Look what has happened in your life. Take a quick look back. This is what Paul asks in his next question:
“Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?” (Galatians 3 v 4)
What have you experienced?
For the Galatians they had experienced along with Paul (in Acts 14) persecution. Most would have probably escaped this hardship if they had been circumcised at the beginning of their faith in Jesus journey. So why feel threatened to be circumcised now? They had also experienced moves of the Spirit on their lives, “…who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders” (Acts 14 v 3). Was that for nothing? Is it now suddenly all about whether we are circumcised or not? This is what Paul was saying and he made his point clearly.
So what have you experienced?
Into a multitude of voices trying to convince you through lies, disappointments, hurts and doubts it is His voice that we need to hold on to. “Has it all been in vain? Don’t be weighed down by the burdens of others who do not know the grace you received, don’t walk away now from what brought you in, you will cheapen everything you have stood for and all that you have endured.” Your enemy wants you to work to please God and He will never stop no matter how old you are in the faith. But you never received salvation that way and you have relied on His grace all your life so why ruin those years by suddenly changing now?
Recently I found myself in the middle of a conversation where I heard one man try to convince his friend that a colleague was indeed an amazing valuable member of the team. He used an example of what that colleague had achieved in the world. He listed his incredible accomplishments. It felt like we should all be jolly thankful that this man existed at all. In a split moment I envisaged the moment this man had fallen on his knees before the cross; I wondered about the grace he received for his sins; his baptism; and so much more. These grace experiences that every one of us have had far outweigh any of our human achievements. If all that we are is what we have done and been then our salvation experience and so much more from the hand of God has been pointless.
Don’t let anyone burden you down to please God with some rules whether circumcision 2,000 years ago or today to jump through some hoop and fulfil a rule to please God.
You have so many beautiful experiences in God and so much suffering you have endured to begin to think this journey of faith is anything to do with you at all.
Missions Paul 