Walk in the Spirit

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. – Galatians 5.16-17

The Bible talks a lot about our walk. We are told to walk in love, to walk as as children of light, to walk circumspectly, and many other ways. The one that really sticks out though is one that summarises them all – walk in the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit means we are walking under His control and direction, submitting to Him and letting Him fill us and produce His fruit in us. It is letting Him shine though us to the world around.

The flesh and the spirit always do battle with each other. That’s the reason we often find ourselves doing the things we don’t want and not doing the things we do want. The Spirit must be our guide – not our flesh. If we truly walk in the flesh we will not seek to please the flesh.

Lord, give me that spirit walk day by day.

Biting and devouring

But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! – Galatians 5.15

This whole legalising thing had the potential to destroy the church in Galatia. Paul knew he needed to get this sorted before it ripped the church apart.

The previous passage talked about loving each other. Here is just the opposite. Paul speaks of the incredible damage of fighting amongst ourselves.

Why does it seem at times that we just can’t really get along with each other?

It’s that rottten old flesh that still draws. It is pride and arrogance and demanding our own way. It is always have in to be right.

Love is the key. It is the only way to battle the biting and devouring flesh that will see us consuming each other. We both many think we are winning – but no one wins in the sceanario. It is like the photo I saw recenlty of two snakes baiting each other’s tails.

We live in a day of ugliness. Ugly actions and ugly speech are all around us. Sadly we can let that same ugliness creep into the church. If we forget that charge to love we all lose – it’s that simple.

Using our liberty

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” –  Galatians 5.13-14

We’ve been called to liberty. We have been freed from the Law. We are no longer in bondage to it. It is not our master.

That means we are free! There is a temptation there that since I am free I can just do whatever I want! A lot of folks take that route, especially those who have been in a system or a church that focused on externals and dos and don’ts. Many feel deprived or burnt by the experience and allow their pendulum to swing to far in the other direction and they allow their liberty to become licence without regard to their impact on others.

Praise God we are free from the constraints of legalism, but let’s remember our freedom is not about us – it is our chance to serve others out from the burden of focusing on the Law.

Staying in the race

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. – Galatians 5.7-10

The birth of the Galatian church must have been exciting. Paul tells them here that they ‘ran well’ at the start. The began their Christian race fresh and fervent and hopeful and bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

But something happened, they were turned away by grace robbers who cheapen the work of Christ. That same kind of heresy still exists today.

What can we do to avoid that false doctrine, or any other false doctrine for that matter?

We get a hint in the book of Hebrews where the author talks about running that race. He says to lay aside all the extra weighs that hold us back. Then he says to run this pace with patience – and that think that is key here. We need to realise that runnng this race step by step, patiently and diligently. It is not a 100 metre dash and that is where we get into trouble.

We continue to ‘run well’ only one way – we keep our eyes in Jesus, the Originator and the Completer of our faith. He is our goal. No matter what comes along we must stay on course and not be turned away.

Faith working through love

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. – Galatians 5.6

I love this phrase. I’ve been saved for almost 45 years and I don’t think I have ever noticed this aspect of salvation before.

In Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision or, indeed, does anything. Works just cannot do. Dos don’t matter and don’ts don’t matter.

One work matters. That work is faith working through love. It is God’s work. We can love Him because He first loved us. His love moved Him to give His only begotten Son. God is love and He acts in love.

His love is not activated by our works. His love motivates us to work, but something comes first. Salvation is faith acting through His love for us. God loves His Son and sent His Son to die for us in love. In love He predestined those who put faith in Him to be adopted as His children.

Faith working through love – what a woderful truth.

Stand fast in your liberty

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  – Galatians 5.1

Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.

That’s a pretty strong statement. It means that this is something worth fighting for. It is an area where we must take a firm stand.

Why does Paul take such a firm stand? Why is this such a big deal? Is this really a major issue?

It is. Because depending on our works cheapens and demeans Jesus work on the cross. It says that Jesus did not do enough when He allowed Himself to br taken as a sheep to the slaughter. It says He didn’t do enough being beaten and spat upon and having His beard plucked out. He says He didn’t do enough as He was nailed to the cross and hung in agony and shame.

It says none of that was enough. It says we are son important that we still have to do something.

