Time in the Word: Galatians 6, Proverbs 13

This closing chapter of the letter is full of rich, helpful truth. Characteristic of Paul…the closing has a rapid fire of nuggets. It is as if the paper is running out and he has so much to say…that he simply states it plainly and directly.

• 6:1-2 are powerful. He has been dealing with the danger of forsaking grace for a return to the Law. Here, he expresses the responsibility of the community to restore the fallen…bearing one another’s burdens…and thus fulfilling the LAW of Christ. Christians are not to run about looking to nitpick or destroy one another…they are to encourage, help, and restore one another…to godliness. This takes both courage and perseverance.
• 6:6. Honor and care for those who teach you the Word. A man said to me once, “We let God call you…we’ll keep you humble.” (He was telling me to not look to get rich while I served at that church.) I thought it was interesting that he wanted to insure that he had a nice home and a comfortable lifestyle…but had no intent on seeing to it that his pastor would. (It would have really bugged me…but I know that God provides and also calls to account.) More to the point though…I have heard many church members through the years spend considerable time trash-talking a pastor who buys a new car or too nice of a car…as if he was skimming the plate to get it! Really? If Paul is truthful here…a church should REJOICE and strive to provide honor and provision for their pastors. It is not a competition…it is honor…and it reflects the heart of God when done as it ought to be.
• 6:7. The law of the harvest is always instructive on many levels. What you sow…you will reap. Invest in and cultivate the spiritual seed and you will reap fruit…sow to the flesh and the flesh you will reap. (Some wonder why they come to church twice a year and never read the Scriptures or seek to apply the Scriptures to their lives…and their lives seem to be in constant chaos? Sowing and reaping…  The one who sows to the spirit can have perfect peace in the midst of a hurricane.
• 6:17. Paul said…if you want to know if I believe what I have been telling you…look at the scars. Walking with Jesus will leave its mark on you. It can do nothing else.

Proverbs 13:6 is the takeaway today. “Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, but wickedness subverts the sinner.”

Time in the Word: Galatians 5, Proverbs 12

I hesitate to try to share everything in my heart from this passage…since it is my text for the launch of this new 3-week series beginning Sunday…but it is so rich…and you tuned in…so I should probably say something.

Most people jump to the fruit of the spirit in this chapter. We like fruit. I was in the hospital yesterday in the newborn area. Not one parent was in the waiting room saying, “forget the baby…tell me about the labor.” They wanted to know how it all worked out in the end. “Is the baby ok? How big is she? How much did he weigh? Is mom ok? Can I see her?” (Some of my favorite Bill Cosby material is running through my head even now.)

The fact is, we all love the fruit…the end product…but we avoid the path to get there. We don’t want to get there. We want to avoid it if we can. Why? Because it is hard and uncomfortable. The journey is something we have little control over and less interest in. We just want the results.

But there is a lot of “stuff” leading up to the fruit. Notice:

• 5:1. Christ did not save us because heaven was deficient of some cool worshippers and He needed us. He has no needs. He set us free for the sake of our being set free. Period.
• 5:4. If you experience that hope and turn away…you have FORSAKEN (fallen from) the grace of God and substituted religion and control in its place.
• 5:11. In an effort to make grace and freedom more palatable to us, we try to add rules to grace. Doing so makes us feel better but it invalidates the gospel and grace. It removes the INTENDED obstacle/stumbling block of accepting grace freely. (Yes God intended for us to have to come to Him with empty hands and shredded resumes. He wanted us to cry out for mercy…period.)
• 5:16-21. Before we can see the fruits of the spirit (walk) in our lives, we have to resist/forsake/take dominion over the fruits of the flesh. (This is not contradictory to grace…it is the reality of becoming like Christ when we have a sin-nature.
• 5:21. If you do not forsake the deeds/fruits of the flesh…you will die separated from Christ. You will spend eternity in hell…wishing you did. (I know that sounds harsh…but it needs to be said. No immoral, covetous, idolater, lacking self-control inherits the Kingdom of God. Period.) [Yes...this makes us uncomfortable because you have a brother-in-law who has mastered the art of ____ but has no fruit of a relationship with God. He says he is a believer and you want to believe it...but there is no evidence. Friend, with a broken heart I tell you...if a man is still negotiating with God over who is going to be Lord...he is not a child of God. A confession 20 years ago is no substitute for a daily, vibrant, relationship with Jesus.]
• 5:25-26. Let’s not talk about how far we’ve come…let’s focus on helping everyone become. Jesus is worthy.

