Living With Passion

Paul wrote Galatians to a group of churches in the area of Galatia to help them understand the freedom they have in Christ. There were false teachers who were coming into these churches telling them they needed something more than Jesus to be right with God. Paul shows clearly through this letter that all we need has been provided to us by the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

As you are finding Galatians 4, I want to talk a little about passion.

‌What is passion?

‌Passion is one of those words that we know when we see it, but it may be a little harder to give a clear definition for it. Back in the old days, when you wanted to know what a word meant, you would go to the dictionary. When you look to the dictionary to find the clear meaning of passion, you find they have a hard time summing it up as well. One of the best definitions that I came across was “an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.”

Passion is the word that has often been used to define the sufferings that Jesus went through from the Last Supper with His disciples to His death on the cross. I can’t think of a better word to describe those events. It was Jesus’ passion for God’s plan of salvation that carried Him through everything He endured. He knew that as difficult as it was, the end result (the only path back to God) was completely worth it.

Passion is not a bad thing necessarily. Passion is a drive the Lord has placed within each human being which draws them to something.

In our world, we see people all around us living out of a passion for something or someone. It doesn’t take long to find out what a person is passionate about. It will come up in almost every conversation you have with them. If you were to see a copy of their bank statements, you would be able to see what they are passionate about. If you were to examine a person’s free time, you would quickly find out what they are passionate about.

Jesus said in the middle of His famous Sermon on the Mount:​ “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21 CSB).

What are you passionate about?

‌If someone were writing your biography, what would they write about is your passion in life? It could be a number of things:

• ‌Your family
• A hobby
• Your job
• Your reputation

As I ask that question, you may be thinking, “I really am not sure as to what I am passionate about.” You may enjoy a lot of things, but you have trouble nailing down one particular thing that you would say you are passionate about.

I would share with you something that I’ve learned over my short years: If you don’t choose a passion for yourself, someone will choose one for you.

The culture that we live in today is filled with people and things that want to grab your passion. Billions of dollars are spent every year trying to grab someone’s devotion to them or their products. We are the ones who ultimately determine what our passions will be. We will either actively choose something to be passionate about, or we will hand that power to someone else.

In Galatians 4, Paul writes to the churches in Galatia about this very thing. He writes about how these false teachers were coming in and trying to move the churches’ passion away from where it should be.

¹⁷ They court you eagerly, but not for good. They want to exclude you from me, so that you would pursue them. ¹⁸ But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. ¹⁹ My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you. ²⁰ I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.

Galatians 4:17–20 (CSB)

As Paul writes these words, he speaks about passion. In verses 17-18, he uses the word “pursue.” This word carries the same meaning as passion. In the first century, this word meant “to have a deep concern for or devotion to someone or something.” Do you see how it is tied to the idea of passion?

Paul writes about these false teachers who were coming into their churches and trying to move the people’s passion away from Jesus to other things. These false teachers would not leave Jesus out. They just wanted the people to put other things on the same level as Jesus — primarily the Law of Moses. That doesn’t go over well. Jesus is called the Holy One because there is no one or nothing like Him. He stands apart and above all other things.

As Paul writes to these Galatian churches that he cares about so much, I see two clear things that Paul points out for these Christians (and us, too) to be passionate about.

‌Be passionate about conforming to the image of Christ

‌In verse 19, Paul writes about suffering labor pains for them until Christ is formed in them. Paul is talking about a process that is called sanctification. A person experiences three stages in salvation.

• ‌Justification = When a person trusts in Jesus as Savior and Lord, they are made fully right with God. Their sins are forgiven, and they are brought into the family of God.

• Sanctification = The work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life to conform them to the image of Christ. This process is the changing of desires to align with what God wants and not our sinful flesh. This process takes the rest of our time here on earth.

• Glorification = When Christians take their last breath, they are ushered into the presence of Jesus in heaven. At that point, there is no more struggle with sin, sickness, or anything else that was an effect of the Fall in the Garden of Eden.

When Paul talks about being conformed to the image of Christ, he speaks about the process the Holy Spirit is working in the life of every Christian to make them more like Jesus. Paul writes about this topic on many occasions.

