The world thinks Christians are crazy, you know. But, there is crazy and then there is crazy. Let's see how the apostle Paul defines the condition, as he observed it among the Galatians.
In the 3rd chapter of Galatians (using The Message version today), the apostle Paul continues to expound on the centrality of faith and grace. He is alarmed at how the Galatians, who came to know Jesus Christ, through hearing and receiving the true gospel, have been acting lately as if a hex had been put on them. It is as if they had lost their ability to remember the bounteous grace of God spread among them. Paul asks them: "Are you going to continue this craziness?" (vs. 2-4)
The Judaizers who were leading these Gentile folks astray were fond of saying that they (the Jews) were "children of Abraham". It was a point of pride for them, a badge of honor, a way of letting others know that they deemed themselves superior to other people. Accordingly, they set out to only accept these Gentile believers if the former heathen would adopt all the Jewish traditions and adhere firmly to the dictates of "the law". The "baby Christian" Galatians, knowing no better, began to veer off into this apostasy.
Like many things in Scripture, the difference in truth and error is subtle, but profound. In yesterday's post, I talked about the subtle difference between servanthood and servitude. The outward appearance is very much the same - - - a person living morally, according to the example set by Jesus. But, the critical difference is the attitude of the heart.
Let's look at the Jews (and perhaps the Judaizers in Galatia as well). What were they trusting in for their salvation? First of all, they were trusting in their ethnicity, their parentage, the fact that Abraham was their common ancestor and that the covenant, the promise of God was made to him. Certainly it was! But, hold on.... Second, they were trusting in their ability to adhere to the Law, for their salvation. The Jews believed that it was their keeping the Law that made them right with God. It was a "self-defeating, cursed life" (vs. 13).
Paul pointed out the very common error in this theology (as Jesus did before him). Paul asked: how does one inherit the promise that was made to Abraham?
It is certainly not by lineage, by ethnicity. (Luke 3:8)
It is certainly not by following the Law of Moses. (Romans 3:20)
It is certainly ONLY by faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, Jesus Christ, who calls out to each of us "Follow Me". (Hebrews 11:6)
In verses 13-14, Paul points out that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. The Law of Moses played an important role, but it was a temporary one - - - the role of the Law was to show man how far he was from God's standard of righteousness, to point the Old Testament faithful to reliance on their loving God and to point us to Christ. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Law, and freed us from its bondage.
If we have truly been freed through Christ, however, we will walk in Him, which means that we will follow His example in how to live. There are some common behavioral characteristics between His perfect example and parts of the Law. If we follow Christ, if we have the Holy Spirit within us, we will live a righteous life through the power given to us by the Holy Spirit and manifest His law of love - - - love for our Savior and for our fellow man. God does His holy work in us, through His Spirit, as we yield our own will to Him. Do you see the difference?
The power to accomplish this transformation comes, not from the Law or from our own striving, but from God's Holy Spirit at work in the life of the Christ follower, the believer. As Paul pointed out in verse 3:
For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?
He goes on to re-affirm what Habakkuk said over 600 years earlier - - -
"The person who believes God, is set right by God - - and that's the real life." (Habakkuk 2:4)
Being a "descendant of Abraham" is not a matter of bloodlines or ethnicity. It is a matter of faith. Those who depend upon Jesus Christ to make them right with God do so by placing their faith in Him, not in their own paltry efforts to accomplish the impossible.
Are you a child of Abraham? Have you inherited the promise made to him, all those centuries ago? I am, and I have, because I have received Jesus as my Savior. I have put my faith in Him. But, there are still times I find myself stuck, defeated in my daily walk. At those times, if I examine myself and my circumstances, I realize that I got into those situations by trying to control things that are not mine to control. When I "step away from the cray-cray", change my heart attitude, step down off of the throne of my life (again!) and yield to Him, things fall back into place. GOD must be allowed to do His work in us, through us; and He will, if we will let Him.
Father, thank you for this new day, this blank slate on which I have the opportunity to write my love for You, by walking in faith. Thank you for forgiveness, for re-alignment of my will to Yours. Lord, teach me ever more to follow You, to let You lead me. Do Your amazing work in and through me today. In Jesus' name, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment