2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (NKJV)
Been there, done that. Experience is a wise teacher. We wish we didn’t have to go through trials because let’s face it – they are trying times! But what if your experience through trials was meant to help someone else when they are going through a similar trying time? The Apostle Paul in this verse is bringing to light the fact that we go through trials and afflictions with God’s help and comfort so that we – in turn can be of help and comfort to others who are going through something similar.
Think about all the afflictions the Apostle Paul had gone through when he was writing to the believers at Corinth. He had been blinded and received back his sight, he had been rejected by fellow believers, he had been through scary situations with mobs, and had misfortune while out at sea. He had even been stoned, and left for dead! God brought him through all these trials and strengthened him by each one. Paul is writing these words to encourage the Corinthians because he knew they would face trials as well.
People love to give advice – whether you asked for it or not! When you are going through a trial it’s most comforting to receive counsel from someone who has gone through the same situation as you. They’ve been there, they know the perils of the situation, the inward turmoil that happens and how God was there helping them through. I found comfort in talking with other people who have been in the same shoes. They blessed me with insight from their past experience, and their unwavering faith during the situation. I was comforted as I talked with those who like myself had been caregivers for their parents as they fought cancer. Little did I know that just a year later I would be the one giving counsel to a dear friend whose parent was fighting cancer.
When we go through trials it develops empathy within us to be able to understand what others are going through when they face similar trials. Our trials are not in vain – they are meant to be growing experiences so that we can help others through their trials. They find encouragement by our ability to endure, and, with God’s help, they too feel like they will make it through. It is a beautiful picture of building one another up in the Lord and encouraging one another. One might say that going through a trial can become a blessing in disguise.
For Reflection:
Have you been able to encourage someone who is facing a challenge that you had to face?
How did God help you and how might you seek to help others in the same situation?
This is such a beautiful passage concerning the resurrection. It brings a beautiful picture to my mind. Here’s the reason why – in my previous church I was privileged to work with a wonderful group of elders, one of whom had disabilities. He didn’t let his disabilities hold him down, with a great sense of humor he navigated life around them.
As a young man Boyd had the misfortune of contracting Polio. He spent time in the infamous iron lung equipment for treatment. As a result of this he was never able to stand up straight and tall again, and had troubles with his legs. He was stooped over and had to use a walking stick for assistance, and in later years ran around his expansive ranch on a motorized scooter. It was difficult to watch him navigate the stairs at church one step at a time, as best he could – he was determined. It took him a little longer to do the normal things in life, but he navigated around his inabilities, ran his ranch well, had a large family and kept the faith.
Boyd was an inspiration to all of us. When we laid him to rest at the end of his life’s journey we were all encouraged by this thought: In the resurrection our dear friend Boyd will stand straight and tall and will never have to use a walking stick or scooter ever again. In fact – he’ll be able to run, skip, dance, and leap for Joy to his heart’s content! His body was sown in dishonor, in weakness, broken by the ravages of illness. He will be raised to a glorious, whole, fully functioning new body. He will have the power to do what he couldn’t do before. He will trade his weakness for the strength he was meant to have.
At the Resurrection we too will be able to trade weakness for strength because of Christ and the resurrection power to bring wholeness to broken-ness. Each one of us suffers brokenness in some way. Through Christ our once brokenness will be made whole. When we are raised in the Resurrection whatever we struggled with will no longer be an issue – we too, like our friend Boyd will be made whole. What a glorious thought of how tremendous the resurrection will be!
For Reflection:
Are there disabilities or weaknesses that you struggle with?
Have you fully contemplated how wonderful it will be at the Resurrection when we will leave the old hinderances behind and go on to our new fully whole life with Christ?
Did you know you are a gift to everyone? We are all given certain gifts for the common good of all believers. God by His Spirit enables us to do different things but it is for a purpose – to benefit those whom we are in Christian fellowship with. As Paul was writing to the church body in Corinth he was letting them know that they all had various spiritual gifts. They were the emerging church at the time, still getting established in the ideas and practices of the Christian faith. Paul was reminding them of their individual gifts and that those gifts were to be used for the common good, edifying their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Do you have a certain gift that God has given you? I have a friend who has a God given gift of artistic ability. She blesses and encourages others with her drawings of Bible scriptures surrounded by scenes from nature. I find encouragement each time I see one of her illustrations. Sure, I can draw a stick figure – but I can’t meticulously draw the intricate details of a flower or butterfly that inspires the soul like she can – that is her God-given gift.
