GALATIANS‬ ‭5:1-4‬‬‬

The common mistake among new believers is to act as if Christianity is a way to preserve their old way of living. They erroneously believe that the purpose of the religion is to cleanse their sins from their old way so that they may continue in it. But the truth of Christianity is a transformative one. It does not cleanse the old way but instead provides a completely new way. For non-believers unfamiliar with the hope of Christianity, this is a fairly easy process. They come from a world where the presence of the idea of a relationship with God, let alone its actuality, is profound and radical. But for those who grew up in a culture informed by Christianity, everything from America itself to individual evangelical families, this can be incredibly difficult. There is an assumed blessing that is presumed upon culture. They are entitled to the blessings of a relationship with Christ, but without a true understanding of what it is like to live without those blessings. To this end, these Christians often participate in a cultural Christianity that views a relationship with God more like a relationship with a State. Their job is to act as a citizen and to follow its rules. And if they can move well in that system, then they can rise within it and benefit from it. However, this is not what Christianity is. Christianity is a relationship with God. To truly participate in our faith and God’s grace, we must possess a real understanding of our need for him. We must confess and repent, even from within the blessings of Christianity.