Have you lost your joy? (Galatians 4:15)

Galatians 4:15

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

¹⁵ What has happened to all of your joy? If you could have torn out your own eyes and given them to me, you would have. I can give witness to that.

 

Have you lost your joy? Paul sensed that the Galatians had lost the joy of their salvation because of legalism. Legalism can take away joy because 1.) it makes people feel guilty rather than loved; 2.) it produces self-hatred rather than humility; 3.) is stresses performance over relationship; 4.) it points out how far short we feel rather than how far we've come because of what Christ did for us. If you feel guilty or inadequate, check your focus. Are you living by faith in Christ or by trying to live up to the demands and expectations of others.

 

Joe