Galatians 5:1, the temple, where animals were sacrificed day and night, the smell of smoke and blood was a constant reminder that sin was real and that God is holy, the problem was, that no matter how hard you tried, you could never be perfect. The law was like a mirror, a mirror is useful, because it shows you that your face is dirty, but a mirror cannot wash your face. The law could show people their sin, but it had no power to remove it or change the human heart, it only left people feeling guilty, inadequate and fearful of judgment. Then Jesus came, he lived the perfect life that no human could live, he fulfilled every single requirement of the law and when he died on the cross, he paid the penalty for every time you broke those laws.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he offered a new way, a way of grace, a way of faith, but then, something dangerous happened. After Paul left Galatia, other teachers came in, they looked impressive, they knew the scriptures and they told the Galatians that believing in Jesus was a great start, but it was not enough, they said that to be truly right with God, the men needed to be circumcised and everyone needed to follow the laws of Moses. Hebrews 5:1, notice the repletion, liberty, free, Paul wants the Galatians to get it, Jesus did not die just to give you a new set of rules, he died to break the chains completely.
Galatians 5:1, Paul uses the image of a yoke, in those days, a yoke was a heavy wooden beam that was placed across the necks of oxen, so they could pull a plow, it was a symbol of control, hard labor and submission. The law was a yoke, it was heavy and painful, it is returning to a cage when the door is wide open, that’s what legalism is. There are always people and religious systems that will try to push you back into slavery, they will tell you that you are not doing enough, that you are not spiritual enough or that you need to follow their specific rules to be loved by God. Standing firm means, planting your feet on the finished work of Jesus and refusing to budge.
Every will has one thing in common, it means nothing until someone dies, you can promise your children everything you own, but as long as you are alive, that will has no legal force, it is just words on paper. Nobody can walk into the bank and claim what was promised, not until death and that single fact turns out to be one of the most important keys to understanding why Jesus had to die, Hebrews 9:16-17. God made a will, a will filled with promises so vast, that they stretch from the beginning of creation to the end of time, forgiveness, freedom and eternal inheritance, direct access to his presence.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he offered a new way, a way of grace, a way of faith, but then, something dangerous happened. After Paul left Galatia, other teachers came in, they looked impressive, they knew the scriptures and they told the Galatians that believing in Jesus was a great start, but it was not enough, they said that to be truly right with God, the men needed to be circumcised and everyone needed to follow the laws of Moses. Hebrews 5:1, notice the repletion, liberty, free, Paul wants the Galatians to get it, Jesus did not die just to give you a new set of rules, he died to break the chains completely.
Galatians 5:1, Paul uses the image of a yoke, in those days, a yoke was a heavy wooden beam that was placed across the necks of oxen, so they could pull a plow, it was a symbol of control, hard labor and submission. The law was a yoke, it was heavy and painful, it is returning to a cage when the door is wide open, that’s what legalism is. There are always people and religious systems that will try to push you back into slavery, they will tell you that you are not doing enough, that you are not spiritual enough or that you need to follow their specific rules to be loved by God. Standing firm means, planting your feet on the finished work of Jesus and refusing to budge.
Every will has one thing in common, it means nothing until someone dies, you can promise your children everything you own, but as long as you are alive, that will has no legal force, it is just words on paper. Nobody can walk into the bank and claim what was promised, not until death and that single fact turns out to be one of the most important keys to understanding why Jesus had to die, Hebrews 9:16-17. God made a will, a will filled with promises so vast, that they stretch from the beginning of creation to the end of time, forgiveness, freedom and eternal inheritance, direct access to his presence.