Stand Firm

We are back in our series through the New Testament letter of Galatians. This is a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to a group of churches in an area known as Galatia, which is in modern-day Turkey. These were churches that were started during Paul’s first missionary journey.

These churches had started off well until a group of false teachers came through teaching that the Galatians needed something more than just trusting in Jesus Christ to be right with God.

Today, I want to look at a passage of Scripture that is found in Galatians 5:1-15.

‌Diversity

‌Diversity seems to be a hot topic in our culture today. People like to talk about diversity in a number of situations where it is good. One of the most popular areas where diversity is talked about today pertains to the issue of race. It doesn’t take long to see that the human race carries a great deal of diversity. This is part of God’s plan. God displays His artistic ability through the diversity of ethnicities in our world. No one is greater than any other. We can even see that God welcomes the diversity of ethnicities into His presence in Revelation 7:9-10

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!

Revelation 7:9–10 (CSB)

‌

Another area of our lives where diversity is celebrated concerns investments. People are told that the best plan of action with investments is to have a diverse portfolio. This means that you spread out your investments across different areas to reduce risk and bring about a higher return.

Sadly, one area in which too many try to practice diversity is the area of faith. We are told that we should use the same practices with our faith that we do with our finances, and we should spread it out among different things to help ensure we don’t miss out. While that may work well for finances, it does not work well for our faith. In fact, Jesus told us this is an impossible task.

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

‌​Matthew 6:24 (CSB)

The false teachers that had come into Galatia had tried to get the Galatians to diversify their faith portfolio. Paul writes to show them this action will only lead to failure and spiritual bankruptcy.

¹ For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. ² Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. ³ Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. ⁵ For we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. ⁷ You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth? ⁸ This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰ I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ¹¹ Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated! ¹³ For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:1–15 (CSB)

‌Christ has set us free‌

At the beginning of verse 1 here, Paul shows that Jesus Christ has come to set us free. His finished work upon the cross has released any person who puts their faith in Him from sin’s grip and the destruction it brings.

Paul states that Jesus has set us free to experience the freedom God intended when He first created us. God doesn’t want us to live in the bonds of slavery to our sin. He wants us to be free to live for His glory and enjoy Him forever.

Stand firm and don’t go back

‌In the second part of verse 1, Paul issues a command to his readers:

¹ For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (CSB)

The phrase “stand firm” carries the meaning of standing one’s ground continuously. It isn’t just for a moment or when certain people are watching. It talks about a new way of life.

When Paul says “don’t submit,” he uses this term which means “to be under the control of something else.” Submission is seen as a weak or evil thing in our world today. What determines whether or not the submission is wrong is what we are submitting to.

Sadly, there are many who have tasted the freedom that only Jesus can bring to their lives and chose to return to a life of bondage to the very sin Jesus delivered them from. This is why Paul commands the Galatians not to return to the old ways that did nothing for them, but instead, live in the freedom that only Jesus brought to them.

In verses 2-3, Paul writes about circumcision. This was the main sign of the old covenant found in the Old Testament. It started with Abraham and carried through for generations. This was a sign that one was going to follow the laws of God given through Moses. For a person to be circumcised stated that they were seeking justification with God by another means than through the finished work of Jesus. This is why Paul states in verse 2 that if a person was circumcised (trying to keep the commands to earn God’s favor), then Jesus Christ is of no benefit whatsoever to them.

‌Fallen from grace

‌In verse 4, Paul uses a phrase that has caused some confusion through the ages. He states that if a person chooses to try and earn God’s favor by what they can do, then they have fallen from grace.

Some have wrongly taken this to mean that a person can lose their salvation. Paul is not saying that. In many other places like John 10:28-29, Ephesians 1:13-14, and Hebrews 6:13-20 to name a few the Bible states that a person who is truly saved can never lose their salvation.

What is Paul talking about in verse 4 then? He is stating that a person who chooses to live according to a doctrine that they have to do enough to earn God’s favor is not living by the doctrine of faith which the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that a Christian is one who sees their inability to pay for their sins and trusts in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for their salvation.

⁸ For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (CSB)

‌Distractions along the way

‌In verses 7-9, Paul warns about a reality that each of us faces in different ways at different times. Paul warns about distractions that come along and tries to get us off-track.

The distraction for the first-century Galatians was mainly these false teachers and what they were selling. While what they said seemed to be a help to them, it was truly a distraction to move them away from the truth of the gospel.

We must be alert to the distractions that seek to get us off-track in our walk with Jesus.

¹ Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

​Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSB)

It doesn’t take much to get us distracted. Too often, many of us are like the dog in the Disney movie, “Up!” We go along seeming to be fine, and all of a sudden… “Squirrel!” Before we know it, we are chasing something that we have no business chasing.

⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough.