Each one of us has a different gift and we are to use it to benefit our brothers and sisters in Christ. Some people are empowered with prayer abilities, others give good Godly advice, others are good at teaching. Some have the gift of evangelism or hospitality, and some are just plain the most helpful people you know. These are all gifts that are given to us by God’s Spirit and they are all different. My abilities are different than my friend’s abilities. God doesn’t skip any one of us in the giving of these gifts – he wants us to use our specific gift for the benefit of everyone. No one can say that one gift is better than another because all of these gifts were meant to be used together to make a complete picture for how a body of believers should function together building each other up. Just imagine if your Christian fellowship group didn’t have anyone with a musical gift – the worship service might sound terrible! We need each person to exercise their spiritual gift so that we all can be enriched and God can be glorified.
For Reflection:
What gifts has God given you to help enrich the lives of those you are in fellowship with?
How have you been enriched by the gifts of others recently?
Have you thanked God for your gifts and the gifts of others?
Merry Peterson pastors the Freedom In Christ Church in Welland, Ontario, Canada. She has enjoyed being in pastoral ministry for many years and has worked on the side in education in both public and private sectors in various capacities.
The struggle of the Corinthian church continues in today’s reading: 1 Corinthians 9-11. In these chapters Paul addresses issues the church was having regarding worship and communion, while continuing to argue his point about permissible food. What I love most about this section is we really get to see Paul’s heart.
Paul had a love for people. Having experienced the amazing transformative love of Christ himself, he eagerly sought to share this with others. All people. Jew, Greek, male or female. Paul was willing to eat, drink, and share the Gospel with anyone.
Paul had a love for his mission. He considered it an “opportunity” to preach the Gospel (9:18 NLT). He was strong in his convictions and took it seriously. He was purposeful (9:26).
Today, we live very different lives from Paul. We live in a very different world than the one Paul lived. Yet the things that mattered most to Paul need to be what matters most to us. Paul’s work is not yet finished. We, as the church, need to continue what he and the other Apostles started. Love each other. Love others. Most importantly, love God. In our busy world today, may we never lose sight of this. May we see each day as an opportunity to be a light in the darkness.
Reflection Questions
What opportunities to share the Gospel has God given to you? What have you done with those opportunities?
How do you show your love for God? How do you show your love for people? Is there a group of people that you have not tried loving yet? How could you love more and more?
Rather than just complaining about the darkness, or fearing the darkness, or condemning the darkness, how can we be a light in the darkness?
I really enjoyed today’s reading. Paul had some zingers that actually got me laughing – my favorite being 8:2. In our reading today, we learn this letter is a response to one from the Corinthians (7:1). After a lengthy introduction in chapters 1-4, Paul gets right to addressing some specific concerns regarding the Corinthian church. There is a lot that can be discussed here, but the key seemed to be Paul encouraging the Corinthian church to remove distractions and get back to the business of spreading the Gospel.
Earlier this week I wrote about how the early church was moving in the days of the Apostles. In today’s reading, we see a church that has come to a standstill. It seems the Cornintian church lost focus on spreading the Gospel and what it meant to be the body of Christ. Paul mentions when he told the church to stay away from people “who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols” he was referring specifically to believers who partake in these actions (5:10 NLT). Paul plainly puts that to stay away from all such people, you’d have to leave this earth – that was another one of those zingers I found humorous. The problem Paul has with the Corinthians is they are allowing a man living in sexual sin with this step mother to be an active member of their church. It’s a distraction. It’s giving the church a bad name, as Paul writes even pagans don’t tolerate such behavior. Paul is NOT telling the church to avoid sinners, but he is telling us to get the sin out of the church. There is a difference. Allowing one who is actively participating in sin with no signs of repentance within the church causes a distraction. Discord can break out amongst the people in the church over the issue. I believe Paul is also concerned with the Corinthians giving the church a bad name, in turn hindering the spread of “sincerity and truth” (5:8 NLT). He continues this idea in chapter 6, regarding the Corinthians use of the public courts to settle disputes. He doesn’t like that this is being done in front of non-believers. Why? Because, it is distracting from the Gospel message. It’s the same way with the issues of marriage and food discussed in chapters 7 and 8.