²⁸ We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:28–30 (CSB)

² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 (CSB)

What is the message that God is trying to get to us through His word? Here’s one key point about the Bible: if something is repeated, you should pay special attention to it.

What Paul is saying to the Galatian Christians (and us) is we need to be passionate about seeing more of Christ in us than ourselves.

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 (CSB)

With each passing day, we should look less and less like we used to before we trusted Christ and more like Jesus. A Christian is a disciple of Jesus. A disciple’s primary passion should be to look as much like their master as possible.

⁴⁰ A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Luke 6:40 (CSB)

How to be passionate about conforming to the image of Christ

While it would be awesome to have a little checklist that we could mark off and be assured that we would be conformed to the image of Christ, the only checklist that we have been given is not so easy nor does it look exactly the same for all people.

²³ Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23 (CSB)

Being conformed to the image of Christ is about denying what our sinful selves want to do and doing what the Lord wants us to do. Any person who is doing this will tell you that it is not easy work. It takes complete dependence on the Holy Spirit who lives within us now for this to happen.

We learn what the Lord wants us to do by studying His Word, through prayer, and through obeying what He says.

Through the study of the Bible (both privately in devotions and together in the gathering with others), the Lord reveals His heart and plans to us. Nothing the Lord wants to do will ever contradict His Word.

Through the communication of prayer, we speak to God and hear from Him. Prayer is not a time for us to bring our wishlist to God and dump it on Him. It is the sweet time of fellowship where we get to spend time with the living God of the universe.

Through obedience, the Lord teaches and molds us into the image of Christ. There will be times when the full answer of what God wants to do in and through your life will come on the other side of obedience — just ask Abraham.

Paul desired for the Galatian Christians to be passionate about conforming to the image of Christ. I would ask this question of you and myself: is conforming to the image of Christ a passion in our lives, or is it just a side project? Can it be said of us that we long above all other things to be more like Christ, or do others see it as nothing more than a hobby in our lives that has no real impact?

If we do have a passion to be more Christlike, it will awaken within us another passion as well, and Paul shares this also in verse 19.

‌Be passionate about others knowing Christ

In verse 19, Paul talks about suffering for the Galatians to know Christ. He used the imagery of a woman going through labor pains. I’ve been told that may be the greatest pain a person can go through in this life. While I’ve never done it, I have seen it firsthand, and I don’t desire to experience that.

If we are becoming more like Christ, we will see a growing passion arise in our lives for others to come to know Him as well. Many people have used the saying before, “Evangelism is one beggar showing another beggar where the bread is.” This is true. The more our passion grows to be like our Savior, the more a passion for others to experience Him grows in our hearts.

One way that you can know that you are conforming to the image of Christ is by the passion you have to see others come to know Jesus. Does people’s state before a holy God bother you? You may feel bad or troubled by it, but that is not passion.

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

Charles Spurgeon

Can that be said of us? Is there a burning passion within our hearts to see others come to know Jesus as He truly is? When was the last time that you prayed for someone to come to faith in Christ? When was the last time you took the time to share with someone the good news of Jesus? We may be tempted to offer excuses such as “I didn’t have time…” or “I didn’t want to come across as pushy.” What our silence communicates oftentimes is that we do not think it is that important.

‌Conclusion

Human beings are God’s greatest creations. There is no other creation that God has loved so much. It was for us that He gave His one and only Son as the atoning sacrifice so that we could be brought back to Him. Within each of us, God has placed a passion. We get to choose what that passion will be directed to. As I said before, if we do not do it, someone else will do it for us.

Today, my prayer is that each one of us would crave a passion to be more like Jesus. That starts by placing our faith and trust in Him. If you haven’t done that, I would encourage you to do that today. There is no other way for your sins to be forgiven and receive the abundant life He has for you. After that is done, we spend time with Him through Bible study, prayer, and obeying what He tells us to do. As we do that, we will begin to see a passion for His will in our lives above all else. Part of God’s will for every Christian is to share with others how they can experience this wonderful gift that you have.

