Compare the big ten with American life and weep —now you understand why we’re in so much trouble. It’s not that we’re a little naughty. We’re completely rebellious. We are to be holy. The Ten Commandments have become such a normal part of my life, I no longer think about them. I found I couldn’t even remember some of them. So, I went to refresh myself. Oh my Lord! Our national policy directly opposes most, if not … Continue reading →
Verse 5:13 My dear family, you were called to freedom; however, do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Here we start getting into the area that has caused so much confusion in the church for the past decades, centuries, and millennia. If we are free from the law, why do we bother to obey its precepts at all? Paul acknowledges that we are free, but we must … Continue reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Walking in the Spirit or the flesh? This is an extremely important question. This is where power flows from in your life. Let start by looking at Romans: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those living according to the Holy Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be focused on the flesh is death, but keeping your mind focused on the Lord through His Spirit is life and peace. Because the fleshly … Continue reading →
Today we talk about two things where most people really mess up: covenants & morality. God‘s solution is always unique and edifying. ___________________________________ Galatians 3 Verse 3:15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example in human terms. Just as no one can set aside or amend an accepted contract, so it is in this case. It is always good to get these truths into everyday experience. We need to look at our laws to see how they … Continue reading →
Galatians 3:10 Trying to please God by obeying the Law puts you under a curse. The Scriptures say, “Everyone who doesn’t obey everything in the Law is under a curse.” This is another little Old Testament nugget from Deuteronomy 27:26. Remember that the Law includes the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The arguments that many of the things in the Mosaic law are no longer relevant to modern society is bogus, … Continue reading →