Galatians 4:21
“Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?”
The saying is, "Be careful what you wish for." Some times we don't know the result of our requests. The Galatians were new to the Law, while the Jews had lived under it for millenia. Peter said in Acts 15:10, "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?"
Jesus came to free us from the penalty of the Law. He freed us from slavery. The Galatians were ignorantly sucombing to it. The Law had served it's purpose. It pointed out sin and how we were condemned by it. It was meant to lead us to Christ. The Galatians were in Christ and wanted to go backwards. Like a rocket disposes of its boosters once out of the earth's atmosphere, so the Law's original purpose was done. While it's conceivable to live under the law, God won't be in that relationship. That was for the Jews prior to Jesus' coming.
The Galatians were attempting to enter a legalistic relationship with God. Many individuals are in this or have gone through it. This individual is attempting to please the Lord by works. The message of grace can be difficult to believe. There is some pleasure in doing this. Our guilty consciences tend to give us a rest when we are doing something. However, it's a short lived rest. Our sinful flesh will rise up and our consciences will respond with shock and demand more work.
The Bible and the Holy Spirit attempt to free us from this tyranical mindset. Books like Galatians are one of the tools that free us. Galatians 3:3 is a helpful verse, "How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" A light of hope begins to flicker when this is read. We think, "Is there another way? One in which I'm free of my strict conscience?" Our great God is drawing us to Himself; chains loosen.
I can recall when the message of grace began to make sense. I felt like a prisoner who saw that the jail door was left open. I walked out. I was free, but felt someone would see me and tell me to go back to the cell. I felt like I was getting away with something. That's actually true. All the consequences of my sin had been excused by Jesus' death.
In time I realized God wasn't being neglectful and letting me out of jail. He's the one who opened the door and was telling me I was free. I've seen videos of prisoners receiving clemency and were free. They were so thankful. The relief on their faces and the gratitude in their words was just how it felt to be forgiven.
Yet, here are the Galatians going back to the Law. It's like they were purposefully going back to jail and pulling the door closed. That's why Paul calls them "foolish Galatians". Oddly enough people go back. Peter says of them in his second epistle, "If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first", (2:20).
Lord, help us to stay close to You. Thank You that You keep us from evil. Help us to not wish for these things. Help us to be sensitive to Your voice.