worshipped. 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Burdens
Chapter 6 speaks of burdens, yours and mine, respectively. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 6:3For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Your burden is a struggle with sin. If I'm not helping you carry that burden, I'm not fulfilling the law of Christ. I have to help you so that you don't decieve yourself into thinking you can do it on your own. What I will not do is take your burden from you. It is yours. You must bear it. I will help you, but you must carry it.
My burden is my struggle with sin. I have to carry my burden. You can't carry it for me and I don't want you to. I need your help so that I don't stumble under the weight, but its something I have to learn to deal with on my own. While I'm holding mine, I'll reach out and help you steady yours. I have to be careful though because I don't want to push you over with the weight of my burden and I don't want you to pull me down with the weight of yours. Ours is a strange balancing act. Its a good thing Christ is holding us both :-) |
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