May God give us one pure and holy passion for Him.

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Freedom By Faith

‌As we continue our journey through the New Testament letter of Galatians, we come to chapter two. In this chapter, we will see the reality that true freedom comes by faith.

Freedom is a quality that is highly cherished in our nation. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. In a couple of months, many people will break out the grills, pools, and fireworks and celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

I think there is a part of us that longs for freedom because we are born in bondage. We might not recognize it, but we are born in bondage to our sin. There is a part of us that longs for freedom from that because we weren’t created for bondage but for a relationship with our Creator that brings true freedom.

In Galatians 2, Paul will confront two key things that often fool people into thinking they can bring the freedom that we desire.

‌Paul confronts legalism‌

In the first chapter of Galatians, Paul talks about false teachers that were coming into the churches with a form of legalism. They were saying that to have a full relationship with God, a person must trust Jesus as Savior but live according to the Law of Moses to continue to be accepted.

At the end of chapter one, Paul shares about the change Jesus made in his life. As we begin chapter two, Paul continues a little of his story.

¹ Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. ² I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those recognized as leaders. I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, in vain.

​Galatians 2:1–2 (CSB)

Paul tells about when he went to Jerusalem to show the first church that Jesus had changed his life and called him to share the same gospel they were sharing. This is important.

While we like to think at times we are independent, we are not. God doesn’t call people to different gospels. There is only one. It may be shared in different methods, the message is the same.

³ But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴ This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us. ⁵ But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.

Galatians 2:3–5 (CSB)

Titus was a young man who was not Jewish. He was a Gentile. He had come to faith in Jesus by the preaching of Paul, and Paul was discipling him. Paul emphasizes the fact that Titus was not circumcised as these false teachers were saying one had to be, yet he was a Christian. He was growing in his faith and being used by God in great ways. He would go on to pastor a church in Crete.

Just because someone comes along talking a big game with some well-polished words and with confidence does not mean they are correct.

‌Paul talks about in verse 4 how some of these false teachers had crept into churches even in Jerusalem. Notice how Paul says they came in “to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us.”

Legalism shows itself as right behavior with the wrong beliefs. These false teachers were doing good things but for the wrong reason. This legalism may look good, but it can only promise bondage. Paul did not want anyone to live in bondage but to enjoy the freedom that can only be found in Christ. For this reason, he confronted the legalism that reared its ugly head.

‌Paul confronts hypocrisy

In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul will confront another empty promise of freedom: hypocrisy. If legalism can be identified as right behavior with wrong beliefs, hypocrisy can be identified as right belief with wrong behaviors.

No one likes to be called a hypocrite. The word comes from the Greek theatre. A hypocrite was one person who would play many parts in a play. They would distinguish each role by wearing a different mask. While that might be good for the stage, it is terrible for life.

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. ¹² For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. ¹³ Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 2:11–14 (CSB)

In these verses, we read about a time when Paul had to confront Peter. Peter was seen as one of, if not the main, leaders of the Christian church. He had given the great sermon at Pentecost where 3,000 people were saved at one time.

In Acts 10, we can read about when Peter’s worldview was turned upside down. He was a Jewish man who was raised in a Jewish manner to not associate with Gentiles. God showed him through some circumstances that He was the God over all people groups.

As Peter came to Antioch, he would eat with Gentiles. This was a “no-no” in the Jewish culture. When some of these Jewish false teachers showed up in town, Peter began to disassociate himself from the Gentiles. He was scared of what they might say.

Before we look down on Peter, we must ask ourselves this question: Am I doing this? Am I pulling myself away from certain people God is calling me to reach out to because I’m afraid of what others might say or think? It can happen to any of us.

The dangerous thing about hypocrisy is that not only does it affect us, but it draws others into its tangled web as well. Verse 13 tells us that others began to join Peter in his hypocrisy – even the mighty Barnabas.

Peter knew that God does not show favoritism. He knew that what God has called clean is clean indeed. But his actions were speaking a different message.

