Persuasion Not from God

From David's email devotional this week:

In Galatians 4:10-11 Paul writes:

You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:6:

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Referring to all of the false teaching the Galatians had received Paul writes in Galatians 5:8:

This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.

Some of us confess that even though we have taught others to be saved by grace through faith we have also encouraged them to walk with God by observing certain requirements. For example, we have suggested that believers pray so many minutes and read so many chapters of the Bible each day. We have even encouraged them to keep the commands of the Bible without any reference to the leadership and empowering of the Holy Spirit. We persuaded them to walk in the flesh. Our persuasion did not come from God (Galatians 5:8).

Many of us who have persuaded others to accept legalistic approaches to their Christian lives have repented of our error. Now, we teach and encourage believers to walk in the Spirit by living out their oneness with Christ. The Holy Spirit guides and enables believers to walk with God—even in prayer and Bible reading.