Standing Firm

DEVOTION
GALATIONS
STANDING FIRM
Gal 5:1
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
NIV
So, once again I am faced with the same idea, the same issue, the same concept, the same instruction from my God. Do not let any person talk me into some idea of having to abide to a set of rules in order to attain righteousness, or for that matter the title of “good Christian”. I have been set free indeed from man determined rules of right behavior. It is not that I do not want restrictions on my life; God has certainly given me a fair amount of those within his word. There is no question about my willingness to give my all to living in a manner which pleases God, at least most of the time. I am not bold enough or foolish enough to try to convince others I have attained perfection. God certainly knows I miss the mark all too often. I am not pleased with missing it, and get upset with myself when I do, yet I keep right on missing it. It does not make sense to me some times why I cannot be perfect. It seems all it should take is a decision of my will, a choice of my own mind, not to do certain things and to always do that which is right. It would seem I should be able to control my own responses, my own reactions, my own self in such a way I would always be the man God desires me to be. But that is not the case. I fail to do so. I fail to be able to have absolute authority over my own being and I do not understand how that is. I know Satan does not have authority over me; it is me who chooses to be disobedient, even when I think I should be obedient. But that is my journey with God, and not with man. That is my struggle to overcome sin according to God’s word, not man’s word. I desire to live according to the commands God has given me, but I will not be bound by the rules man has added. Those are the rules of slavery. Those are the rules and regulations which constrict the breathe right out of me. I think some people have actually believed them to be of God. But those rules are of man for they do not allow for the freedom which Christ has given. It is not as though I want to be free of all rules, only those of man. It is clear in this passage Paul was telling them about the rules of those who wanted to oppose them with a physical sign of Judaism, rather than accepting the as fellow believers in Christ based on faith and faith alone. Bondage comes in many forms today and I must be vigilant in escaping its chains. I will stand firm on my position in Christ, based on faith and faith alone. I am standing firm.