But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. (Galatians 4:4-7)
Relate: I have spent my entire life in the church, and it really bothers me when people talk about all the “judgmental hypocrites” in the church. From what I have seen, people mainly come to church because they are doing the best they can to seek after God, or at the very least be a good person. However, the church is full of people, and people make mistakes.
Many church attendees become hung up on dissecting the word in order to create a list of dos and don’ts. It is not because they are bad people pretending to be good people. It is because they are broken people trying to find wholeness. It is surprisingly hard work to step into freedom. Sometimes it easier to draw lines in the sand than it is to build sand castles and sea mermaids in it. We serve a great big God who is hard to put into a bucket or a box. It is hard to comprehend all God has done to free us; in a way, it is easier to become subject to the law.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he implores the people to remember the spirit is in them, and they are children of God. There is freedom as children of God. This same message applies to the church of today.
React: We are free. We are free from the letter of the law, and we are dawn by the spirit. The church should focus less on what it is against and more on what it is for. The church is full of children of God. Our father is loving, forgiving, just, holy… the list goes on and on. God is bigger than rules and regulations. As children, we should seek to honor our father. Our steps towards holiness should not be centered around the rules, but around the rule maker. When we do this, we will build rather than create division.
Respond:
Dear Lord, please forgive me for the times I have failed to honor you. Thank you for adopting me into your family. Thank you for loving me as your own even with my life did not reflect your love to those around me. Help me to live in the freedom you have given me.
THE RIVER WALK 
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Well put! Thank you for your sincere encouragement to focus on God. Perhaps we would be less likely to fall into an attempt to climb into Heaven, if we stopped looking at ourselves and strained harder to see Him.
So true sis…God calls us to look at the bigger picture and hear what he is saying collectively and stop looking at the world like ants to giants…better yet just to stop seeing things as the world does…we are guilty of occasionally living in the world and “being of it” when we have encounters inside or outside of the building on Sunday. And it’s because life moves so quickly we get caught up in what’s going on by what we see in the moment! That’s why we have to read Gods word to be prepared at other times to meditate and remember His promises, his decrees, our responsibilities, and our authority in the spirit… All without that awful religious “spirit ” that tries to keep us in the clouds and not grounded out. Well said lady!
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I think this is one of your best posts. Before I was a believer, I used to just throw around the word “hypocrites” when referring to Christians – I didn’t really care. I see now as a Christian that this really does bother Christians. It doesn’t bother me because I know my righteousness is in Christ. Yes, I am a hypocrite — so is everyone — except Jesus Christ who died for my sins on the cross and rose from the dead to have an indestructible life. It’s an awesome thing to be co-heirs with him. How amazing is our God to take “a filthy wretch like me” and give me the treasures of heaven? I love Jesus.
I agree with everyone–an amazing post. Stepping into freedom is hard. Safety comes from hanging on to laws we can’t keep, but at least it helps us think we’re bringing something to the table. How arrogant and wrong can that be? Thanks for this reminder of our brokenness–all of us and our brokenness. It’s why grace is so amazing.
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beautiful post