YOU FOOLISH GALATIANS!
WHO HAS BEWITCHED YOU?
BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES, JESUS CHRIST WAS CLEARLY PORTRAYED AS CRUCIFIED.

I love it: Concussive accusation. Blatant interrogation. Ageless solution.

The superficial spirituality of the Galatians was to love observing the law more than surrendering through faith. They knew the truth about Jesus and switched back to the old way of DOING LIFE: rules and rituals.

(The spiritual life of faith is NOT ABOUT NOT DOING THINGS. This is important. Abraham did ALL SORTS OF THINGS as an expression of his love for God.)

I don’t want to admit it, but sometimes I love the rules too much. As I reflected on superficial spirituality in my life, here is why I found it to be attractive:

1. I can measure it easily. . .and measurements are SO SO POWERFUL. I can compare with others (and feel better, of course). I can track my progress and ignore the feeling in my chest when I have a lot of gold stars on the chart.

2. Others can see it more easily. . .and I get to bask in their glory.

3. It doesn’t have to be real. . .I don’t have to produce any real fruit. It’s easy to do something when I don’t have to change the condition of my heart.

I’m sure there’s other trolls under the bridge, but those seem to be the biggest ones who pull me under.

Hear me clearly: I’m not going to say the spiritual life is all about “being” and not “doing.” I understand why this is taught. FOR ME, WHEN I HEAR THIS (can you tell I’m talking about me, and not you?) it’s misleading and not very helpful. As I see things, it’s not possible to separate WHO (being) we are and WHAT (doing) we do.

There is something else to consider.

We need to be the right person who does the right things; BUT WE MUST ALSO ME MOTIVATED BY THE RIGHT REASONS. We need habits to grow and develop. They can’t be carbon copied from one believer to another, but things must be done. Prayer. Time in God’s Word. Obedience. Service.

Alongside of BE and DOES ought to be BECAUSE. For the wise, our because is CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

Superficial spirituality substitutes my deeds for Christ crucified.

When the wandering first begins, it is very difficult to discern the difference between the two. In the onset of a spiritual dry season, it is difficult to discern between the two. You can tell that you are wandering into observance of the law when you begin to judge others more critically.

What does it mean that Christ was crucified? Is this what moves me, or is it something far inferior.

So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:

Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there—
so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.

Isaiah 28:13