Sowing and Reaping

Scripture – Galatians 6:6-8: ⁶Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. ⁷Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Reflection: – This is so clear there’s really nothing more to add. I will reap what I sow. Which nature will guide my living? That’s a choice I will face throughout this day.

I’ll step back from time to time and do a check on myself. Am I sowing from my sinful nature or the Spirit?

How will you live today? What fruit will come from the seeds you sow?

(Check out tomorrow’s reading for a clue to sowing from the Spirit.)

Reading for Sunday, June 1

Scripture – Galatians 6:9-10: ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Gentle Restoration

Scripture – Galatians 6:1-5: ¹Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ²Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, ⁵for each one should carry his own load.

Reflection: – Wow! There are too many interesting things in this passage to touch on in this space. Right from the start I see the idea of gentle restoration when someone is caught in a sin.

First of all, restoration is the goal, not rejection. I am to reach out to the person with the hope of bringing them back. My sinful nature would lead me to act out of anger and hurt, wash my hands of the whole matter, and let the person go. The fact is Christ has not treated me that way. Many times He has reached out to me and restored me to a right relationship with Him. He’s my model to follow.

Second, I’m to do this gently. It’s no good if I go pointing a finger with pride and arrogance. Rather, I go in love and humility.

Third, I need to keep an eye on myself so I don’t slip and fall with them. It’s like helping someone up who’s fallen down. If I slip and fall too, we’re both in trouble.

Who has reached out to you offering this gentle restoration? Who might need you to reach out to them?

In Step With the Spirit

Scripture – Galatians 5:22-26: ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Reflection: – Often I’ve seen the “fruit of the Spirit” broken down into individual aspects. I’ve even seen them described as various “fruits” of the Spirit. However, that’s not what we read here. Real fruitful living will include characteristics like these. At the same time, it’s not intended to be a list of things to check off. It can easily become a new “law” if I’m not careful.

Verse 25 is a great guideline for us all. As I move through my daily life, what nature do I reflect? Have I made a conscious choice to let my sinful nature die – actually to kill it, as the Bible describes here? Do I embrace the Spiritual nature Christ has brought into me? I can tell as I monitor my behavior and my attitudes throughout the day.

Lord, help me live by your Spirit today. Fill me with your fruitfulness. Kill my sinful nature. I can’t do that on my own. Thanks.

How will you choose to live today?

Never Too Old to Change

Scripture – Galatians 5:19-21: ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Reflection: – When I was younger, “the acts of the sinful nature” were obvious. Over the years we (and I am part of that “we”) have let ourselves drift so that the line between right and wrong has become blurred. I am amazed at how many of the behaviors Paul lists here are in the church. We accept them and tolerate them because we want to be open to all people.

Yet what Paul lists here are more than behaviors – they can be part of a person’s nature. So, if someone is short-tempered or jealous of others, we think that’s just part of who they are. And we tolerate their behavior.

The sanctifying work of the Spirit changes me from the inside out. I am always capable of being changed. I’m not always open to it. That’s my sinful nature at work. I’ll never be too old to change. Nor will I outgrow my need to change.

Lord please keep working on me and in me. You know my growing edges. Give me wisdom and courage to move ahead as you lead.

How do you determine right from wrong? What’s a “growing edge” in your life? Who can help you in your personal spiritual journey?

Two Distinct Natures

Scripture – Galatians 5:16-18: ¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Reflection: – Paul lifts up what is a constant tension for all of us. I live with two distinct natures in me. They pull me in opposite directions. If I gratify one I am denying the other.

In the face of that, our instruction here is to choose our spiritual nature over our sinful nature. As simple as that is to understand, it’s difficult to put into practice. My sinful nature is the default setting with which I was born. My spiritual nature came to me when I opened myself to Christ and His presence in me. My goal is to have this spiritual nature become the default.

The problem is I don’t believe this sinful nature will ever go away as long as I live in this body. It will always be lurking. And I can’t ever take it for granted. For the Evil One will use it any time to cause all kinds of problems if I don’t pay attention.

How do you experience these two natures in your life? How can you gratify one over the other? What will you do to “live by the Spirit” today?

