Throughout our brief time in Rome I’ve been reminded of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. I’m amazed by the evidences that God has provided this city of His grace by time and again have witnessed in this city those that throughout time choose to worship the evidences instead of the Author of those evidences. In Galatians 4:1-3 Paul writes about the lack of growing grace! In Greek culture the boy was under the fathers care from 7-18 then he became a cadet for two years and was under the direction of the state. Before he became a cadet they had a ceremony where the boyhood long hair was cut off and offered to the gods.
In Roman culture the age was not specific as it was up to the father to determine when the boy was ready and apparently based upon verse 2 Paul has in mind the Roman custom and not the Jewish or Greek custom. What we do know is that the Romans held a sacred family festival every year on the 17th of Marchand if the father believed the son was ready he would be formally adopted and recognized as a son and heir and given the toga virilis. In turn the boy or girl would give the father a toy showing that they had put away childish things!
While the child is still recognized as a child they have less day-to-day freedoms and authority then slaves of the household even though one day they will inherit it all. Paul uses that truth to compare it to the spiritual condition of a person born under the guardian of the law set to watch us as children bringing its truth to bear upon our conscience until we could be presented as adult children and heirs of the King. Paul says, “So too, we, when we were ‘young children,’ were kept in slavery to the ABC of the universe.” One of those chief elements is the idea of “you get what you deserve” some call it karma. This is one of those things that holds us in bondage and that grace completely destroys. Legalism is not a step towards maturity, it is a step back into childhood. Maturity is doing the right thing for the right reason. Immaturity is having to be told to do the right thing and without being told it won’t get done and if it gets done it will be for the wrong reason. And that is how worshipping the evidences draws into religion of legalism instead of a relationship based upon God’s grace!
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