Daily Walk Through the New Testament

December 20

Read Galatians 3:1-20

One of the world’s largest traffic jams occurred in Beijing, China, in the summer of 2010. It was over 60 miles long and lasted for 10 days! There was virtually no way out of it, and some small businesses actually sprung up to sell products to those who were stuck in it.

In effect, this is how Paul illustrated the law in today’s text. After humanity plunged into sin, God made a covenant with Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him. Israel, coming from Abraham, would be that vehicle of God’s blessing to the world. But Israel failed. The law God gave them to point them to faith in Him, became a substitute for that faith. It created a roadblock, a traffic jam, that slowed the redemption story from making its way to all the nations. But the law served a purpose — like a signpost, it pointed to saving faith. It shut off every other alternative to being justified in the sight of God except by faith, the very thing to which it pointed.

Because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, God opened the roadway wide again. Jesus fulfilled the promise to Abraham and gave those who have faith in Him the ability to live in the Spirit. And living in the Spirit allows us to live in freedom.

Freedom in Jesus is a core truth we need to embrace in our day, but it is possible to put up roadblocks to freedom in our own lives, just like they did in Galatia. Maybe we walk by the flesh instead of walking by the Spirit. Maybe we emphasize what we do for Jesus more than who we are in Jesus. Maybe we forget the gospel means Jesus became a curse for us through His death on the cross. To live freely is to live now like we did when we first believed — by the power of the Spirit. Do you need to remove any roadblocks to freedom in Christ today?