Podcast Summary: “Days and Seasons”

Renewing Your Mind — Ligonier Ministries
Date: February 1, 2026
Host: Nathan W. Bingham
Featured Teacher: Dr. R.C. Sproul
Scripture Focus: Galatians 4:8–20

Episode Overview

This episode of Renewing Your Mind focuses on Paul's exhortation to the Galatians about the dangers of reverting to old covenant rituals and the futility of adding to the Gospel through observance of ceremonial days and seasons. Dr. R.C. Sproul unpacks the profound theological contrasts Paul draws between freedom and bondage, knowing God and not knowing God, and explains the distinction between God's eternal law and historical, temporary ordinances. The episode is rich in pastoral warmth, challenging Christians to examine whether they are clinging to “shadows” instead of the substance found in Christ.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shadows and the Substance of the Gospel

[00:00–02:12]

• Dr. Sproul begins by reflecting on Paul’s argument that repeated Old Testament sacrifices, like the Day of Atonement, merely foreshadowed Christ’s final, once-for-all sacrifice.
• Once Christ’s redemptive work is finished, returning to those old rituals is unnecessary and a regression into “shadows.”
• Quote:

  “The whole point of the Day of Atonement… pointed ahead to the ultimate sacrifice in the blood of the Messiah that would be offered once and for all, never again to be repeated… You’re not under that obligation now.”
  — Dr. Sproul [00:00]

2. Freedom vs. Bondage, Knowing God vs. Not Knowing God

[02:12–06:45]

• Dr. Sproul identifies Paul’s two main contrasts in Galatians 4:
  • Freedom vs. Bondage: Without a saving knowledge of God, people are in spiritual chains, no matter how “free” they may appear.
    • Quote:

      “If you don’t know God in a saving way, you are in chains and you suffer from severe bondage. … Without Christ is to be without hope.”
      — Dr. Sproul [02:54]

  • Knowing God vs. Being Known by God: Dr. Sproul distinguishes between cognitive awareness of God, which all people have, and intimate, saving knowledge, which is a matter of relationship and God’s election.
    • He highlights Christ’s words in Matthew 7:23 as a warning that being “known by God” is what matters eternally.
    • Quote:

      “In the final analysis, not do you know Jesus? It’s does Jesus know you?... Does he know you in a saving way, that from time, eternity, he chose you in the Beloved and knew you in Christ?”
      — Dr. Sproul [05:38]

3. The Futility of Returning to Old Rituals

[07:00–09:00]

• Paul’s concern over the Galatians’ observance of “days and months and seasons and years” refers not to natural divisions of time but to religious feast days in the Jewish calendar.
• These were part of God’s temporary “purposive laws,” shadows pointing to Christ, now fulfilled and obsolete under the New Covenant.
• Quote:

  “If you want to insist upon its celebration now, you’ve missed the whole Gospel… After that finished work of Jesus was accomplished, you want to go back to the shadows?”
  — Dr. Sproul [08:25]

4. Distinction Between God’s Immutable Law and Temporary Ordinances

[09:00–13:30]

• Dr. Sproul introduces the theological distinction between God’s natural law (rooted in God’s unchanging character) and purposive laws (divine ordinances for specific historical purposes).
• The ceremonial laws—ritual days, feasts, sacrifices—were always meant to be temporary.
• Quote:

  “God’s natural law never changes. But here Paul is talking about the historical, purposive laws of the Old Testament that govern the days and the times and the seasons. And he says, that’s all gone.”
  — Dr. Sproul [11:30]

5. Paul’s Pastoral Heart and Personal Sacrifice

[13:30–17:00]

• Dr. Sproul gives historical context to Paul’s mention of his physical ailment, suggesting his body was scarred and impaired from suffering for the Gospel (cf. 2 Corinthians).
• Despite Paul’s outward condition, the Galatians received him with honor, a testament to their initial receptivity to the Gospel.
• Quote:

  “Most people would look at this figure… and would shy away from him in embarrassment. Paul said, you didn’t do that… but you received me as if you were receiving an angel of God, as if you were receiving Christ himself.”
  — Dr. Sproul [16:15]

6. The Danger of False Teachers and the Pastoral Plea

[17:00–23:00]

• Paul warns about false teachers who want to exploit and exclude the Galatians.
• His tone shifts from rebuke to deep affection—“my little children”—revealing his anguish and longing for Christ to be formed in them.
• Quote:

  “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you… The whole point of our sanctification is that Christ may be formed in us.”
  — Dr. Sproul [21:15]

7. The Universal Relevance of Paul’s Warning

[23:00–23:43]

• Dr. Sproul drives home the point: this pastoral exhortation is as relevant to believers today as it was for the Galatians. All Christians are tempted at times to shift from Christ alone toward legalism or ritual.
• The episode ends with a reminder that sanctification—being conformed to Christ’s image—is a lifelong process, not a one-time event.
• Quote:

  “We’re the Galatians… It’s not just about conversion. And then you’re done. No, conversion’s the beginning. Then we have our whole lives where he is making us and molding us and shaping us and forming us in his image.”
  — Dr. Sproul [22:30]

Memorable Quotes

• On the centrality of Christ’s sacrifice:

  “You’re not under that obligation now.” [00:13]

• On spiritual bondage:

  “If you don’t know God in a saving way, you are in chains…” [02:54]

• On the distinction that matters most:

  “It’s not do you know God? But does God know you?” [05:40]

• On the fulfillment of the law in Christ:

  “If you want to insist upon its celebration now, you’ve missed the whole Gospel.” [08:25]

• On sanctification:

  "It’s not just about conversion. And then you’re done. No, conversion’s the beginning." [22:30]

Important Segment Timestamps

• The Old Testament Ceremonies as Shadows — 00:00–02:12
• Freedom vs. Bondage; Knowing God — 02:12–06:45
• Days/Seasons and Fulfillment in Christ — 07:00–09:00
• Immutable vs. Temporary Law — 09:00–13:30
• Paul’s Physical Trials and the Galatians’ Reception — 13:30–17:00
• False Teachers, Loving Correction, and Christ Formed in Us — 17:00–23:00
• Christ as Central to Sanctification for All Believers — 23:00–23:43

Tone & Style

Dr. Sproul masterfully balances theological depth with pastoral warmth. His teaching is both intellectually rigorous and deeply compassionate, urging listeners to both know God and rest in being known by Him, to hold tightly to Christ alone, and to seek spiritual maturity in the freedom of the Gospel rather than bondage to ritual or law.

Takeaway

Paul’s warning to the Galatians is a live issue for all Christians: The Gospel cannot be improved upon or added to. Old rituals, “days and seasons,” were only ever meant to point to Christ. Our identity, growth, and hope rest in being known by God and being conformed to the image of Christ—the heart of sanctification.

For further study, Dr. Sproul’s commentary on Galatians is recommended, as it expands on these themes and offers continued encouragement for spiritual growth.