Love Is an Action

Scripture – Galatians 5:11-15: ¹¹Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves! ¹³You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Reflection: – Freedom from the Law leads to responsible decision-making. I am free to serve in love. Paul backs up to the great Teacher Himself: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I keep reminding myself that love is an action word, not a feeling. I don’t have to feel love for someone in order to love them. A lot of people would not be loved at all if that were the case. Sure, it’s great when feelings and actions go together. But it’s not necessary in order for love to be expressed.

The fact is feelings often follow actions. So the question is not who do I feel like loving today? The question is who will I love today? How will I demonstrate that?

How will you answer those questions today?

A Personal Challenge

Scripture – Galatians 5:5-6: ⁵But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Reflection: – This is exceptionally clear and purposely open-ended. After all this discussion, it’s clear that obeying the law (works) will not win me eternal salvation. Only faith in Christ gives me that.

So now, how will I live in Christ Jesus? The simple answer is to let my personal faith express itself in love. Than can happen in any number of ways as each day unfolds. It begins with my desire to be a loving person. This is a personal challenge for me. In fact, it leads into some personal things I’m not going to list here.

So, what’s the challenge for you? How might your faith in Christ express itself in loving ways today?

Reading for Sunday, May 25, 2008

Scripture – Galatians 5:7-10: ⁷You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? ⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Being an Effective Receiver

Scripture – Galatians 5:1-4: ¹It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ²Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Reflection: – Paul is making a major point here. In Christ we have eternal life. That comes to us as a gift. I am free to live as a follower of Christ because I don’t have to worry about losing that gift. God will not take it back. I’m not on any kind of probation to prove whether or not I’m serious. God knows my heart.

One of the most helpful disciplines I’ve found for my spiritual growth has to do with gifts. Over the past several years I have practiced letting myself receive gifts. When someone gives me a gift, I say, “Thank you.” I resist that temptation to give them a gift in return, as long as that gift would be only an attempt to “balance the books.” If that’s my motivation, I nullify the gift and it becomes merely a business transaction.

A hard thing to accept is I owe Christ nothing. I’m not in His debt because everything I have, He has given me. So I find myself doing good things and loving other people because of what He has done for me – not to somehow pay for what He’s done. In that, I find great freedom and joy.

How do you handle gifts? How can you practice becoming a more effective receiver of gifts?

Living Out God's Promise

Scripture – Galatians 4:28-31: ²⁸Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. ³⁰But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” ³¹Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Reflection: – Building on the story of Abraham’s two sons, Paul presents his conclusion: In Christ we are “children of promise.” That hits me on a couple of levels.

One – our hope of eternal life comes only because of God’s promise. In Christ, He fulfilled His promise to Abraham. In Christ, we are the fulfillment of that promise.

Two – in Christ we are also filled with promise. God created me and you personally and uniquely. I have a specific purpose in life – one God intended for me when I was born. As I seek that out and live it out, I begin fulfilling the promise He has for me.

What does God have in mind for you? What promise has He planted in you? How are you doing with it?

Giving God Time to Keep His Promises

Scripture – Galatians 4:21-23: ²¹Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ²³His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

Reflection: – Paul is going back to the story of Abraham and his two sons. God had promised Abraham he would have many descendants. However, his wife, Sarah, had not born any children in all the years they were together. Not seeing how God’s promise could be kept through Sarah, Abraham decided to help God out. He had a child through his slave, Hagar. But later on, when Sarah was ninety years old, she bore the child God had promised. (You can read about all this beginning in chapter 15 of Genesis.)

Paul is beginning here an extended discussion of God’s grace. The main thing I see today is the importance of trusting God to do what He promises. He doesn’t need my help to do that. When I cannot figure out how God will do what He’s promised, I’ve learned to simply wait and be surprised.

What’s an “impossible” thing Christ has done for you? When are you tempted to help God out because you don’t think He can do what He’s promised?

Until Christ is Formed in You

Scripture – Galatians 4:17-20: ¹⁷Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. ¹⁸It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. ¹⁹My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Reflection: – Mixed motives! That’s an issue for us all. Rarely do I do the right things from totally pure motives.

As Paul writes here, “it is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good.” So what’s important to begin with is that I choose to work for a good purpose. For example, if I’m raising money for a church project or other charity, even if it turns into a competition where I’m trying to come out ahead of other people, it’s still in the context of a good purpose.