Yes, when we are saved we are ordained to good works and to walk in them. As we are conformed to Christ we will do those good works.

But it cerainly does not mean we can add to His work. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.  Don't let anyone shake our faith in that.

Abba Father

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. – Galatians 4.6-7

I recently read a book called ‘Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.’ In that the book the author begins with an account of his early life. All the way through the book he refers to his father as ‘Abba.’ It is very clearly a term of love and endearment. It is that special relationship between a child and ther dad.

Eventually this man came to the point where he also had a new Abba.

There are a lot of names used for God – but one of the most precious is that we are able to call Him our Dad. Imagine – a child of the world suddenly can call God ‘Daddy.’

That conjures up all sorts of beautiful imagery. You picture a son going to His dad when he needs someone to talk to. We see a dad putting his arm around his son in comfort and protection. My own dad has been dead since 1996 and I still miss him today. It’s that way, or the way it should be between father and son.

That’s the kind of relationship we can have with God now. The creator of the Universe is my dad. The perfect holy, righteous, all mighty God is my dad.

What a joy to walk in that light.

The fullness of time

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. – Galatians 4.4-5

When the fullness of time had come God sent forth his Son.

I love that phrase ‘fullness of time.’ God sent His Son when the timing was perfect. The world was ready. That part of the world lived under the Pax Romana where there was relative peace. The Romans had built extensive roads with police protection and a brilliant postal service. Travel was easy. The Greek language was the lingua franca of the region so there was a common language. The Jews had prepared the world for the coming of Messiah. Things were ripe for the spread of the gospel and birth of the church.

So now, with everything is readiness, God sent forth His Son to redeem those under the law. Messiah came as a Jew, through the Jews, to redeem all bound by the Law.

We know that that redemption was not only for those under the Law, but for all who, like Abraham, would believe God and trust Him instead of their own works.

God always works in the fullness of time. Often it is not our time – but His time is always the perfect time.

You have put on Christ

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3.27-29

If you are baptised into Christ you have put on Christ.

What does that mean in our everyday life? What does it mean to have put on Christ?

I think about it this way. I think about it being as simple as what we wear when we go out. It is how we present ourselves to the world around us. What do people see when they see me in this world. Do people see me as a typical man of this world? Do they see me as someone entangles in the affairs of this world. In this social media age what do they see of me on Facebook? When people see my page do they seen a reflection of me or of Christ.

Do people see me as different from the world? I need the world to see be dressed in Jesus’ righteousness and love and compassion and caring and humility. If I truly have put on Christ it is going to be clear in my life.

Heirs of promise

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3.27-29

We are called heirs of God according to His promises. That makes sense in a way. If we are His sons then it makes sense that we are heirs because sons are normally heirs.

We read that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We read that we have an inheritance that perfect and incorruptible that will ever fade away because it is preserved in heaven for us.

I just watched an episode of Little House on the Prarie when the Ingalls family receive word that they have inherited a great fortune. Slowly but surely then begin to make purchases based on the receiving the inheritance. At the end though it turns out that the uncle had wasted his fortune and the Ingalls are left in debt. The promised wealth fell through.

God’s inheritance is also based on promise. It is not just any promise. Most promises can be broken but this promise is special. The promise of inheritance is made by God who cannot lie.

Therefore we can rest in absolute assurance that our eternal inheritance is secure. If we trust God we never have to worry about our eternity or where we will be when we die. God has promised it to us.

That knowledge ought to give us great peace and great comfort here on earth. We always have something to look forward to and that we make all we have been through worthwhile.

Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Astounding.

No Jew nor Greek

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3.27-29

Our little church is made up of all kinds of folks. We are black and brown and white. We are from Ireland, the US, England, Angola, Romania, South Africa, Poland, the Philippines, Nigeria, Moldova, and I think that is all. You would think that it would be a place of great diversity. How can people from so many backgrounds in such a small church have anything in common?

It’s because we have the one thing in common that really matters. In Chist all those barriers are broken down. Nothing divides us – not race nnor colour nor nationality nor social status nor wealth or poverty, not any other thing makes a difference in the body of Christ, We find perfect unity in our diversity.

It’s not just our church. Its every member of the body of Christ all over the world. No matter where we go we can have family fellowship when we meet other believers.

None of us are better or worse than any other because of who we are or where we came from. We are all one as the body of Christ and cannot be divided any more than our body can.

Sons of God

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3.26

For you are all sons of God.

Wait, what did that say?

For YOU are all SONS OF GOD?!?!

How can that be. Born a son of sin and a son of the devil somehow I am transformed into a son of the prefect, eternal, holy, perfect God.

I want to say more about the concept of God being my Father later. For now I think it is amazing that not only Paul but John writes about this later.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Being a son of God is proof of His love. Because we are His children the world will never really understand us. It means that one day we will be like Him. It means that we will live pure lives. It means that we reflect His image to the world.

Our teacher

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. – Galatians 3.23-25

I like to read anything about about teachers, or as the word here reads, schoolmaster. I love teaching with an absolute passion. I love the student/teacher relationship and what it means and how it works and how it plays out and how, if properly done, it lasts forever.

While we are in school we are under the authority of our teachers in their classrooms. A proper student/teacher relationship is more than just a classroom situation. The best relationships continue long beyond leaving the classroom.

Here Paul refers to the Law as a teacher. The Law’s purpose was to prove to the world the need of a Saviour. It is to teach us that no one can keep the Law perfectly and then we are told that if anyone breaks the Law even in the slightest point they are guilty of breaking the whole Law.

So the Law is to point us to the fact that we need some way to sort out this dilemma.

The Law was our teacher to show us to Christ. There is no doubt that reading the Law proves to us that none of us can keep it. Jesus came along and He told us that He was the one to fulfil it because no one else could. Jesus provided the way to deal with the sin problem exposed by the Law and when we trust in His the Law has done its job.

So does that mean that now we can just ignore the Law? No, the Law is good. As we respect and remember the teachings of our teachers so we remember and respect that Law for bringing us to Christ. We are not bound to obey it, but now it can help us in many ways to please God.

The Law showed us our need. We are saved by faith. We are not bound to please the grace robbers who tell us we must keep the Law, but we still need to keep in mind the goodness that the Law did in showing us our need.

One seed

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. – Galatians 3.16

When God spoke to Abraham about what He would do he spoke of things like ‘in you shall all the nations of the world be blessed’ and 'your descendants will be like the sands on the sea shore and as the stars in the sky.’ As time went by Israel began to think that that promise referred to the nation of Israel alone.

The one seed though refers to all those who are Abraham’s spiritual seed. His physical seed are indeed Israel. Of that there is no doubt, but it is spiritual seed that really matters for eternity.

Abraham did not know the full extent of what he did when he believed God, but he setting that pattern of salvation for all time. God doesn’t have a whole variety of descendants. We has produced one line and it is only those who have believed God like Abraham did.

Cursed for me

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. – Galatians 3.13-14

We were all under the curse of the Law. The curse of the Law was that if you break even one point you are guilty of all of the Law. There was no way around the curse – because everyone does that.

So Jesus became a curse in our place when He was on the cross. That’s really an incomprehensible thought. How could God Himself become a curse on our stead?

Jesus did that by becoming a man and taking on the form of a servant. Every time I read this passage I am blown away that Chris became a man. He clothed Hiself as a servant. He became sin in my place. He took on my curse. And He did it all because He loved me. The Bible says ‘cursed in anyone who hangs on a tree.’ Jesus was that man – the one who hung on the cross.

He became cursed for me. Why, if I could earn my own salvation?

Abraham believed God

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. – Galatians 3.5-9

So what is our relationship to Abraham? To the Jews of course he was the founder and father of their faith. He was the first Jew and because of that the Jews are sometimes called the children of Abraham.

Abraham was justified by faith – and the scriptures say that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed. So all those who have lived, are living, or will live by faith are blessed through what Abraham did.

No man could become righteous on his own. Abraham believed God and he was accounted righteous. Now, all who have believed God are accounted just as righteous as he was. His pattern of faith was the pattern that would be known to the whole world. All the blessings of eternity that we have today started with ‘Abraham believed God.’

O foolish Galatians

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? – Galatians 3.1-3

‘O foolish Galatians’ Paul said. Paul had quite a way of putting things sometimes. You can sense his frustration with them here. He could hardly believe that they could be sucked back into the Law with all its dos and don’ts. They were bewitched into thinking that though they were saved by grace they had to obey the Law.

