Where is then, the blessedness you spoke of? For I bear you witness that, if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.”
Galatians 4:15
If you do not have eyes, then you are blind. Have you lost your blessings that you first had when you believed in Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul is asking this question to the Galatians who have lost their liberty in Christ. The question of how they were saved was put to those churches in Galatia. Were they not saved through the grace of God in Christ Jesus? Was it not by the revelation of Jesus Christ? Many Christians have gone back into legalistic rituals that have chained themselves under the law. These laws are legalistic rituals that they perform in order to be righteous or justified. They no longer have their liberty that they had under Christ. It is as if they could not or did not have faith anymore to continue their walk in Christ. Have we forgotten the words of Paul who stated, “whatever is not of faith is sin,” [Romans14:23]. Have we lost the free and unmerited favor of God? Maybe, for if we are not living under the grace of God through his son Jesus Christ, then what are we living under? How are we to live under the love of God if we serve men under the law through the flesh.
Everyone is responsible for their own actions, however, the apostle Paul states that “no man should put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way,” [see Romans 14:13]. We must remember that “love does not work any ill towards a neighbor; and is therefore the fulfillment of the law,” [see Romans 13:10]. There is only one person who fulfilled the law and that is Jesus Christ. If you do not have love, get down on your knees and pray to God in regard to your lack of love for that individual. Why do we not have love for so and so. Why have we become bitter towards that person. God help us if our love has grown cold. We must receive back that gift of love that God has for all of us through his son Jesus Christ. We must ask him to allow the fruit of the spirit of love to reign again with in our heart of flesh. We must cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light that is in Christ Jesus. Have you put on the armor of light? Each of us struggle with our own weaknesses of the flesh, and not loving someone is one of the weaknesses of the flesh. If our faith is weak, it could be that our love is also weak.
Rituals within the church are good up to a point, and that point is servanthood. Is our servanthood towards men or God? That is a question that each of us should be asking ourselves. Servanthood means a person who performs duties for others like an employed person. A servant of Christ is one who serves God by being a follower of Christ and a person who sets aside their own selfishness to serve others. It is Christ’s love for them that has enabled them to be able to love others. Christ’s love is perfected within the individual’s heart. That love has freed them from the bondage of sin. The works of the flesh is what puts one in bondage of sin like lying, jealousy, envying, hatred, strive, and more, [see Galatians 5:19-21]. The opposite is the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace and self-control etc., [see Galatians 5:22-23]. If your work is to achieve a status within the Chruch then this is not of the fruit of the Spirit. If your work is to achieve righteousness within the Church, then this is not of the fruit of the Spirit.
The only way we can achieve the favor of God is when we come as a child and confess our sins before God and repent from living a life in the flesh. It is the Spirit of God that frees us from the spirit of the flesh. We are to mind the things of the Spirit and not the flesh since whatever is of the flesh brings death. Those living in the flesh are carnally minded and Paul comments “to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,” [Romans 8:6]. We should all desire to have life and peace. We must have Faith that the Spirit of God will change us into the image of Christ. We must be led by the Spirit, and it is that Spirit of Christ who will raise our mortal bodies if we have His Spirit living within us. This is done by faith in Christ Jesus who bore our sins on the cross. Redemption is by blood and by the power of God, and this is done through Jesus Christ. That is why Paul stated that “there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, [Romans 8:1]. Are you in Christ Jesus?
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:2
Has the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set you free from the law of sin and death? Test yourselves to see if this is true or false. We have read that it is love for one another that fulfills the law. Everyone must bear his own burden and prove his own work whether it is of God or of their own works. Our sanctification is done through the Holy Spirit and not in the law. The law points to our weaknesses that proves we need to be saved. This is for many, a fathomless concept to understand, and for many it is still a mystery. We cannot understand it in the flesh unless the revelation of the mystery comes to us through the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit.
This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:16
It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the victory over the law of the flesh. We read how the flesh is contrary to the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5 verse 17. It is only by being led in the Spirit that we will not be under the law. Here comes a revelation that is not always clear to our natural mind let alone a carnal mind.
For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
Romans 7:14
Since the law of God is spiritual in that we cannot obey it due to our human status through Adam’s sins, we were sold under sin. However, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, [see John 4:24]. The law is spiritual, yet we are carnal sold under sin. We must be born into the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. We must have the Spirit of Christ living inside us as Paul stated in Romans chapter 8, verse 9. This Spirit gives us life and not death. This Spirit has raised up Jesus Christ from the dead and that Spirit now dwells in every believer who believes that Jesus died for their sins. Quicken thou my body by thy Spirit, Oh God! He will do it. God will quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit. We will be healed in the name of Jesus and the Spirit will do the work. We must trust in God and believe. Some of us will exclaim what is written in Psalms 119.
Make me to understand the way of thy precepts; so, shall I talk of thy wondrous works. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and revive thou me in thy way.”
Psalms 119:27,34-37
Let this Psalms be your prayer for every new day, and He will not only revive you but also quicken your mortal bodies. Repent and be healed in the name of Jesus. Those who trust in the Lord will be blessed. Remember your inheritance is in the Lord. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, [Romans 8″14]. We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but we have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry out to Father God. It is Christ who has redeemed us from the curse of the law, [see Galatians 3:13]. Stand fast in the liberty you have in Christ and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, [Galatians 5:1]. Come back into the fold of Christ who has redeemed you from the curse of sin that is under the law. Christ is the fulfillment of the law. You cannot establish your own righteousness. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Let us keep our faith in Christ alone so that we all may be heirs according to the promise of God. Let us receive our blessings and favor in God and continue to always walk in His Spirit.