That then frees me to pursue the deeper goal: that Christ is formed in me. I let His presence in me grow and fill me and transform me. The goal is that one day my will becomes totally caught up in His will. At this point, I experience flashes of that. There are short bursts where I am one with Christ in motive and action. Those are powerful times. I’ve got a long way yet to go. Maybe I’ll never get there this side of heaven. But that doesn’t keep me from moving forward.

What motivates you when you are doing good? How is Christ being formed in you today?

A Hard Reality

Scripture – Galatians 4:8-11: ⁸Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. ⁹But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ¹⁰You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Reflection: – One of the hard realities to accept is that there are spiritual powers stronger than me. The only power I have is to choose who my master will be. As much as my human nature resists that, it is a fact.

Christ is the one who loves me. He’s the one who sets me free to become the person He’s created me to be. As I let Him be lord – the guiding force and director of my life – I will live a life of fullness and joy. Every day is a new gift, a new adventure. And I expect to find His help and experience His power along the way.

One of Satan’s most effective schemes against us in to instill the idea that we are self-sufficient – that I am in control of my life. Yet the simple fact is I am not. There are powers of darkness far stronger than my will – powers which will master and enslave me. The worst part of it is, I won’t even recognize that.

What concerns influence your behavior? Who is the master of your life? Ultimately, where are you headed?

Reading for Sunday, May 18:

Scripture – Galatians 4:12-16: ¹²I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. ¹³As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. ¹⁴Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

A Very Personal Connection

Scripture – Galatians 4:6-7: ⁶Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Reflection: – One of the unique aspects of the Christian faith is the personal relationship each person can have with God. The word “Abba” has been translated many different ways. The key, thought, is it conveys a very personal relationship with the Father – a relationship that is intimate and unique for each of us.

Through faith in Jesus Christ I have this intimate connection. The great Creator of the universe also knows me and interacts with me. God is interested in the smallest details of my life. That’s a bit mind-boggling. And it’s a Biblical truth I sometimes find hard to accept.

How about you? How would you describe your relationship with God? What do you do to nurture that relationship?

Family Life

Scripture – Galatians 4:1-5: ¹What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ²He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. ⁴But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ⁵to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Reflection: – A primary purpose of the law was to serve as a guardian. When Christ came, that purpose was no longer needed. God sent His Son so we might have full rights as His children.

In college I learned the difference between living under law and living under grace. I’ve been letting that lesson sink in ever since.

Basically, the law presents an external list of rules to follow. I don’t have to think much about what to do. I just consult the list. That also relieves me of a great deal of responsibility.

Living under grace, however, puts responsibility squarely on me to live like a Christian. Eternal salvation is assured. I don’t have to worry about that. I do have to decide how I will live in light of that. Such is the responsibility of freedom. In many ways it’s harder than law.

How are you doing with that? How is life lived under God’s grace working for you? What will help you grow in that?

God's Forever Family

Scripture – Galatians 3:26-29: ²⁶You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Reflection: – There’s a school of thought that looks out on all the people of the world and says, ‘We’re all God’s children.’ I’m not sold on that idea. God created every single person uniquely and personally. And God loves every single person. At the same time, as we read here, it’s through our faith in Christ that we become children of God. In Christ we are part of God’s forever family.

No matter what our backgrounds and upbringing, we are all one in Christ. We’re all part of the same family. And in God’s perfect perspective, no child is more important or loved more than any other. There are no favorites in God’s family.

There are people who spend more time with the Father than others. And because of that, they enjoy a closer relationship. I wasn’t very close to my parents. But then, I didn’t spend much time with them. That was my loss.

Where are you in relation to God’s family? How close are you to the Father? How much do you share with Christ?

Playing In the Street

Scripture – Galatians 3:23-25: ²³Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Reflection: – As children grow up, they are expected to follow some basic rules. They don’t know what’s behind the rules or why they’re in place. They only know they’re supposed to do what their parents tell them.

Part of the task of raising children is helping them understand why, for example, it’s dangerous to play in the street. As they begin to see for themselves that it’s a bad idea, they no longer need direct parental supervision. They learn to make good choices for themselves based on the consequences of those choices.

God’s written law gives me a great and healthy framework for living. While it’s my faith in Christ that gives me the assurance of heaven, I don’t abandon the law. God gave His law to His people to bring order and harmony to life. The law is a gift of love – just as many parental admonitions are. So I remember in Christ I’m freed from the curse of the law. At the same time, I’m also free to obey it. For it’s still risky to play in the street.