How does that happen? Why in the world would people be drawn to a system of rules and regulations when they were living in liberty?

It is indeed foolish, but I have learned, for some reason, that a lot of people love to have it all laid out for them. ‘Just tell me what to do’ seems to be their attitude. That way it’s easy. I can tick off my ticklist and got to bed happy that I have done what I am supposed to do.

But is that really how we want to live our lives? Do we really want to live man’s a regimen designed by man to make men happy?

In Christ we are free from all of that – but God’s standard is even more live changing. Instead of trying to just meet a bunch of standards we live in a way that will honour and glorify God. If we are striving to be imitators of Christ it will do far more good than keeping that list of rules. We can’t just tick those boxes. Our goal is much higher. Is is something we must strive for every day and we can never be content that we have done enough.

Don’t be tied down by men’s rules. Let Christ work in our lives.

Then Christ died in vain

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” –   
 Galatians 2.21

Works or no works is really a big deal. Paul has spent the first two chapters in this letter by telling us that works cannot save us and works cannot keep us saved.

Why though is this so important? Why is it worth all this time and effort and ink and papyrus? Why is it such a heinous error.

Paul puts it pretty clearly. This is such a terrible error because it cheapens Jesus’ sacrifice. If we could do anything to save ourselves or to keep ourselves saved then Jesus died for nothing. His death was a waste of time. If we could save ourselves why did He die? All of the coming to earth and suffering and betrayal, but especially the brutal death on the cross was a vain action.

But we couldn’t save ourselves. We can’t keep ourselves saved because every single one of us would fall short of God’s standard of perfection. Only Jesus could be the perfect sacrifice.

May we never mock His death by thinking we could do what only He could do. He didn’t die in vain – He died to pay for our sin.

Christ in me

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” 
– Galatians 2.20-21

So I am crucifed with Christ. The hold on me is dead. If I am dead, how do I live?

Christ lives in me now. He has taken my place. I am empowered by Him to live a new life. Instead of Roger being on the throne of my heart Jesus sits on that throne and He rules. If Jesus truly lives in me then my new life reflects Him and His glory.

Christ in me is my hope of glory. Christ is me changes everything.

There is an ancient prayer usually attributed to Patrick of Ireland. I don’t where it came from or if Patrick had anything to do with it but it really summarises what ‘Christ lives in me’ means.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Does that sound anything like what role Christ plays in our lives?

The only way that the world is going to see Christ is through you and me and Christ in us.

Die to self

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” – Galatians 2.20-21

‘I am crucified with Christ.’ What a powerful statement that is. Paul knew what he was saying because he uses the same picture when we writes to the Romans. Those who have been saved have indeed been crucifed to their old lives through Christ. The old man is dead and a new man lives in us.

This reminds us that the old man has no more power over us. Now, the new man has a choice – follow the flesh or follow the Spirit.

I am crucified with Christ.  A dead man does not insist on getting things his way because he has died to what he wants. ‘Die to self is the simple command of scripture. I don’t have to get what I want. I don’t have to win every fight. I don’t have to come out on top because I have died. I can yield to others because that is what Christ did for me. Dead men don’t make demands and don’t get their way.

I am crucifed with Christ – now I must daily die to myself and live for Him.

No justification by works

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. – Galatians 2.16

Why is it that man always thinks he can do something to placate God? It happens all the time in every culture. Man has tried everything to do it, all kinds of works. Nearly every culture ever encountered has tried to find some way to placate their god or concept of Him and it always involves some kind of works.

The concept of grace is hard for some to swallow. We figure that there must be something we can do to save ourselves. Our our human pride compels us that we have to do something about our situation  so we come up with religious practices that we think will do just that.

But every work ever devised by our best efforts always falls short because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All of our works are like filthy rags. If we violate even one point of the Law the entire Law is broken.

So no man can ever be justified by being holy or religious or good or pious kind or generous or sharing or compassionate or anything because every single one of us will fall short or perfection.

Our only hope of being brought into line with God’s standard of perfection is through faith in Christ. He was perfect. He could pay the penalty. He works we do are the result of salvation, not the other way around. All the works the grace robbers were demanded could never do anything for their eternity.