Do our actions match the message that we are trying to share? When we say that Jesus died for the sins of the entire human race and offers each of them the opportunity to be saved, does our refusal to share and walk with them tell a different story?

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

If we want to see the gospel of Jesus do what it can only do in our world, we have to deal with the hypocrisy at hand — starting in us and then working out.

This is what Paul does with Peter. Paul calls Peter out. He doesn’t do this to hurt him. Paul loves this brother in Christ. Paul knows what God is doing through Peter to reach the Jews. He wants to protect that.

Hypocrisy can seem the easy route at times because we think that it brings ease to our minds. We think, “I’m believing the right things.” What we don’t see is the bondage that hypocrisy brings. It binds our effectiveness for the Kingdom.

‌Paul shows true freedom comes through faith in Christ‌

For the rest of chapter two, Paul shows that true freedom comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

​Galatians 2:19–21 (CSB)

Paul shows in these verses that neither legalism nor hypocrisy can bring the freedom our hearts long for. That freedom only comes through faith in the finished work of Christ.

When we come to Jesus and place our faith in Him, we crucify our sinful selves and are given a new life in Christ. We no longer strive to earn God’s favor because He has lavished it on us through what Jesus did. We are now free to walk in this new life by the power of the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to live a life pleasing to God as a thanksgiving offering to the LORD. We are freed from our bondage to live in His freedom!

‌Conclusion

‌You may be here today and find there’s a longing for freedom in your heart. I want you to know that is the Holy Spirit drawing you to freedom. That freedom is not going to come by trying to do the right things out of a wrong belief. It’s not going to come from just having the right beliefs but not having the right actions. True freedom only comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Have you come to the cross and trusted solely in what Jesus did for you? If not, I would invite you to come to Him today and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. He has promised to give the freedom you need to anyone who would trust in Him.

³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

John 8:36 (CSB)

Maybe you have trusted Jesus, but you find yourself slipping into periods of legalism or hypocrisy. I would invite you to hear the Spirit’s call to return to Jesus and not walk back into the old ways. They didn’t do anything for you before Christ, and they won’t do anything for you now.

Christ came to give us freedom.

‌

May we all learn to live in this freedom through faith in Christ!

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Freed by Grace

I want to begin a new series that will go through the New Testament letter of Galatians. This letter was written by the apostle Paul to a group of churches in Galatia. This was an area where Paul went during his first missionary journey. As he went with Barnabas and others, they would travel to areas that had not heard the gospel. As they shared the gospel, people would receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, and they would start churches. 

After Paul and his crew left the area, some people came behind them with false teachings. They shared that to be a Christian truly, they would have to obey the Law of Moses. 

Paul wrote this letter to these churches in the region of Galatia to correct the false teachings that had come in. These false teachings were confusing people and getting them off-track. Paul loved these people greatly. He cared for them much like a parent does a child. He wanted to ensure they followed the true gospel and were not carried away by false teachings.

There are still many ways in which Satan tries to come in and cast doubt on the true gospel. He knows that there is life and freedom in the gospel. He knows that the gospel can set a person free from the bondage of sin and give them eternal life with God. Whenever God moves in a mighty way, you can be sure that Satan will be present to interject doubts, discord, and division. We must be on guard. 

Could you recognize a false gospel if you heard it?

Would you be able to recognize a false gospel if it came your way? Would you know that what some person is saying lines up with the words and teachings of Jesus? We can know. We have been given the gospel plainly in the Bible. In our culture, we have more access to the Bible than any other group in history. 

The American Bible Society released a report they had done last year. That report showed that only 39% of people in the United States engaged with the Bible in the past year. You cannot know the truth of God if you do not spend time reading and studying His Word. ^[1]https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2F1s712.americanbible.org%2Fstate-of-the-bible%2Fstateofthebible%2FState_of_the_bible-2022.pdf

While the people in Galatia did not have the New Testament, Paul wanted to ensure they had access to the truth of God. As he writes this letter, he will combat the legalism creeping into their churches. 

