Galatians 5:7–8 You were doing so well until someone talked you out of obeying the truth. This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. We must always be careful who we listen to. Over the years my wife and I have spent countless hours correcting strange beliefs held by immature Christians. Note carefully, I do not see any hint here that Paul is calling these people heathens. What he is saying is that the result … Continue reading →
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Continue reading →Galatians 5:2–3 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. [ESV] This is outside most of our experience. It’s hard for us to fathom that becoming a male Jew … Continue reading →
We are made in the image of God. Creativity is a major part of God’s image. One of the primary attributes of God is His creativity. Even a casual examination of flowers, clouds, trees, mountains, or anything else in His creation will prove to you His immense creativity. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the … Continue reading →
Spiritually cleaning up your work place does not have anything to do with the drek seen from Hollywood. Office help: let’s start with the basics As I ramp up to start producing help for you in your daily work, it strikes me that the most basic things are often forgotten. So, let’s start with something real basic. Gaining spiritual control of your office As we get started on this we need to talk about some basics of … Continue reading →
Maintaining a spiritual sanctuary should be one of your basic Christian skills. Of course, the Holy Spirit enables the sanctuary to work and be safe. Maintaining a spiritual sanctuary helps security in the midst of a war Before we get started on this we need to talk about some basics of warfare. Rest assured, it would be extremely easy to prove to you (if you don’t already know) that the Christian walk is warfare. As a soldier … Continue reading →
Galatians 5:1 The Messiah has truly set us free. Stand fast and stay free, and do not get bound up in slavery again This is a glorious statement to us—Americans who have made freedom the center of our culture. But it is always a struggle because freedom assumes responsibility. Yes, we are free, but we are responsible for our actions. Are we really free before we realize that the basic freedom is to choose the one we … Continue reading →
Verse 4:21–31 Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law? Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. The son of the slave woman was born by human scheming; the son of the free woman was born by God’s promise. This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of … Continue reading →
Verse 4:12a Brothers and sisters, I became like you, so I beg you to become like me. Paul had taken on Gentile cultural practices in order to minister to them effectively. Here he is asking those to whom he ministered to become like him spiritually. This entire little section seems to be about reminding the Galatians about the ties they have of friendship and love. The larger question is: How much are we to mimic our leaders? … Continue reading →
Today I want to talk about seasons. For years I have found joy in the liturgical year. The Advent to Ascension season about the Lord and the Pentecost season about walking in the Spirit always made internal sense to me. The yearly cycle of winter through spring to summer and back through fall is also deeply meaningful to me personally. When I was a heathen, the cycle of the Zodiac was comforting. But the question in all … Continue reading →