Hypocrisy

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. – Galatians 2.11-13

One might think that two spiritual giants like Paul and Peter would never row. One would think that in their maturity there would not be a major issue that had to be dealt with.

Paul saw Peter and others, including Barnabas, were living one way before the Jews and one way before the Gentiles. Before the Gentiles they lived by grace and before the Jews they lived by the Law.

Hypocrisy is a big deal It was big enough that Paul had to call out Peter and others out for their behaviour. The world sees hypocrisy and it always gives the world reason to mock. They had to be reminded of the need not to be double minded or to act in a way that made them look better.

If Paul had to publicly call out Peter we need to see that hypocrisy is not something we can take lightly. Inall our dealing we must be pure and upright and not give the world a chance to poke holes in our faith.

Beware of the dangers of hypocrisy.

Remember the poor

and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do. – Galatians 2.9-10

After the hypocrisy situation was resolved the men shook hands in fellowship and they went on their way. They agreed some some would go to the Jews and some to the Gentiles.

And they reminded each other to not forget the poor.

We can’t escape this responsibilty. It was part of the Law and it is part of Jesus’ teachings for us. God has clearly placed the responsibity of caring for the poor on His people. It is not the job of the government. It is not the job of various charities. It is our job.

The tragedy is that is far too many places as the years have passed we have handed that task over to others. That is now a reality and sometimes we can think that we have no poor because the government is taking care of them.

That doesn’t release us from our responsibity to care for the poor. God’s people must be willing to take on the burden of caring for the poor. Many churches now respond to a need by referring them on to a government agency.

When I see the wealth and opulence of many churches today I wonder if we have the right priorities. How can there be any poor when churches have such resources?

‘Remember the poor’ is a reminder I think we could all use.

To spy out our liberty

And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. – Galatians 2.4-5

Chuck Swindoll used the term ‘grace robbers’ when he wrote about these Galatian legalists who wanted to bring the people back under the Law. They could not stand the liberty which the Gentile believers enjoyed. Thye tried to impose on the Gentiles what they had had to do as Jews.

This problem still exists today. There still are people who want to bind us with rules and regulations and man-made standards. I spent a lot of time with Christians who decided people’s maturity or spirituality by a tick list of man-made rules and regulations. If you met their standards you were godly – it not your godliness was in doubt.

It is easy to let grace robbers steal our joy of them Lord and impose their standards instead of the word of God. I have been caught in that trap.When you are there peer pressure forces conformity. When that happens people constantly walk in fear of crossing the line and making God angry and inviting His wrath.

Grace living means that I walk in the same grace that saved me and the same grace that will carry me through to eternity. When I walk in grace I want to do what pleases God because of what He has done for me. I don’t walk to please men who impose their rules on me.

Sure, it is easy to take advantage of that kind of liberty. God though has something to say about that how we use that liberty. We don’t use it to serve our own flesh, but to love others. At the end of the day walking in grace ought to produce much more holy living than rules based man pleasing living.

Walk in God’s grace. Don’t the the grace robbers have their way with you.

What a wonderful change

But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me. – Galatians 1.23-24

Paul’s testimony is one of the most fanatasic, amazing, and obvious changes of life that has even been seen. He was on his way to Damascus to go inot the synagogue to arrest and imprison Christians and even to see them killed.

Instead, when he got to the synagogue he preached the gospel of Christ. He who persecuted the church now preaches the gospel he tried to destroy.

The lesson is clear – God can save anyone – even the least likely in our eyes. God’s saving power can reach into the most wicked heart and turn that heart to Himself.

That means we never get up on anyone we are praying for and loving and sharing the gospel with today.

It is easy to look at Paul though and get the notion that only his salvation story is dramatic. The truth is that God saving anyone is a miracle of His amazing grace. After all, God saved me. He should be glorified in me just like He was glorified in Paul.

Called by grace

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. -Galatians 1.15-17


Called by the grace of God. In this big debate about works and grace Paul kep going back to the importance of grace and its working in lives.

Grace is pervasive and prevelant in the Christian’s life. We were saved by grace, we live by grace, and one day we will die in God’s grace.

When we think about our lives and sometimes get down or discouraged about where God has put us we can forget that we are where we are by the grace of God. By the grace of God we are what we are.It many not be clear yet what God had for us, but the day will come when it all makes perfect sense.

