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The Backslider
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should
not obey the truth" (Galatians 3:1)
At last, I see a little of the process by which a person slides away from being a
"man of God" and falls into sin. This has seemed obscure to me, because the man
(or woman) will likely continue to exhibit understanding of the things of God, long after
they have fallen. The audience dwindles, but they sometimes still speak wondrous things,
obviously from the Lord.
Then I saw it. With his mind, he continues to draw on the understanding and information
he has received during years with the Holy Spirit. But in fact, in his heart, he has
strayed far from the Lord. This is not only about the Church leader, for the same process
can occur with anyone in the body of Christ. And this is not a discussion of someone
"falling away" from grace. It isn’t about losing salvation – this is
the person who has been given much by the Lord, and has subtly lapsed into sin.
"Who has bewitched you?" Once the fire burned
brightly, but now the flames are gone, though he continues to warm his hands over the
ashes of what was given. The knowledge is there but the heart has strayed. Like the sheep
that has wandered from his shepherd, we must come home to the One who loves you and me.
Have you wandered from Him? Ministers, people – ALL can slide into sin. Pastors
are just people like everybody else, and "ALL have sinned and
come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). You and I are the ones who have
wandered, and we do this in many subtle ways. Often the person who strays is initially
unaware, with just a feeling that "something" is wrong.
If you’re subtly (or not so subtly) away from Him, it’s time to come home, to
your Creator, your Savior and Lord. If you’ve never met Him before, meet Him now. He
is the one who understands you, and only God can heal your aching heart. If there is
emptiness in your soul, Jesus Christ will fill your every need.
You may look good on the outside. You may have co-workers who admire you (or not). If
you have children and family, they may look up to you (or maybe they don’t). Your
Sunday School may think you’re great! But you know the underlying truth inside. You
need the Lord, in ways you don’t even understand.
When we come to Christ, we "die" to this world (and come ALIVE to Him). This
is precisely the opposite of the way of humanity. The "norm" for this place is
to be "alive" to wants, needs, and desires ("Just DO it!" they say);
to be so involved with self, that we essentially are "dead" to God. We
don’t really have time for Him (or His purposes) because we are so "alive"
to what we think we need.
But God offers a better way. Paul saw this when he said "I
have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). "Our" Scripture for today
(Galatians 3:1) is part of a context, and in that place is the key to LIFE: we are
to give up living for self, and live for HIM, who raises the dead.
There was an old idea in earlier cultures, that if someone saved you from death, you
owed them your life – the life you now have, you owe to the one who saved you. This
is very close to precisely what happened when Christ died for you. He took the death you
deserve (God’s holiness is the standard) – and paid your price. We no longer
belong to ourselves (actually, we never did) but to HIM who died for you and me.
The old attitudes ("this is my day off, so I’ll do what I want") no
longer apply. If you think otherwise, you become like the "foolish
Galatians" and the question can be asked of US, just like it was asked of
them, "who has bewitched you that you should not obey the
truth?" (Galatians 3:1). We don’t act in our strength anymore; we do all
in Christ.
Jesus Christ IS "the truth" (John 14:6), and
once you’ve seen that; REALLY seen who He is, all else in life should
–click– into place. All the confusion finally dims, as you see anew that HE
(Jesus) is your Creator, your Savior, your Lord, your Purpose in being here –your
Love– and He is the One who can RESCUE you now.
Don’t look at your problems – look at Him. Yes, the problems are real, but so
is He. Subtly, though, we begin to "look at what ails us" (as my grandmother
used to say), and no longer look to Him. It’s again – a subtle thing we do, and
often we don’t see it for a long time.
We became obsessed with the problems and difficulties (and they really exist). We have
fought harder against these problems – and prayed less. Our struggle may seem to
alleviate things, whereas prayer might sometimes not seem to "work". You are in
the midst of a PROFOUND temptation, and must turn to God.
Alfred Lord Tennyson said, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world
dreams of" and that is true. God shapes us through prayer, through reliance on Him
(prayer is a form of applied faith). YOUR way leads to disaster. HIS way is salvation and
JOY through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We must trust in Him, and not in ourselves.
As we read on, in Galatians 3, we find they wanted to be under the law and to live by
works – they were "foolish" because they
wanted to do it themselves. Father, we come to you now. We have "slid" away from
Your love. We are tired from our efforts and in need of You. Forgive us, Lord, that we try
so hard but actually push You away. We need You, Lord Jesus, and we receive You now. In
Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
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