I would like to ask you a question about dating. Join me in rewinding to our single selves all those years ago. Did you ever over commit before really knowing someone? The story is a classic one. A child may say something like, “Mom and Dad, I met a really nice gal (or guy), I think this could be the one.” Well after a couple servings of mom’s “special meatloaf” the entire table know it just wasn’t going to work out. It seems as if they were not “the one” after all. The shocking part of this type of experience isn’t that the relationship did not work out. People break up all the time. This type of situation is amazing because of the speed at which the relationship changed. One moment they are “the one,” and the next moment they are just “another one.”
This is the type of situation that Paul is writing about to the Galatians. Paul was “astonished” (can also be translated as “marveled”) at the speed some Galatians forgot about their conversion. In the Christian world, we call this the “bible camp effect.” In the right context such as church camp emotions and commitment to the Lord are easy, but as soon as we leave that context our faith begins to dwindle. It, as Paul says, is truly astonishing how fast we can fall from faith in Jesus.
So what makes it so astonishing? Well, in the case of dating it is astonishing because we as humans really do not know much about people at first. We over commit to later realize the person was not who we thought they were. But Jesus is who we thought he was. A relationship with Jesus is never a mistake though. In fact Jesus corrects mistakes and offers forgiveness. Perhaps this is why Paul is so astonished.
The people of Galatia experienced Jesus, yet, when it came time to choose between the Christ they just met or the ways of old, they chose their old ways. It is astonishing how easily we choose our old ways because it is comfortable even if those old ways are damaging to our relationship with Jesus. Following Jesus is not a social club. Following Jesus is a lifestyle commitment. It requires that we change every aspect of our life that does not meet the standard Christ set for us on the cross of redemption. We are a “new creation” as the bible says. We are no longer the ways of old. The marvel Paul had was because he did not see those new creations. He say only a church full of people who were stuck in their old ways.
Would this verse from Paul apply to your life? If Paul was to objectively examine your life, what would he see? Would he see a “new creation” in Christ? Or would he see the ways of old? Though only one verse, this passage should convict you. Be the new creation God set you be. Do not let the comforts of old change the transformation of your soul. There is far too much at stake both in your own life and in the world to not examine ourselves. Apply this passage every day to your life. Do this, and let the gospel transformation take over.
Amen