Proverbs 12:4 is the takeaway today. “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.” [I have an amazing crown...and you know it.]

Time in the Word: Galatians 4, Proverbs 11

In Galatians 4, we find a couple of strong truths that help us understand the price Christ paid for our freedom, what we have accomplished (or been given) in this freedom, and the necessity of striving to never back-up from freedom.

A couple of observations from the chapter that resonated with my soul today.

• 4:1-3. It is possible to be “free in Christ” because of what Christ has done…and not to have fully realized that freedom. An heir is an heir, but he can be in a place where he does not experience the fullness of his inheritance. [I think many of us...as believers...live there more often than we'd like to admit. We are comfortable with our Christian faith as long as it is measured, controlled, and not too challenging. But...we often leave not only the greater effectiveness on the table...but the greater blessing by not living ABANDONED to the gospel. SO...while we may be heirs, we live as children...]
• 4:4-5. At the perfect time, God sent His Son who redeemed us and made adoption possible. Therefore…positionally…we are no longer servants…or those who are under guardians…but we are fully heirs of God.
• 4:9. If we really know what it is to be an heir…how could we ever REALLY go back to the elemental things of being a child under a guardian? Furthermore…as Paul continues to argue…once you have affirmed grace over the Law…to go back…it to become an affront to God…having tread the grace of God underfoot. (Now this is strongly worded in the Apostle’s language…but that doesn’t make it less true.)
• 4:17. Why do the Judaizers try to tear down Paul and get people to listen to them alone? Because they want to create a dependence. It is for evil motives that they seek after those to embrace their cause. It is not the cause of Christ. It is not a cause of righteousness. It is for something that is sinister and dark. [By the way...every division in the church works this same way. Someone tries to marginalize the leader, create a dependence on them as the new purveyors of truth, then draws away those who will listen to them. They draw them into unrighteousness...]
• 4:30-31. To embrace freedom, we are compelled to cast out that which is opposed to freedom. We cannot ride the fence or have Jesus + anything. Grace requires an approach of GRACE ALONE. There is no middle ground. [This is a fight worth having. It is a worthy cause. At stake...the very truth of the Gospel and with it...the Power of God.]

Proverbs 11:6 is the takeaway today. “The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.” [Sometimes...even often times...our own actions set the trap that catches us...but the wise man who stays to the righteous path shall not stumble.]

Time in the Word: Galatians 3, Proverbs 10

Paul begins a defense here of the previous decision of the Galatians. Notice the strength of his language toward the false teachings of the Judaizers: They had “bewitched” the Galatians (3:1).

Several arguments of logic appear…”How do you begin your journey by faith and then perfect it with works of the Law?” (3:3). Abraham was accounted as righteous 430 years before the Law…because he BELIEVED God (3:6, 16-17). No one signs a contract and then dismisses parts or adds parts to it (3:15).

The point is…Paul demonstrates that the Law did not save but that people were always saved by believing. The Law served the purpose of a “schoolmaster/tutor” (3:24) to lead us to Christ through believing in Him.

CATCH IT: God did not save you so that you would do religious stuff for Him. He saved you because He loves you. Period. No conditions.

AND…to keep everything in balance…the only response to an authentic saving encounter with God is to walk in faith with Him…which means a vastly different course of action than when we lived for our own purpose and pleasure. Our good works and godly lives are an outworking then…of our right relationship with God…not a means to it.

God was not interviewing for moral people and hired you because you fit the bill. He, as any good Father, saved you because you’re you…and He is God…and He desired to set you free. FREE! FREE!

This freedom is for all people…Jew and Gentile (3:28) and all people who are saved by Christ…have the exact same hope and promise (3:29).

APPLIED: If your “faith” is a task or drudgery…you’ve somehow missed the freedom that God intended. If you dread your religion you’ve never been released from captivity…or you’ve been bewitched by some false gospel.