Meanwhile, by faith we can rejoice that God’s grace has allowed us to be where we are and we can be sure that He has a plan in line with His grace.

That I might preach

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. – Galatians 1.15-17

Paul never tired of sharing what God had done for him. He never wearied of telling others how God revealed His Son to him and called him to preach to the Gentiles. Paul knew that what he was doing now was what he had been destined to do while he was still in his mother’s womb.

I know the focus here is to preach to the gospel to the Gentiles, but I think there is a clearer point to be made. Paul knew that he was called by God to be separated from the world and to preach the gospel.

God has called us out of this world. He has called us also to preach the gospel. Every single one of us – you, me, and every believer around us have been given a ministry of reconciliation. We can only do that by proclaiming the gospel. We too have been called out to this task. People are saved as we boldly proclaim His word and particularly the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let’s look to Paul for the kind of determination we need to preach the gospel to pur friends and neighbours.

Please God or please men

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. – Galatians 1.10

Pleasing men of pleasing God, that is the question here.

It is the question that rings through the ages. Are our lives geared to please men or are they geared to please God. Pleasing men is such a driving force because they are all around us.We see them all the time and we want to please others. We want them to like us because that is our nature. We like the approval of others.

This desire to please men can be a real danger. When we desire to please God we can be too easily sacrifice turned from what God wants us to do. When we choose to please men it proves that we are not really the bondservants of Christ. We can’t have two masters. We can’t please both God and man. We need to examine our hearts and decide in advance whether our desire is to make others happy with us or to please God.

As I go about my day today, not knowing what it might bring, may I already know that whatever comes my way I will choose to please God over men.

So quickly turned back

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. – Galatians 1.6-9

Paul was stunned that a whole group of people could be so quickly turned away by false doctrine. Saved by grace and living by grace some of these folks were being persuaded by the grace robbers to try and live by the Law.

No wonder Paul was shocked at their behaviour. Who would go back to the Law once they have tasted grace?

I think the issue here is that people find comfort in rules. We feel more secure when people tell us what to do. All we have to do is to do it and everything must be okay. It is easy to tick boxes on a tick list so people are drawn to it.

But when that happens we are ignoring God’s grace. We are trusting ourselves instead of Him because we are too proud to leave it to God.

Sadly there are folks today who still find comfort in this kind of legalism. They feel good about themselves because they can keep all the rules.

Any work we add lessens cheapens grace. The grace robbers would have us depend on us and not on God’s grace.

Don’t be dissuaded from grace and turned back to works. For by grace through faith we were saved. For by grace through faith we live. By grace through faith we will one day see Jesus.

From this evil age

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. – Galatians 1.3-5

‘That He might deliver us from this present evil age’ is part of Paul’s opened prayer for the Galatians. Paul saw his day as being an evil day. Sin was indeed rampant. In reality I think every day since then has been an evil day.

When we look at our day today it is hard to imagine it getting any worse. Sadly though it will keep getting worse and worse. Paul writes that evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse as we see the day approaching.

How are we going to survive? How are we to avoid the evil?

For one thing we must want to be kept. The question is moot if we are happy enough to just carry on in the world.

But we have the joy to know that at the end of the day we have already been delivered from this present evil age. We don’t have tobe part of the filth and mire of this evil world. We are citizens of heaven This world is not our home. We are just passing though. The affairs of this world are not our affairs. And yet, that is where we tend to spend our time and efforts and resources.

This world cannot defeat us. Our flesh cannot defeat us. Satan can not defeat. God has delivered and will deliver us.

Praise God we can live in His deliverance.

Farewell, be complete

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. – 2 Corinthians 13.11

Paul ends this intriguing letter with a few words that really summarise the whole book in a very concise way:

Be complete
Be of good comfort
Be on one mind
Live in peace
May the God of love and peace be with you

We could write those words to any church or any Christian in the world today. Notice how Paul talks over and over about edification and all of these words are intended to build up. We are to strive toward maturity and find comfort in the Holy Spirit. We are to live in one mind and we are to live in peace. We live as we rely on the God of love and the God of peace.

None of us should be happy with where we are. We are not perfect and will not be, but we must be growing on to maturity, united, living in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, in peace and love with God and each other.