Category: Galatians

If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin?  Absolutely not! (Galatians 2:17).

Look, the fact that I still sin does not mean that Jesus is OK with it.

He is definitely not OK with it.

The fact that I still sin means that I, trapped in this frail and somewhat squishy human flesh, have not yet learned to trust Christ completely.  There remains a piece of me–some days tiny, some days ginormicous–that wants to wrest control from God and try the whole “Captain of my soul” thing again.  

It never works

but 

still I try.

Call me persistent, or stupid, or…you know…human.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:15-16).

The Jews, of all people, should have known better.

For hundreds of years, the Jews had gone the “Earn your way to Heaven” route.  The pattern they had grown up with–sin, feel guilty, sacrifice, feel better, work hard, fail, sin–it didn’t work, and the Jews who had come to Christ knew it didn’t work.  If it had, they wouldn’t have needed Christ.  And yet here they were, trying to stuff the endless grace of the Father into a musty sack of old traditions.

Why would they do that?

I dunno, Beloved.  Why do we?

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ  (Galatians 1:11-12).

Grace is not something Man would create.  It runs counter to our nature, to our deep desire for power and control.  No, if Man were to create a religion, it  would involve working and striving and jumping through hoops and walking through fire.  There would be competition and an uncertain outcome.  We would spend our lives doing and doing and doing, trying to look and sound and act and be the way we are supposed to, never quite sure we are good enough or strong enough or wise enough

or, simply, enough.

Hmm…ouch.

What’s the matter, Beloved?  Too close to home?

Happy Monday

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10).

I like to be liked.

Is that so very bad?  

I had a friend once upon a time who seemed to delight in being obnoxious for Christ.

Seriously

He approached every nonbeliever as an enemy combatant.  When he witnessed, it was less like teaching than taunting:

Do you follow Jesus?

No?  Why not?

Don’t you realize that if you die without Christ, you’re going to hell?

What do you mean, you’ll think about it?  You could die tonight!

As I write this, I can hear the edge in his voice.  Still makes me twitch.

Beloved, you are an ambassador, and ambassadors tend to accomplish more if people like them.  So, yeah, it’s good to be liked.

But

Being liked is not your goal.  It’s more of a byproduct of being a Godly person.  If at any point along the journey you have to pick between pleasing people and pleasing God, (and you will), well…

Exactly

Be winsome, Beloved, but not wimpy.  Stand firm for him.

Happy Friday.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9)

There are very few things for which the Bible advocates eternal condemnation.

This would be one of them.

That ought to give us a clue into just how seriously the Lord takes his plan of salvation.  Think about it.  He paid the highest possible price for you.  Why would he tolerate anybody trying to change the terms?  It’s like agreeing to purchase a home for several million dollars, and then having the agent tack an extra nickel onto the price. 

Actually, it’s not like that at all, but I think you can see where I’m going.  

How could anything we do add anything significant to what God has already done?  The Lord of the Universe gave his Son for you, and you’re going to…what…give a homeless person a sandwich and call yourself an equal partner?  I think not.

Beloved, we should do good things.  But they should come as a result of the great love that we have already received, not with the expectation that we are somehow wooing and winning God’s favor.  If anybody tries to tell you otherwise, you should make like a bakery truck and haul buns.

Please don’t tell my wife or my daughter about that last line.  They’ll disown me.  

Happy Thursday, Beloved

Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:7).

The people Paul was referring to were called the Judaizers.  They thought that all Christians should follow the Law–basically the rules and rituals observed in Old Testament-style temple worship.  (Yes, I know they didn’t call it the Old Testament, but we do, so hush.)

Anyway, they were basically telling the Galatians that Jesus’ death was not enough.  According to the Judaizers, the Galatians needed to follow the rules to obtain and maintain their relationship with God.  The moment they said this, of course, the Judaizers threw grace out the window and reduced Christianity to yet another “Work your way to God” religion.

Paul called that perversion.

Did you think of any “haftas” yesterday?  Take them into your prayer time today.  Ask God to show you whether you are attempting to put your efforts on the level of his grace.  It may not even be on purpose.  There can be a fine line between working to earn his love and working out of the love that already overflows.

So think about it, pray about it…but don’t stress about it.  That’s just you trying to control things again.

You are adored, Beloved.

Happy Tuesday

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–which is really no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-7).

If you’re not super familiar with the book of Galatians, it might help to have a smidge of background here.  The church in Galatia had a number of believers who were not of Jewish descent, and so really knew nothing of the Law.  They just grabbed hold of this Gospel of love  and grace and repentance and forgiveness of sins and they ran with it.  But…the church also had a number of former Jews, who still clung to aspects of the Law and were pushing the Gentile believers to abide by it.  The situation was, in theological terms, a sticky mess.

Enter Paul, who writes a letter that we read, oh, a couple thousand years later.

And which is still relevant.

So, as we dive in here, there’s a question to ask yourself:  What do you add to the Gospel?  Don’t be too quick to answer, there.  Think about it for a while; let it roll around in the old noggin.  What “haftas” have you made part of your relationship with Christ?  We all have them.  They creep in around the edges and muddy our faith.  So, what are yours?  See if you can identify them.  It might make the next days easier

or harder

but definitely more productive.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen. (Galatians 1:4-5)

God’s will,

God’s plan,

God’s intention for you, from the beginning of time, was to be 

rescued and

protected and

forgiven and

cleansed and

sanctified and

glorified and

loved and

loved and

loved and

filled

with

joy.

Yes, I am speaking to you, Beloved.

So start your week with that.

Happy Monday

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age… (Galatians 1:4).

I have huge admiration for the soldier, the cop, the firefighter, for their willingness to stand between us and the danger that threatens.  When disaster strikes, you will find these brave men and women running toward the danger while everyone else is running away.  The thing that amazes me is that these people get up and go to work every day, knowing that there’s a chance they might not make it home that night.

It’s similar to being a middle-school teacher, though perhaps not quite as dangerous.

Consider then Christ Jesus, the ultimate rescuer.  He came to Earth, not with the chance that he might die, but with the full knowledge that he would die.  It was all part of the plan.  Remember, Beloved–he knew what was awaiting him here.  He knew.

He came anyway.

For you

Remember that as you go into battle today.

Happy Friday Beloved.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins… (Galatians 1:3)

He gave himself.

Don’t let that idea get by you too quickly.

Soak in it.

Ponder it.

Meditate on it.

Pray through it.

He could have given anything.

He chose to give everything.

For you

So weep, and rejoice, and stride into your day, oh Beloved of Christ.

Happy Thursday