Galatians 5:1
1 Stand fast [steko] therefore [oun] in the liberty [eleutheria]
wherewith [hos] Christ [Christos] hath made [eleutheroo] us [hemas] free [eleutheroo], and [kai] be [enecho] not [me] entangled [enecho] again [palin] with the yoke [zugos] of
bondage [douleia]. KJV-Interlinear
1 It was for freedom that Christ
set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke
of slavery. NASB
Paul has been comparing human works versus the spiritual
work of Christ. Human works are tantamount
to functioning within the bonds of slavery, while the work of Christ has set us
free of those bonds, into a perfect freedom, which freedom you cannot possibly
obtain on your own no matter what you try or believe.
Anything that you think that you can do to earn, to
deserve, or to retain your spiritual status in any way shape or form, is human
works, is a delusion, and is false.
Jesus Christ did all of the work on the Cross, that
was necessary for purchasing our salvation and therefore freedom from sin and
death.
God the Father did all of the work in eternity past
when He set forth the divine plan for this effort.
God the Holy Spirit did and does all of the work
throughout history and during your life, to communicate this plan and to
integrate it into your soul toward the completion of you, so long as you follow
Gods procedure for that learning and growth process. Which is your learning that requires only
your attention and desire to learn on a daily basis. Your learning is not work on your part, but
merely the giving of your attention to God so that He can perform within you
the work necessary to help you grow up in your spiritual life.
But of course you have to want to learn and learn
the right way.
So, Paul makes it very clear here, that trying to
reinvent the wheel, trying to reinvent the spiritual salvation and growth
process on your own, is a return to the slavery of human works and you gain
nothing from it.
Christ has given us the freedom by means of His
work, so that all we need do is study daily and learn, and therefore by default,
grow up.
To reject this approach, is ludicrous and absurd,
and a fools choice in arrogance.
None of us can do what God did.
None of us can live the life of perfect works.
None of us can pay the price of sin.
None of us can die and bring ourselves back from
death with the presumption that we have power over death.
So, why would anyone try to advance themselves in a
manner that God does not recognize, and in fact rejects. Human works were rejected in the divine
plan. The Mosaic Law is the written and
living proof of that. It is impossible
for anyone to fulfill the Law’s requirements.
Therefore, thinking that you can get by in life,
without a daily study, without instruction, without guidance, and do it on your
own, is the thinking of a fool.
Are you a fool?
To compromise Gods plan even in the slightest, is
to reject it on the whole, and Paul will show this in the upcoming verses.
To do a right thing the wrong way, is wrong.
To do a wrong thing the right way, is wrong.
To do a wrong thing the wrong way, is wrong.
A right thing has to be done the right way in order
to be right.
You must follow Gods plan, not yours.