We have to remember the church was on a mission. Our New Testament stories and scripture come from what the early church did. Paul understood the importance of the movement and the urgency to share the Gospel. It seemed this specific Corinthian church had forgotten. Paul is urging the Corinthians to remove distractions and get back to the business of the church. I believe that is the biggest take away from today’s scripture. It’s not about whether we should be married or not, whether we eat this or that. It’s not even about what people we should avoid or allow in the church. It’s about refocusing the efforts of the church to do the work of Christ. Jesus tells us the two most important commandments are to love God and secondly love others. That is the movement to which Paul wants the Corinthians to return. It must be our focus as well. Paul sums it up pretty nicely in his opening statement in chapter 8, “But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church” (verse 1 NLT).
Reflection Questions
What distractions have gotten in the way of you intentionally spreading the Gospel? How can you minimize them (or eliminate them or use them to your advantage – depending on what your distractions are) so that you focus more on how to best love God and love others which must include spreading the good news?
What should our response be to sin in the church? What should our response be to sin outside of the church? Why the difference? What happens when we get it mixed up and treat outside sin as we are supposed to treat inside sin? What happens when we get it mixed up and treat inside sin as we are supposed to treat outside sin?
After reading the whole Bible passage today, re-read 1 Corinthians 8:2. What is Paul saying in this verse? Why is he saying it? What can you learn from it? And how could you put it into practice?
What do you think God wants you personally to learn and put into practice today from this letter from Paul to the church in Corinth?
When Marcia initially asked me to write the devotions for this week, I briefly glanced at what the daily passages would be. When I saw some Corinthians, I remember thinking, Cool, I like Corinthians – it’s got some good stuff like the love chapter and resurrection chapter. Oh golly, did I underestimate the book of 1 Corinthians. I mean, I know Paul wrote some “hard to understand” things (2 Peter 3:16 NLT). I just didn’t realize, until today, I would have to write a response to some of these things.
Teaching, wisdom, and humility are some overarching themes in today’s text from 1 Corinthians chapters 1-4. Upon my first read through, I was stumped, and really wishing someone smarter than me had these chapters. I longed to search through my old notes from Bible college to see what my professor had to say. I have all my old notes – and Bob Jones, if you’re reading this, I have my handouts organized by theme in TWO collapsible file portfolios. 🙂 Unfortunately, everything is labeled somewhere in a box that has yet to be unearthed since my getting married and moving from Nebraska to Missouri. It then occurred to me I could spend hours diving deeper into the complexity of these four chapters with the aid of the internet. Seeing as it was 2pm Wednesday afternoon, Marcia needs my devotion tonight, and I’ve got a Thanksgiving Bible Study dinner at 5:30, I decided that wasn’t the way to go. So, I got out my interlinear Greek New Testament and started reading again, this time briefly summarizing the main ideas as I went. What I came up with was the Emilee Christian Simplified Version of 1 Corinthians 1-4. Doing this helped me better understand what Paul meant. I will share with you what I came up with, in hopes it does the same for you. This may be more informal than what you are used to reading – bear with me, please!
1:1-3: Paul and Sosthenes are writing a letter to the Corinthian church.
1:4-9: Speaking as Paul: I thank God for you. God loves you. God wants to use your church.
1:10-17: I hear you’ve been fighting – knock it off!
1:18-20: Earthly wisdom has no power against the cross.
1:21-31: God likes to use the weak and unexpected things of this world to further show His power. Side note – I particularly like this section and immediately thought of these four seemingly unexpected things God has used: a manger, shepherds, fishermen, and women as first witnesses to the resurrection.
2:1-5: When I came to you, I spoke in plain simple terms so you would understand that Gospel message.
2:6-11: I use more complex language while speaking to spiritually mature believers. This is different from worldly wisdom. Perhaps people were accusing Paul of using worldly ideas to explain the Gospel and this is his defense.
2:12-15: I’m talking about spiritual matters that do not make sense to those attempting to understand with worldly wisdom.
3: 1-3: Remember when I came to you I simplified things. I am still having to simplify things because your arguing and disagreeing is preventing you from understanding more complex spiritual thought.
3: 4-9: Summarizes what they’ve been arguing about. Explains that it doesn’t matter who brought you to the faith in Christ, what’s important is that you now have faith in Christ.
