Galatians 4:17
Memory Verse
Their zeal for you is not proper, but they desire to shut you up in order that you are zealous for them (Galatians 4:17).
The saints in Galatia were being persuaded away from the truth of the Christ by men from Judea. These men taught that unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved. Their purpose was not about salvation, but to shut up the saints under the bondage of law and tradition for the purpose of only following them. These false teachers set themselves up as fathers of the faith in order to produce zeal in the hearts of those who follow them. This type of zeal negatively impacts the believers, for they will blindly follow the one seeking to keep them in bondage. In light of this, it is important to consider what kind of zeal is truly proper and beneficial.
It is proper to be always zealous in proper things (Galatians 4:18). Doing what is proper is not found through our flesh (Romans 7:18). For a grace believer, abiding by the law is not proper because the law is not out from faith (Galatians 3:12). Therefore, let us fight the proper fight, taking hold of the eternal life we have in Christ (2 Timothy 4:7). In our daily struggle, let us be zealous for proper works done out from faith, not dead works of the law (Titus 3:14; Hebrews 6:1; 9:14).