For Those Who Have Lost Their Religion

“Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:7-9).

Paul used a lot of metaphors as they related to the Olympics and sporting contests. “Ye did run well” is one of them. He is telling the Galatians that their faith, belief and trust in Jesus and the Gospel message had been excellent; truly something of divine beauty! But obviously there had been a problem for he asks, “who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?”

What was asked of the Galatians could and should be asked all those who have “lost their religion”. Who or what did hinder you, or more literally translated, “Beat you back” from obeying the truth?

Paul earlier asked the Galatians, “who hath bewitched you”, or spoken ill of you, “that ye should not obey the truth” calling them foolish for they had seen Jesus Christ and him crucified just a short 50 years prior! It is a classic devil strategy.

Be careful if you are one among those who have “lost their religion” if you ask “what is truth”. Pilate asked the same of Jesus Christ. The word “truth” comes from the Greek “Aletheia” meaning, “What is true in any matter under consideration”. That can only be God and His word.

But what or who persuaded or induced the Galatians that they “should not obey the truth”? Paul makes it clear that it wasn’t him and warns, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”!

Sin is like a virus. A virus is so small that it cannot be seen by the human eye but can make the entire body sick and even kill it. Left unchecked a virus can spread from one human to another infecting all with equal deadly results. It only takes a little leaven (sin) to “leaveneth the whole lump”!

But again, what caused the Galatians to “Lose their religion”? In this case they did not, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

Jesus Christ not only set us free from the bondage of sin but he also set us free from the bondage of rites, rituals and ceremonies of religion. More specifically for the Galatians it was both Judaism and heathenism.

The Galatians received the Gospel message and “did run well”. But then some tried to incorporate things from their past beliefs and practices, primarily Jews and circumcision. To this the Apostle responded, “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:2-4).

How about you? Is this something you had to confront in your past? Did you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior only to have the Church burden you with a yoke? Rites, rituals, ceremonies and the like are not of Jesus but of a man made religion.

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

What did Jesus say when the religious elite tried to stump him with the question on what was the greatest of the commandments? This was a question not only pertaining to the 10 commandments but to the over 600 Jewish laws and rites.

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

No rites or rituals but love was Jesus’ response. Were you not “feelin’ the love” in your last Church? Was that why you left your “religion” because it didn’t really have anything to do with Jesus Christ and the Godly love He taught?

Think about it. Pray on it.

“Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me….The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee” (Psalm 55:1-3, 21-23).

Trust in the Lord and come back to Him.

Bill Hitchcock