Gospel Freedom in Galatians
Background: What was the key issue in the early church? Race. Culture. Issues that are still with us today. The church at its inception on Pentecost was essentially 100% Jewish and the Apostles and the church in Jerusalem seemed content to keep it that way. Then God called a Pharisee named Saul to salvation and set him aside as an Apostle to the Gentiles. Over the next 30 years, the church became primarily Gentile with a Jewish minority, and many Jews fought it.
Galatians was Paul's first letter, written at the end of his first missionary journey when Gentiles began to come to Christ in droves. A group, sometimes called Judaizers and sometimes the circumcision party, opposed the inclusion of Gentiles in the church. If they were to be part of the church, they needed to become Jewish - follow the law and Jewish rituals. Paul fought them tooth and nail his entire ministry. The gospel was for the whole world.
Galatians is a powerful argument for a gospel free from the works of the law.
As often as time allows, the reader is encouraged to read the entire book - it will not take more than a few minutes. Each day we will work our way through the book passage by passage.
Today's Reading: Galatians 1-6 Focus Passage - Galatians 5:13-15
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.
Through the Bible Readings: Ezekiel 35-36, Hebrews 7:1–10, Psalm 121, Proverbs 28:1
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: What Do They See?
Jesus said that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword. He also said that with whatever measure you use towards others, it will be measured back to you. Of course, we all know the Golden Rule - do to others as you would have them do to you.
In verse 14, Paul reminds us of the words of Jesus. He said the highest law of God was to love the Lord with all your heart and the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. Jewish religionists had gone haywire trying to please God with sabbaths and festivals and circumcision and a list of rules that filled many ancient scrolls. What would we want to live legalistically, Paul wondered, since "you were called to be free?" That freedom is not an opportunity for sin, but an opportunity to love one another.
That is what we are to be about, loving one another. They will know we are the disciples of Jesus Christ by our love. When you look at the church of Jesus Christ today, does love mark our interactions? Would the world look at us and be impressed with our love? Would they know we belong to Jesus and that Jesus is real because of the godly love they see among us?
When people read your social media interactions, would they see the love of Christ? When they see how you speak about "the other side" in political actions, do they see love, or do they see ridicule, mean-spirited and demeaning comments, and anger? When people hear how you speak, do they see Jesus or do they see the flesh?
When we bite and devour one another, what happens? We are bitten and devoured! You cannot be an angry, mean-spirited, unkind person towards others, spouting angry words, flying off the handle, and then expect everyone to be gentle with you. Those who bite and devour find themselves in a world of spiritual piranhas who seek to devour their souls.
We are called to live our lives in love, in mercy, in grace toward one another. We must love those who are unlovely, even those who are unkind to us. We must love people of other nations and other races and other political parties. This is the heart and soul of the law, not religious rituals and rules. Love God and love one another, in the power of Christ.
Father, may I be a man of grace and kindness to others, whether they treat me kindly or not.
Think and Pray:
Are you a person of grace and love towards others, regardless of how they treat you?
Does your social media display love for others?
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