I AM A LAW UNTO MYSELF


This faith life is a journey. And along the journey the Lord has revealed obstacles to my growing into the life He has for me, the life He already won for me in His Son. Some obstacles are small and easily recognized. I repent and I receive forgiveness and it's done. Other obstacles are bigger. They are not easily named. But the Lord, in His gracious timing, and with His gentle way reveals the obstacle for what it really is.

It is called idolatry, but I had thought it was something else all along. I thought it was my faithful attempt at godliness.

Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." This verse plainly explains that we are the ones at fault for submitting to a yoke of slavery. For the Galatians, it was circumcision. Some well-meaning (I'm sure) but oh-so-wrong people called Judaizers told them that to be a true Christian they had to undergo this Jewish ritual. Paul writes a lengthy letter to these believers about this one issue and explains that if they follow this path, they are following a different gospel. My yoke is a competitive spirit, this striving to somehow be "enough". It touches almost everything I do. I look around at other people, other families and subtly make comparisons. I am envious sometimes and prideful other times. It's like I go out looking for a standard and then set it up on a pedestal and say to myself, "Look, this is the way. Are you living up to it?" Is God setting up this standard for me? No. I am.

I am setting up a law for myself. And then I compare myself to it. In this, I am not worshiping God. I am not looking to Him for what is right and good. I am committing idolatry.


I am also guilty of unbelief. I don't believe what God has already accomplished for me. I don't believe what He says is true of me. If I did, I wouldn't be looking outside of Him for a standard. I wouldn't be looking outside of Him for fulfillment and a sense of purpose. I know this and I know I should repent. But part of me feels like if I let go I will be falling into insecurity like letting go of a lifeline and drowning. I will no longer be able to answer the question, "Am I OK?"

God makes it plain to me that if I continue trying to answer this question, I am no better off than the Galatians. I will fall into the never ending cycle of law-keeping. This leads to cursing and death. (Galatians 3).

But this is exactly why Christ died!! Know this, believe this - that Jesus became a curse for us and died to set us free from the Law. We are free from the Law's demands and the Law's condemnation. And know this as well. God has already answered the question of, "Am I OK?" with this -

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1

Some obstacles in this faith journey are easily dismissed, but others keep coming back and reveal to us major lies that we've believed for a long time. The enemy loves for us to forget what's already been accomplished and lapse back into unbelief. But we must be diligent, know ourselves, know our weaknesses and remind ourselves constantly of the truth.

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God." Romans 7:4