3:10-15: Christ is the foundation of our faith. Anyone may build upon this foundation by spreading the Good News. God’s judgment will reveal if one has done a good or bad job at expanding the foundation. We mere humans don’t need to burden ourselves with making those judgments.
3:16-17: The Church is God’s holy temple so behave and be holy – get your act together Corinthians!
3:18: Sounds like Paul saying he hopes the proud get knocked down a few pegs so they will in turn learn true wisdom.
3:19-20: Again there is a difference between God’s wisdom and the world’s understanding.
3:21-22: Don’t be boastful, don’t be prideful – all things belong to Christ who belongs to God.
4:1-5: It’s God’s place to judge.
4:6-7: So quit arguing about who is better – it’s not your job, it’s God’s.
4:8-13: Seriously, quit bickering over us Apostles! It’s rough enough out here spreading the Gospel we don’t need to deal with your infighting, too.
4:14:I’m not trying to shame you in saying these things, but you need to be disciplined because you are acting like children.
4:15-16:I feel responsible for your faith because I was the one who first told you about Christ – so I’ve got a right to call you out when you’re acting like children. Shape up. Do better.
4:17: I’m sending Timothy to help you.
4:18-21: I hear you want me to come visit, but is that what you really want? Because if I came to visit you now I would be mad and disappointed. Get your act together so that when I do come, we can have a good visit.
Food for Thought: I have to wonder if writing in lengthy complex statements was sort of Paul’s point. In trying to put spiritual things into the context and words of men, it seemed to me to make less sense. Is that a part of Paul’s argument? Perhaps Paul is demonstrating that to have complete understanding of God is foolish and what we should seek is to have faith.
Reflection Questions
What are some examples of what the world says is wise that God says is foolishness? When have you found yourself switching over from worldly wisdom to Godly wisdom?
If Paul came to your church, or wrote a letter to you, what might he say?
What arguments have you allowed to come between you and your brothers and sisters at church? What can you do to fix the problem?
After spending the last two days discussing unity, today’s reading from 2 Thessalonians may seem counterintuitive as there appear to be a lot of divisive factors. In Paul’s explanation of the second coming there is clear division between the saved believers and evil doers. What I find interesting is who is doing the dividing.
Paul makes it clear God will take care of Evil. There is a plan. While we may not have all the details of how said plan will work out, verses like 2:8 make it pretty obvious a plan exists. Today’s text seems to be saying it is God’s job to judge and take care of evil; it is our job to love and teach.
Throughout both letters to the Thessalonians, Paul commends their ability to love one another and remain faithful. In this letter, Paul specifically instructs them to “never tire of doing good” (3:13). The Greek word used here is kalopiountes meaning “to do well, act honorably, do what is right. From Kalos and poieo; to do well, ie Live virtuously” (Strong’s 2569). We know from Paul’s other writings he regards love as the greatest virtue (1 Corinthians 13:13). Basically, after discussing God’s plan to vanquish evil, Paul instructs the Thessalonians to show love. I think there is significance in the order he presents these topics. Our response to God’s judgment upon the earth is to love.
Yet, it’s also clear Paul does not equate love with acceptance. Again, Paul warns against idleness. Here is where I believe the call to teach comes. While we are not called to judge, we’re also not called to hold the truth to ourselves. In fact, Paul even instructs the Thessalonians to “warn” the ones who “refuse to obey what we say in this letter” (3:14 NLT). As Paul did with the Athens people, we need to find a way to express the Gospel Truth to those with destructive ways of living. This takes faith. This takes action. This takes love.
Reflection Questions
What are your thoughts on the statement: “Our response to God’s judgment upon the earth is to love”?
What does a loving warning look and sound like? Have you ever received one? Have you ever given one? Is there a person to whom God is asking you to give a loving warning? Pray about it.
When have you been guilty of holding the truth to yourself? How could you respond next time?
How will you show your faith, action and love this week?
The book of 1 Thessalonians covers a lot. Shout out to the Wednesday night Bible study group at Jaynes Street in Omaha, NE and Pastor Isaac! Last Spring we took our time diving into all Paul had to say in his letter to the church in Thessalonica. This sparked some great discussions and I recommend a deeper study into this book. While reading through it this time around, I was struck by one theme in particular: unity. We live in a world with so much division. In this letter, Paul urges us to get along with everyone and gives us a few pointers on how to do so.
