The Yoke of Bondage

Galatians 5:1-15, NKJV

Christian Liberty
1-6
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,[a] and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Love Fulfills the Law
7-15
You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

About this commentary locate below:
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible is available in the Public Domain.

An earnest exhortation to stand fast in the liberty of the gospel.
Christ will not be the Savior of any who will not own and rely upon him as their only Savior. Let us take heed to the warnings and persuasions of the apostle to steadfastness in the doctrine and liberty of the gospel. All true Christians, being taught by the Holy Spirit, wait for eternal life, the reward of righteousness, and the object of their hope, as the gift of God by faith in Christ; and not for the sake of their own works…. No outward privileges or profession will avail to acceptance with God, without sincere faith in our Lord Jesus. True faith is a working grace; it works by love to God, and to our brethren. May we be of the number of those who, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith…. But without faith working by love, all else is worthless, and compared with it other things are of small value. (Gal 5:7-12)

The New Normal

“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you],” Romans 12:2, AMP.

What does this world has to offer? Absolutely nothing. What does God have to offer? Absolutely everything, including the world. The world as we know it is a place for us to reside, carrying out the will of God. It is also important to recognize that the world is not Heaven and that it has evil occupants. Understanding this we have to be careful not to love the world for we must love God. It is not profitable to love the world and then to love it so much we don’t want to leave it for this world will indeed pass away. Be not conformed.

Conformity to the ways of the world very easily produces complacency. When falling into complacency, we can become quick to accept tradition. In our time, it seems to be the “new” tradition. Fifty years ago, some of the things that are tolerated today would not have been accepted back then. Some change is good such as freedom for all regardless of the color of a person’s skin …and then some freedom disregard the sanctity of some things holy and sacred such as marriage being between a man and a woman. Be not conformed.

Today, it’s normal for people of the opposite sex to openly live together before marriage, and in some instances it is even encouraged. But can I say that the sin is not in living together, it is in sleeping together. There are many lines that the enemy will deceive you into crossing by suggesting one thing when it’s actually another. We are called to not be conformed to this world, but when we view these practices as okay that’s exactly what we’re doing. Isn’t it crazy to think that you’d never consider marrying a certain person, but find it reasonable to give yourself to them in the most intimate way? Be not conformed.

We are called to be transformed, changed, by the renewing of our minds. It’s important to not gloss over this verse just because it has been quoted so many times before. The dominating word here is transformed (changed). I found it to be difficult for a long time before I decided to live for Christ and not just say that I know Him. But when a genuine, personal relationship was formed it began with a decision. I had made up my mind that no matter what I was going to serve the Lord. I decided to keep myself out of situations where “oops” sins occurred. My mind was no longer complacent, no longer conformed, and no longer “accommodating,” it was changed.

When the mind is changed it is renewed…hence improved. It becomes better than what it was before. The new model outshines the old model. It allows you to see things more clearly. This transformation proves that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. How do we know what His will is for our lives? We have to know His word. And the awesome thing about it is that God’s word to us is never out of date. Just as it is stated in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun.

Reference: Matthew 6:19-20, Ecclesiastes 1:8-9