Day 262: Galatians 5:1-12

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

False teachers are notorious for making Christianity about rule-keeping as a means for salvation. I mean, it is easy to see why they use such tactics. It takes all the mystery out of following Jesus and makes it about what we can do. We love when the focus is on us and our accomplishments.

Yet, in its purest form, Christianity is about trusting Jesus to such an extent that love is the outcome. The Greek word Paul uses for expressing is energeō and can also be translated as work or to be in action.  This means that faith is to come first, then love is to follow. This way, we keep everything in its proper perspective.

Obeying the Law of Moses wasn’t going to justify these first-century Christians, and neither will our own efforts set us free.

Jesus is the only one who offers true freedom, and from there, He creates in us a new heart that will accomplish more than we could have ever done by our own initiative.

“For it is the love of Christ which moves our hearts to respond to him; so in that sense it is true to say that our faith is ‘inspired by love.’” - Cole, R. A. (1989). Galatians (Vol. 9, p. 195)

Day 261: Galatians 3:23-29; 4:1-31

“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:26-28 ESV

There is probably not another verse in the Bible that speaks to the revolutionary nature of the New Testament as in verse 28 of this passage. For the first time in human history, everyone was given an equal voice and standing in a movement of people (ultimately of God). This was the setup for every civil rights movement that would follow. Yet it was more than that.

The main message of Jesus was to say that everyone had value, regardless of their gender, status, or race. It is heartbreaking to see many today who still refuse to submit to this truth.

When we are baptized as a response to our faith in Jesus, we are declaring that we are one more sinner in need of grace. Putting on Jesus also means doing away with rank.

This doesn't mean that our race, gender, or status no longer matter. We celebrate the diversity of those that are a part of Jesus' Church. Yet, in our diversity, there should always be equality.

The following quote from Kenneth Boles' Galatians commentary is a great way to end our time for today:

"The Galatian believers, although Gentile in their ancestry, are united with Jewish believers in Christ. In the world, mankind will always be divided into warring camps over issues of race, nationality, creed, sex, and social status, but in the body of Christ all are equal. All have put on Christ; all look like Christ; all belong to Christ."

Day 260: Galatians 3:10-22

“But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” - Galatians 3:22 ESV

Have you ever been reading through the Old Testament (especially the first five books -- the Torah) and wondered why so much detail was recorded when it came to the Law of Moses?

Why do we need to have our eyes on all of these 613 commandments that the Jewish people were instructed to keep?

Paul shows us that the purpose of these Hebrew Scriptures was (and is) to reveal the sin we have in our lives. The Law of Moses is the great revealer of our inadequacy to save our own souls.

So when we fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3), the Author and Finisher of faith. His sacrifice on the cross will always be the only true cure for the sin we have embedded so deep within us. We can continue to try other avenues for help with our darkness, but nothing else will do.

Simple trust in Jesus is the only way.

The old hymn by Jessie Brown Pounds (1906) says it perfectly:

I must needs go home by the way of the cross,

There's no other way but this;

I shall ne'er get sight of the gates of light,

If the way of the cross I miss.

The way of the cross leads home.

Day 259: Galatians 2:17-21; 3:1-9

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20 ESV

C.H. Spurgeon, commenting on this verse, wrote, "I do not know a better epitome of Christian experience than this. This is the daily walk of a true child of God; if he lives after any other sort, then he does not live a Christian's life at all."

When we decided to follow Jesus -- when we believed, confessed His name, changed our minds, and were baptized -- here we see that we ourselves became a resting place for God's presence. We gave him complete control of our will and our bodies.

The Greek word Paul uses for flesh (sarx) here is elsewhere in his letters translated as sinful nature. Though we are in these bodies that are prone to sin, we need to know and believe it is possible also to live a life of faith. We are not doomed to fail; we are equipped to succeed.

How?

Jesus' love (pursuing us).

Jesus' sacrifice (saving us).

Jesus' presence (within us).

Day 258: Galatians 2:1-16

“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” - Galatians 2:16

Justified is one of Paul's favorite words to use as he wrote to churches and friends. He used it to describe what God does when he saves us by the blood of Jesus. It definitely is not a word he used in reference to what we've earned.

The Greek word is dikaioo and is a legal term that was used in reference to the guilty being acquitted.

This is a beautiful picture of what happens when we come to Jesus in faith. He declares us not guilty and sets us free. There are no conditions or debts we have to repay. God only asks us to trust Him, to really believe that His way is the best way to live. Jesus paid it all with his death on the cross.

Being good enough on our own? We've actually tried that many times.

It doesn't end in freedom; it ends in frustration.

This was so important to Paul that he was even willing to confront Christianity's original spokesman, Peter, to ensure that Christianity didn't devolve into a belief that we can make things right all by ourselves, by our performance.