First, Paul advises us to “live a quiet life, minding your own business” (4:11 NLT). It’s interesting how this comes after his instructions for holy living. In yesterday’s reading we saw Paul correcting a group of people for their unholy idol worship and leading them in love towards the truth. Christians are given clear instructions to be ambassadors for Christ, sharing the good news. I believe there is a right way and a wrong way to go about doing that. Basically, avoid causing drama for drama’s sake. If you want to offer your opinion, make sure it is done with the right heart and mindset. Treat others with dignity and respect. Let that be the first thing people notice about you, rather than preachy words for holier living.
It is clear from this letter, and others, that a strong work ethic was important to Paul. Paul was proud of his ability to support himself through his tentmaking trade while he was a missionary. He urges believers to “work with their hands…then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others” (4:11 & 12 NLT). I believe Paul is wanting the church to take an active role in society, not a passive one. We can be a people set apart, holy, and chosen by God while still serving the unchurched.
How do we do this? How do we live transformed without shunning the world? It’s quite easy, actually. “Be patient with everyone” and “do good to each other and to all people” (5:14 & 15). I hope my sarcastic humor is coming through these typed words. It is certainly not easy to remain patient with all people. Simply put, there are a lot of idiots out there – ourselves included. God has remained faithful and patient with us. Give this patience to others. Even those with whom you disagree. Yesterday, Paul approached the Athens people with patience. He didn’t accuse them of pagan worship, but rather approached them as a group of misunderstood people whom he sought to lead towards truth. I wonder what it would be like if we treated those with differing ideas from us as toddlers who truly know no better.
Finally, there was one place where the theme of unity struck me the most, in reading Paul’s words for the hope of the resurrection. This might seem an odd place to find unity as there are differing end of life and end of time doctrine. Those in the church of God Conference know this especially all too well. While passages like this seem to support a sleep of the dead theology, Paul’s intentions for writing these words on the resurrection were not so much to teach as they were to encourage. The hope of the resurrection is not meant to cause division but to encourage us in the future glory we will share with Jesus. The timeline and order of events is not as important as the actual event. We know that there will be a day where we will be with the Lord forever. THAT is our hope. This is not to say that the when, the where, the how, are not also important, but they don’t seem to be Paul’s focus of his resurrection writings to the Thessalonians. More than once Paul mentions how he doesn’t need to write to the church about such things as they are already aware (5:1, 5:4). Rather Paul says he is writing about the resurrection to “encourage each other” and “build each other up” (4:18, 5:11 NLT). Until today, I had only looked at this resurrection passage as supporting a particular doctrine. When I read Paul’s closing statements as to why he wrote such things I was hit with the sad realization that we as Christians, myself included, have allowed the hope of the resurrection to be a dividing point in our faith rather than something that unites us.
Reflection Questions
I challenge you today to look for ways you have allowed divisions to occur between you and others. How can we take Paul’s instructions for unity and apply in our lives, today?
How do we live transformed without shunning the world?
Today’s reading contains one of my favorite stories about Paul’s travels – his time in Athens. I love this story because it teaches us to approach others of varying beliefs with kindness and respect. In Acts 17:22-30 Paul demonstrates how to speak the truth in love.
Paul begins his discussion with the Athens people by complimenting them. It isn’t false flattery either. While the lifestyle of idol worship is appalling, Paul looks at the heart behind the lifestyle and establishes common ground with the people. He makes the observation that they are “very religious in every way” (v. 22 NLT). He reminds them of their own “‘unknown God’” to whom they have dedicated an altar. Instead of coming to them with radically new ideas, he expounds on one of their own. Instead of creating division between his religion and theirs, Paul seeks unity.
In his following statements, Paul shows his knowledge of their customs, further establishing his credibility. He isn’t ignorant of their ways of life. He notes how the Greeks put special significance over temples, believing it to be where their gods reside and have power. He explains how the Hebrew God “since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in manmade temples” (v. 24 NLT). He discusses their custom to offer sacrifices and argues that the true God does not require sacrifices from man in order to survive. Finally, Paul quotes some of Athens own poets to prove the existence of God as creator of man. To make all these arguments, Paul needed to have a baseline understanding of the Athens religious beliefs. This means he took the time to understand the people he sought to evangelize.
