GALATIANS 5:8

“This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.”

Have you ever been tricked by someone on a phone call? I used to occasionally call the office secretary when I was on a road trip and disguise my voice. I would pretend to be a donor who wanted to donate some wild and outlandish thing (which actually happened more times than you can imagine) just to make her squirm a little and figure out how to answer this person. Of course, towards the end of the call she would recognize it was me and threaten me bodily harm when I returned. Lol

Paul is warning the Galatians and us in today’s verse to be careful who you answer to, to make sure you know who is actually calling you. The Greek word for “persuasion” is only used here in Galatians 5:8. It refers to a self-produced persuasion. In other words, they decided themselves to believe this caller. It was not God who was calling them to keep the Mosaic law and deny their freedom in Christ.

APPLICATION

Matthew Poole’s Commentary says this about “Him who calls you,” “is not from God, who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light, unto fellowship with himself, into a state of grace and favour with him, and to the hopes of eternal life; and who yet calleth you by his gospel: it must therefore be from the devil and his instruments, who go about to seduce and pervert you.”

Think about Poole’s words for a second. It is God who has called you out of darkness into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), into fellowship with Himself (1 John 1:3), into grace and favor (1 Peter 2:20, and to the hopes of eternal life (1 Peter 5:10). It seems Poole liked 1 Peter, didn’t he? It is God who calls us to these things. He isn’t adding on to His requirements.

The next time you hear a voice directing you to do something, make sure it is the voice of God and not His arch enemy attempting to disguise his voice and imitate God. Remember, the devil will never ask you to do anything that will glorify the Father or the Son. It will only be about you, what will make you happy. Listen closely. Learn to recognize His voice.

Father, it is sweet to hear Your voice and recognize that You love me beyond words or deeds.