“Freed to Proclaim Christ”

Scripture: Galatians 5:1; 13-25

Have you ever really thought about God’s concept of life when he created all that is?

Hans Kung, Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and author, wrote:
"From the first to the last page of the Bible, it is clear that God's will is aimed at our well-being at all levels. God's will is a helpful, healing, liberating, saving will. God wills life, joy, freedom, peace, salvation ... both of the individual and of [humanity] as a whole. And this is the meaning of all that Jesus proclaims."

--Hans Küng, The Christian Challenge: A Shortened Version of On Being a Christian (Doubleday, 1979), 146.

All too often, folks only see God, especially as depicted in the Old Testament, as a demanding, expectant, condemning task master, when that isn’t his nature at all! Our best is at the core of all that God ever did. His will is about healing and liberation; his will is about joy and freedom and peace and eternal life. Unfortunately, the legalism that was being forced upon the Galatians was anything but! The law was enslaving them, God is about freedom.
The entire purpose behind Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia was to bring the truth of God’s will into their lives, and it is a lesson that we all should consider once again.

Read Galatians 5:1; 13-15

The Anglican priest Charles Kingsley wrote:
"There are two freedoms — the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought."
~Charles Kingsley

The latter definition is the one that Paul is now encouraging us to follow. The freedom that faith in Jesus Christ brings to us is not the right to let worldly pleasures and earthly standards become our focus for life. Neither does it necessitate a surrender to the minutiae of laws that Israel was living under. Jesus brings us the freedom to do what is right – those things that bring honor to Almighty God. It is about being released from obedience to the ways of earth so that we can follow the teachings of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). The New Interpreter’s Bible, in its commentary on this passage, tells us “The Galatians have been caught up in a cosmic conflict, and they must take care not to let the territory won for them by Christ become a staging ground for a counterattack by the hostile power of the flesh.”

In essence, this is saying that they were beginning to surrender the very freedom that Jesus had gained for them, in favor of a return to slavery in the world. It is interesting to note that this is the very problem that the Israelites experienced during their desert years. (Numbers 14:1-4) The Children had a constant problem in seeing their wilderness journey as one of freedom – for them, this journey was worse than the bondage and oppression that they were subjected to in Egypt! They lacked the divine vision of liberty, and could only remember their captivity as a blessing, instead of the oppressive burden that it truly was.

And when we return to the false freedom that causes us to sin, we lose our motivation to truly love. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:34-40) We become self-serving; we become critical of others; and the unity that the Church is supposed to stand for begins to wane. And it is then that the church is no longer the church.

Read Galatians 5:16-21

A life in the Spirit is just the opposite from that of a life in sin. We all know folks who say that the Spirit has led them to live in a particular (sinful) way, and that this is evidence that Scripture isn’t always right. The only response that we can give is that they might very well have heard a spirit call them to this, but is wasn’t God’s Spirit that did the speaking! The Holy Spirit can never do anything that is contrary to Jesus’ teaching, and Jesus could never teach anything that was contrary to the Father’s nature.

Paul offers quite a list of sinful acts, and we could probably spend an entire message or two in discussing the implication of each one. Let me just offer this thought – some of these sins are against either our self or other people and a few, such as idolatry and witchcraft, are directed against God; but there is also quite a list of attitudes and acts that come against the unity and cohesiveness of the Christian community, and these may present the most immediate and vile danger to the Church. The greatest risk to any group will always come from within, and Paul is very intentional in pointing this out.
As we search scripture for a reference to these condemnations, we will discover that every one of them is valid - that every one of these violate some aspect of Jesus’ teaching. They include sinful acts of a sexual nature, they include negative attitudes that we may hold against other people, some are self-centered and self-aggrandizing, and some are just plain harmful to our human life and relationships.

