Galatians 5:1–6 ‘You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.’ (vv4–5)
God invites us to get to know Him as our friend. Many of us live with constant anxiety that the choices we make may not please God.
We live with an uncertainty about the nature of our friendship with Him. All friendships develop over time. We discover through experience – getting things right and wrong – how friendships grow and fail.
Too often the narrative of what went wrong in a relationship has a far greater impact in shaping us than those things that went well.
This can harden our hearts, lead to self-centredness and a preference for rules by which to establish and navigate our relationships.
Jesus reveals there are no rules apart from loving God and neighbour. When we seek to justify ourselves against a benchmark of rules it’s a sure indication that we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus.
Refusal to sin is not because sin is wrong, for sin is usually highly attractive. We refuse to sin because with our gaze fixed on Christ, we weather the storm of acute temptation and choose God over personal indulgence and immediate gratification.
We sacrifice our self in preference to loving God. Discipleship is learning to attend to the Holy Spirit in our lives. The precise temptations that pressure us are unique for every individual.
But the same Spirit leads each of us through our wilderness encounter with the Devil (temptation) teaching us to recognise, then choose our true destiny in God. Every disciple’s journey is unique, just as we are each a unique expression of God on earth.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, teach me to pay close attention to You as together we establish a life changing friendship together. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Do you have the courage to go in search of God and live by paying attention to what God says to you and grow in your unique friendship with Him?
Scripture To Consider:
Judg. 16:1–22; 1 Kgs 16:29–33; 1 Cor. 6:12–20 & 10:23–33