Where are you? Are you longing…or bewitched….or FREE?

Proverbs 10:1 is the takeaway today. “A wise son makes his father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.”

Time in the Word: Galatians 1-2, Proverbs 9

Well…just to mix it up a bit, I am changing the “name” of my morning posts to try to catch your attention. We have done the “Take Two Challenge,” the “Ni90″ Challenge, and a few “Devotion” posts. All of these are really the same thing…but I hope that the name change will illustrate something that I think is critical in the Journey of a Christ-follower.

Everyone needs time in the Word. This is not a time for pithy little sermonettes or proof texting a principle observed in life. It is a time set aside to simply read in God’s Word…asking Him to speak to our hearts that which He desires to.

In the future, I will take a more structured approach…maybe; but, for now, I am simply following what I sense in my heart. I introduced a concept of Freedom in the messages I shared yesterday during Easter services. I will be spending a few weeks on this subject (Lord willing) so today I decided to just saturate my mind with the concept from one of the greatest “set free” Jewish voices ever…the apostle Paul. For the next couple of days, I will be in Galatians…and I hope you might consider joining me…and sharing your thoughts and reflections through the comment section and/or through Facebook.

NOTE: As a reminder…this is not intended to be an exegetical teaching of a particular text. Space limitations and purpose preclude that. This is my quiet time and journaling…only I am making it public (most of it) to you so that you can see and hear what God is doing in my life…and so you can speak into that process as well…sharing what He is doing in your life. The end product will be His glory as we all get to experience and grow together.

Galatians is written to a specific church with a specific backdrop situation. While the church was birthed in GRACE, some Judaizers had gained influence among the congregation and were ADDING to Grace some legal requirements derived from the OT Law of Moses. The product was not a stronger gospel or a stronger church…it was an accursed perversion of the truth…according to the Apostle Paul.

Listen to the passion and strong language He uses…

• 1:6. You have turned to a different gospel (not an improved or modified gospel).
• 1:8-9. Preachers of this new gospel are ACCURSED. (NOTE: The language of cursing here is strong since it is the same language employed in the shame of the crucifixion (3:10-13) and the condemnation of God against sin.
• 1:15-19. The authority of Paul’s preaching (and thus the gospel) is directly from Christ. It is not a derived theology building on some other preacher’s ideas or the latest book on ____ (whatever); rather, it is Apostolic…  CONSEQUENTLY, it is the same gospel preached by Peter/Cephas to the Jews…because there is only one true gospel.
• 2:11-14. Standing for the gospel (and the liberty that comes only from it) requires courage, conviction, and bold action. Paul opposed Peter publicly because Peter compromised to public opinion and was “aloof” toward the Gentiles once a Jewish audience was present. His “hypocrisy” (2:13) was contagious and drew away others…even Barnabas. So…to protect the gospel…Paul confronted Him directly and publicly…calling out the sin for what it was. That takes courage!! That invited criticism!!! That is of God!!
• How can someone be willing to be so bold? Only dead men can be that bold! (2:20).

Living under grace…in liberty (2:4)…does not mean possessing a license to sin. On the contrary…Paul was free and also a BONDSLAVE to Jesus. He was a slave to righteousness and the gospel because the gospel had made Him FREE!

I fear that we (present company included) often times get out of balance with these apparently contradictory ideas. We like the extremes of freedom…or legalism…but struggle with being FREE BONDSERVANTS. The concept is difficult for us…so rather than meditate on it deeply…we massage it and compromise on it…making it less caustic, more palatable…and less effective. The gospel works EFFECTIVELY (2:8) to call both Jew and Gentile and for both Jew and Gentile. Our softening of it…simply makes it anemic, lukewarm…and tepid. We blunt the sharp edge of the gospel when we compromise it…by adding to or by taking away.

Proverbs 9:7 is the takeaway today. “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.”

Ni90: Galatians 4-6, Proverbs 28

As Paul continues his defense/argument against adding to the gospel elements of Jewish tradition…there is so much good in these chapters to be mined out. Choosing only a couple is difficult.