Paul suggests that as extensive as this list may be, it still isn’t complete, which, of course, it isn’t, but in a general way, is still pretty comprehensive. This list would be a problem for the Pharisees, in that they wanted specifics and not generalities. They wanted each and every law spelled out completely – that was the basis for all of their theological discussions. They debated issues until there was nothing left in uncertainty, and they liked it this way. Unfortunately, the decisions came about by their understanding, and as it is God’s Way that is under consideration, humanity doesn’t get to define what each of these are about. That’s the Lord’s prerogative.

As an example, what does the word “impure” indicate? By definition, it implies that something is contaminated, tainted, mixed with foreign objects or ideals, and even polluted. And the basis for this imperfection is found only in God’s word, and not in ours.
How about “fits of rage”? “Hatred”? “Discord”? This isn’t just those things that others do – it must include those things that we do. Do any of us become angry at another driver who cuts us off in traffic? Have we ever broken off a relationship because we don’t like what the other person did? Have we ever uttered words that slandered someone else?
Now, I’m not condemning anyone who may have done one of these things – I have enough to deal with in my own life! But note Paul’s concluding words in this passage – “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Does this mean that we are all in deep trouble, and have forfeited our place in glory? We have if we have no faith in Jesus Christ, and if we don’t seek the Lord’s forgiveness and his strength to set these things out of our life! Unforgiven sin is the very thing that will cause us to be called “least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

Read Galatians 5:22-26

This, on the other hand, is where our lives will be if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need to remember that these attributes are not necessarily those that come from our own lives – they are the evidence of the Spirit’s activity within the Church as a whole. But Paul isn’t encouraging us to work to produce these characteristics, but rather that they will occur through our faithful service in the name of Jesus.

And, of course, “faithfulness” (# 7 out of the list of 9) is the very issue that is being raised throughout this entire letter! “Keep in step with the Spirit” is pretty good advice for both the 1st century Church, as well as for those who live today. Initially, Paul simply chastised the Galatians in a very powerful and direct way for living lives that ran counter to God’s will. Now, as his letter is nearing its end, he is providing some detail as to what the differences are between the direction they are headed in, and in the way that God is calling them to live.

Are these thoughts solely for the Galatians in their day? Hardly! These are words that the Church has needed to hear throughout the centuries. Humanity has always had a tendency to make the faithful life way too difficult. Live by the Spirit! Stay in step with the Spirit! Did God send the Spirit just as a nice thing to do? Certainly not! The Spirit is with us to encourage us, to lead us, to counsel us in divine truth, and our only responsibility is to listen and to follow.
That may not be as easy as it sounds, of course. Satan has a way of sending conflicting messages in a way that seems to be Godly in nature. But staying in the Holy Spirit’s way, keeping to the teachings that Jesus gave us in the gospels, seeing our lives in the same light as God does will help our walk to remain faithful.

May each of us have ears tuned to God’s word and way and Spirit, and may we all be deaf to the cries of the false spirit.

“Justified, At Last!”

Scripture: Galatians 3:21-29

Last week, we continued with Paul’s argument against requiring the Gentiles to adhere to the laws of Judaism. It is no longer our following the law that restores our relationship with God – it is by faith in Christ that we are healed of our sins. It is no longer the Law of Moses that defines what a righteous life is all about – it is the teaching of Jesus Christ that we are to follow.

Today, Paul continues in his advocacy for faith over the law – that first, it is our spiritual experience that is in agreement with the gospel, and not the Law of Moses, and second, that because Jesus was both crucified and resurrected, that the old teachings were no long applicable.
Israel had always seen a direct tie between being descendants of Abraham and following the Law of Moses – they were inseparable. But Paul points out that even Abraham was justified and received God’s covenant by faith, and not by works (Genesis 15:4-6), and this proves that we have that promise, too. In that passage from Genesis, we read that it isn’t Ishmael or Isaac who would be Abraham’s heir, but “a son [who comes] from your own body”.
And who is this “son”? Ishmael was of Abram’s “body”, and so was Isaac! But God wasn’t referring to either one of these offspring – he was referring to Jesus. Jesus would be this one and only “Heir” of Abraham, and all who would come to believe in him would become descendants. The Law of Moses had been set in place until the Heir and Covenant could finally arrive.

