Foolishly Bewitched

Galatians 3:1-5

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?--if it really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

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She's a witch of trouble in electric blue,
In her own mad mind she's in love with you.
With you.
Now what you gonna do?
Strange brew -- killin' what's inside of you.

"Strange Brew" by Eric Clapton, Gail Collins and Felix Pappalardi recorded by Cream

We're people! We like shiny things! We like things that just grab our attention and refuse to release us! How else can we explain disco, pet rocks, and fast food? We get bewitched and that's all there is to it. Steven Covey calls this "non-important/non-urgent" noting all along that they are still interesting, more interesting than real work. It's just fluff and filler.

Of course I say this to you from a keyboard attached to the internet and if you're reading this either attached by computer, phone, or tablet. It's horrible to become your own best example, but I have just done that.

Paul warns the church that they have become bewitched by the law and those who practice it. The law gives us wonderful guidelines that help us in our lives. But taken to extremes, they take us far past freedom and right into control. Law controls, law can't love.

It is Christ who saves by love that frees us from the controlling ties of the law. Christ didn't die for the law. Christ fulfilled the law before his death and resurrection. Christ's death showed what he knew all along, the law doesn't bind the way people want it to bind. In the law's mad mind there is love in the law, love that controls like an abusive lover. This is not the love of freedom in Christ.

So our choices are to believe Christ or to believe prophets who tell us that by law and restriction we can be free. Bewitched? Pray not.