Galatians

My Boast in Christ (Galatians 6)

Cross of Christ

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Everyone is boasting in something. The title on their business card. The shine on their new car. Their impressively low golf handicap. The achievements of their kids. You get the picture.

Paul says, whilst other people boast in these things he’s not going to.

He won’t boast in his circumstances – they can change.
He won’t boast in his flesh – it is corrupted.
He won’t boast in his own abilities – they are a gift from God.

There is only one thing he will boast in; the cross of the Jesus Christ.

So, what does the cross of Christ do that we might boast in it?

1. It crucified the world to me.

The world is defeated is under the feet of the risen Christ. Everything in this world that would seek to take us from Christ and His Lordship has been disarmed. Every temptation, every fear, every condemnation is without power before the empty cross of Christ.

2. It crucified me to the world.

As Paul said for himself and so we can say ourselves, “it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The old man of the flesh has been crucified and the new Spirit man is alive in Him! And the same power which raised Christ from the dead now dwells in you and in me.

It is in these things, found in the cross of Christ, that we can boast!

PRAYER: Father, thank you for demonstrating your matchless love in the atoning work of your son Jesus! Thank you for my salvation in Him. I lay down my old life before you today that I might live in the power of Jesus’ resurrection. In Jesus name, Amen.

Paul’s Discipleship Plan (Galatians 4)

Galatians 4 verse 12 says:

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong.

We know Jesus has called us to “make disciples”, that is the great commission (Matthew 28:19). But how do we do that?

There are countless conferences, books and debates on how to best disciple people. But here, we read something special. It is the Apostle Paul’s two-step discipleship strategy:

1. I Have Become As You Are

Paul begins by saying he first becomes like those he wants to win to Jesus. I don’t believe he is saying he abandons all his convictions or compromises his way of living.

Rather he is saying “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). In other words, “I have sought to empathise with you. I have sought to show you I am not above you, but you and I are on the same level”.

Paul is saying finding the common ground is his job! And he has does this with those he has reached out to.

You want to disciple people for Jesus? Go to them, get in their world, understand where they live, find the common ground.

2. You Become As I Am

Now Paul has demonstrated his love and understanding for this new follower of Christ, he instructs them to seek to live as he lives.

This is not an arrogant statement. Rather a recognition that we all need examples in real life flesh and blood to model our life of father after. That is why he says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Discipleship is about life. Paul says my life is based upon Jesus’ life. If you want to know what that is like, imitate my example.

Do you want to disciple people to Jesus? Set the example, invite people into your world, demonstrate your devotion to Jesus, challenge them to do likewise.

PRAYER: Father, I see your hand at work in the life of the Apostle Paul. I ask you for grace to make disciples using the insights gleaned from this man’s life. Show me who to reach out to, and the grace to enable me to do it. In Jesus name, Amen

Who You Yield to is Who You Serve (Galatians 2)

Galatians 2 verse 5 says:

to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

Paul is saying that some tried to infiltrate the gospel with another message that subtly changed the very nature of the message itself. This mixing of the message of the gospel perverted the truth and power of the gospel and Paul says here, he resisted it.

He says “I did not yield in submission to them”. Why? So that the truth of the gospel message might be preserved.

Whoever you yield to in submission, is who you ultimately serve. Paul had already yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and so it was this truth that he served.

We choose who we submit to and who we serve is hugely important. We can only serve one master, and there will be people who will want to pull us from our submission to Christ and have us surrender to a lesser god. Be alert and aware!

PRAYER: Father, I choose to submit my heart and life to you today. I serve you wholeheartedly. I love you Lord, Amen

The Revelation of the Gospel (Galatians 1)

Galatians 1:12 says:

For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

We can’t save anyone. An understanding of the gospel comes only through Jesus Christ being revealed to us.

That is why Paul says we can’t get it from a man or even be taught it. Why? Because revelation can’t be taught it must be caught!

What is this revelation then? It is not a revelation of a concept, an idea or a philosophy. It is a revelation of a person – Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

It is only when Jesus Christ is revealed to you and you perceive who He is and your need for what He offers, that we are able to trust Him for salvation. It is revelation that causes us to surrender our lives to Jesus, and so be made new by the power of His death, burial and resurrection.

If you are seeking to see your friends or loved ones saved, pray that as you share the truth of the gospel, their hearts would be awaken to the revelation of who Jesus is and what He has done!

PRAYER: Father, I ask you to bring revelation to those in my life who don’t know you. Open their eyes to see you and ears to hear from you, that they might be saved! In Jesus name, Amen.

Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5)

Live by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 says:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

The flesh and the Spirit are contrary and opposing forces. Those who walk according to the Spirit inherit the Kingdom of God. Those who walk according to the sinful nature (the desires of the flesh) do not.

But if we are people of the Spirit and give ourselves to walking in the Spirit we can be assured we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

What that means is significant. This verse is telling us the Spirit overrides and supercedes the way of the flesh. The way of the Spirit is a higher way, a better way, a more powerful way.

When we read of the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) these are sometimes known as “base” behaviours. The way of the flesh is base living. It is the lowest, most common way of life. And it will lead to death.

We therefore are presented with a choice – the way of the flesh or the superior way of the Spirit.

If you are struggling with sin, it is because you’ve given the flesh too much credence. If you are finding temptation hard to shake, recognise it as the desires of the flesh clamouring for your attention.

Not only that, take the next step and deal with it by choosing the way of the Spirit! Submit yourself to the Spirit, yield to the Spirit, humble yourself beneath the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit, wait on the Spirit.

When we do this – walk by the Spirit – we override and supercede the competing desires of the flesh. In Christ, you are dead to them anyway and sin’s power has been broken.

Choose the Spirit and life today!

PRAYER: Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit. I give myself to being led by the Spirit today. I choose to put down the desires of the flesh and walk in the power of the Spirit instead, by your Grace and Mercy. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Old and the New (Galatians 2)

new and old

Galatians 2:20 says:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me

Christian, can I encourage you – memorise this verse!

This is a verse I learned many years ago and it has been a source of strength and guidance in my life for many years. Why is that? Because it reveals the essence of the Christian life – a new life with Christ.

To follow Jesus is to totally re-orient your life. Your desires, your focus, your purpose, your values, your minute by minute decisions – it all changes when we turf out the old and embrace the new.

When we follow Jesus the old “me” is gone. The new “me” – that is Christ in me – is now in charge.

This is very different to how we sometimes have Christianity portrayed.
Sometimes we hear of making Jesus your best friend.
Or “just pray this prayer of salvation”.
Or inviting Jesus into your heart.

None of these terms is wrong or bad. But neither do they convey the very radical, life re-orienting, eternity shifting event that it is to be a disciple of Jesus. It cost you everything, but you gain even more!

So how do we actually live this life? The way we live in this new, bold, Jesus oriented life is by faith.

I am still human. I am still constrained outwardly by my “flesh” even though my Spirit is now alive, submitted and obedient to Christ. How do I get my flesh to follow the Spirit? It takes faith.

Faith rejects comfort, risk-averse reasoning, relying on past experience, head knowledge or feelings alone. Faith says, the Spirit leads, I follow. I hear and I obey. That is the way of faith.

You say, but that’s tough. That goes against everything I know. Sure, it can be costly and difficult, but then I remind myself “Bruce, the old you has been crucified, remember?”. The old is gone. The new has come.

And even then, at times we get tired. The Christian life, swimming against the tide of the world around us, can be tough. What happens when you feel like throwing it in? Well, that is when we read and recall that all of this is only possible because “the Son of God loved me and gave Him self for me”.

When that lodges in your spirit, nothing else matters.

Galatians

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