Thoughts From Galatians 6 - Part 1

 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. Gal. 6:1-5

        Believers will have to give an account for their actions someday at the Bema seat judgement. Bible Questions website says this about it;

Believers are judged at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10–12). We believe that this judgment will probably occur in heaven during the seven-year tribulation on earth. Every believer will give an account of himself before the Lord. This judgment does not determine salvation, which is by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9); rather, it determines the rewards believers will receive.

First Corinthians 3:11 pictures Christ as our “foundation,” and the surrounding verses liken the Christian life to building on that foundation. We can build with “gold, silver, costly stones,” or we can build with “wood, hay or straw” (verse 12). What we construct will be tested, as it were, by fire. Our worthless, shallow activity will not survive God’s refining fire; only what is done for God’s glory will last. The judgment seat of Christ will reveal this.

Believers will be rewarded based on their good works in Christ’s service and their faithfulness to the Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24–27). We will give an account of our actions, inactions, words, thoughts, and motives. Were they truly indicative of our position in Christ? “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12).

        I picture this as one by one being called up before the judge in front of everyone and having God tell all our failures before the throngs yet also tell all our times of faithfulness and somehow, because it's Heaven, I feel like the good will be emphasized more. I watched Survivor Season 49 last night and at the final judgement by those voted off, they got on Sage's case for one-by-one voting them off when they had the majority had she not turned on them. After the winner was announced, and it wasn't her, she had a meltdown because she felt like everyone was mad at her and she had betrayed everyone. The contestants were genuinely sad for her and hugged her and told her all was forgiven, and Jeff Probst, an ordained false believer, gave her some words of encouragement and humanistic platitudes. I suppose that will be a little bit of how it goes for us. The Bible says that He will wipe away all tears from our eyes so I suppose there will be some weeping when our sins, failures, in general how much we forgot that Heaven was our home, not Earth, but then He will comfort us maybe along with fellow saints and we will be restored? I don't know, I'm only guessing.

         Paul says that in light of this we should first of all watch our behavior closely. I want to hear him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" rather than, "You sure did waste your time on Earth.", don't you? My secret sins that I think no one knows about - News Flash - everyone will. Does that frighten you? It should. Is that enough of a warning to curb your behavior starting today? It should be.

        Secondly Paul says that before you start examining everyone else's behavior, make sure your own is in check. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't examine others' behavior because we need to first of all make sure that they aren't abandoning the faith or so close to the edge they could fall off, but secondly make sure that they will receive words of praise at the judgement Seat of Christ. We are to come along side of them and bear their burdens. I can only think that's what Promise Keepers tried to do with men years ago when they formed accountability groups to call each other frequently and check on each other to make sure no sin is taking them down and help them through it.

        I tend to forget that my sins will someday be displayed for the world to see and it scares me. Maybe if starting today I live for Him 100%, He will remember my sins no more. It's worth a try.

Thoughts From Galatians 5 - Part 4

 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Gal. 5:19-23

            I once confronted a kid in the youth group about his sexual immorality. This was a boy who, as the youth group leader, I had taken a special interest in because he had an absent dad, so he'd come over and play basketball quite often and I even took him on a couple of medical mission trips to Mexico and Dominican Republic. He had prayed to receive Christ but now was drawn to premarital sex with his girlfriend. I remember telling him that based on this passage and others that if he really was a Christian he wouldn't behave like this, and I was doubting his salvation. Well, this somehow got back to his mother who wrote me a lengthy letter blasting me for telling him he was going to hell." How dare you question his salvation. Don't you remember when he went forward and prayed to receive Christ? Don't you remember his baptism? The Bible teaches once saved always saved..." and so on. The boy left the youth group, and I've seen him sparingly although when we reconnect, we still have a good relationship. He has since married, is a very successful businessman, isn't in church has a daughter who I delivered that recently got engaged to a woman. His mom goes to my church and has never mentioned the letter, and we get along OK.

