Do Not Let Yourselves Be Weighed Down By The Legalistic Lists Of Religious Leaders (Galatian 5:1-3)

Many believers allow religious leaders to control their relationship with God by adhering to the legalistic lists religious leaders load them down with.

Many believers follow the rituals and requirements, expectations and experiences, and disciplines and duties placed upon them by these leaders.

These heavy burdens placed upon them robs them of enjoying the grace God has given them in Christ and the freedom his grace brings.

This is what was happening to the believers in Galatia.

The religious leaders from Jerusalem infiltrated the grace-based churches in Galatia and convinced the believers that in addition to their faith in Jesus, they need practice daily the requirements of the Law of Moses.

They persuaded the believers in Galatia that the grace Paul was teaching was not accurate and was actually dangerous to their spiritual health.

Rather than rejecting what these religious leaders were telling them about Paul and the "dangers of grace," and rather than rejecting what what the religious leaders were telling them about following the Law of Moses, the believers allowed themselves to weighed down with what they religious leaders were telling them.

Paul's encouragement to them in Galatian 5:1-3 was to not let themselves be weighed down by the requirements being placed upon them by the religious leaders.

The reason Paul told them this was because Christ had set them free from the law so that they could experience the freedom of grace.

Grace is everything God has freely and kindly done for us in Christ to forgive our sins and make us righteous.

Our only response to this grace is faith in Jesus.

We now relate to God by the grace of Jesus and not by any list of requirements, rituals, expectations, experiences, duties, or disciplines placed upon us by religious leaders.

Because Jesus has set you free from the lists, you no longer have to let yourself be weighed down by the lists your leaders may place upon you.

Because of the grace of God given to you in Jesus, you are free to enjoy a love relationship with God free from the lists.

So don't let yourself be weighed down by the what your religious leaders may place upon you.

You are free in Christ to reject the legalistic lists they want to load you down with.