Category: Galatians

Have you suffered so much for nothing–if it really was for nothing? (Galatians 3:4)

If you can do it on your own, then the cross wasn’t necessary.

If the cross wasn’t necessary, then your suffering for Christ is meaningless.

If your suffering is meaningless, then you are an idiot fool person making unwise choices.

Look, chances are none of you reading this has known the kind of suffering that the early church had to deal with.  Still, following Christ has cost you, in some cases dearly.  Are you sure the cost is worth it?

I mean, reallytrulydowninyourbones sure?

Good

Oh, just one more question: Why are you still trying to make it on your own?

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Are you so foolish?  After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:3)

Do you remember how it was in the beginning?

Not THE BEGINNING–none of us is that old, even if it feels like it on a Wednesday morning.  No, I mean your beginning.  Do you remember how it was when you first gave your heart to Christ?  How you trusted him completely, how you knew you were utterly incapable of doing this on your own and so threw yourself at his feet?

Yeah, that was a good time.  You stayed out of God’s way and let him do his work.  And he did good stuff.  Whaddaya think–could you go back to that place?  Can you get yourself back to that state of total dependence on God?

No–you can’t get yourself there.

But

you can ask God to take you there.

Which is kinda the point, isn’t it?

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2)

Hmm…let me think about that for a bit.

Just kidding. I don’t need to think about it at all–and neither do you.

Beloved, I can’t observe traffic laws consistently, much less the sacred Law of God.

I don’t imagine that the people of Paul’s day were much different. If the Holy Spirit came to live only in those who demonstrated their worthiness by dotting every I and crossing every T…

well. 

I don’t know how or why God chose me.

I only know that it had nothing to do with any merit on my end.

Because anything good in me is the result, not the reason.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

You foolish Galatians!  Who has bewitched you?  Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified (Galatians 3:1).

You know the scene.  Star Wars–the real one, the first one.   Luke and Obi Wan–the real one, the first one–are on their way to the spaceport, and they are stopped by stormtroopers.  The troopers are on the lookout for two droids, which are obviously sitting in the vehicle in front of them.  Luke is scared, but Obi Wan does a little zip-zappety-zing-zang-force-ninja business and says, “These are not the droids you are looking for.”

And they buy it.

Paul’s words here make me think of the stormtroopers’ boss, reviewing the security tape later that day.  I imagine it went something like this:

“What was that?  The droids were right there!  You saw them!  They were obvious!  Some old dude waves his hand, and , what….you went blind?

You foolish stormtroopers!

You foolish Galatians!

You foolish Michael.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing(Galatians 2:21).

Think about it.  When we try to work our way to heaven, when we try to be good enough, 

smart enough, 

strong enough,

stable enough,

blah blah blah enough

we are saying that Christ didn’t need to die,

that we could have done this on our own.

We are setting aside the grace of God.

Wow…um…let’s not do that, ya?

Because I can’t think of anything in all the world scarier than having to be

good enough, 

smart enough, 

strong enough,

stable enough,

and blah blah blah enough.

Amen?

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

Frankly, I don’t know how those non-believer types do it.

I mean, to wake up every morning and move through the day, not knowing that you are forever, that you are loved by the Lord of Everything, that you are forgiven for being…you.

I’m telling you, I can’t make it three steps without throwing myself headlong onto the throne of grace.

We live by faith, Beloved.   And Faith is another word for Trust.  We trust that, whatever comes, we are safe because Christ loved us and gave himself for us.

Whatever comes

Even if it’s Wednesday

You are safe.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

You are not your own.

It’s not your body

not your mind

not your soul

not your money

not your time

not your stuff

not 

yours 

You belong to him.

Now, if we were talking about anybody else I’d be calling the Creeper Patrol and loudly asserting my rights as a free agent in the universe.

But we’re not talking about anybody else.

We’re talking about the Lord of the Universe, who also happens to be

the Lord of You.  He is the only one who has earned the right–by virtue of who he is and what he has done–to rule your life.

So, you know…let him.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

I have been crucified with Christ… (Galatians 2:20).

But…I haven’t.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not second-guessing Paul here, and I’m certainly not questioning Scripture.  I get (sorta) the idea that Jesus went to the cross on my behalf, so that it is as though I were in fact crucified.  The Father looks at me and sees my record clean and my debt paid, because of Christ.

But 

I did not bear the scorn

or the lash

or the thorns

or the nails

or the shame

or the tomb.

Those were his, and his alone.

Though it should have happened to me, it happened for me.

I am left with so much that I don’t deserve

and

so little that I do.

And that, I suppose, is grace.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God (Galatians 2:19).

The wages of sin is death.  

I have sinned.

(Some days, I feel like I am sin, but that’s just me.)

Therefore, obedience to the law requires me

to die.

Remember, Beloved–the law was not thrown out, canceled, replaced.

It was fulfilled.

Completed

Met

When Christ died in my place, the law was satisfied, as though I had died.

I was free.

I am free.

So…what will I do with that freedom?

What will you do?

Happy Friday, Beloved.

If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker (Galatians 2:18)

If I offer to replace the broken window, it’s pretty compelling evidence that I broke it. If I fix the side mirror on your car, it kinda proves that I’m the one who sideswiped you.   If I say, “I’m sorry,” it shows that I did something wrong.

Christ does not fit this pattern.  

He did not destroy.  

He was not a lawbreaker.  

In fact, he rebuilt that which he did not destroy.  He rebuilt what I destroyed.  

He rebuilt what you destroyed.

Praise God

Happy Thursday, Beloved.