How do you live with God’s law? How do you determine how to behave?

The Purpose of God's Law

Scripture – Galatians 3:19-22: ¹⁹What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. ²⁰A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. ²¹Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²²But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Reflection: – Simply put, the purpose of the law is to reveal our sin. As I look at God’s written law, I cannot keep it. I do not measure up to the standard of living outlined by the law. I don’t have that capability in me. Apart from Christ, I live as “a prisoner of sin.”

God’s written law was never intended to be the way to eternal life. It only shows me I can’t get there on my own. And so I trust God’s promise “through faith in Jesus Christ.” When I come before God’s judgment seat, that promise is all the credential I need.

It is not a matter of hoping my good deeds outweigh my bad ones. It is simply a matter of trusting Jesus Christ to keep His promise. In Him, eternal life is assured – no matter what.

Where is your ultimate faith placed? What are you counting on for eternal life?

The Curse Is Broken!

Scripture – Galatians 3:10-14: ¹⁰All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” ¹²The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” ¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” ¹⁴He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Reflection: – The other night I was watching a TV program that featured a character who lived with an inner driver that constantly said, “Be perfect!” I know that driver, and it’s no fun. The simple fact is, I can never be perfect – even if I know all the rules. No matter how much time I spend with it, the lawn will never be quite right. I can revise a paper fifteen times, and it still won’t be quite ready for publication. I can clean a window over and over, and there will always be a little streak or smudge somewhere. All that driver will do is drive me crazy.

The “curse of the law” is that sense of always trying to be good enough, but never knowing if I am. And so, Christ redeemed us from that curse. Through His cross he took the requirements of the law out of play. So I don’t have to worry about being perfect or even good enough. Through faith in Him, I’m free to live imperfectly, knowing I can’t lose His love or His grace. That is good news!

How do you experience the curse of the law? How does faith in Christ help you deal with that?

An Invitation: For anyone interested in sharing their personal reflections from this week’s readings, you are invited to come by the Tim Hortons donut shop at Dix-Toledo and Northline in Southgate tomorrow morning at 9:45am. We’ll have a cup of coffee and see what the Lord has been teaching us this week.

Reading for Sunday, May 11:

Scripture – Galatians 3:15-18: ¹⁵Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Our Very Old Faith

Scripture – Galatians 3:6-9: ⁶Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁷Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. ⁸The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Reflection: – Our spiritual roots go back thousands of years. While technically they go back to Genesis and the creation of Adam and Eve, historically they begin really in Genesis 12 with God’s call to Abraham. From then on there’s a common thread that winds throughout the rest of the Bible.

This Galatian passage today is kind of interesting. Paul is writing nearly two thousand years ago. And he’s interpreting scripture written up to a thousand years before that. As he reaches back to these very old spiritual roots, he finds the essence of the gospel of Christ. Abraham “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

From the very beginning, all God has wanted is simple faith. So Jesus came with that same purpose. By believing in Him I have the assurance of eternal life.

How has God blessed you? What do you have in common with Abraham? With Paul?

An Invitation: For anyone interested in sharing their personal reflections from this week’s readings, you are invited to come by the Tim Hortons donut shop at Dix-Toledo and Northline in Southgate this Sunday morning at 9:45am. We’ll have a cup of coffee and see what the Lord has been teaching us this week.

Keeping the Truth Clearly in Mind

Scripture – Galatians 3:1-5: ¹You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ²I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? ³Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? ⁴Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? ⁵Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Reflection: – “Who has bewitched you?” There’s a question for us. As we all know, there are all kinds of voices calling us down all kinds of paths. One of the strongest is the voice of that old work ethic that says we have to earn our way.

Paul raises that up here in verse 3. We come to Christ in faith. We have salvation through believing in Him. He is all we need for eternal life. Yet my human nature constantly whispers that I need to “do” something besides that. If we’re not careful we embrace a new set of rules that we have to obey if we’re really Christians.

That’s not true. That’s the Evil One trying to bewitch us. Christ in me is the answer. Yes, my behavior will change because I am changed. But I don’t change my behavior in order to assure my salvation. We are saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. That’s it! That’s the good news (gospel).

What voices are trying to “bewitch” you? What voice will you follow today?

Who Will I Please?

