This morning I began my New Testament Readings. Because I'm reading historically instead of the traditional format of starting in Matthew, I've begun instead in the book of Galatians. I wanted to read it all in one setting, so today's reading then is Galatians 1 - 6.
It's a good way to read the text of scripture. When we can read in one setting, it's a lot like reading a long letter...cohesive, much more clearly able to relate passages together - contextual. My readings this year have been from the New Living Translation...one I would heartily recommend for anyone, especially new-comers to reading scripture.
I've entitled this post, "getting it straight", because the essence of the book of Galatians is clarity in understanding the GOSPEL and what it means to our lives as FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. So, in getting it straight...I was struck right away...
Galatians 1:4 (NLT) 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
Let's get it straight, this is the essence of the Gospel, and it is where our identity is formed. Not in being religious, or by the number of times we go to church (not that there is merit in avoiding church either - consult Heb. 10:25 - but that's another blog!). The Gospel is that Jesus Christ gave his life for our sins...in order to rescue us from this evil world. It is clear that we must not forget what Jesus Christ has done for us because the alternative is to follow a "false way".
Just a couple of verses later, Paul outlines the issue at hand.... Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT) 6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
The Galatian believers had slid back into a form of "Christianized Judaism"...you know, you can be a Christian, and still be a Jew. There's a lot of that that goes around...you can be a "Christian" and still be ________________. Paul says it is not "good news", the Gospel. It is a "way" that pretends to be good news...and it's not. Later, he clarifies even more...
Galatians 2:16 (NLT) 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Any pretension of our ability to work our way into favor through the "works" of religion are a slap in the face of Christ Jesus and his work on the cross. What we need is a faith that moves us towards Christ alone. Again... Galatians 2:20 (NLT) 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The old self is manifested in even things like the "religious spirit". The desire to prove one-self to be worthy of God on the basis of how religious you might be. But, we did not receive this grace in which we stand through our own efforts. Continuing on... Galatians 3:2 (NLT) 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. , and, Galatians 3:12-13 (NLT) 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Christ Jesus alone has the character to have taken care of our sin...we cannot, no matter how hard we try.
In Christ there is a glorious freedom from "performing" our way into God's favor. Again, let's get it straight... Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT) 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
No longer "slaves". No longer trying to perform our way into God's favor. Living a glorious freedom from having to work our way into God's grace....it's free, but costs us everything!
Galatians 5:1 (NLT) 1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Some mistake this freedom of Christ for a license to do whatever they want to. It's not necessary to obey, it's not necessary to worship with others, it's not necessary to submit to authority, it's not necessary to tithe, or be generous in giving...it's not necessary _______________...all of which is based on "now that I have Christ's freedom, I can do whatever I want to" mentality. But that is just another form of slavery...a slavery to self instead of religion.
Galatians 5:13 (NLT) 13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
This life in Christ Paul outlines in this letter comes full circle from where he had begun...Galatians 1:4 (NLT) 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
The world manifests itself in both religion and rebellion....neither one is acceptable for a follower of Jesus.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT) 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
The Spirit of God does not lie to us. He speaks truth about the need of Christ's character being formed within.
Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Paul's letter to the Galatians is not for the religious or the rebellious...there is only one way, and it's not our own....it is the way of Christ.
Galatians 6:8-9 (NLT) 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Let's get it straight...the Gospel is the call for one thing...follow Jesus...everything else is meaningless.
Galatians 6:16 (NLT) 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
AMEN
It's a good way to read the text of scripture. When we can read in one setting, it's a lot like reading a long letter...cohesive, much more clearly able to relate passages together - contextual. My readings this year have been from the New Living Translation...one I would heartily recommend for anyone, especially new-comers to reading scripture.
I've entitled this post, "getting it straight", because the essence of the book of Galatians is clarity in understanding the GOSPEL and what it means to our lives as FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. So, in getting it straight...I was struck right away...
Galatians 1:4 (NLT) 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
Let's get it straight, this is the essence of the Gospel, and it is where our identity is formed. Not in being religious, or by the number of times we go to church (not that there is merit in avoiding church either - consult Heb. 10:25 - but that's another blog!). The Gospel is that Jesus Christ gave his life for our sins...in order to rescue us from this evil world. It is clear that we must not forget what Jesus Christ has done for us because the alternative is to follow a "false way".
Just a couple of verses later, Paul outlines the issue at hand.... Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT) 6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
The Galatian believers had slid back into a form of "Christianized Judaism"...you know, you can be a Christian, and still be a Jew. There's a lot of that that goes around...you can be a "Christian" and still be ________________. Paul says it is not "good news", the Gospel. It is a "way" that pretends to be good news...and it's not. Later, he clarifies even more...
Galatians 2:16 (NLT) 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Any pretension of our ability to work our way into favor through the "works" of religion are a slap in the face of Christ Jesus and his work on the cross. What we need is a faith that moves us towards Christ alone. Again... Galatians 2:20 (NLT) 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
The old self is manifested in even things like the "religious spirit". The desire to prove one-self to be worthy of God on the basis of how religious you might be. But, we did not receive this grace in which we stand through our own efforts. Continuing on... Galatians 3:2 (NLT) 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. , and, Galatians 3:12-13 (NLT) 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Christ Jesus alone has the character to have taken care of our sin...we cannot, no matter how hard we try.
In Christ there is a glorious freedom from "performing" our way into God's favor. Again, let's get it straight... Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT) 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
No longer "slaves". No longer trying to perform our way into God's favor. Living a glorious freedom from having to work our way into God's grace....it's free, but costs us everything!
Galatians 5:1 (NLT) 1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Some mistake this freedom of Christ for a license to do whatever they want to. It's not necessary to obey, it's not necessary to worship with others, it's not necessary to submit to authority, it's not necessary to tithe, or be generous in giving...it's not necessary _______________...all of which is based on "now that I have Christ's freedom, I can do whatever I want to" mentality. But that is just another form of slavery...a slavery to self instead of religion.
Galatians 5:13 (NLT) 13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
This life in Christ Paul outlines in this letter comes full circle from where he had begun...Galatians 1:4 (NLT) 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
The world manifests itself in both religion and rebellion....neither one is acceptable for a follower of Jesus.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT) 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
The Spirit of God does not lie to us. He speaks truth about the need of Christ's character being formed within.
Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Paul's letter to the Galatians is not for the religious or the rebellious...there is only one way, and it's not our own....it is the way of Christ.
Galatians 6:8-9 (NLT) 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Let's get it straight...the Gospel is the call for one thing...follow Jesus...everything else is meaningless.
Galatians 6:16 (NLT) 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
AMEN
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