Rescued from the Religious System

"[He] gave Himself for our sins that He might rescue us out of the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father..." - Galatians 1:4 (Recovery Version)

In this verse we are being told that Jesus died for ours sins that he might "rescue us out of the present evil age." The present evil age here most likely refers to the religious system. The religious system was flawed and insufficient when the Apostle Paul wrote this letter (and still is). Matter fact, as he was writing the letter there were some Judiazers who were trying to "pervert [distort] the gospel of Christ" and return to the religious ordinances of the time.

Jesus sacrifice on the cross rescues us from the heavy burdens of the Jewish religion (or any religion) and its ordinances. Before we had to do many religious activities to try to be justified by the law and we were measured by how much we did--always falling short. Now there is a new covenant that presents a new reality: grace and truth (John 1:17).

Just like Neo rescues people from the dream world, a system of control, Jesus liberates us from the religious system. The religious system is an illusion and an enemy of the truth--the reality
that is now being made known to mankind. This truth is that we can now have personal access to God and eternal security by simply demonstrating faith in his beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works that no one should boast (RV)."

The Galatian church and other churches were reverting back to the Old Testament law to justify themselves and make themselves right with God. Something that does not work.

Paul is surprised by what is occuring and writes, "I marvel that you are so quickly removing from Him who has called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6, RV)."

What the Galatians were doing could be likened to people going back into the Matrix and choosing to take the blue pill once having discovered the truth. They were choosing the illusion over the reality. Many times we do the same. May we not be tricked by those who want to bring us back to following religious ordinaces and rules to earn our salavation! Paul calls these people "the false brothers."

He writes, "And this, because of the false brothers, brought in secretly, who stole in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into slavery (Galatians 2:4, RV)."

May we not become slaves of religion and stuck in viewing ourselves as people who have to keep climbing a mountain of works to be right with God. As we look for God and a personal connection with Him we should be reminded that it is not contingent upon doing things, rather it involves believing into Him and receiving what he has freely given to us. When we do this He arises in our hearts and creates new desires and longings that transform us from the inside. In our soul is where the God magic begins to work. Once touched by God we become "His masterpiece; created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10, RV)."