It’s also worth noting that Paul initially approaches them with an I statement. I looked it up in the original Greek and sure enough the verb used for seeing/noticing is conjugated first person singular. In relational communication, I statements are key. I statements help the speaker convey ideas without seeming to attack the recipient. I think it is brilliant that Paul does that here with the Athens people.
The way Paul speaks to the Athens people reminds me of how he explained his teaching style in I Corinthians when he wrote “I have become all things to all people” (9:22 NIV). Paul humbles himself in sharing the gospel. Rather than teach a doctrine, Paul sought to teach good news. I think today we can learn from Paul. If there is someone in your life who’s lifestyle seems counter to yours or your beliefs, I encourage you to search for common ground like Paul. Find that common ground. Address it, using an I statement. Then, expound on their beliefs by guiding them to the truth. It takes finesse, of course, but it is important to not ostracize people. In a world full of so much division, look for the similarities. Ask God to give you humility. I wonder just how many people we could reach if we paused and looked for our similarities. Despite the many ways we can differ, at the end of the day, we are all a part of God’s creation, groaning and longing for a day free from death and decay. We are more alike than we are different.
Reflection Questions
Have you worked on using “I statements”? What results have you seen? Have you tried them before when sharing the good news?
How was the good news shared with you? Are there bad ways to share the good news? What might that look like? With what results?
Think of someone different from you who does not currently have the hope of eternal life. What do you have in common? What do you know about them? What “I statements” could you use to start a conversation with them about God?
Prior to the New Covenant, the Jews were like slaves to the law, in the sense that children are slaves to their parents’ rules until the time has come to set them free to do what they’ve learned is right without their parents’ involvement. This is what Paul is trying to reiterate regarding the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ/law of liberty to the Galatians.
When Jesus ratified a new covenant with them (and us), the Jews were set free from the Law of Moses in the same manner that a child is set free from her parents’ rules/laws once she becomes an adult. Because Jesus came, the Jews are now free to walk by faith like Abraham did, without a law to teach him what to do, but with God’s wisdom about what to do, having already learned what is good from their “childhood.”
To make this point clearer, think of the things you still do as an adult because your parents taught you well when you were a child, like holding the door for the person behind you, or waiting patiently for your turn while in line, etc. They’re not things that you’re doing because you’re still under your parents’ rules and will receive consequences from them if you don’t (or do). They’re things you’re doing because they’re ingrained in you to do from their discipline of you, and because you’ve learned that they are good practices to help you live well (to keep yourself and others from harm and to do good to others).
If you engage in the good things your parents taught you once a “free to do as you please” adult, you will probably do well in life. If not, you will understand that you’re not really free, you’re just not under your parents’ authority anymore. They’re not going to be the ones providing you with consequences for your actions because you’re not under their yoke. You’re under a free society’s yoke – one that obviously still expects you to do what’s right so that you won’t harm yourself or others.
And there will be some behaviors that you’re no longer expected to engage in in your free society, such as not talking to strangers. Though your parents may have taught you to heed this rule when you were under their yoke to keep you from harm, it no longer applies in your free society. The opposite is actually expected for love and respect’s sake.
If they (and we) now identify in Christ, they are free from the Laws of Moses (free from their “parent” Moses’s rules), its consequences, and its authority. They are adults, free to serve God without specific laws about how they must live, beyond what their new authority Jesus says to do, which is to love as Jesus loved, giving the world the royal treatment (love your neighbor as yourself).
What’s ingrained in a Christ follower is the Holy Spirit, not the laws from the Law of Moses. It is the Spirit that writes the law (of Christ) on our heart, urging us to do what pleases God. If we (both Jew and Gentile) listen to the urging of the Spirit, we are walking by the Spirit and pleasing God. If not, we’re walking by the flesh and pleasing ourselves (sinning/choosing our own will).
We will reap what our behavior sows in the end, either to the flesh, which leads to death, or to the Spirit, which leads to life. Jesus, our authority under the New Covenant, will be our judge.
So, how have you been doing in loving God and loving people?
If you don’t know how to love like Jesus, ask God for his wisdom about how to love your neighbor (and God), or what actions you should take to love them. His desire is to give you his wisdom about what to do when you ask.
First Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus has become wisdom for us, so look to him for wisdom; look at his words to help you to know what God’s will is. Look at the people that Jesus entrusted God’s word with, like Paul. At the end of almost all of his letters, he gives those he’s writing to some practical application in how to love like Jesus. James gave us a lot too!
