Basic Realities for Life

Basic Realities for Life—Freedom Fighter

Life doesn’t always work as we want it to. Many who read FF each day have known the frustration of living a life that isn’t working. We know defeat. We know remorse over those defeats. Sometimes, though, we don’t know how to get through life when it isn’t working.

The Apostle Paul addresses a group of people for whom life wasn’t working. They were believers, but life was hard. Men were coming to the Galatians with false teaching that would lead them into legalism and bondage . . . again.

Beginning in Galatians 3:26 and going Galatians 4:7, Paul addresses some basic realities that will lead us through life, even when it’s not working so well. These realities are true for all people in all times . . . period . . . if we know Christ. They don’t vary. They don’t stop being true. They are just true!

In 3:26, we learn that we share a common faith. All of us who know Christ share a common faith, and that faith encourages us and strengthens us, even when much of life isn’t working. During the worst of our struggles, we can come back to that basic reality of faith in Jesus Christ.

We also share a common identity. Galatians 3:27 teaches us that we have “put on Christ.” We may not always feel like we’ve done that, but it’s the reality. To put our faith in Christ is to put on Christ. We share that identity with every brother and sister in Christ. The deceiver works hard to convince us that we are still our old self—that person we were before we put on Christ. The basic reality confounds his lies; we have put on Christ!

Sometimes we get so bogged down in the present that we forget what the future holds. The Apostle, in 3:29, tells us that we share a common future. We are heirs according to promise. Even when life is at it’s worst, that basic reality remains true. Followers of Jesus have assurance of a bright, fulfilled future. That promise of the future will sustain us when life isn’t working—if we’ll keep it in view.

Finally, Paul tells us that we share a common relationship. Galatians 4:6 teaches us that we are no longer slaves in bondage; we are sons (and daughters) of God! When life isn’t working very well, and we can’t see it getting any better, we have this basic reality of life. We belong to God. We’re adopted into His family. We’re His children!

One more thing to notice comes out of all of this. Notice the word “common.” More than at any other time, when life isn’t working we must understand that God places His children in communities of faith. You and I aren’t designed to live the life of Christ in isolation. We share these basic realities in common—together. -- John Strain is Senior Pastor First Baptist Toms River and a contributor to Freedom Fighter

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 21; Esther 3-5; Acts 5:22-42

Dig This Quote: Seeing God as parent may seem childish. But might there be, in the unadmitted sparkle of the child within you, a sometime longing to climb into God's fatherly lap, ...to nestle against God's breast, to rest for a moment in the shadow of God's wings or be held in God's strong and tender arms? If you could allow yourself to feel it, are there not times when you would love to cry on God's shoulder, to let God tell you you are worthwhile and beautiful? And is there not something in you that would be delighted if you could bring a smile to God's face?Gerald May

Determined Digging: Level 1 -- Proverbs 19:3; Level 2 -- Psalm 96:1-9