Galatians 5:9 (CSB)

Paul shares that it doesn’t take much to get us off-track of where we should be. If you have done any cooking with leaven, you know that it doesn’t take much to affect the whole batch.

There are times when we may be tempted to think, “I’ve got this… this is no big deal…” When, in fact, the distractions or sin that so easily ensnares us is a big deal. One of Satan’s greatest weapons against Christians today is the idea that our “distractions” are not a big deal.

Our liberty is not a license

‌One final word that Paul points out in this passage is for believers not to use the freedom they have in Jesus Christ as a license to sin.

We love liberty. Our country just celebrated the liberties that we enjoy so much this past week. Liberty is a beautiful thing as long as it is kept in its proper place.

In verses 13-15, Paul warns the Galatians (and us) not to abuse the liberty we have in Jesus, but to fully understand it.

While we do not have to earn a right standing before God on our own, we are not free to live as we please.

¹ What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? ² Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:1–2 (CSB)

¹⁵ What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, ¹⁸ and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

​Romans 6:15–18 (CSB)

As much as we love freedom and independence, the truth is that we are dependent creatures. God created us to be dependent upon Him. There is a part of us that seeks a master to guide us. There is only One who is worthy of fulfilling that role, and His name is Jesus Christ. He alone has our best interest at heart. He alone knows what we need and can provide it for us.

When we choose to submit and follow anything other than Jesus in any area of our lives, it will always lead to destruction. Paul warned the Galatians in verse 15 that the biting and devouring of one another would lead to their being consumed by their sin.

When we allow anything other than Jesus to lead our lives, it leads us to trust in ourselves which leads to us seeing everyone and everything as an enemy. The church of Jesus Christ cannot afford to see one another as the enemy. We have one enemy — Satan. The people that we come in contact with are not our enemies. Where in-fighting is present, you can be sure that defeat is not far behind. Paul warns the church about this truth.

Conclusion

‌In our day when diversity is sought by so many, we should understand where it is really needed. In our financial investments? Sure. In our neighborhoods and communities? Yes. In the church? Of course — we see it around God’s throne, why shouldn’t we see it in our churches?

But when it comes to the place of faith, there is no room for diversity. There is only room for one on the throne of our hearts. Who we allow to take that place will determine the entire direction of our lives — both here and for eternity.

Jesus Christ has come to give us freedom. No one else can do that. Will you allow Him to have the sole place of our faith, or will you try to diversify it and miss out on everything?

Read More

Walking in Grace

We are working our way through the New Testament letter of Galatians. Paul wrote this letter to a group of churches he helped start on one of his missionary journeys. The purpose of Paul writing this letter was to correct some false teachings that were creeping into the churches in the region of Galatia. People were coming in telling these fairly new Christians that if they wanted to truly be right with God, then they would have to not only trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior but also obey the Law of Moses. It was essentially a move to make many who were Gentiles become Jewish. It really had nothing to do with them being right with God.

The trying to earn God’s favor by keeping a religious checklist was sold to the Galatian people as a means of freedom, but it only brought bondage. In the first three chapters of this letter, Paul explained that the Law was never meant to save a person. He states that only through the grace of God demonstrated through Jesus’ sacrifice can save a person.

Different scholars have said the theme of the letter of Galatians can be summed up in the word “freedom.” As we turn our attention to Galatians 4, we see Paul focusing in on the freedom that God calls us to. In the verses we will look at today, we will see Paul calling us to look through three lenses: how we got here, who we are, and where we’re going.

⁸ But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? ¹⁰ You are observing special days, months, seasons, and years. ¹¹ I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.

​Galatians 4:8–11 (CSB)

Skip down to verse 21 with me. We will look at the verses we are skipping in the coming weeks. But verses 21-31 go together well with what Paul says in verses 8-11.

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman. ²³ But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written, Rejoice, childless woman, unable to give birth. Burst into song and shout, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate woman will be many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband. ²⁸ Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman.

Galatians 4:21–31 (CSB)

‌How we got here

While we typically will read something from beginning through to the end, I want to take a different approach to these verses to catch the thought the Holy Spirit is sharing through Paul here.

Paul is trying to share how the Law by itself holds us in bondage. The tool that he uses to illustrate this is an analogy of Sarah and Hagar from Genesis. Sarah was the wife of Abraham. God had promised to bless Abraham and make him a great nation that God would use to bless the entire world. Hagar was a servant of Sarah’s.

Just so we’re all on the same page, because of Sarah’s age, she told Abraham to have children with Hagar. This is how they figured God would work out His plan. Hagar would give birth to Ishmael. In verse 24, Paul states that Hagar and Ishmael represent the Old Covenant (the Law), and it only produced slaves. How did it do this? The Law produced slaves because we could not keep the Law. Each person who has lived on this earth (except Jesus) has broken God’s law and stands condemned before Him.  Once again we see the Law cannot save us.

We don’t like to think about living in slavery to anything, but we do. Paul mentions in verses 8-11 how the Galatian people were enslaved to things that were not God before coming to faith in Christ. We are the same way. Each of us was a slave to our sinful nature before we came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Who we are

The next lens that we need to look through is the lens that shows us who we are in Christ.

In verse 29, Paul uses a particular phrase in talking about Isaac, the child born through Sarah: “as a result of the Spirit.”

Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah in a miraculous way. They were both past the age of childbearing (Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90). God supernaturally enabled this couple to have a child for His purpose. Isaac would be the child of promise. It would be through Isaac’s line that Jesus would come to earth.

Paul uses the illustration of Isaac to show us that we are not slaves of some religion. We are children of freedom in Jesus Christ.

Paul warns the Galatians that to return to a former way of life is to turn away from true life. He says in verse 9 that they would be going back to slavery after already being set free.

The things said by these false teachers sounded good though. They would talk about things that could be seen in the Old Testament: circumcision, festivals, and such. But Paul says that trying to be right with God by doing these things is no different from any other person of any other religion trying to do the same thing through those means.

If you go to church, sing songs, and study the Word, thinking this is how you’re going to work to earn God’s favor, then you are no different from the over one billion Hindus in the world today who are bowing down to their gods. If your Christianity is a check-off box in order to make you feel good about yourself before God, in order to save your skin on the day of judgment, then your Christianity is no different from every other religion in the world, and ultimately it will condemn you.

I came across a question while preparing for this message that really stopped me in my tracks. It was this: What if Satan’s strategy to condemn your soul involves not tempting you to do all the wrong things, but instead leading you to do all the right things with the wrong spirit?

Christianity is radically different from every other world religion. Rather than calling you to be a slave to a religion, Christianity calls you to be a son with a personal relationship with God.

When we make Christianity a list of things we have to do, we make it no different than every other world religion. I like what one person said, “We ought not be a people who prayed a prayer a while ago and now are just trying to do our best to get things right with our lives on a week-in and week-out basis. We should be a people who walk with God and know Him intimately. We ought to serve God wholeheartedly, not because we’re trying to make ourselves right, but because we’ve been made right by God’s grace.‌”^[1]Tony Merida and David Platt. Exalting Jesus in Galatians. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014.

If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are free.

Where we’re going

This brings us to the final lens that we need to look through. We have seen where we come from and what Christ has made us, but where do we go from this point?

In verses 25-26, Paul compares Hagar and Sarah by saying Hagar represents the earthly city of Jerusalem (slavery to sin), but Sarah represents the New Jerusalem (freedom in Christ).

As Christians, we are to live in the freedom Jesus has given us. It is not a freedom to live for earthly pleasures or for sin, but it is a freedom to live as we were supposed to live.

Free from the weight of sin

We don’t have to carry our sin on our shoulders any longer. Christ has taken that upon Himself when He went to the cross.

‌Free from others’ expectations

Everywhere you turn, there are people who want to tell you how you should live. You may be able to please some, but you will never please everyone. There will always be someone who you disappoint because their expectations aren’t met.

When you come to faith in Christ, you are brought into His family, and the only expectation you have to live up to is His.

It is so freeing when you realize that you do not have to please every person you come in contact with. You are called to please One, and His name is Jesus Christ. You will find that when you live to please Him above all else, the other stuff He will take care of.

‌Free from fear

So many people are crippled by fear these days. We don’t have to live our lives wondering if we’ve done enough for God to accept us. We can rest assured that Jesus’ finished work on the cross is sufficient for covering all of our sins.

Conclusion

Paul reminds us through these verses in Galatians 4 that if we have trusted in Jesus, then we are to walk in freedom and not slavery. It is a matter of understanding our identity in Christ.

How do we see ourselves? Are we trying to manufacture this relationship with God in our own strength? Are we trying just to do the best that we can do? Or are we fully trusting in Jesus and allowing Him to transform us into His image?

I would encourage you today to experience and walk in the freedom that Jesus has provided for any who would trust in Him. If you’ve never placed your faith in Jesus, I would encourage you to do that today. Come and see what real freedom from the inside out is. If you have trusted in Jesus, are you walking each day in the freedom Jesus died to give you? You may need to confess areas where you have been trying to do it yourself. You may need to turn those over to Him and His control so that you can experience freedom again. I would encourage you to do that.

References[+]

References

↑1	Tony Merida and David Platt. Exalting Jesus in Galatians. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014.

Read More

A Changed Life

Change is something that many would like, but not many like to go through. Change can be very difficult. We are creatures of habit. We typically like things to stay the same, but we also realize there are points where change must happen for the better. 

Think about medicine. George Washington died from a simple throat infection. One of the major ways they tried to treat him was to drain some of his blood thinking it would remove the infection. This would happen four times over a day and a half before our nation’s first President died. Aren’t you glad that treatment has changed over the years?

Yes, change can be hard and even uncomfortable at times. It is needed at times, though, for growth and health to take place. 

As Paul writes to the churches in Galatia, he shares the importance of the gospel. When we began looking at this letter a couple of weeks ago, I shared that Paul wrote this letter with two points to make: 

• The importance of the gospel
• Defending his apostleship

As we continue to look at this letter, we come to a section where both of these topics arise in the matter of 14 verses. Let’s read those verses together, and see what the LORD has for us today.

¹¹ For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. ¹² For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ. 

¹³ For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵ But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. ¹⁷ I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. 

¹⁸ Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you. 

²¹ Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ. ²³ They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.

Galatians 1:11-24 (CSB)

The Gospel is not a human invention

Paul shares with the Galatian churches that the gospel he had previously shared with them,  which brought them salvation, was not something that had come from the imagination of some person. The gospel message comes from the heart of God. 

Think about the gospel message for a moment. Who would have come up with that plan? The holy God of the universe would show grace by sending His one and only Son to be the sacrifice which would bring sinful human beings back into a right relationship with Him. There would be nothing that humans had to do to earn this. It would be a complete work of God’s grace. 

One reason we can trust in the message of the gospel is that it does come from God Himself and not man. He is perfect and all of His ways are good. There is no fear that it will not do what it claims to do.

Paul even mentions in verse 17 that he did not get the gospel from a seminar or class, but He received it from the LORD Himself. It was Jesus who confronted Paul on the Damascus Road in Acts 9. 

While we may not hear the gospel from the LORD’s mouth ourselves, we can be sure that when the gospel is shared through His Word, it holds the same power. The words of Scripture are God-breathed. Because of this, the gospel becomes the standard by which everything else is measured. 

The Gospel is a transforming message

Starting in verse 13, Paul begins to show how his life was completely transformed by the message of the gospel. The gospel has a power that we cannot fully understand. 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 

Romans 1:16 (CSB)

We can see three important factors of God’s grace through the gospel in what Paul writes in verses 13-19.

Paul needed grace

Paul writes about his life in the Jewish faith in verses 13-14. He talks about how he was a persecutor of the Church and the name of Christ. 

• Acts 8:1 shows where Paul gave his approval when Stephen was killed for his faith in Jesus. 
• Acts 8:3 shows where Paul committed to “ravaging the church.” He would go out as a representative of the Jewish leaders and arrest Christians even from their homes for their faith in Jesus.
• In Acts 26:10-11, Paul talks about times when he would do everything he could to get Christians to turn away from Jesus, even to the point of having them put to death.

As we see these parts of Paul’s past, we can see that he desperately needed the grace of God that comes through Jesus. He mistreated people like few have. 

He thought he was doing God a favor. You see, Paul was a religious man. Every ugly part of his past was tied to his “religion.” He held to his beliefs tightly and thought he was doing God a favor by his actions. 

Misdirected beliefs will lead you astray regardless of how zealous you are. A person can be so consumed with “religion” and miss Jesus. That is what happened in Paul’s early life. 

There are times when we look at someone and say, “They need Jesus.” Their sin is out in the open for all to see. God’s grace is available to them through the gift Jesus made available on the cross. 

It is easy to look at people who are living in blatant sin and think they need to experience the grace of God. But what about the person who is moral… religious… well thought of? Does that person really need God’s grace? YES!!! 

What about you? Do you see your need for God’s grace? You may say, “I’ve never done anything like Paul did. I’ve never killed anyone or anything like that.” While that might be true, what is also true is that each of us have sinned in some way against God. That means that each one of us are in need of His grace. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Romans 3:23 (CSB)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23 (CSB)

You don’t have to have a horrible past to have a need for Jesus. All you have to have is sin – which we all do. Every one of us is in need of God’s grace. Paul highlights this truth to the Galatians. 

Grace found Paul where he was

What we see unfold in verses 15-16 is a beautiful picture of God’s grace. Paul shares that while he was actually running in the opposite direction of God, God came running to him. Jesus met Paul right where he was in life – in the middle of all of his junk, and brought His grace with Him. 

This is the story of every Christian. While we are born running from God, He comes to us with the message of the gospel – a message of forgiveness, hope, and grace. God doesn’t wait for us to get our act together. He knows that apart from His help we cannot do that. He meets us right where we are and offers His amazing grace to us.

You may be hearing this and thinking it is too good to be true. The perfect God of the universe would come running after me and offer me forgiveness, hope, and grace (when I don’t deserve it). I would tell you with every fiber of my being that is exactly what happens. 

We don’t have to get our act together to come to Jesus. If we could do that, what need would we have of Jesus? We don’t have to even fully understand it all to receive it. That is why it comes to us through faith. 

Paul shares how, though he didn’t deserve it, God came to him and offered Paul His grace.

Grace caused a desire to grow

Paul continues to share that this grace he encountered developed within his heart a desire to grow. He talks about how, at first, he didn’t go up to the disciples in Jerusalem, but spent some time with the LORD. This was needed in his life to sort out everything he had been taught previously (Galatians 1:17). 

It wasn’t long before Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit to join himself to a church. We see that he did go to Jerusalem where he would spend time with Peter (Cephas), James, and others (Galatians 1:18-21).

Paul learned quickly that he couldn’t know all of the things about this new life in Christ by himself. He needed a local church to come alongside him and disciple him. We are not called to walk this journey alone. Just as Paul needed a group of believers to come alongside of him and disciple him, so do we. This is one of the main reasons we strongly encourage people to find and join a local church. 

God is working in each of our lives. Part of that work in us is to equip us with tools to help and encourage each other in our faith journey with Jesus. It is much more than just attending some services and sitting in a room together. It is doing life with one another. It is teaching one another. It is helping one another up when we fall. 

Paul knew that if the Galatians kept listening to the false gospel that was creeping into their midst, it would rob them of the wonderful work God was doing in their lives. He knew this firsthand and cared about them enough to confront them about it.

Conclusion

As we hear about the wonderful work of God’s grace in the life of Paul, I have to wonder if we are experiencing that work in our own lives. Are we realizing that this gospel message is not something that some man or woman dreamed up somewhere way back? Do we realize it is the heartbeat of God? 

As we see how Paul’s life was changed by the gospel, can we see our story in this as well? Do we see our need for God’s grace and His coming to us just as we are extending the most precious gift ever given? Maybe you’re seeing that clearly for the first time. I would invite you to reach out by faith and accept that gift. We would love to show you how you can do that. In a moment, we will give you an opportunity to talk with someone about receiving this gift of God’s grace.

Do we see our continued need for God’s grace and to be part of a local church where we can join together with others in growing and carrying out the mission of God? It is so much more than a place to go to hear some good music, a speech, and maybe catch up with those you haven’t seen all week. It is a representation of the family of God. It is one of the most powerful tools God has given us to help us in our faith journey until He calls us home. I would encourage you to find a local church where you can plug in and grow in your faith.

Read More

July 4th.

When you hear that date, what comes to mind? We may think about fireworks and cookouts… ballgames and parades… In our country, July 4th is the day we celebrate our independence and the formation of this country. Did you know that July 4th is not only our country’s Independence Day?

In December 1941, the war reached the shores of the Philippines. Up until that time, the Philippines had been a close ally of ours. We were working to help them to be able to defend themselves. Before preparations were completed, the Japanese struck and destroyed many of our facilities. FDR ordered troops from there to Australia to regroup with a promise to redeem Philippine freedom. For three years, the Philippines were under Japanese rule.

General MacArthur returned with troops in October 1944 to make good on the promise made earlier. About a year later, Japan retreated from the Philippines, but the war had left the country in shambles. Assistance was brought in and on July 4, 1946, would become an independent country.^[1] http://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/july-4-1946-philippines-independence

As we hear this story from recent history, the beautiful picture of redemption is illustrated for us. It seems like a movie that someone would see where everything worked out in the end. We like those kinds of stories. The truth is that there was a lot of work that took place to make this story happen. There are also more gruesome details that go along with it.

This illustration brings us to the next identity marker of a Christ-follower that is found in Ephesians 1:7-10.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ as a plan for the right time – to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

Ephesians 1:7-10 (CSB)

We are redeemed

The identity marker that we see from today’s Scripture is that we are redeemed.

Redemption is such a rich and precious topic. The word Paul uses in verse 7 (redemption) is a term that is associated with the release and freedom of a former slave. When this term was used in the first century – whether in the Bible or a secular sense – people had a picture of a freed slave in their minds.

We may not feel like slaves because we see ourselves walking around and having the freedom to make decisions on our own. We live in the land of the free. The Bible tells us though that we are certainly slaves to something.

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey – either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Romans 6:16 (CSB)

We are either a slave to our sin or a slave to righteousness through Jesus Christ. There is no neutral ground. As Paul writes about this redemption that we have when we trust in Christ, he shares with us three important factors of this redemption.

Redemption is through Jesus’ sacrifice

In verse 7, Paul says that we have redemption through His blood. This is talking about the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf when He went to the cross.

This rescuing that we needed to take place could not have come in just any manner. It had to be the holiest and perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness for sin. Jesus gave that sacrifice. He was the only One who could have done so.

There are so many people trying to make their way to God. The main problem with that is the fact that we are broken and enslaved to our sin. This means that we cannot do it for ourselves. We will fall short every time.

But when any sinner trusts in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, he or she has found what Jesus called the way.

Redemption brings forgiveness

The next phrase that Paul uses talks about what this redemption brought to us: forgiveness. It is not just any kind of forgiveness, but the forgiveness of our trespasses.

Trespass is a word used throughout the Bible to refer to our sin. We have seen signs that say, “NO TRESPASSING!” We get what trespassing means, don’t we? It is the deliberate stepping over a line.

While some of the sins in our lives are done without us recognizing them, many of the sins in our lives are our deliberate stepping over the line that God has drawn in the sand. We know that they are wrong and choose to participate anyway. It is those types of sins that often bring the most shame and guilt to our lives.

The beautiful thing that we see in the verses we are focusing on today is that the redemption that comes through Jesus brings forgiveness for the ways we have stepped over the line intentionally. This forgiveness doesn’t just deal with the wrong, but it also deals with the guilt and shame that come with it.

Redemption flows from God’s grace

As Paul shares in verses 7-8, this redemption flows from the riches of God’s grace. This redemption comes to us because God chose for it to. It was not because we did something right. It was completely because of His love for what He had created in mankind.

In verse 8, Paul shares that this gift of redemption flows from God’s grace with intention. He said that God pours it out on all who trust in Him “with all wisdom and understanding.” These are important phrases. “Wisdom” here refers to the capacity to understand and act wisely. God holds all true wisdom. He didn’t pour out His grace without first knowing how much it was needed and what it would do. God knew and intended for this grace to deliver us and change us into what He desires.

“Understanding” is a term that has the idea of being wise as a result of insight. It is almost repeating what is first mentioned through the term “wisdom.” Do you remember what I’ve said before about the Bible repeating something? It is like highlighting, underlining, bolding, and drawing arrows towards it. It is a literary device of emphasis.

God doesn’t want us to think that this was an after-thought. Before the foundations of the world, He knew that we would fall from Him. He knew that we would be hopeless unless He stepped in and did something on our behalf. He purposefully showed us grace by sending His one and only Son to bring redemption to those of us who were enslaved to our sin. Any person who turns from his or her sin and trusts in Jesus gets to experience the freedom of this redemption.

Mystery of His Will

Before we wrap up, I would like to talk about something that we see in verses 9-10. In these verses, Paul talks about the mystery of God’s will. Some of you may be thinking that God’s will is always a mystery to me. There are certain things in this life that we will never know. There is a part of some of us that don’t like that. We like to be “in the know” about everything. The truth is that there are some things that our minds cannot possibly fathom. We are finite beings with finite minds. When it comes to God’s will, we are talking about an infinite God and His will. We are not on that level.

In verse 9 though, Paul shares that He made known to us “the mystery of His will.” This is not talking about those things that we could never understand fully. This is talking about God’s plan of redemption. The saints of the Old Testament did not understand fully about Jesus. They never got to see or hear Him like those in the first century did. God’s full plan of redemption was a mystery to them, but it was revealed completely when Jesus came to earth as a man.

This redemption that comes through Christ is the work of God rescuing what was lost to sin. That includes you and me, but that also is about breaking all of the curses that sin brought that are recorded in Genesis 3. God is bringing everything together as it should be, and it is happening through Jesus.

Conclusion

Can you see the beauty of this thing we call redemption? This is one of the greatest identity markers of a Christ-follower. We have been redeemed! We have been rescued from the bondage of our sins and given a new life in Christ for all of eternity. God didn’t just throw it all away when it broke. He planned from the beginning to set a plan that would bring full restoration.

Can you sing with the saints throughout the ages, “Redeemed, how I long to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever I am!” If you’ve turned from your sin by faith to Jesus, this is our song! Let us not just sing it, but let us live in the truth of it each day!

References[+]

References

↑1	http://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/july-4-1946-philippines-independence

Read More

Old Testament Picture of Gospel Grace

When a person chooses to pick up a Bible and begin reading, one of the things that stands out is the unique names of many of the characters. You do not find Bob, Jim, Susan, or Jennifer… no you find Enoch, Tamar, and one of my favorites – Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth has always been an interesting name and character from the Bible to me. Even now as I type this out, my spell check does not recognize Mephibosheth as a correct spelling of a word. It is not a name that you hear very often, but it is a very important person in the story of the Bible.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan who was the son of King Saul in the nation of Israel. The grandson of the king was an important person. You might be tempted to think that this man would hold the throne one day, but that would be very far from the truth. Mephibosheth would never sit upon the throne as king.

One can see that during a time of battle, Jonathan was killed in battle. Mephibosheth was only five years old. Out of fear for his life, his a nurse tried to get the young boy out of danger but dropped him. The result was that both of Mephibosheth’s feet were severely crippled. This would be an ailment that plagued Mephibosheth for the rest of his life.

