Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 20-22
     New Testament Reading: Galatians 4

But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted. I beg you, brothers and sisters: Become as I am, for I also have become as you are (Galatians 4:9-12a).

Paul and Barnabas finished their first missionary journey to the southern part of Galatia and excitedly returned to Antioch to report everything God had done with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). How disappointing it must have been to receive word that many of the Galatian believers were so quickly turning from the faith and adopting the legalistic practices of the Judaizers.

These false teachers were trying to convince the Galatians to trust their own works, instead of the grace God had poured out on them in the person of Jesus for salvation. Paul feared that his effort in establishing and building the Galatian churches might prove to be futile if they fell back into legalism.

The path from our new birth in Christ to spiritual maturity is not a smooth, trouble-free progression. We all stumble sometimes in our journey as we try to walk with God. There are the constant temptations of worldly desires that pull at us, trying to drag us back into the lifestyles God saved us from. And while the legalistic Judaizers of Paul’s day no longer exist, our world is filled with false teachers trying to persuade unsuspecting Christians to forsake the Gospel of Christ for another gospel. Whether it’s the Prosperity Gospel, the Social Gospel, or some other false teaching, their eloquent speech and persuasive reasoning contain just enough scripture to make it appealing.

As Christians, we need each other to encourage us and hold us accountable. Younger believers need mature Christians around them to instruct them and to model the Christian life. Mature  believers need the enthusiasm of younger Christians to help keep them from becoming complacent. But like Paul, we can become discouraged when someone we have become close to strays from the faith. Paul provides a godly example of how we can nurture such a person back to a right relationship with God.

Paul never talked down to them. He used things he knew they were familiar with to instruct them. To drive home the truth, he uses an illustration of Abraham (3:6-29); an Old Testament scripture (3:10-14); an illustration of a son and a slave (4:1-7); and an allegory of Sarah and Hagar (4:21-31). Paul knew how to connect with his audience, and he painted familiar pictures to connect them with unfamiliar truths.

Paul used the 101% Principle – find the 1 percent you agree on and give it 100 percent of your attention. Paul built on the premise that they were the Sons of God. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” (v6).

Paul loved the people more than policies, but he loved truth more than people. Paul’s love for these Christians is evident throughout this chapter by his passionate pleading with them. He cried out, my children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you (v19). Yet, despite his great love for them, Paul never backed down from the truth of the Gospel. Finally, Paul saw the conflict as an opportunity for a learning experience. The Galatian Believers were new in their faith. Rather than belittle them for their childish behavior and gullibility in accepting these false teachers, Paul took advantage of the opportunity to teach them new truths about God and point them back to the Lord Jesus Christ who died for their sins on the Cross