Read Galatians 3:21-22

Some were saying that Paul’s teaching seemed to set a barrier between the Law and the Covenant. He never actually teaches this, although his words could easily be construed to mean that, but he emphatically denies the allegation. He has said before that the Law has made us aware of our sinful condition, but that following it can never make us one with God. He makes the point that there would only be a conflict if God had set the law as a means of life and righteousness, which never was the case! Since the entire world was, and continues to be, burdened by sin, apparently the Law was never intended to be a means to salvation for either Israel or the Gentiles. The Law is, therefore, important, only to the extent that it identifies our sin (Romans 3:19-20), and not as a means to counter its condemnation on our lives.

Jesus’ entire ministry to the people of earth was intended to point out this singular fact. There were some aspects of the Law that the Lord denied, and others that he tightened up, but there was far more that he upheld in place. In Matthew 5:27-28, in speaking about “Lust”, he says that it isn’t just a sexual act that is defined as adultery, but even a lustful eye is just as sinful. In the very next passage, in talking about divorce (Matthew 5:31-32), He makes divorce far more restricted than the law does. But on the other hand, in Matthew 15:1-3; 16-20, when confronted by the Pharisees because his disciples are eating without ritually washing their hands first, he says that any dirt that may enter the body in this way passes right out, but that it is true sin that makes us unclean, and he offers an entire list of acts that God sees as sinful, which, incidentally, come directly from the Law!

The point is, of course, that we are all prisoners under the power of sin! Not one of us is free of that curse, and not one of us is better off than anyone else without the grace that comes to us by faith in Jesus Christ! The Law – the true Law of God – has a very important function, though, in that it awakens us to the depth of the depravity that sin has created in our lives. And Israel wasn’t exempt from this condemnation any more than the Gentiles were.

Read Galatians 3:23-25

At one time, the Law had authority over us. We were “locked up” behind its bars, so to speak. Think of the law this way – that it is similar to the purpose and authority of a child care worker. The person is responsible for the care, protection, teaching, and behavior of the child, but the worker is not the parent. The worker has a set of criteria to work within, but, theoretically, has no actual relationship with the child. The worker gives no identity to the child - that is the purpose of the parents.

That is what the Law does. It gave us (the “children”!) a set of guidelines to live within until the Relative arrived to restore relationship and true identity to our lives. Right and wrong still prevail, but now it is because of relationship, and not just as a set of rules.

Paul tells us that we were in confinement by the law until faith was revealed by Jesus’ coming. But remember earlier in this letter, when Paul stated that “the gospel I preached is not something that man made up … I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12) Faith – the truth of God – comes not by our own understanding, but by the inspiration of God. Our part in faith is simply to receive it, and not through understanding, or creation, or modification, or anything else. God offers it, and we receive it.

Paul does offer one thought in verse 24 that we have to be careful of. The New International Version, as well as a number of other translations, read that “the law was put in charge of us to lead us to Christ”. Personally, I don’t see the law as something that reveals Christ to us, but is more of an overseer of our lives until we come to Christ. The Law has a very specific purpose, but I believe that we come to Christ by the leading of the Holy Spirit, not the Law.

But Paul’s statement that now that faith in Christ has come for us, the Law no longer has authority over our lives, is right on target. Now we look to the teaching of Jesus to understand how our life must be lived.

Read Galatians 3:26-29

And in the concluding verses to the chapter, Paul returns to God’s promise to Abraham. Remember that the Heir of Abraham is Jesus, and it is by faith in him that we receive the inheritance of salvation. Paul is very intentional in saying that we are all “children of God” – that Israel can no longer claim that distinction solely for themselves. The difference has nothing to do with blood lines, it isn’t about nationality, it isn’t about our status as citizens, it isn’t about our gender – it is based solely in the Blood of Jesus – either we claim it, or we don’t.