As time went on, David became the king over Israel. He dearly loved his best friend, Jonathan. In 2 Samuel 9, we see that David wanted to honor his friend by showing kindness to someone from the family of Jonathan. This is interesting because it was Jonathan’s own father that chased David all over the land trying to kill him. David still wanted to honor his friend though. The only relative of Jonathan that was known of was Mephibosheth.

David had Mephibosheth brought into the king’s own home. We see that Mephibosheth came concerned. It was common practice in those times and areas to eliminate anyone from the former king’s family to prohibit them from seeking the throne. I can easily see why Mephibosheth was worried about coming before the new king.

What plays out is a picture of amazing grace. David does not seek to do any ill will towards Mephibosheth. Instead, the king elevates Mephibosheth to a high place of honor. The king restores all of his family’s fields to Mephibosheth. If that were not enough, the king then sets a permanent place at his very own table for Mephibosheth to dine.

This is exactly what the grace of God does through the gospel of Jesus Christ towards sinners. The Bible is clear that we all have been severely crippled by the sin in our lives (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1). Like Mephibosheth, the result of another’s actions brought our condition upon us (Romans 5:12), and we have to live in the consequences. There is nothing that we can do on our own to change our condition, but God has stepped in – much like King David did for Mephibosheth – and did what we could not do for ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Mephibosheth could bring nothing to the table but his shortcomings. The same is true of us. We cannot make God love us any more than He already does, nor can we make God love us any less. By His grace, God has reached out to us and offered a place at His table through His Son, Jesus Christ.

If you have not experienced the wonder that is a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, then I would invite you to come to the table of His grace and be made whole again.

Read More

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.

Read More

Stuck in the Mud

Well it happened this morning. I had gotten up early to go into town and check out the condition of the baseball field that we had practice scheduled for. It has rained off and on the past two days. I knew that our team could use one more practice before games start next week. Sadly, the field was too wet still to practice.

As I tried to leave, I made my way through what I thought was some gravel… It wasn’t gravel. It was this gravelish slosh that was about 3ft deep. My Ford Explorer is not a 4-wheel drive… So you can guess what happened.

stuck!

Yep… I was stuck. The more I tried to get loose, the deeper I went. As I sat there in disbelief that I could be duped this badly, I began thinking about something else.

There are so many people that are “stuck” in the middle of sin. Many times we think that we can overcome the things that get us off track so easily. All we have to do is “work hard enough.” This couldn’t be further from the truth.

As I sat there and looked at my situation, I quickly began to realize that there was no way that I was getting myself out of this. I couldn’t smooth-talk my way out… I couldn’t “work harder” and get out. I was completely helpless on my own.

In Ephesians 2, Paul shared some great truths with us. First, we are completely helpless in our natural situation (Epheisans 2:1-3). There is no “will-powering” your way out of sin. It does not make one sick; it makes you dead. Dead people cannot do anything.

 

Secondly, we need outside help, and God has provided that (Epheisans 2:4-5). While we were helpless, God provided our need through His only Son, Jesus. God didn’t have to help. He would not be any less holy or great if He chose to let humanity experience the full judgment for their sin. He chose by His grace to show mercy.

Third, Paul shares that only God can set us where we need to be – and where we want (Epheisans 2:6). Paul shares that not only does God give life to the sin-killed soul, but He sets him/her with Him in heavenly places.

“Only Jesus buys slaves and makes them heirs.” — @ThabitiAnyabwil #T4G2016

As I realized my helpless situation, I found myself humbled to reach out for help. Strangely enough, one of our young couples lives about a block or so away from my stuck position. As I called the guy and asked for help, I was truly grateful that our relationship was not just a Sunday morning thing.  God has placed people in our lives to be the conduit of His grace and mercy many times. It is important that you build and invest in those relationships because you never know when you will find yourself in need of a helping hand.

Read More

Book Review: "Beat God to the Punch"

Dr. Eric Mason is the cofounder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship.  Dr. Mason's latest book is titled Beat God to the Punch: Because Jesus Demands Your Life, and it hit the shelves on September 15th.  I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Dr. Mason's work for review purposes from BH Publishing Group.

In Beat God to the Punch, Dr. Mason encourages readers to "beat God to the punch" by submitting their lives t the lordship of Jesus Christ and living a grace-filled life.  The punch that Dr. Mason refers to is the judgment that will fall one day upon all of creation that chooses not to recognize Jesus as He truly is: Lord of all.

There are some really good things to this book.

• First, it is a quick read.  The book is a whole 108 pages long (including the notes).  In our fast-paced lives and busy schedules, not many have the time to sit and devote a great deal of time to reading.  Dr. Mason has done a good job of making some great points in a short amount of time.


• Second, this work is saturated with Scripture.  Dr. Mason is quick to share his thoughts but truly leans on the word of God to validate the points that he intends to make with this work.  There is hardly a page in the entire book where a Bible verse is not mentioned or eluded to.  This goes a long way with me.