Paul will clearly show that the gospel of Jesus Christ is about justification by faith in Christ alone. It is said that the letter of Galatians was Martin Luther’s favorite book in the Bible. In the midst of many rules and regulations being added to the gospel, Luther found the freeing truth of the gospel in Galatians. I hope that as we go through this letter together, we will also clearly see the freedom that comes from the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

¹ Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— ² and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia. 

³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. 

⁵ To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1:1–5 (CSB)

I said that Paul wrote this letter to combat false teachings creeping into the church. The false teachings creeping into the churches of Galatia were centered around a form of legalism. 

What is legalism?

Legalism is a term that you may or may not have heard before. Sadly, it is alive and well today. You might get different answers asking people, “What is legalism?”. Sometimes, things are labeled as legalistic when they are not. I would like to clearly define what we are talking about when we say ‘legalism.’ 

Let me give you three descriptors of legalism.

1. Legalism is working in our own power

Jesus + anything = Not the real gospel

When legalism is present, there is always something that is added. When the false teachers came in behind Paul, they did not leave Jesus out. Jesus was very prominent in their teaching. The problem was they would say it was Jesus plus what a person does that makes them right before God. They would say, “Trust in Jesus, but you also have to obey the laws and rituals of the Old Testament.” 

We can see this played out today by someone saying, “Trust in Jesus, but you have to live the Christian life in your own strength.” It draws on what you can and do bring to the table. 

2. Legalism is working according to our own rules

You can spot legalism by seeing that it will always add to what God has said clearly in His Word. Do you see why reading and studying the Bible for yourself is important? We do find commands throughout Scripture that are for our good. They are sufficient. We don’t have to add anything to them. 

When we buy into the lie that we have to do this in our strength, we will be tempted to start making our own rules for following Jesus because it doesn’t take long to realize that you cannot do it. We move the bar of expectation to fit what we can attain on our own. When we do that, what is the purpose of the cross? What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit living in our lives?

3. Legalism is working to earn God’s favor

Legalism happens when we think we must do something to earn God’s favor. It is a performance-based faith — God will accept and bless me if I do enough. 

The false teachers that came into Galatia taught that obedience to the Law of Moses ensured a person a right standing before God, and His favor would rest on them. 

The truth is that God’s favor is graciously given to us through Christ. His grace means there is nothing that we can do to earn it. It is a free gift given out of His love for us.

Now that we’ve defined what we are talking about, I’m sure you have seen legalism in our day. So many believe they have to do something to earn a right standing before God. It might be going to church a certain amount, reading the Bible a certain amount, or doing enough good deeds of service, and then, God will pour His blessings on us. Those are good things, but they are to be done out of a heart of gratitude for what Christ has done for us. As I shared with someone on Wednesday, the gospel is not about what we do but what Jesus has done for us!

Legalism is an enemy that we need to be on guard against. In the introduction of Galatians that we read earlier, we see two distinct ways to destroy legalism in our lives.

We recognize the gospel is free

Paul bookends this letter by talking about the grace of God. He says in verse 3, “Grace to you…” In Galatians 6:18, Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Paul points out that the grace of God is freely given to us. The grace of God is His favor. His salvation is free. His love, mercy, and provision are free. It is not based on our performance. It is based on what Jesus did for us!

We see in verses 3-4 that God the Father initiated our salvation. Paul writes that grace and peace come from God the Father in verse 3. In verse 4, he shows that what took place on the cross and at the empty tomb was the will of the Father. 

It’s hard to imagine that anything would be free. We are taught by so many that nothing in this life is free. The gospel of Jesus Christ is free. No one has to clean up or do anything other than receive this gift. 

What does a person have to do to get a birthday present? Be born… that’s it. That person really had nothing to do with that event. They were simply born. Because of that fact, they earn the right to a birthday present. So it is with our salvation. We do not have to do anything to earn it. It is a gift that God has chosen to extend to us. 

We recognize the gospel is freeing

In verse 4, Paul says that Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present, evil age. The word “rescue” is an important word. It means “to rescue or set free from danger.” 

When Paul wrote that word, he had two things in mind. First, we would be rescued from the guilt of our sins. A holy God must punish sin. What Jesus went through on the cross is what each of us deserves for our sins. But Jesus took our place. 

