Bible Chapter: Galatians 4

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Some people are fond of saying “God is never late”.  This is true.  Chapter four talks about God’s plans and timing.  When the perfect time came, when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, Jesus to this earth.  He was born of a woman to redeem mankind so that we could receive the full rights as sons.  God’s intent from the beginning of creation was that people would be in a family relationship with Him.  God really is the heavenly Father to those who obey and follow His commands.  Those who receive the sacrificial gift of Jesus have the work of the Holy Spirit in them recognize the relationship they have and cry out to God as their Father.  We, believers, are no longer slaves to sin but children of God.  There are people who say we are all children of God, but this passage tells us that this term is reserved for those who believe in Jesus.
    Paul was concerned that the Galatians had turned from what they were taught to their former ways of life.  He asked them how it was that they were turning back to the old ways.  What a powerful statement when he said that, if they turned back, he wasted his efforts on them.  They needed to realize that the people who were pulling them back were up to no good.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    Jesus came to make me free.  His plan was perfectly laid out and perfectly executed.  In the right time Jesus came to this earth and revealed the completion of God’s plan to restore the lost relationship between God and humanity.  Paul was writing to the believers in Galatia to remind them that they must stay the course laid out for them.  Instead, they were changing the foundations.  I believe that if Paul were alive today he would be writing furiously to churches around the world who are doing the same thing.  They are changing the truth of God to make it more convenient and acceptable.  They are letting the world set the standards, thinking that the way to draw people in is to accommodate them.  Truth and righteousness appear to be flexible.  That simply is not true.  God’s time and plan are perfect.  I must be sure to know and apply them.

3.  How can I help someone?
    I must take advantage of opportunities to show God’s perfect plan.  Special times like Christmas and Easter are excellent opportunities to talk about what God is really up to and how people will be blessed and benefitted by going God’s way.  God’s plan for every person is to know Jesus as Savior.