• 4:4-7. At the perfect time, God sent His Son into the world. God’s timing is perfect. Still today it is perfect. We might think He is late…or derelict…but that is because we do not understand things from God’s perspective. His timing is perfect. FURTHERMORE, God sent His Son into the world. This is a strong statement on the incarnation of Christ. Jesus did not come to be in a stable in Bethlehem. He (the second person of the Trinity) is eternal. He took on flesh 2,000 years ago but in the beginning of everything…He already was! ALSO, God sent His Son into the world to set captives free, to save sinners, to remove the guardian (the Law) and affirm the inheritance of the saints.
• 5:9. Be careful about allowing bad influence to have contact with God’s people. One gossip…one false teacher…one angry or unforgiving man…and the influence will spread throughout the whole Body. Our first approach is restoration through confrontation and repentance (6:1-2). If this is refused, then the bad influence must be removed. A little leaven (yeast) influences the whole lump of dough (the Body).
• 5:11. Paul did not try to remove the stumbling block of the cross (Salvation by God’s grace, not by our adherence to any Code). He recognized it and defended it. Liberalism waters down things like the cross. The doctrine is too difficult (they say) so let’s see if we can interpret the Scriptures in a way that is less offensive and more easily embraced. WHO SAID Salvation was to be easily embraced? Not Jesus (See Luke 9:23). Salvation is free…but it also costs us everything.
• 6:1-2. Two of my favorite verses. They remind us how to deal with one another and help one another. God gave us US to help us. (Read it again 3 xs).  We are on the same team trying to help each other NOT miss God because of our own sin.
• 6:7. What you do has consequences. Sow to the flesh, reap the flesh. Sow to the Spirit, reap the Spirit.
• 6:9. The Law of the harvest tells us that we always reap later than we sow. Don’t quit watering and caring for the things we’ve sown. We will reap a harvest eventually.

Proverbs 28:9 is the takeaway today. “He who turns his ear away from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

Ni90: Galatians 1-3, Proverbs 27

Today kicks off Day 58 of the 90 Day reading through the NT! Congrats to all those who have persevered in the journey!! As we look into Galatians, it is pretty helpful to understand an overview of what is going on in the background that drives such a hard-hitting letter.

Paul preached the gospel and many in Galatia were converted. After he left, other religious leaders came in and began declaring that Gentiles must adhere to the Jewish Law in addition to the gospel of Salvation by faith. Their argument caught some traction…and one Paul heard of it…he strongly corrects the teaching to PRESERVE the truth and power of the Gospel.

Key sections for me today:

• 1:6-9. There is only one gospel and it is the gospel of grace. Anything beyond this is not the gospel. It is a perversion of the gospel.
• 2:5. Paul understood the integrity of the gospel to be valuable for defending. To allow modification to the gospel…or additions to the gospel…effectively destroyed its power. This is not a political consideration…it is a spiritual declaration. If Paul were being political, he would simply go along (1:10).
• 3:3. As the fella from Texas said, “Dance with the one who brung ya!” How can you start your spiritual journey by faith and then bring it to completion by adhering to the Law? It makes no sense. Furthermore, it destroys the gospel of faith.
• There is one gospel for everyone. Certainly there is not restriction on the Jews that prevents them from observing parts of their traditions (even to this day); however, when those traditions are imposed on others as a prerequisite/condition for salvation, then they err.
• 3:27-29. All believers, Jew and non-Jew, are descendents of Abraham…not by circumcision (which is the sign of the covenant), but by Christ who is the giver of the covenant. As descendents, both Jew and non-Jew are heirs of the promise given to Abraham.

Applied: Paul’s statement is so strong it would be heralded as narrow and considered in “poor form” in our culture today. “It is the gospel I said it was…or whoever says something else is accursed!” WHat evokes such a strong response? The challenge to the only hope people have.