Second, we would be rescued from the power of this evil age. “This present evil age” refers to the world we live in and its ways. When Christ went to the cross, He broke the chains that bind us to live for the things of this world, from pursuing what this world pursues. Christ’s sacrifice for us has set us free!

We do not have to live in bondage to sin any longer. Freedom is found in a personal relationship with Jesus. When we trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to empower and free us to live the way God intends.

There is another freedom given to us by the gospel. It is found in Galatians 1:5, and you’ll miss it if you’re not careful. Paul writes, “…to him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul will elaborate on this later in chapter one. He will talk about how God shared His grace with Paul and enabled him to share the gospel with those who had not heard. While the work of God takes place in the privacy of our hearts, it will always produce a fruit of public communication. 

We are freed from silence and ignorance to share the good news of Jesus with others so they might experience it as well. You will not share something that you’re not confident in. We can be fully confident that the gospel of Jesus will do exactly what it promises. When we do that, we bring glory to God.

Conclusion

The churches in Galatia had experienced the wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul and the team with him shared the good news, they received it joyfully. They were forgiven of their sins and enjoyed a new relationship with God that would last forever. Sadly, our adversary sent false teachers to squash what God was doing. 

We see the exact same thing happening today. The message of the gospel is going out, and those who receive and believe it find freedom and new life in Christ. False teachings are swirling around us, seeking to squash what God is doing.

I pray that you will hear the truth of the genuine gospel. God created you and loved you greatly. Though you have sinned against Him, He sent Jesus as your atoning sacrifice. You don’t have to get things right to come to Him. You simply have to confess that you are a sinner and need His grace. Believe and trust in what Jesus did for you, and He will set you free to live the life He intended you to live all along… a life with Him forever.

You may realize that legalism has tried to creep into your heart and mind today. I would encourage you to follow what 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us, “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” That means that we hold the teachings we hear up to the word of God and see if it is really from Him. You may need to confess and repent of some legalism in your life. I would encourage you to do so today. 

References[+]

References

↑1	https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2F1s712.americanbible.org%2Fstate-of-the-bible%2Fstateofthebible%2FState_of_the_bible-2022.pdf

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The Church is a Place of Boldness

We have been going through a sermon series at the church where I serve as Pastor this month called “Rethinking the Church.”  If you were to ask the common person on the street what they thought of when they heard the word “church,” you would get a variety of answers.  It is for this reason that I believe that we should look to the Bible to give us a clear understanding of what the church should be.

The church is to be a group of people that come from different walks of life and encourage one another as we seek to fulfill God’s purposes here on the earth. This is called community.

As the Bible shows us that the church is to be a community that is dependent upon one another, the question may come up “Why?” Why is it so important that the church be a community that shares life together with one another?

I would answer that question by saying that the church community is important because it is a part of God’s plan in building us into who we are supposed to be.

God has a plan of bringing redemption to our fallen world. Sin has entered in and wreaked havoc on everything. It has messed up our relationship with God, our relationship with other people, nature, and everything else.

God did not desire all of this destruction that has been left in the path of sin. This is why, from the beginning, He had a plan to make things right. He planned to come Himself and make things right. This is why Jesus Christ came to earth. He lived the life that we were supposed to live. He died our death – paying our penalty of sin. He arose from the grave to give us hope and assurance that His plan was at work.

Before Jesus left this world, He charged His followers (the church) to continue the mission that He began. We see that most clearly in what is called the Great Commission.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

This is a mighty task that we as the church have been given. We are responsible for taking the message of the gospel to all who need it. There is no place under the sun where this gospel is not needed. It seems that everywhere you turn there are people who are living in the shackles of sin’s clutches.

It would seem easy enough to understand that we as followers of Jesus Christ would need to take this gospel to those who we come in contact with and who need it so desperately. The question that continues to pop up in my mind is “why don’t we?”

I think sometimes the greatest hindrance that we have to doing what God has tasked us to do is a lack of boldness.

