The pattern of destruction
- Leila Hakizimana
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5,1 (ESV) |
An issue came up in the churches of Galatia. The Apostle Paul wrote to them and said:
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 5,1 NKJV)
“Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.” (Galatians 2,4 NLT)
What happened in the churches of Galatia still happens today: the deception of “Christ plus the works of the Law”. In Galatia, some individuals began to propagate that in addition to faith in Jesus Christ, fulfilling the law of Moses was mandatory. This was to the point where they wanted to force men to be circumcised as required in the law of Moses for their salvation to be ‘complete’.
In our diverse worlds, the law of Moses may not rise as that extra thing necessary for a “satisfactory” Christian life. But it may be traditions of men, commandments of men which were taught as ‘teachings of God’.
“Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’” Mark 7,6-7 (NLT) |
This whole situation is a craftiness designed to influence the believer to make U-turn on Christ.
It’s like coming to Jesus as a savior, giving one’s life to Him for Him to lead and then afterwards say: “Thanks Jesus, I got this. I know what to do.”
However, man cannot be more righteous than God or wiser than God. This was the problem of the pharisees: self-righteousness. It prevented them from believing in Jesus, in fact they opposed Him.
This is the gospel: Christ alone. Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfilled it (Matthew 5,17). The law is fulfilled in Christ, not outside Christ. With Him and not without Him.
That is the freedom in Christ! Because of Christ, we are free from the power of sin and the power of death. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)” (Galatians 3,13 NKJV), that the blessing of Abraham who believed God may come on those who believe also.
Jesus said the thief only comes to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10,10)
Here is the pattern of destruction against believers: to steal the freedom they have in Christ (to put bondage on them), to kill their ability to function as children of God (to alienate them from the life of God) and finally to destroy everything around them because they are powerless at this point.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
(Galatians 3,10 NKJV)
“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” (Galatians 2,21 NKJV)
Child of God, embrace GRACE.
Grace empowers. Grace points you to Christ.
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Embrace Christ, Christ is the wisdom and the power of God.
That’s what humility is. That’s when weakness become strength.
And God is glorified!
“For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” Galatians 2,18 (NKJV) |