If we belong to Christ, we become heirs of Abraham and the promise - the covenant - that Almighty God made to him. The Galatians were being led astray by false teachers, who wanted them to remain imprisoned through the Law.
But we can’t simply discard all the rules of life, and live in whatever way makes us happy! That can be just as destructive for us, as the law is oppressive. Neither of those choices will ever be in our best interest, but a life lived in the love and teachings of Christ will always the better way.

The life that is lived in the ways of Christ is an eternal life lived in freedom. Claiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and living a life that reflects him, will bring us the one thing that the Law never can – a place in the Lord’s eternity. Praise the Lord for the way that he has created life in and for us.

“Live for the Truth!”

Scripture: Galatians 2:6-10; 14-21

As we discussed two weeks ago, Paul’s focus on his letter to the Galatians was to bring a sense of truth back into their faith. They had begun to resort to the Law of Moses as a means to righteousness, instead of simply having faith in Christ. But he doesn’t only write about that which is false, he must also spell out what the truth is. By only naming the thing that is false will accomplish little except for leaving the hearer with a confused sense of right and wrong. If one thing is false, then what is the truth?

To his credit, Paul never leaves the question unanswered – after all, Jesus never left it unanswered for him! When Jesus introduced himself to Saul / Paul, interrupting his journey of persecution to Damascus, Saul’s life would change. He discovered the truth of Jesus in the flash of a heavenly light, and the false hope that he had been living under would never be his “truth” again. (Acts 9:1-31)

Read Galatians 2:6-10

Paul now discusses his disagreement with the Church leadership in Jerusalem. He describes them as those “who seemed to be important”! Isn’t that the way of so many leaders – that they start out on track, but before long, the position of leadership begins to claim a higher priority than does the responsibility of their office? And Paul should know! As a Pharisee, he expected that people should pay honor to him for who he was and what he did, and “truth” was what he expected it should be, and not what the Lord said it was!

And the importance that any of us feels adds nothing to the Lord’s message of truth. But he says that the members of the Council of Jerusalem had come to recognize that Paul’s call to minister to the gentiles was just as valid as theirs was for the Jews. They were all starting to acknowledge that God looks to our heart and not to our good works, that it is faith in Jesus Christ and his ways that is truly important, and not in how well we follow some extensive set of rigid and oppressive rules.

Pastor and author George Macgregor wrote:
A man cannot buy religion any more than he can buy love. Religion, like love, is an end in itself. It cannot be sought in order to make him well, or to make him happy or to make him prosperous.
It can be sought only for itself; but once found, it overflows in byproducts of health and happiness and prosperity. It cannot be manipulated or controlled by man's personal desire. Those who pretend to such controls are charlatans. They often have a large following, and the only thing that can stop them is the truth.

--G.H.C. Macgregor, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. IX (Nashville: Abingdon, 1954), 112-13.

Faith “cannot be manipulated or controlled by [our] personal desires” – not in our adherence to some self-derived understanding of what it means to have faith, and not in a sense that the truth of faith “is in the eye of the beholder”! As Macgregor writes, faith “can be sought only for itself”, and never for ourselves. But that is what the adherents of circumcision and dietary compliance and all of the other Jewish laws were about – the control of faith, not only for themselves, but for others.

Read Galatians 2:14-16

Faith in the Being and teachings of Jesus Christ is all that will ever count. And when we look to other means as a replacement for the truth of Christ, we will never know the fullness of life. In Jesus’ Great Commission to the Church, we read that we are to 1) make disciples of Jesus Christ from all the nations, 2) to baptize them as a sign of their commitment to Christ, and 3) to teach them all that Jesus commanded. Nowhere does it say to teach, or more importantly follow, other means that we claim will lead to faith! (Matthew 28:18-20)

Paul sees that the senior leadership of the Church is veering away from the faith, and he shows no hesitation in calling them to account. You “know that [no one] is justified by observing the law”, so why are you teaching that others must follow the law? For Paul, the truth of the gospel was at stake, and the only truth is THE truth! The issue is not that the gentiles are being forced, or even pressured, to convert to Judaism, but rather to follow the practices of Judaism, and the pressure that is being brought to bear is seen by Paul, and rightly so, as a betrayal of the gospel! They didn't have to become Jewish - they were just expected to act and accept the Jewish way! Sound familiar?

