Galatians 4:12-20
English Standard Version (ESV)
So it's clear that Paul was detained in Galatia due to some sickness or injury. I like how it's no big deal to the Galatians. It's like the saying that it's a procedure when it's performed on someone else, but it's surgery when it's performed on you.
So God uses this medical condition to have Paul show up and preach the Gospel to the Galatians. If Paul hadn't been ailing, how would the Gospel have been preached? It's important to remember that God can use everything in our life to proclaim the Gospel -- this doesn't mean that God causes everything, or that God wants bad things to happen, but that when bad things happen, God continues to be at work in our lives, providing opportunities for the Gospel to be proclaimed. It's certainly not easy to look for those opportunities when we're ailing or hurting, but that's part of our call.
Paul continues, talking about hard truths. He is telling the Galatians hard things, and they don't like it, whereas others are telling them easier things and luring them away. This is where we are called to be discerning -- to pay attention to what we're hearing and not discard the harder challenges and lean towards the easier things. The path of discipleship is sometimes difficult, and we endure through rough patches to reach the ultimate reward. When we choose, may we do so with faithfulness and discernment, paying attention to the community, that we may grow in discipleship.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Galatians 4:8-11
Galatians 4:8-11
English Standard Version (ESV)
Often, we read Paul and wonder why he's so frustrated, but I like to take a charitable view of Paul. Paul takes these matters so seriously that it grieves him to see people he loves turn away from the Gospel, especially those who have previously responded positively to the Gospel. Paul has spent years pouring into these communities, and then he sees so much of his work torn down by divisive debate and rival preachers who don't preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul taught them about the beauty of salvation through Christ alone, and then others have come along and started adding requirements to that, leading the Galatians away from the simple beauty of what Christ has done for us. If there are any requirements beyond faith in Jesus Christ, then we negate what Christ has done, because we are saying that people need to do more, and salvation doesn't depend on what we do -- it depends on what Christ has done, and you are saved by his love and his power and his mercy and his grace.
This matters deeply to Paul, and it matters to us. We need grace through faith, because we can't seem to get it right on our own. Fortunately, we don't have to -- God saves us because God loves us, and there is nothing the world can do to take that away from us!
English Standard Version (ESV)
Often, we read Paul and wonder why he's so frustrated, but I like to take a charitable view of Paul. Paul takes these matters so seriously that it grieves him to see people he loves turn away from the Gospel, especially those who have previously responded positively to the Gospel. Paul has spent years pouring into these communities, and then he sees so much of his work torn down by divisive debate and rival preachers who don't preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul taught them about the beauty of salvation through Christ alone, and then others have come along and started adding requirements to that, leading the Galatians away from the simple beauty of what Christ has done for us. If there are any requirements beyond faith in Jesus Christ, then we negate what Christ has done, because we are saying that people need to do more, and salvation doesn't depend on what we do -- it depends on what Christ has done, and you are saved by his love and his power and his mercy and his grace.
This matters deeply to Paul, and it matters to us. We need grace through faith, because we can't seem to get it right on our own. Fortunately, we don't have to -- God saves us because God loves us, and there is nothing the world can do to take that away from us!
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Galatians 4:1-7
Galatians 4:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)
I'll admit it here -- I don't spend much time following the British royal family. I know that there are countless publications that follow their every step, but I can't bring myself to be interested. But think about one of the newborn children -- they have been born into something amazing, but they haven't fully realized the depth of the promise just yet. They're an infant, unaware of their place in the world, not realizing fully who their father is, not seeing the glories of the throne that await.
In the same way, sin clouds our vision. Paul here is talking about how those who were under the Law, but think about what sin does to your own vision -- we lose focus on God and God's Kingdom, and we instead get so lost in smaller things. We fail to care properly in the ways God would have us care, and we often end up investing our time and energy in things that don't truly matter.
But God has sent a cry into our hearts that beats for our heavenly Father. We are heirs to the promise through Jesus Christ, and though our sin prevents us from fully realizing the depths of God's love for us, we were created for more -- we have been saved by grace, redeemed from sin and death, and though we do not deserve it, eternity is within us, urging us to claim our true identity as God's beloved children.
You are an heir to the promise because of what Christ did for you!! God's Kingdom has not come in its final victory over sin and death yet, and so we do not fully realize the depths of the promise, but God continues to remind us of the wonders that are to come!