The more we follow the urging of the spirit to do God’s will, the more we become like Christ and will do God’s will. Becoming this type of person takes time, molding, and shaping. There will be times when we miss the mark and wander off the path. Isn’t it a blessing though to be under the law of liberty, free to make mistakes without the consequences from the Law of Moses when we do? What a burden that would be! Thank God that we won’t receive the consequences from the Law of Moses when we miss the mark on our race.
Under the New Covenant, God urges us to restore one who’s wandered off, gently, as consequence. We must help each other stay on the path of righteousness and bear each other’s burdens, like Paul is with the Galatians in his letter. This is how you fulfill the law of Christ/the law of liberty.
So, should we follow the Law of Moses to be sure we are living well? No. We should read and understand all scripture, as it is all God breathed, “profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate” (2 Tim. 3:16-17), but we should apply what we read and do in light of the New Covenant we are under with our new high priest and mediator Jesus. It is a better way to live, with a lighter yoke. Jesus teaches us how to do this (seek God’s wisdom through him).
For example, before Jesus was crucified, he shared in the Passover meal with his disciples. The Passover was a meal shared to remember what Yahweh God had done for the Jews, leading them out of slavery from the Egyptians, to serving him. But at the last supper Jesus has with them, he tells them to remember something new when they have Passover. He says to remember him, remembering what he did for them in shedding his blood and breaking his body.
Gentiles don’t celebrate Passover, because it doesn’t apply to them. But many Christians do share a meal together once a year that they call communion, remembering Jesus’s shed blood and his broken body for us. God didn’t give Gentiles a law telling them they must celebrate Communion under the New Covenant, but his son told his disciples to remember him. We must remember what Christ did for us too.
Communion is a good practice to help us remember, but it is not a law we must abide by to be in Christ (identified as a Christ follower). What we must abide by is what Jesus said, which is to remember what he did for us.
It is easy to forget what Jesus did for us when we don’t engage in practices that help us remember. However, if a Gentile chooses not to remember Jesus’s blood and body every year, he is not condemned to not enter the kingdom of God. But each year he forgets about Jesus’s sacrifice, the more off track he may get, which can put him in jeopardy of not entering the kingdom of God at the end of his race.
And Jewish Christians no longer need to celebrate Passover/Seder. But it is okay if they do, so long as they’re not doing it to separate themselves from Gentiles as righteous. But when they do, it would be good practice to primarily remember what Jesus did for them, which is much better than what Moses did for them. If they don’t, they are not condemned to not enter the kingdom of God in the end, but the more they forget about Jesus’s sacrifice for them, the more off track they may get, which can put them in jeopardy of not entering the kingdom at the end of their race.
The Galatians (and we) should understand that teaching anyone, even a Jew, to follow the Law of Moses for the purpose of being identified as righteous, is wrong. It is a false gospel. Doing what Christ says to do is the true gospel, and it identifies you as a child of God in Christ. Faith in Jesus, with the faith of Abraham/of Jesus, identifies you as a true child of God.
Paul emphasizes his point with an analogy of two women from the Old Testament. Hagar was a slave, Sarah was free. The enslaved woman will have no part of the inheritance of the free woman, so the Galatians need to get this right. Lives are at stake.
When Paul first preached the Gospel to the Galatians, they were fulfilling the Law of Christ because of their great love for Paul, not only listening to him and receiving his teachings, but also taking great care of him while he was sick. They treated him like he was a messenger from God, like Jesus himself. Paul said if it were possible, they would have torn out their eyes to give them to Paul if he needed them. That is loving like Jesus. It’s sacrificial love. It is giving their neighbor Paul the royal treatment.
There is no law about what exactly we must do to love like Jesus the way the Galatians did at first. But we know that to love like Jesus when we see a brother sick and in need means doing something to help that brother. Think on the wisdom we received from James to understand (James 2:15-17). Your faith is worthless if you don’t give a brother what he needs, and it makes you a sinner.
Again, 1 John 3:16 tells us what loving like Jesus is, and that we should follow suit. This is how we know what love is, Jesus the Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters. What this verse is saying is that love is sacrifice. We are to sacrifice our lives to love someone else, in all of our doings under our new authority.
For Jesus, it looked like living a sinless life and dying on the cross to save us. For the Galatians when they first met Paul, it was to take care of him in his ill state. Paul is now loving them by urging them to remember their first love (acts of love towards him when he had a need) in the rest of their doings.