The author John Ortberg offers this example:
Imagine going to the doctor's office for a checkup. The doctor says to you, "You are a magnificent physical specimen. You have the body of an Olympian. You are to be congratulated."

Later that day while climbing the stairs, your heart gives out. You find out later your arteries were so clogged that you were like one jelly doughnut away from the grim reaper.

You go back to the doctor and say, "Why didn't you tell me?"

The doctor says, "Well, I knew your body is in worse shape than the Pillsbury doughboy, but if I tell people stuff like that, they get kind of offended. It's kind of bad for business. They don't come back. I want this to be a safe place where you feel loved and accepted."

You'd be furious! You'd say to the doctor, "When it comes to my body, I want the truth!"

--John Ortberg.

When it comes to eternity, we also want and need the truth. But every word that betrays the gospel is nothing less than a lie that leads us one step closer to a death sentence. Paul wanted both Peter and the Galatians to know that there was only one faith in Jesus Christ, and the blending of Christ’s teachings with those of other understandings could never stand the test of devotion.

Read Galatians 2:17-21

Paul raises a very interesting point – if we realize that we are sinners simply by accepting Jesus’ teachings, does that mean that Jesus has caused us to sin, and does that mean that Jesus is a sinner, too?
Interesting thought – a false one certainly, but interesting, none the less! His intent is that even though we are awakened to the sin in our lives by faith in Jesus, the result is not a judgment of condemnation, but an offer of forgiveness! Following the law can only bring about a sentence of condemnation – but faith in Jesus Christ is an offer of life.

Paul has “died to the law”, so for him, legalism is no longer an option. And that death, for him, is symbolized by Christ’s crucifixion, which he says he has also received. He has set the law in death so that he can live for the Lord, and his spiritual crucifixion allows him to live that better life – the one that is in the Living Christ.

Paul carries this thought a bit further in Romans 7:8-11, in which he writes “I found that the very commandment [of the law] that was intended to bring life actually brought death.” The law revealed sin, but could do nothing to overturn its penalty. Paul sees faith as the only hope, and rightly so.

But his argument in this passage is far more than just pointing out the Galatians’ shortcomings in faith. He loudly proclaims that the law that prescribes circumcision, dietary restrictions, and every other Jewish rite has never done anything but fail them in the past, and will never be able to do anything but fail them throughout their lives.
And that is the message for us, too. When we become a disciple of Jesus Christ, we are called to follow his teachings, and if they happen to coincide with the Law of Moses, so be it. But it is Jesus’ way and teachings that we depend on, and on him alone.

Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, though, is only the beginning – Paul and John Wesley referred to this as “justification”. But we must also grow and live in this life as the Lord’s truth – this is what a life of “sanctification” is all about. And this is a way of life that will take us far beyond anything that we can possibly imagine.

"Missionaries"

On June 5, 2016, we held a joint worship service for the 2 churches, as we welcomed a missionary family who we are currently supporting. Initially, I intended to offer no comments, but at the last minute, I thought that I might.

This past week, we attended our yearly Annual Conference meetings, and 2 presentations spoke to me regarding missional efforts. The first was a youth lead service on Saturday morning, in which the theme of their message was "Do Something". I reminded me of James 2:16 “If one of you says to him ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” As much as this is a call on the church as a whole, it is especially important in our call to support missionaries and their vital ministry.

in Luke 10:1-12, Jesus reiterated this very thought - that the missionary's task is to carry the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world, while it is the rest of the Church's responsibility to support them in all that they do.