English Standard Version (ESV)
I'll admit it here -- I don't spend much time following the British royal family. I know that there are countless publications that follow their every step, but I can't bring myself to be interested. But think about one of the newborn children -- they have been born into something amazing, but they haven't fully realized the depth of the promise just yet. They're an infant, unaware of their place in the world, not realizing fully who their father is, not seeing the glories of the throne that await.
In the same way, sin clouds our vision. Paul here is talking about how those who were under the Law, but think about what sin does to your own vision -- we lose focus on God and God's Kingdom, and we instead get so lost in smaller things. We fail to care properly in the ways God would have us care, and we often end up investing our time and energy in things that don't truly matter.
But God has sent a cry into our hearts that beats for our heavenly Father. We are heirs to the promise through Jesus Christ, and though our sin prevents us from fully realizing the depths of God's love for us, we were created for more -- we have been saved by grace, redeemed from sin and death, and though we do not deserve it, eternity is within us, urging us to claim our true identity as God's beloved children.
You are an heir to the promise because of what Christ did for you!! God's Kingdom has not come in its final victory over sin and death yet, and so we do not fully realize the depths of the promise, but God continues to remind us of the wonders that are to come!
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Galatians 3:21-29
Galatians 3:21-29
English Standard Version (ESV)
Not all technological upgrades make our lives better. For example, Caleb can clearly read the speedometer in the van from the backseat, and he also knows what the speed limit signs on the side of the road mean. He has become quite adept at noting the occasional difference between the two numbers.
Think about it -- if it weren't for the speed limit signs, would you know that you were speeding? If the law didn't exist, would you recognize some of your behaviors as inherently dangerous toward yourself or others? Would you realize how dangerous it might be to drive in the rain without your headlights on? Traffic laws remind us that some behaviors are dangerous and exist to help keep us safe.
The Old Testament law was a gift to us, meant to guide and direct our every action so that God would be glorified. We, however, failed to keep up our end of the bargain, so the sacrificial system was ordained to repair our relationship with God. Unfortunately, our ability to sin was greater than our ability to sacrifice, so we accumulated debt faster than our ability to pay it off. Like a teenager at the mall with a credit card, we ran up too much debt with too little ability to pay. The law still reminded us, however, that we needed intervention if we were to repair our relationship with God.
God had always planned for a Savior. God rescued us from our condition, delivering us into salvation, redeeming our souls from hopelessness. God saved us through faith.
And what's amazing is that we all stand equal before God. Think about how radical this is for the time -- slavery was abundant, men were considered more worthy than men, the world was divided between insider and outsider, and here comes Paul, reminding us that God is not concerned about the color of our skin or our cultural status -- we are loved equally, and we are all worthy before God. We are equal in Christ, and there is no status in church -- the rich and poor, the insider and outsider, the free and enslaved, they all come before Christ and are loved because they are hand-crafted wonders of God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Not all technological upgrades make our lives better. For example, Caleb can clearly read the speedometer in the van from the backseat, and he also knows what the speed limit signs on the side of the road mean. He has become quite adept at noting the occasional difference between the two numbers.
Think about it -- if it weren't for the speed limit signs, would you know that you were speeding? If the law didn't exist, would you recognize some of your behaviors as inherently dangerous toward yourself or others? Would you realize how dangerous it might be to drive in the rain without your headlights on? Traffic laws remind us that some behaviors are dangerous and exist to help keep us safe.
The Old Testament law was a gift to us, meant to guide and direct our every action so that God would be glorified. We, however, failed to keep up our end of the bargain, so the sacrificial system was ordained to repair our relationship with God. Unfortunately, our ability to sin was greater than our ability to sacrifice, so we accumulated debt faster than our ability to pay it off. Like a teenager at the mall with a credit card, we ran up too much debt with too little ability to pay. The law still reminded us, however, that we needed intervention if we were to repair our relationship with God.
God had always planned for a Savior. God rescued us from our condition, delivering us into salvation, redeeming our souls from hopelessness. God saved us through faith.
And what's amazing is that we all stand equal before God. Think about how radical this is for the time -- slavery was abundant, men were considered more worthy than men, the world was divided between insider and outsider, and here comes Paul, reminding us that God is not concerned about the color of our skin or our cultural status -- we are loved equally, and we are all worthy before God. We are equal in Christ, and there is no status in church -- the rich and poor, the insider and outsider, the free and enslaved, they all come before Christ and are loved because they are hand-crafted wonders of God.
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