July 22

<p>Galatians 4:8-6:18 We are in the Church Stream reading from The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Stream | <a href= "https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YPPA8XGTQ2YHU">Donate</a></p> <!--more--> <p>Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis</p> <blockquote> <div>Lord Jesus, we are free in you and free because of you.  All  to not go therepraise and thanks to God. Amen</div> </blockquote> <p>The issue today is two points on the opposite ends of a see-saw: 1] under the Law, you are in bondage; chains.  2] The freedom you seek is in Christ.  That sums up today's reading in seconds. This is the summation of pertinent theology too.</p> <div>4:8-31 - The passage begins with Paul a trifle exasperated at the young Christians reverting back to add many old Jewish traditions to their Christian culture. They had not known of anything Jewish ever in this part of the world until the traveling trolls of circumcision (the Judaizers) came through and vandalized their liberty in Christ. Paul's words are more or less, "knock this off!"</div> <div>Paul expounds on how they were /or rather/ have been so gracious and free in Christ until they started listening to the religious hoodlums who merely target new Believers to bring them back to old rules.  Why are you acting like children of rejection or orphans when you are children of blessing? It's a golden question that they need to answer with behavior that is transformed back to "Christ alone" thinking.</div> <div>5 - You are free in Christ Jesus. Don't lock yourselves up again. Don't walk backwards, and don't go backwards! Those who tell you to go back to Jewish Laws and quote me to back up their wrong teaching are lying about me as well as lying about God (so says Paul).  The old way <u>never</u> worked. Paul has a slightly gruesome wish for those who preach continued circumcision - but we read that already.  Paul wants them to continue in Christ, to grow in Christ, to walk in the Spirit and be free from struggles and sins and