Comments on Galatians, continued

(I started writing last Thursday - then was interrupted, so am getting back to what I started then.... This blog entry is a continuation from my last entry.)

Salvation is through Christ alone. There is no other way to God except through Him. There is no other name under heaven by which men must be (or may be) saved.

The thick, woven veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom at His death. While all of the lambs, kid-goats and doves that were slain over the years were a symbol of the price that must be paid, He was the actual payment. He was the Passover lamb, and He died at Passover, not just by accident because he had thoroughly upset the authorities (as some would have you believe) but because He was the fulfillment of everything Jewish faith had taught.

When He sat with His disciples He clearly told them that from that night forward, whenever they celebrated the Passover, that it was no longer about the miraculous rescue from Egyptian captivity under Moses - but it was about Him. At the original Passover in Egypt it was only those who had the blood of the lamb over their doorposts whose households were spared from death of the firstborn. From Jesus' death and resurrection on, there was no further need for sacrificing animals. He was the final sacrifice - and the final priest. It is now, through the power of His blood shed for us, that we are saved from death - eternal death. His blood, and His alone. No substitutes accepted.

In Galatians, written either 15 or 25 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, the purity of the gospel of what He did for mankind is already being muddied with false teaching.

Verse 7ff: ...there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Instead of accursed, I would say pitied. Vengeance is the Lord's, not mine. I don't want anyone to be cursed. I want everyone to repent and walk in the light. I know they won't - but that's what I want.

Still, there is an important message in Paul's fervor. When Jesus stood with his disciples at Caesarea Philippi (aka Banias and numerous other names over the years) just outside the area called 'The Gates of Hell', which is a cave in the wall of the cliff, He asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" They told him the various answers they had heard. Then he asked, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Peter got it right. His declaration is the synopsis of the Gospel. Jesus is the Good News. Jesus alone.

There is no other way to God except through Him,and there is nothing added that we can do to earn salvation except believe in Him and accept the offer of salvation. It is too simple for a lot of people.

Of course we will live differently once we believe. Of course the Holy Spirit will nudge Jesus' followers to change, and start cleaning up the way people talk and act in that process - - but those are responses to Grace, not prerequisites for it. And - it is still God changing us through the power of the Holy Spirit - - not something we do. We can't be conformed to His Son, except through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It never becomes about what we can do to earn God's favor!

The leaven of the Pharisees was that they had a myriad of rules one had to follow to be accepted by God. They added 'leaven' to the basic message. They made it about us doing something. We didn't. We can't. Jesus did it all. He paid it all. Salvation is by grace alone. What a relief when we finally grasp that!

I was a Presbyterian for 38 years. One of the phrases I loved in the Presbyterian Church was 'we are saved and being saved'. I think it expresses the reality of the Christian walk quite well. There is a point of being saved that reflects the initial acceptance of God's grace - - and beyond that we are 'being saved' daily, recognizing areas God is working on in us to make us conform more and more to the image of His Son. While we partner with God in those changes becoming effective, we can't change ourselves without His help.

Salvation is a gift - freely given. Beyond that, our response to grace is to want to be more and more like the One who paid the price for our salvation!

Thank You, Lord, for Your overwhelming love. You are too marvelous for words....

Devotional Reading for Today - Galatians

I've been reading Paul's writings in the order my NIV purports them to have been written, but have since learned the one book that others disagree with for that timeline is Galatians. The ESV commentary places the writing of Galatians about 10 years earlier - and before 1 & 2 Thessalonians.... The reality is, the lists are made based on the best information available, and there is room for legitimate disagreement. The exact sequence of the writing of Galatians is not a key faith issue.

Galatians does deal with key faith issues, however. The very first one is the issue of the content of the gospel - the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is compelling to me that the early church was already grappling with that issue. Actually, it is a little bit shocking!

There is only one Truth, only one gospel. The promised Mashiach (Messiah) came to earth as a baby named Yeshua. In Greek He was Iesous Christos. In English He is called Jesus Christ, or Jesus the Messiah.

The simple truth of the gospel is that Jesus came - fully God and fully human - to be the sacrifice for humanity's sins - all of them, from the first sin Adam and Eve committed forward.

He lived. He died. He rose again. He will come again in glory to rule and reign.