As if that wasn't enough reminder for me, later that day, our Bishop, Mark Webb, preached a message at the ordination service entitled "Called, Equipped, Completed", with a primary reference to Exodus 4:1-14, with a secondary reference to Luke 5:1-11. There were 5 thoughts that struck me especially hard, and they are as follow:

1) His first question for us was - "Do you trust more in your limitations than you do in God’s abilities?" All too often, we limit ourselves in ministry and mission, simply because we believe that "I can't do that." Of course we can't, but does that mean that God can't either? Philippians 4:13 corrects our doubts, and calls us to unbridled trust in the Almighty.

2) His next point was "When we are shallow in faith, we lean shallowly into God’s plan." The Lord will never force his will and way onto our life - he just offers it to us, then calls us to accept it and follow it. Great accomplishments and grand efforts require great faith on our part.

3) Third, he told us that "with every excuse that Moses had, God responded with a promise of sufficiency. With God, it is always enough." Moses had excuse after excuse as to why he shouldn't have to return to Egypt to lead the people out of slavery, and with every word he spoke against the call, God offered an answer as to why he should and could. Even the prophet Jeremiah complained that he was too young to be God's messenger (Jeremiah 1:4-10), and his great Jehovah told him that he didn't have to have all the words to speak - that God's words would rest upon his tongue. No excuse that we could ever come up with will stop the Lord's work from being completed. Remember the hymn "He Who Began a Good Work in You"?

4) The fourth thought is this: "God is up to something in and through us!" And Bishop Webb offered several examples of God's working in ordinary people.

Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers, and one problem after another fell on his, until finally, he was falsely accused of rape by his master's wife, and was thrown into prison. Pharaoh would have a dream that only God would interpret through Joseph, and Joseph would be elevated to the second highest position in the entire land. And in this position, he would be instrumental in providing stores to sustain, not only the nation through 7 years of famine, but also his family. God did a mighty work in Joseph. (Genesis 39-46)

Job would experience tremendous adversity to the point that he lost everything except his wife and 4 friends, and even they could offer him no encouragement. Even though he would suffer greatly, he remained faithful, and would become a symbol of patient faith.

Saul was a devote Pharisee, and persecuted the followers of Jesus throughout Jerusalem and Judah. He decided that there were far too many believers beyond the nation, so he set off for Damascus to find even more of "those people". On the way, he meets the Living Lord Jesus (Acts 9:1-19), and he becomes the apostle and evangelist Paul, who would carry the Good News of Jesus throughout the Gentile world.

The Widow of Zarephath was on her last legs (1 Kings 17:7-24) - there had been a tremendous famine throughout the land, and she had one last measure of flour and oil to make one more loaf of bread for her and her son, and after that was gone, she fully expected to die. But the prophet Elijah came along, and we know the story - he asked for some water and bread, she gave her last meal to him, but the flour and oil continued to be replenished throughout the famine, and Elijah would even heal her son when he became deathly ill. The woman, but trust in the word of God, would be sustained in miraculous ways.

Shadrack, Meshach, Abednego were Hebrew captives in Babylon. A gold image of the King was created, and all were commanded to worship the image, upon penalty of death in a fiery furnace. The three refused, in saying We will serve only our God for he can save us, and even if he doesn't, he is still our God." They were thrown into the furnace, but not a hair was singed, nor was there even the smell of smoke on their clothing. How powerful is our God? Just read about what came from he faith that these three lived. (Daniel 3)


The last thought that our Bishop lifted up was that we must "Celebrate the Amazing that God is up to, as well as the Unimaginable that God is up to". We can't even begin to consider the greatness that God is up to in our lives, if we but surrender ourselves, and claim his way. But we certainly can rejoice and be blessed by it!

The missionaries are following the Lord's call on their lives, and our call is to support them. If your church has a missions program to support them, please consider a donation. If your church doesn't, here is an opportunity to support a missionary family - Chris and Tracy Pousseur. Pray about it.