There are many things that we can do to love like Jesus. We are going to need to seek God’s wisdom to know the specifics and be led by the spirit in our various circumstances, but we can all heed this bit of wisdom at the end of Paul’s letter to the Galatians to remain on the path of righteousness under the New Covenant through Christ:
Instead of allowing someone to enslave you with their false teaching, a good practice is to serve one another through love, like the Galatians did at Paul’s first preaching. This is the freedom they have in Christ, to do good until Paul without a law that tells them so.
We are called to freedom, but we should not turn our freedom into an opportunity to sin just because there’s no law under the New Covenant. Remember, there’s wisdom! The whole Law (of Moses) is fulfilled in one word, the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Under the new Covenant, this is also wisdom from God. But if you bite and devour one another, you may just be consumed by one another. You won’t be entering the kingdom of God if you’re doing this because you’re not loving your brother like Jesus taught. Instead, walk by the Spirit so that you won’t carry out the desires of the flesh.
The desires of the flesh (not God’s will) are whatever is opposed to the desires of the Spirit of God (God’s will). The spirit he put inside you urges you to do his will, while the flesh urges you to do your own will, or what you think is good for you to do.
If you want to know if you’re walking by the spirit or walking by the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21 gives you a pretty clear list of things that people do when they’re walking by the flesh. These are things that are going to harm yourself or others and if practiced (meaning ongoing without repentance), they’re going to make you forfeit your entrance into the kingdom of God.
Instead, walk by the Spirit’s urging about what you should do, and the fruit of the Spirit will follow. They are things that are produced by people who love like Jesus. If you want to know if you’re a disciple of Jesus, they’re great identifiers: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). If these characteristics are yours, you’re not under a law (you can call it the law of liberty if you really want to be under a law). You’re in Jesus’s free society (free to love like Jesus based on the needs of those you’re serving, based on God’s wisdom about it, not by a law outlining specifics you must do to be righteous).
If you are a Christian, you crucified the flesh with its passions and desires when you entered the New Covenant. I think this means that since becoming a Christian, you have decided to live by the urging of the Spirit inside you, as opposed to your former ways following the desires of your flesh, just like Paul proclaimed of himself. But if one of you practices one of those things from the flesh list, then your brother who is spiritual should restore you gently. Be sure the restorer is spiritual though, being sure the one restoring the brother sinning doesn’t have a log in his own eye to clean out first, lest he also be tempted. And bear one another’s burdens. I love how Paul basically reiterated how to fulfill the law of Christ in this situation using the same wisdom that Jesus used when teaching his disciples how to live from the from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
Some more wisdom to stay on track to the Kingdom of God include sharing good things with the one who teaches you the word. If the one teaching you God’s word took time away from doing other things to support their family, then in return you should support your teacher.
Remember, God is not mocked. Whatever a person sows, he will also reap, whether to the flesh (ongoing sin/your own will) which leads to destruction or to the Spirit (God’s will), which leads to eternal life. The one preaching the false gospel will reap what he sows.
Don’t grow weary in doing good. This can be a hard one with all of life’s ups and downs. I remember when I knew I was growing weary, so I cried out to God to help me keep going. He simply reiterated it back to me through the prophetic word of a dear sister in Christ, and then told me what to prioritize.
In due time, if we don’t become weary, we will reap good things. While we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, especially those who are of the household of the faith. Amen!
I find it hilarious that Paul says, “See what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” It sounds like he’s saying that he’s using Caps Lock to shout out to the Galatians this point: All who want to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. In other words, they’re not trying to teach you their false gospel to help you, they’re teaching it to try to help themselves.
Wouldn’t we all like to be able to say this after trying to reprove a fellow Christian, “I boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Circumcision and uncircumcision is nothing. What’s something is a new creation in Christ.” If you think and behave in a way knowing this, then peace and mercy to you who are now the Israel of God.
Reflection Questions
1. Have you witnessed the cry, “Abba! Father!” since receiving the Spirit of God’s son into your heart?
2. How did the son who was born according to the flesh persecute the one who was born according to the Spirit (Gal. 5 29)?
3. Gal. 5:1 says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. What do you think “freedom” means in this verse? Freedom from what and to what? (I think it means a little more to a Jew than to a Gentile).
Seek Grow Love 