The gospel - - which means 'good news' - - is that Jesus is the One who was the long-awaited Messiah, the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

to be continued....

1 CORINTHIANS 13 - THE LOVE CHAPTER

My chapter for today's devotions is what is commonly referred to as 'the love chapter'.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

The words of the chapter smack me right in the face. I think I am loving, but I don't come close to the standard of love expressed here. These aren't just 'feel good words' for wedding ceremonies - these words cut to the core of our relationships with God and others. They set a standard. I don't measure up - but 1 Corinthians 13 makes it clear what the goal is!

I know that I can never reach that goal without Jesus' love. This chapter delineates a whole list of things I need to work on being better at - but I know I can't do it on my own. We are saved and being saved. There is an initial step of acceptance wherein we are 'saved from sin' and begin a new life; but when we are intentional in our walk with the Lord, we are being saved daily - line on line, precept on precept, growing in God's amazing love and grace.

Sometimes growing brings growing pains. It is part of the journey to maturity in Christ.

Under my potpourri section for today:

Because of some recent circumstances, I am reminded of the verse that states, "Do not be weary in well doing." We wouldn't be warned against becoming weary in well doing if it wasn't a risk.

There are times of disappointment when we are tempted to succumb to that weariness and withdraw - but we don't do what we do to be approved by others. We do what we do to be approved by God. Our instruction is not to become weary in doing good. There are days - and even seasons of our lives - when we are disappointed by what life brings our way. It is then that we need this chapter and the reminder that love is a choice. Love is demonstrated by action, not feelings.

In those moments I am reminded:

Love anyway.

Do unto others as you wish they would do unto you!

Keep on keeping on!

The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

What a worthy goal!

GOD'S TIMING

I can't say I always welcome God's timing....but I do try my best to embrace it. Once in a while his timing is incredibly amazing and astounding. I witnessed that this weekend.

Because I was attending a destination wedding near Lake Chelan on Sunday, I arranged to go visit friends in Wenatchee as a bonus of the trip. In fact I stayed with them Saturday and Sunday nights. Lucy and I first met each other when we were 8 years old. Though we lived +-30 miles apart, we attended the same Youth Rallies in High School and the same summer camp for a week each year from age 8 through age 17. Then we went to the same college and were part of a foursome that was really fun to be part of our Freshman year. Our visit falls into the category of good timing - but there is more!

My youngest daughter was also, incidentally, going to be in the same area for the weekend - - for river rafting, followed by a hike and overnight campout. She just needed to get to Everett in time Saturday morning to meet her ride. She didn't make it. Her car broke down south of Seattle. But - since I was already going to Eastern Washington anyway, it wasn't too much trouble to meet her at the repair shop, wait for her car to be fixed, drive to where she needed to drop it off and deliver her to Leavenworth to meet her ride so she could at least salvage part of the weekend - - even though she missed out on the river rafting part of the journey.

I know it seems small - - but I totally saw it as God's timing. How fortuitous that I was already going over the pass. I enjoyed the travel companion for the 'going there' part of the trip - and she still got to have a fun weekend.

And - - the alternator went out in a perfect spot for getting off the road safely.

And - - the tow truck driver who rescued her was wonderful and took her to a repair shop he trusted.

And - - they were able to get to work on it right away and have it all repaired within a couple of hours.

And - - as for the wonderful wedding I witnessed on Sunday afternoon....it was absolutely perfect in every possible way (well, except that I had to go alone....) The weather was sunny and beautiful! (Almost too sunny!) It was a brief respite in a bleak week....with thundershowers and pouring rain returning for Monday morning....
Timing, again! For the wedding they had there the week before, it poured. We, on the other hand, were bathed in radiant sunlight. I have a bit of a sunburn to prove it....

Thank you, Lord, for your incredible timing, and for your loving care demonstrated in your divine protection for my daughter and your divine outpouring of love for this newly wed bride and groom!

1 CORINTHIANS 7

According to the timeline I developed by researching the introductory information to the books Paul authored - rather, dictated - 1 Corinthians followed 1 & 2 Thessalonians. It provides a lot of instruction for Christian living.