Boldness

If you were to look up the word boldness in the dictionary, it would say something like “not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring.” Sadly, this is a term that has dropped in its usage over the past 200 years.

The presence of danger or resistance has been around since sin entered into our world. We do not like danger or resistance. We would like to have a comfortable life, but Jesus warned us very plainly that in this world where sin is present, that would not happen.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

It is because of the ever-presence of danger in our sin-filled world and the amazing task to share the gospel with all who need it that we need the church. The church is to be a place where this boldness needed to carry out our task is shared and grown in our lives.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:12–14)

 

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi about the situation that he was in. He was in prison for his commitment to the task of sharing the gospel with people. No doubt there were many who were concerned for him. Not only concerned for Paul but for themselves. Would this fate come upon them?

Adversity is not something that many would willingly put on their “to-do” list each day. Most of us strive to steer clear of any adversity that would try to come our way. It is seen as a type of plague that we should stay away from at all costs.

Adversity can be a good thing though. Adversity can actually build and reveal the quality of what is inside of us.

Paul states that the adversity that he was going through at the moment of writing (imprisonment) was actually serving to advance the gospel message to places and people it had never been before.

There is a teaching that is becoming more and more popular today that if one follows Christ then everything will be fine and dandy for them. They should not face any kind of adversity if they just have enough faith. That is a good definition of one ancient Hebrew phrase that Dr. Chuck Kelley (President of NOBTS) likes to use: “bologna.”

If Jesus said that this world will be filled with tribulations and adversities of all kinds, who do we think that we are to say that isn’t so?

God can use any adversity that comes against the church to accomplish His plan, and more importantly He will.

How does God use adversity in the life of the church?

God uses adversity to build boldness in the life of the church to accomplish the mission.

And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  (Philippians 1:14)

 

Paul said that most of the Christians who had heard about his circumstances were not fearful or scared, but that they were speaking more boldly the gospel message.

There have been people from the very beginning days of the church who have believed that if they can simply persecute or instill fear in the church, then they could shut it down. The truth is that the church has only become bolder in its mission when it faces adversity.

When adversity comes against the church and the church seeks the Lord, the Holy Spirit rises up a boldness to stand strong. We realize that God gives us armor for the fight and the ability to stand strong together as the Body of Christ.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.  (Ephesians 6:13)

When people see the church standing not in their own strength but in the strength of the Lord, it causes a curiosity as to what does the church have that is missing from everywhere else. This gives the church the opportunity to share the great gospel of Jesus Christ with those who need it.

Adversity is never a fun thing. It will tend to last much longer than anyone would desire. It will cost more than many would like to pay. But for the church, it is a builder of boldness to accomplish the mission that we have been given.

The church is so much more than just a place where we come to sing songs and listen to a person speak. It is a community where we come together under the banner of Jesus Christ and bear one another’s burdens. We see the Holy Spirit build boldness in each member to be faithful to the task of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who need it.

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Grace and Mercy

On Wednesday nights at Bethany Baptist Church, we have started a series where we are going through the New Testament letter, 1 Timothy.  I thought that I would share a little of my notes from what I shared with our fellowship.  This is what we talked about this past Wednesday.

In the passage that we will look at tonight, we will see how Paul focuses on the truth of God’s gospel.

1 Timothy 1:12-14 = Gratitude for God’s grace

In verses 12-13, Paul gives thanks to God for the grace that has been shown to him in his life.  Paul remembers how Christ came to him and showed him great grace.  You may remember that Paul was on his way with papers in hand to arrest Christians when Jesus confronted him on the Damascus Road.  Not only did Christ save Paul, but He also called Paul to be His servant taking the gospel to people who had not heard it.

Paul admits that he was the last person whom God should have extended grace to because he blasphemed the name of Christ and persecuted the church.  That is the beautiful thing about grace.  It is getting what we do not deserve.  Paul reminds Timothy (and us) that we did not deserve God’s grace, but He extends it anyways.

As we are reminded about the amazing grace of God shown to us, are we thankful?  Does our lives demonstrate a gratitude for this grace that has been shown to us?  Do we take this grace for granted, giving a tip of the hat towards God and then going on about our merry way?  We should take time frequently to remember the grace shown to us and live a life of gratitude because of it.

