Weak and beggarly elements

But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. - Galatians 4v9-10

It just doesn’t make any sense, does it? That seems to be what Paul is saying here. We are raised with Christ, we have put on Christ, we are adopted into God’s family, we can call Him “Daddy,” we have a wonderful inheritance, and so much more. These Galatians had the same. Paul points out that before they were saved they bowed down to and submitted to stone gods.

Now Paul asks them a powerful question, “Since you are freed from the law, why do you keep going back to it? Why do you keep running back to those “weak and beggarly” elements which are not going to do you any good? Do you really want to go back into bondage to them? You have replaced the stone gods with days and months and seasons.

The next verse is also powerful – “I am worried about you. Is everything I did there in vain?”

What would Paul say to us today when we act like we are tied to the Law? What would he say when we bow down to man made regulations that the word of God never talks about? We can get so tied down to these weak and beggarly elements that we forget about truly loving the Lord and serving Him in grace and truth. We will serve much more effectively when we serve out of love instead of obligation.

Forget about the weak and beggarly elements. Love God with all your heat and soul and might. Love your neighbour as yourself. Enjoy your liberty, but don’t use it to serve your own fleshly desires, but in love serve each other.

What is this draw of bondage?