When I challenge Christians living in the church scattered to fully surrender to following Christ every day most hesitate. They are no longer afraid of what God might do to them because they know they are forgiven but they are still very much afraid of what He might do with them if they went all in.
In Galatians chapter 4 we read the following astounding statement, “I mean that the heir as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, thought he is the owner of everything.” Being a slave is a reference to the time when we were not Christians. A child is a clear reference to a Christian who has not spiritually matured and for all practical purposes lives their life more like a lost person than a son.
The Father in this text clearly demonstrates His hearts desire for every Christian. “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His son into our hearts, crying Abba Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son.” The immature Christian has trusted the Father for eternity but still has not fully trusted Him for today.
The sad reality is they are still living in some form of a performance based relationship with the Father. Because they are immature, they are either still trying to earn His love or afraid of His wrath if they make a mistake. That is exactly how slaves think and live their whole lives.
Can you imagine how the Father must feel when He offers such incredible daily intimacy to see us time and time again pull back in fear and unbelief. We don’t trust Him because we don’t know Him and we don’t know Him because our relationship with Him is not the number one priority in our life.
The other extremely high cost is that because we don’t know Him, the world will not know Him through us either. They see us as self-identified Christians but dealing with the same levels of worry and fear as they have.
Our sacred calling and privilege is to both know Him and make Him known. The reality is that if your are content to stay an immature Christian you will fail at both.
Jesus says come to me all who are laboring with stress and heavy burdens and I will give you rest for your souls. If you believe He is telling the truth, then your days of living like a slave are numbered.