Illustration: Dog adopted from the pound.  There was a boy that was taken by his father to the local pound to get a new dog.  When he saw this little puppy, the boy knew that it was the one.  He gave $50 and took the dog home.  The boy would take the dog to a local park and play with it often.  Many people would comment at how well the dog was trained.  The boy would reply that he had no obedience class training.  This dog would wait by the door for the boy to get home from school each day and would jump up and down when the boy got home.  This dog showed his love and appreciation to this boy because he rescued him from certain death.  If a dog can grasp this concept, shouldn’t we?

1 Timothy 1:15 = The Gospel in a Nutshell

In this verse, Paul gives one of the simplest presentations of the Gospel.  He states that Christ came to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all.  Paul is reminding Timothy to remember the mission.  Helping people realize their need for Christ is hard sometimes.  We may want to try different gimmicks, but it all comes to remembering that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and Christ has come as that Savior.

This was also a means of identifying the false teachers that were trying to destroy the church.  If a person does not recognize their sin and the fact that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior and answer, then one should not give them any time.  Those who want to add things to the gospel like earning God’s favor by doing good works or other things are not from God.

God has given us a gospel that, though it is simple, is sufficient.  The grace of God shown through Jesus Christ coming to save us from our sins is all we need.  That is the message that God has given to His church to experience and share with the world.

1 Timothy 1:16-17 = God’s Purpose in Mercy

Not only did God show great grace towards us, but He also has shown great mercy.  Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.  In verses 16-17, Paul shows Timothy (and us) God’s purpose in mercy = to be an example to show others.

Our sin deserves the full wrath of God.  God has chosen to pardon those who come to faith in Him through Jesus Christ.  This mercy is not just for our benefit though.  It is to show others around us that God is patient and can turn anyone’s life around.  The mercy that God has shown to you is a testimony that someone around you needs to hear.  It is the answer to someone’s question about “Can God do that for me?”  Are we allowing the mercy that God has shown to us to be shared with others so that they can experience this wonderful gift?

1 Timothy 1:18-20

In the final verses of chapter 1, Paul encourages Timothy to fight the good fight.  It is interesting because here Paul talks about the good fight at the beginning of Timothy’s ministry, and Paul will share about the good fight in the last letter that we have that he wrote – once again to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:7 = I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.)

The life that God calls His followers to live is not easy; it is a fight.  It is a fight against the flesh, sin, and the forces of darkness in this world.  You do not experience victory in a fight by just standing around.  You have to fight.

In verse 19, Paul shares how we are to fight this fight.  He simply says to cling to your faith in Christ.  The word “cling” in this verse means “to seize or hold strongly in one’s hand.”  This would be like the young child who holds on to his or her “comfort toy.”  You do not easily pry it away from them.

Paul shares examples of two men who did not hold tightly onto the faith and who were removed from the church (Hymenaeus and Alexander).  We are not told as to what exactly they had done, but they apparently were not clinging to their faith in Christ and paying the price for it now.

If we want to experience the victory that Christ has given us in Him, we must cling to Him and follow Him with all that we have.  You cannot go into a battle half-hearted.  When someone does, that is when they fail.  The Bible calls us more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), and if we hold to the faith that saved us, we will experience that victory.

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What's He Worth?

"But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." ~ Philippians 3:7-8 HCSB

Just prior to these verses, the apostle Paul had talked about his life resume. He had shared about the various reasons why he might brag and rely on his accomplishments to get him into good graces with God. Then he busts out with saying that it was all filth... garbage... dung.

This got me to thinking about what would I give up in order to just know Jesus Christ. Would I give up my heritage? My dreams? My reputation?




If there is anything in our lives that would not be thrown out the window for a chance to know God and have a relationship with Him, then that thing is an idol in our lives. Many times the idols that stand in our lives are not the big things but the small little things that we hold to with the grip of a pitbull.

May we, like Paul, count anything and everything worth nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ.

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