Yesterday I read Chapter 6. It includes verses that aren't popular in today's society - but they are part of God's Word. In Paul's writings he occasionally does state something that he identifies as his opinion - but this is not a section that comes with that disclaimer. It is very clear.

Verses 9 & 10 in the ESV state:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The good news is that God can, has and will forgive anyone who repents and turns away from their sins!

The continued bad news is that unforgiven sin separates us from God - both now and for eternity.

The first thing I want to address is the word righteous. Several years ago I was at a women's spiritual retreat, and during one of our small group exercises, a lady at the table where I was seated said, "I don't even know what righteous really means." I spoke up and said, "It means right living by God's standard." The Bible teaches us a right way to live - placing God first, others second, and ourselves last. It teaches us to serve others, and that in bearing others burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ.

What I didn't say then, that I should have, is that we can't even be righteous except through Jesus. God sees us through the filter of his son, and he sees us as righteous, even though we are imperfect.

As for the specific sins mentioned in this list:

Sexually immoral: any sex outside marriage, and abusive sex even in marriage.

Idolaters: people who place anything above God in importance.

Adulterers: this seems redundant - but it is specifically people who have sex with a person married to someone else. It speaks to infidelity.

Men who practice homosexuality: this does not exclude females. Other passages that speak to this are not so gender specific. (Note that it only addresses practice.)

Thieves: anyone who takes something that doesn't belong to them, but more definitively, those who very intentionally pursue stealing.

Greedy: being obsessed with stuff and wanting stuff. Always wanting newer, better, bigger, more. Yearning or pining for what someone else has.

Drunkards: people who drink to excess. Implies habitual excess.

Revilers: I had to look up the definition of reviler. According to my online dictionary it is someone who criticizes in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.

Swindlers: anyone who uses deception to gain an advantage over another's money or possessions.

Generally I zip through the list and don't think much about it. In my reading yesterday, the obvious caught my eye: homosexuality. That's because it is no longer politically correct to call it sin. But what I have to pay attention to is the other sins in the list, not just single out one. I wouldn't want a spiritual role model to be a person who pursued any of these things. That's the point when it comes to church government.

I'm so grateful for God's forgiveness. The most important message within this is: And such were some of you. But you were washed.... What wonderful good news - the good news of salvation through Jesus the Messiah.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Once I was lost, but now I can see
The light of the world is Jesus....

I don't deserve his love, but he gave it to me anyway! That is amazing grace!

EMBRACING TRUTH

Last night a friend reminded me of a phrase I heard often as a child: "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

My passion about what I believe will not convince another person. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. I can share what I have come to know - what the Holy Spirit and conviction have convinced me of, but I cannot convince another person to respond.

In a way, that is freeing. God is God and I am not. He calls me to be faithful, and to bear witness to the truth - but he hasn't given me the responsibility to save anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.

Rather than feel like a failure when others don't respond favorably, I need to remember that my responsibility is faithfulness. The results are up to God!

GOVERNMENT WARNINGS

Yesterday and today I've noticed that there have been multiple commentaries on the current status of the U S Government with regard to raising the debt limit. The threat has been that if the ceiling is not raised, those in the military, and others who receive payments from the government might not receive a check as of August 1. All scary - but in my view, if they keep raising the debt lid and printing play money, the house of cards will still fall.... They are delaying it but not preventing it.

Their proposal wouldn't work for a family's financial stability - and it won't work for the government. My Dad taught us: "You can't spend what you don't have." "Save for the future." "Live within your means." I am not an economist - but I do have to balance the checkbook, and those lessons have to be applied to daily living - whether by a family, or by a government.

Part of the problem is the NIMBY attitude. Not In My Back Yard. Everyone is saying "Cut something - but not my area. Mine is important." News flash: "You can't spend what you don't have" still means the same thing it did when I was growing up. The other problem is that many Americans have developed a mistaken notion that the government owes them something for nothing. Our rush toward Socialism comes at the cost of freedoms I don't want to lose.

I actually am afraid we've gone too far to be able to rein things back in, but we need to try.

It definitely isn't the time to be incurring additional debt! If/when our government runs out of money, a lot of people are going to be out of homes, food and jobs - - and that will be just the beginning of troubles!

I don't want to be an alarmist - but it doesn't seem many people are paying attention to the storm warning!