Galatians 4:8-12
Reflect
In 1973 there was a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden that resulted in a six-day standoff between the police and the bank robbers. Caught between the police and the robbers were a number of bank employees that were being held hostage. Over the course of those six days some of the hostages came to sympathize with their captors, to the point that they refused to testify against the robbers and even raised money for their defense.
This kind of behaviour where a captive begins to favour their captor over their freedom has been called “Stockholm Syndrome”. Here in Galatians 4, Paul confronts a form of this kind of behaviour where people who have been set free from being captive to sin and oppression are finding their way back to those old ways again. Paul challenges the Galatians to do as Paul himself has done, and fully break the ties to those old ways of living.
The lure of the enemy of our souls can be cunning, and disguised as things that will not harm anyone. Don’t be lulled into a state of sleepiness where we fail to see the slavery that sin really is. Jesus offers us full freedom from sin and oppression under the power of sin. For some of us, we need to wake up from our slumber and let Jesus set us free.
Pastor Mike
Pray
- Pray for our Senior Lead Team Pastor, Lyle Buyer, his ministry, and family.
- Pray for our Church Board members: Beth Cheung, Gerhard Hiob, Hal Reirson, JD Kliewer, Mary Jetha, Mike Ross, Randy Voss, Seth Jansen, Trevor Toews, Uwem Okome.
- Pray for our Custodians, Adit Gamble, Stan Goodnough and Anne King; Facilities Manager, Joe Richards.
- Pray for our office staff: Vicky Bailey, Naomi Voss; bookkeeper Liudmyla Lushchyk.