FAITH WORKING THROUGH LOVE: RITUAL COMFORT

Sunday’s passage is an important one to Paul’s presentation. He addresses the Gentile believers directly urging them to not retreat back to religious ceremony as their source of righteousness. Doing religion can make us feel like we’re good people: we give a little bit of money, we attend church, we do a little bit of good, we keep most of the rules. The Gentiles had left their culture of worshiping pagan deities and following the rules of their setting, to follow Christ by faith. Now they were being told that faith in Christ is not sufficient, and they should start keeping Jewish ceremonies. It feels natural, but it threatens their faith in Christ.

We’re not different from the Galatian believers. We’re programmed to equate good deeds and ceremony with righteousness. As sinners, we fall short, so we look to Jesus instead. But this doesn’t change our programming and our attachment to religion. How do we combat this programming?

Come Sunday to hear Paul’s presentation.