Day 257: Galatians 1:1-24

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In the short term, it is easiest to try and please everyone. Yet as time passes, we see the impossibility of it.

Paul comes straight at the churches in Galatia. He was shocked that they were already turning away from the pure Gospel, taking the easy way, which always claims to be the best way.

Yet here’s the thing. We will always compromise the truth when we seek to please everyone. And to top it off — we will fail miserably.

James Dunn says it well when commenting on this verse: “Paul implies, clearly, that his commitment to Christ as his Lord was so complete, his obligations to Christ so absolute, that his actions as an apostle of Christ were directed by him alone, and that any other course would be unthinkable to him.”

As Christians, our primary goal should be to please our Lord Jesus instead of people. We will never come to the point where the Good News of Jesus can be improved upon, no matter what the mainstream voices are saying.

Our Lord Jesus is the one that will take care of us during this life and as we step into eternity.

Day 256: 2 Corinthians 13:1-13

“Since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.” - 2 Corinthians 13:3-4 ESV

Colin Kruse, commenting on these verses, says this about Paul: "He had learnt that the power of Christ rested upon the weak, not the impressive."

What do you notice as you walk into a church service? Do you see bland pieces of bread and room-temperature cups of juice? Do you hear songs sung that could use some auto-tuning? Do you hear a sermon that could use more dynamics or fewer UHs and UMs? Do you see cobwebs or updates that need to take place in the building? Do you see people with flaws that flood the seats? Everywhere we look, we see weakness.

Yet underneath all of this weakness is intense power with which no darkness can cope. God is up to something.

Resurrection power, we realize, can always be dismissed by obvious weakness. Yet we know what is really happening. Jesus is still doing the miraculous work of transforming lives!

One of the things I love about Paul's language as he ends this letter is that he closes with the hope of his third visit. He loves these people in Corinth. Even though they were a headache sometimes, he was still confident that "Jesus Christ lived in them." The same is true of us today.

Day 255: 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

"For I fear...I fear..." - 2 Corinthians 12:20-21

One of the scariest things about living life is the fear that you will spend mass amounts of time and energy on something that matters to you and that it will amount to nothing. We want our investments to show gains, not just financially but in every area of life.

Paul's phobeo (fear) is a real one that many of us have. He actually only uses the word once in the original language. So it is him saying "I fear" and then the dumping of an insane list of dark living in which the people in Corinth had dwelt before his arrival with the message of Jesus.

His nightmare was their return to the sin they had so radically denied. The fighting. The bad-mouthing. The defaming. The chaos. The sexual confusion. The feelings-driven-life.

Ultimately, the abandonment of truth in exchange for the lies of the world.

So, is it worth the risk to invest in others if this is a real possibility?

Yes, because some sweet Christian initially did the same for you, and if grace can do its work in you, then Jesus can (and will) do the same for another lost soul. Keep making those eternal investments in others. The profit share is one we will enjoy forever in heaven.

Day 254: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

For centuries, Christians have debated about what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was. Was it a sickness? A certain sin with which he struggled? Perhaps a disability? We really have no way of knowing, except that it was a 14-year struggle, 14 years to be reminded of his weakness and his need for God's power to be perfected.

It is mind-blowing for most of us to consider this possibility. It is the idea that God would allow us to experience extreme pain to keep us from thinking that we are somehow evolved and elevated to the point we no longer need God's strength.

This may make us think of Job. He endured an endless amount of pain from the hand of Satan -- simply because God was confident in his character.

Job's words speak volumes to us today when we think of Paul as well: "But he knows the way I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." - Job 23:10

Are you in a difficult season of life right now? Are you confused as to why God has allowed you to experience it? Be rest assured that God is up to something big, and He wants to mold you to become even more like His Son, Jesus. The Devil won’t get the last word.

“Father God, keep re-working my belief in what true strength looks like. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Day 253: 1 Corinthians 11:16-33

“And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” - 2 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

As you read through our passage for today, you may have noticed the heavy sarcasm that Paul uses at the beginning. The "so am I" statements are then followed by a laundry list of difficulties he faced. Paul uses the word danger nine times in all of his letters, and eight of them appear here in 11:26.

Talk about being vulnerable. Paul is laying his heart on the line to convince these Christians in Corinth that he is the real deal.

Craig Groeschel is often quoted as saying, "People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right."

Haven't you found this to be true in your life? Someone who seemingly has it all together is nearly impossible to identify with. This is because we all struggle.

Paul admits to feeling daily "pressure" and that it was causing "anxiety" when it came to caring for these churches. The Greek word he used for pressure is epistasis, which can also be translated as burden. Burdens threaten to attack us all with anxiety. This is a sign of being a human who cares for others.

These feelings do not disqualify us; they can actually help us become better leaders.