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7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. (Galatians 5:7-10)
In v.7-8, the Apostle continues to remind us that we are not following God when we forsake the path of faith for the road of works. He uses an analogy of running a race and those who are leading them astray have cut in and distracted us from keeping our eyes on the price.
The price in context is the hope of righteousness mentioned in Galatians 5:5. In this one phrase, "hope of righteousness", is the capsulation of what everyone on this earth is yearning. This is a way of life foreign to most. The very essence of what makes a Christian different from others is in this phrase. Paul clearly means for this verse to describe another way of life than the one he warns against in the first four verses of the chapter.
"You can reject God by rejecting his law and living any way you see fit. And you can also reject God by embracing and obeying God’s law so as to earn your salvation."
Tim Keller
In v.10 reminds us that our confidence must always be in God. Pau reminds us that our success is found in the Lord alone, not in ourselves, not even in the absence of those who lead us in the wrong way.
There are two ways to relate to God, as an heir or as a slave. The difference is that a slave earns God's acceptable through his performance and an heir is promised acceptance. The trust that is forged by the second approach is the difference. A slave can never be sure enough that he has done enough to earn the acceptance of his master. A son rests in the standing he has by virtue of his birth and the covenant his father made in his will for his children.
Trust is the issue. A trust that is cemented in the hope of which Paul speaks. This word hope, "elpida" in the Greek. It is better translated expectation or confidence. The idea is that it will happen, but the question is when? The waiting is what does most people in.
I find it informative that the first description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is patience. When we have experienced God's grace, it captures our heart and creates love in our hearts for the Lord. Of course, this will always be a problem for those who are young in the faith, such as the Galatians.
Herein, we see why so many seem to fall away from the faith. I do not believe we lose the faith, I believe that in many cases many did not have the faith in the first place. You see, it is the nature of faith to create love in the believers heart for the Lord. And, if this does not happen, it is likely the person was not born again in the first place.
The mystery and the waiting is an issue for all of us. We often find ourselves asking the Lord, "when?" When will deliverance come? When will you return? The righteousness we seek germinates in the waiting or the practice of this "elpida", this hope, that anchors our souls to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