• Third, the movement of focus to the grace of God.  Dr. Mason moves the focus quickly from the coming judgment to the grace of God.  It is not so much about missing the coming judgment as it is living life in light of the wonderful grace of God.  Dr. Mason does a terrific job in bringing the reader's focus to this point.

Recommendation Grade: B-

I have been told by BH Publishing, that a copy is available for a giveaway.  If you would like a free copy of Beat God to the Punch, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog telling why you would like a copy.  One winner will be chosen on Friday, September 26, 2014.

Read More

Give Thanks Day 18

Today, I would like to give thanks for grace. I realize that I've already posted on this topic once this month, but every time I think I have a handle on what God's grace is and what it looks like, He blows my mind again. Grace has to be the greatest gift that God ever gave us humans.

I have written about how God is holy. Although this quality of holiness is great and really necessary, it puts a damper on things because we - sinful as we are - cannot have a deep relationship with God.

That is unless this holy God choses of His own free will to express grace and make a way for sinful humans to have a relationship with Him. That is exactly what God did for us through His Son, Jesus. He chose to open His arms to us even when we didn't deserve it.

For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person - though for a good person someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:6-8 HCSB)

I was reminded of this amazing grace during my sermon yesterday morning. I was preaching on the law of the harvest (you reap what you sow). You can't get around the law of the harvest. But God has allowed there to be another law at play: the law of grace. When we've sown "bad seed" in our lives, the law of the harvest says that destruction is on its way. The law of grace though may be applied and provide us with forgiveness from sins and strength for the consequences.

It's no wonder they call this "amazing grace!"

Read More

Give Thanks Day 3

Today, I would like to give thanks for the grace of our holy God.  The other day, I shared how I was thankful that God was holy.  That one characteristic is the one that sets Him apart from anything and anyone else.  Because He is holy, God cannot tolerate or be around sin.  That's not a good thing seeing how I (along with the rest of the human race) am stricken by sin (Romans 3:9-18, 23).

Because of the sin that is present in my life, I cannot come before the holy God of the universe much less have a relationship with Him.  Unless... (I love this unless)... unless this holy God decides of His own free will to extend His grace and mercy my way.

When we look at the cross of Calvary, that is exactly what we see.  The holy God did what sinful human beings could not do for themselves: He made a way for them to come to Him and the relationship be restored.  We did nothing to deserve this affection.  There was no spots of goodness that might warrant such a gesture.  God alone by His own gracious love for His creation decided to pour out grace towards us through the cross of Jesus Christ.

It is this grace for which I am eternally grateful.  This grace of God is what has given purpose and meaning to my life.  It is because of this "amazing grace" that I am a child of Almighty God (John 1:12)

Read More

I'm Thankful: Day 1

A neat trend is going all over Facebook during these days leading up to Thanksgiving. People are stating one thing that they are thankful for each day leading up to the holiday. I realize that I'm late in getting into the game, better late than never.

Day 1: A gracious God
I cannot begin to tell how grateful I am that God is a very gracious God. It doesn't take much to reveal to me and others that I am a person that has messed up greatly in life. God extended His wonderful grace to me and grants me an audience.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Have you experienced the grace of God?  If not, please contact me and I'd love to share that with you.  If so, then thank Him for it and let others know of this amazing grace.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-4NFvI5U9w?rel=0&w=480&h=360]

Read More

A "C" Never Looked So Good

Today, I finally found out the last of my grades for this past semester of seminary.  The one class that I was losing fingernails over left and right... I got a "C" in.  You want to talk about some grace.  That professor was shucking out some major grace when he came to writing my grade in the book.  But I am truly thankful for that grace.

Read More

Refuge '08 Day 1

Last night was the first session in a get-together called Refuge hosted by the wonderful people at Student Life. It was for student ministers who are using the curriculum that Student Life produces. My favorite part of the whole thing is that it is free. They truly just want to give something back to the leaders of student ministry. That's cool.

Last night, we started off with a little worship led by Chris Tomlin and a couple of guys from his band. The neat thing that I took away from this was that Chris didn't use the whole band. He even asked that they take him off of the screens so that it wasn't like a performance. It was a great gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ just worshipping the Messiah. As we left for the night, we were given free copies of Chris Tomlin's new CD that just came out called "Hello Love". I strongly encourage people to check it out.

After Tomlin, Louie Giglio came and just shared some words about grace with us. It wasn't much like a "sermon," but more like a conversation over dinner. I think that the one thing that I took away most from what he said was...

"God didn't/doesn't need you... but He has invited you to be at the table."

How true that is! God can get by just as good (and sometimes better) if we weren't involved, but out of His great love for us, He has invited us to come and experience what He is going to do. Good stuff...

Read More