In church today…it is still a constant battle to preserve the gospel. a man is saved and yet treated as second class because he does not come tot he same conclusion on smoking a cigar, wearing a tie, or reading a 400 year old translation of the Scriptures? Really? These things do not save. Not even remotely. It takes courage to defend truth. We need people of courage who will do so…lest we watch the power fo the gospel destroyed by additions, subtraction, and division…

Proverbs 27:6 is the takeaway today. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”

Take Two: Galatians 6, Proverbs 28

I have cited Galatians 6:1-2 many times…because I think it encapsulates the role we have as part of a community of believers. We are to restore the fallen…those who are engaged in sin (whatever the sin) in order to rescue them and help them get back engaged in walking in the Spirit. We don’t throw rock or “eat our own” (as many baptists are famous for)…but we get involved with others to help them get free from their sin cycle.

v.6 gives a justification for supporting our spiritual leaders…that they may care for our souls as watchmen. vv.7-10 speaks of the law of the harvest. We reap what we sow…not what we wish we sowed or claimed to have sown.

Paul calls out the motives of those who are advocating circumcision. He notes that the Judaizers are seeking points of personal pride…measures to boast about. Paul argues and prays that he would never boast in anything except the grace of God and God’s gift to him.

What does this type of lifestyle yield for a Christian? Paul says…that he has scars…brand-marks of his faith. His faith came at a great cost…but he paid it…so that God would be glorified. May we be as faithful.

Proverbs 28:4 is the takeaway today. “Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive with them.”

Tomorrow, let’s begin the OT book of Job together. See you there!

Take Two: Galatians 5, Proverbs 27

This chapter is powerful since Paul drives straight to the heart of the matter of living by faith. He states that if anyone is circumcised (seeks righteousness apart from faith alone) then he cuts himself off from Christ (vv.1-4). In modern terms, we would say…that if anyone says that “to be righteous you must accept Jesus and live according to the 10 commandments…then you can be saved,” then they have done exactly what Paul is prohibiting.

Certainly, Paul is not speaking against morality or good living. He states that righteous and holy living is FRUIT of a life walking in the Spirit (vv.16-26). In fact, it is not a stretch to say that Paul teaches that you cannot walk in righteousness apart from walking in the Spirit. It is impossible to live in a holy manner (completely) without the help of God who works righteousness in us.

Therefore…if a person consistently bears the fruit of the Spirit…then he is walking in the spirit. At the same time, if a person is characterized by the fruit of the flesh…he is not walking in the Spirit…but in the flesh. This one is not a CARNAL person who get demerits in heaven…he is one who is cut off from Christ (v.21).

That last idea was worth reading all of this for…it is NEVER okay for a believer to be satisfied walking in the flesh. To say, “I am a Christian and I just have some vices that hold me back,” is to lie. To embrace fleshly living as a standard course of life…is to deny the life in the Spirit that Christ came to give.

Proverbs 27:18 is the takeaway today. “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who cares for his master will be honored.”

Take Two: Galatians 4, Proverbs 26

Much could be said about this chapter. Paul continues the argument and also shares his heart for the listener…that they would maintain with vigilance…their freedom in Christ.

The verses that resonate the most with ME…are vv.4-7. God’s timing was perfect. He sent Christ into the world at the perfect time. No one can argue that God reacted to circumstances or was forced to respond to needs int he world. He sovereignly chose the time and place and circumstances of the Incarnation…as well as Christ’s crucifixion and our justification.

The result of God’s choice and actions….our adoption as Sons and inheritance in Christ.

To walk away from our inheritance…by choosing the Law over faith…is to walk away from our adoption…and to discount the sovereign plan of God.

REFLECTION: Accepting God’s grace by faith is one of the most difficult things to do from our human perspective. We WANT desperately to deserve the favor of God. We desire earnestly to have God say “good job,” “I will save you now.” However, this is not the plan or “way” of God. He saves us apart from any work on our part SO THAT He alone receives glory in our salvation. At the same time…our free gift of grace MUST affect how we live by faith.

Imagine if you will…a person who receives from a benefactor a valuable and precious gift. The person’s response…to not even say thank you or to even think differently about the benefactor. This is WRONG. We would declare that this person lacks social graces…lacks manners…is rude. HOW SO THEN can we justify the one who CLAIMS to have received adoption as a son of God who then does not live in a manner worthy of that adoption?

Grace is free. Response to grace costs us everything. In the big picture though…what we “expend” in response to God’s grace…what we “give up” is nothing of value ultimately. Our giving it up…is worship.

Proverbs 26:27 is the takeaway today. “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.”