Bumped Off Course

Someone has described flying as a 'series of corrections' that must constantly be made if one is to keep on course! That's not only a good definition of flying, but of Christian living too. For it is easy to be bumped off course by what might seem to be small deviations now, but later grow into large gaps between what we believe and what the Bible teaches. In Paul's day and ours, one of the biggest dangers to the church and Christian living is legalism-- the elevation of one's list of dos and don'ts to the same plane as Scripture and judging others by our standards. Legalism robs us of our freedom in Christ and the enjoyment of our spiritual wealth. We miss out on what grace has to offer us. But not only is legalism dangerous, so are those who spread this false kind of Christian living. And so Paul, in Galatians 5:7-12 turns his attention to the 'bumpers'--to those responsible for bumping the Galatians off course. Five things are true of them. They hinder spiritual progress. They are not of God. Like leaven, they contaminate the church as their teaching spreads. You can be sure that they will be judged by God. But until then, they persecute those who teach the gospel of grace. Now, Paul does not treat these "bumpers" as brothers in the Lord, but rather reserves for them strong words of condemnation. Now, we too, should beware of false teachers who have infiltrated our churches who are teaching legalism rather than grace. Beware, lest we too be bumped off course.