"Are ye so
foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh?" (Galatians 3:3)
I was saved as a young child and as I entered my teens, I
desired to grow in the Lord. To know more of His Word. To be holy.
In my pursuit of holiness, set-apartness, and Godliness, I
put away many things. My life began to be driven by rules of what I could and
couldn't do. Many times, I would add to this list when a preacher or friend
would suggest something that sounded like what a Christian should/shouldn't do.
"But now, after
that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the
weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"
(Galatians 4:9)
My salvation rests not in the good works that I have done,
but in Christ Jesus and faith through Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). Now that I am
saved, why would I turn again to good works and rules in my pursuit of
holiness? These only bring me into bondage.
"For we through
the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love." (Galatians 5:5-6)
I am to live through
the Spirit...by faith...by love. Wait. Did I see "good
works" in that list? Rules and regulations? This chapter, rather, speaks
against works alone for holiness. While we do not circumcise today, there are
many areas in which we hope, by our works, to attain the same holiness that the
Jews hoped for in circumcision--a holiness that is not attained through faith
in Christ Jesus, but a holiness that is attempted by fleshly works.
"This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
(Galatians 5:16)
You see, I had it backwards. I thought that doing things would draw me closer to God.
Rather, it is drawing close to God that enables me to live a holy life, spurning
the lusts of the flesh. It is drawing nigh to God that comes before we can
cleanse our hands and purify our hearts (James 4:8).
As a personal example, I had put away all books that were
not by Christian authors when I was a teen--even "Christian" books
that did not have a deep, strong spiritual message. I almost felt guilty if
someone caught me looking at a cover of another book. Dirty if I read one
paragraph. This rule was based on conversations I had with a friend and my
personal desire to be holy and cleansed from the dirt of the world. And
honestly, I do believe it was best
for me in my teen years (when daydreams run rampant and the girl's heart seeks
fairytale stories).
"Stand fast
therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1)
Now, a few years later, I realize that my motive for
shunning these books was incorrect. I did not do it in a desire to please my
Lord, but rather because it made me feel
cleaner and holier. I realized that there is freedom in Christ. No, I am not
saved to do exactly how I please and I know that many Christians sin under the
guise of "liberty in Christ." However, just because I made myself a
list of "this is right, this is wrong" did not mean that the Spirit was leading. I did not realize
until later that because of the rules I
had placed on myself, the life I was living was in bondage. I was shackled to
regulations of my own making, not of the Spirit's leading.
Back to the books, I noticed a vivid example of the
difference. A few years ago, I would not have touched a book by Jane Austen,
based on my rigidity (before I go further, I do not condemn those who read Jane
Austen, this is just what the Lord taught me). To do so, I would feel this
guilty condemning verdict placed upon me. This year, I started reading Sense and Sensibility. As I read it, I
noticed the frivolity of life and the use of the Lord's Name in vain. As I
read, I began to sense a check in my spirit (particularly in
"condoning" a book that used my Lord's Name flippantly) and before
long, knew that I could not finish the book. God did not drive me into the dirt
because I was reading this book, rather, He gently led me away from it.
"If we live in
the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)
So...I wouldn't have read this book six years ago, and I
couldn't read it this year, but there was a difference. Before, it was rooted
in my set of rules. Now, it was
rooted in the Spirit's rule in my
heart.
Where are your rules rooted? What is your walk based in? The
flesh only brings bondage, but the Spirit brings freedom and liberty.
No comments:
Post a Comment