Scripture – Galatians 2:11-14: ¹¹When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. ¹²Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. ¹³The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. ¹⁴When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

Reflection: – What a confrontation this must have been! Peter left Jerusalem to visit Antioch – a place where many people from a Gentile (non-Jewish) background had become Christians. I can picture Paul proudly taking Peter around and introducing him to the people of the church. They ate together and were having a good time together.

Then some other people came from Jerusalem – Christians who were still caught in their past. They were from a Jewish background and they believed people became Christians in part by embracing the Jewish traditions.

What was it like for Peter when these people arrived? What was it like for Paul? I imagine Peter feeling deeply conflicted, while Paul was hurt. His question to Peter was entirely appropriate.

I’ve felt that kind of inner conflict before. I’ll be doing something I feel totally fine with, and then I’ll see someone who thinks differently, and I find myself tempted to hide. Where do you feel such conflict? What’s at the root of it for you?

Reading for Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Scripture – Galatians 2:15-16: ¹⁵“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ ¹⁶know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Reading for Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Scripture – Galatians 2:17-21: ¹⁷“If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. ¹⁹For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

The Great Debate

Scripture – Galatians 2:1-5: ¹Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. ²I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. ³Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

Reflection: – After fourteen years of successful ministry among the Gentiles, Paul felt led to check in again with the leaders of the Jerusalem church. He set before them the basic gospel he was preaching, and it was approved.

The reference to circumcision touches on a great point of debate in the early church. A lot of people believed a person had to become a Jew first before they could come to Christ. They thought people had to submit to the Jewish law before they could be saved. The major argument Paul is making in Galatians is precisely the opposite. People can come to Christ as they are, where they are. That’s God’s grace at work. Titus was an example.

What extra regulations do people try to put on you? What ones might you try to put on others?

An Invitation: For anyone interested in sharing their personal reflections from this week’s readings, you are invited to come by the Tim Hortons donut shop at Dix-Toledo and Northline in Southgate tomorrow morning at 9:45am. We’ll have a cup of coffee and see what the Lord has been teaching us this week.

Reading for Sunday, May 4:

Scripture – Galatians 2:6-10: ⁶As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. ⁷On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. ⁸For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. ⁹James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. ¹⁰All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Comparing Notes

Scripture – Galatians 1:18-24: ¹⁸Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. ²¹Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. ²²I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴And they praised God because of me.

Reflection: – So after three years Paul went to meet Peter and get acquainted with him. For two weeks or so they stayed together. I wonder what those conversations were like.

While in Jerusalem Paul also met James, the Lord’s brother. From what we can tell, Peter and James were the primary leaders of the church in Jerusalem – the so-called “mother” church.

Paul strikes me as a somewhat stubborn fellow. I think he struggled with personal pride and ego throughout his ministry. That’s probably why it took him so long to get together with Peter and James. Yet the fact is he needed to compare notes with them. His faith and understanding of Christ had pretty much been worked out on his own. He needed to check with those who had literally walked with Christ and make sure he was on the same page.

There are times I have great ideas or interpretations of scriptures. Still, I need to check with other Christians and get their take on my thoughts. Sometimes it turns our I’ve really missed the mark.

In this day and age, when people choose their spiritual beliefs from all kinds of sources, how do you choose what to believe? Who is a mature Christian you can go to and compare notes?

An Invitation: For anyone interested in sharing their personal reflections from this week’s readings, you are invited to come by the Tim Hortons donut shop at Dix-Toledo and Northline in Southgate this Sunday morning at 9:45am. We’ll have a cup of coffee and see what the Lord has been teaching us this week.

It All Begins with God

Scripture – Galatians 1:15-17: ¹⁵But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

Reflection: – These opening verses in Galatians serve as part of Paul’s spiritual autobiography. His story begins with God. That’s always the starting point. Our faith does not come from ourselves. Our hope does not come from within us.

It all begins with God who “set me apart from birth.” Each one of us has been created uniquely by God. We are each loved and valued by Him. We are created with a unique purpose in mind.

At some point the grace of God broke into Paul’s life. It was not based on anything he had done. It was/is based totally on who God is and how much He loves you and me. So by His grace God revealed His Son to Paul.

Then, by his grace, God called him to preach the good news of Christ to the Gentiles (the non-Jewish people). This was God[s purpose and plan for Paul.

How do you experience the grace and love of God in your life? What unique purpose do you think God has for you?