Do Not Be Entangled Again With a Yoke of Bondage

Question

What is a yoke of bondage (Galatians five:ane)?

Respond

In Galatians 5:1–15, the campaigner Paul discusses the nature of Christian liberty, beginning with an admonition to "stand fast therefore in the freedom by which Christ has made us gratuitous, and do non be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians five:1, NKJV). Paul contends that Jesus Christ came to set believers gratis from a crushing, legalistic existence as slaves to the constabulary. Therefore, Christians must ensure that they stay complimentary and not get jump upward over again under a yoke of bondage to the law.

A yoke is a curved bar made from wood or metal that harnesses together ii or more draft animals then they tin more effectively work as a squad. Yokes were likewise placed effectually the necks of people like shackles to secure prisoners in place. Thus, wearing a yoke often speaks of slavery and hardship in the Bible (Deuteronomy 28:48; 1 Kings 12:4; Jeremiah 27:eight; 1 Timothy vi:1), and removing or breaking a yoke represents freedom (Leviticus 26:xiii; Isaiah 58:half-dozen). The references to being "entangled again" (NKJV) or "encumbered again" (NIV) suggest being weighed down again under a heavy load.

When Paul said, "Practice not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (NKJV) or "Exercise non permit yourselves be encumbered again by a yoke of slavery" (NIV), he was rebuking Christians for their tendency to turn dorsum to legalism, which is the contrary of Christian freedom. One commentator elaborates, "The Christian freedom he [Paul] describes is freedom of conscience, freedom from the tyranny of the police force, the dreadful struggle to keep the constabulary, with a view to winning the favour of God. It is the freedom of acceptance with God and of access to God through Christ. . . . In other words, we are to enjoy the glorious freedom of conscience which Christ has brought us by His forgiveness. Nosotros must not lapse into the idea that nosotros have to win our credence with God past our own obedience" (Stott, J., The Bulletin of Galatians: Only I Way, InterVarsity Press, 1986, p. 132).

Paul depicts our former mode of life earlier salvation as slavery to the law. Wearing a yoke of chains is a plumbing fixtures metaphor for this slavery because an brute (or person) bound by a yoke must obey its master. Under the Old Testament covenant, the Jews labored nether the law in an attempt to be justified or fabricated right earlier God (Romans 2:13). But nether the New Covenant, God's grace confirmed by the blood of Jesus gives us freedom from slavery to the law and release from sin and death (Galatians iv:24–31).

Jewish false teachers had infiltrated the Galatian churches, enervating that Gentiles be circumcised (Galatians 2:3–5). The same thing had happened in Antioch of Syria, where Judiazers taught, "Unless you are circumcised as required past the law of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1, NLT). These legalistic Jews were trying to brand Christians return to a yoke of bondage by requiring them to observe the Old Attestation rules, laws, and ceremonies, especially circumcision.

Paul stood unyielding confronting these fake teachers considering the truth of the gospel of grace was at pale: "Mind! I, Paul, tell y'all this: If you are counting on circumcision to brand you correct with God, then Christ volition be of no benefit to you. I'll say it again. If yous are trying to find favor with God past being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to brand yourselves correct with God by keeping the law, yous have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace. But we who alive by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or beingness uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love" (Galatians 5:two–6, NLT).

Paul contended that under the New Covenant both Jews and Gentiles are accepted into God'south family past faith lone in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21–22; Ephesians 2:viii). Earlier salvation, we lived under a yoke of bondage to the constabulary (Galatians 4:3), burdened past a guilty conscience (Titus one:15), imprisoned by demands we could non keep (Acts 15:ten), and held convict by the fear of punishment because of our disobedience (i John 4:xviii).

Paul said in Galatians three:24, "The law was our guardian until Christ came; information technology protected us until we could be fabricated right with God through faith" (NLT). When Christ came, He gear up us free from the yoke of bondage by meeting the demands of the law for the states: "Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the constabulary. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace" (Romans vi:14, NLT).

In that location is no longer condemnation for those of u.s.a. who vest to Jesus (Romans 8:one–two) considering He took the guilty sentence in our identify: "God did what the law could non do. He sent his own Son in a body similar the bodies nosotros sinners have. And in that torso God declared an cease to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a cede for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the constabulary would be fully satisfied for us" (Romans 8:three–4, NLT).

The Christian life is characterized by a joyous freedom to follow Christ out of dearest and not a dreadful life of slavery to post-obit rules. Jesus Christ has lifted the yoke of bondage from our shoulders and placed on them His own yoke, ane that describes obedience and discipleship: "Accept my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in center, and you will discover rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew eleven:29–xxx).

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