Charlie Brown is a classic comic strip! His interactions with Lucy are well documented, and her sarcastic sense of humor comes through. As best I can research the comic history, three different times she tried to trip him up when it comes to the infamous football kick. The irony is that Charlie Brown was gullible enough to think that she wouldn’t keep tricking him. This repeated encounter is more than just humor in a comic strip. It actually paints a picture of our life and faith.
Albert Einstein is credited as having said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.” Essentially, this insanity is the attitude of Paul to the Galatian church. He worked hard to help them see that continuing to buy the lie that we can be made right with God by keeping the Jewish Law was insane. In fact, he wrote that “he was astonished” they were willing to believe this lie.
The trap of thinking we can be saved by what we do is insane. It is similar to Charlie Brown continuing to fall to Lucy’s trick. We must work to understand and appreciate the purpose of the Old Testament Law. It was good to guard and expose our sin and need for salvation, but it cannot save us.
Only Jesus has the power to redeem, save, and restore. In fact, that was His reason for coming to earth. He has fulfilled the Law by shedding His blood and paying the debt our sin owed and dying the death we deserved to die. This fulfillment of the Law allows us to live in freedom as we put on Christ.
Lean into this truth and avoid the trap that pulls you into thinking that you must work to earn or even keep your salvation. Faith cries out that Jesus has done the work and clings to the promise that He keeps us. Walk in that truth today.