           Maybe I could have done things differently. I don't know. There are just so many passages that say that people who live a lifestyle like this aren't members of the Kingdom of God. Sure, we all occasionally will lust, be jealous, road rage, be envious, etc., but if someone were to describe your life would it be one following the flesh or the Spirit. Hopefully the course of our life and the projection of our life is toward the Spirit rather than debauchery. Hopefully when the Spirit convicts us of behavior that is fleshly, we will grieve, stop it, and make efforts and place guardrails to prevent a relapse, not just excuse it, permit it, and claim "once saved always saved." If God is inside of us we can't help but to start to look like Him. Just like an apple tree will begin to get apple blossoms and then grow apples, a Jesus tree will not grow evil but rather righteousness.

         What kind of fruit are you bearing? If you are convicted about your behavior being fleshly, repent. Maybe you never truly let Christ in to take control. He has nothing but good planned for you so don't be scared - just surrender.

Thoughts From Galatians 5 - Part 3

 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Gal 5:13-18, 24-25

        The flesh wants to consider ourselves and our wants more important than other peoples' and the Spirit wants us to consider others' wants and needs and well-being more important than our own. No wonder they are in conflict, they are complete opposites. I wish I had the answer to making the Spirit come out on top but if I did, I would have mastered sinless perfection and I certainly haven't.

        I guess the first hurdle would be wanting the Spirit to win. Don't you somedays just want to be self-centered and do what you want to do instead of what others want. I remember early in marriage our biggest fights would be on Saturdays. After working long hard hours daily as a resident and my wife as a physical therapist, we would finally have a day off and each of us would have our own ideas of what that day should look like, and we would have a battle of the wills. Marriage was exposing that sin nature I didn't realize I had. I didn't drink, cuss, look at pornography, have premarital sex so I thought I was pretty much sinless. Little did I know that I was rotten to the core. So, 44 years later do I still fight with my wife on Saturdays? Nope. Why not? I guess because after being together so long, our interests have aligned? We want to see the other one be happy? The fights are worse than giving in? We realize we will have plenty of other time to do what we want to do? I suppose all of these are factors.

         What does this have to do with the flesh vs. the Spirit? Paul says to walk in step with the Spirit and just like walking in step with my wife, our interests after years of being saved should start aligning. We will learn that the joy of making Jesus happy is more rewarding than making ourselves happy. We will learn that the discipline of the Lord or even the distance when we are following the flesh is more pain than it is worth. Also, we learn that we have all of eternity at our disposal and although I don't see it as a time of fulfilling delayed gratification on Earth, I do know that it is going to be spectacular and more enjoyable than self-gratification here on Earth. But you see, it's all about relationship. Grow in your knowledge and love of Jesus and you will more and more want to please Him rather than chase after the flesh.

     

Thoughts From Galatians 5 - Part 2

  “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

           

               The Chosen Season 6 is coming, it will probably be released in theaters during the Passion week and will deal with Jesus being crucified. We've all known it is coming because we know the story, but that doesn't make it any easier. His miracles, his teachings, his winsome personality, his patience and mercy, his authority have all been fun to watch and you find yourself asking, "Why are they going to kill him off? Why does he have to die? Why does the story have to end so soon?" The cross is offensive. I've seen Mel Gibson's movie - once. I don't really want to see it again. I will watch Season 6 once but never again. Did you know that over 40% of John deals with the passion week?

             I guess I don't like the brutality of it that people could be so cruel to someone who never hurt anyone but just teaches love. I don't like the scorn of it that taking away his dignity and mocking him when he came to give people dignity and worth. I don't like the pain in what when all my life I do all I can to avoid pain. I don't like the fact that he dies when I try to not think about death and live like I'm immortal. The cross is offensive, but is this the offense that Paul is talking about?

             The offense of the cross is that we are so bad and helpless that in order to restore our relationship with God, the cross was necessary. We caused the cross. People don't like to hear that because we all think that we really aren't that bad, yet the cross tells us we are. This is why people stumble over Jesus and the cross; they think they really are good people who just need to be a little better and certainly don't need someone doing it for them. As Paul said in Romans and Isaiah said 1000 years earlier,

 "but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."

Are you offended by the cross or have you come to the realization that you are as bad as the cross tells you that you are? Humbling yourself is the only way in. Thank you Jesus for the cross that I despise so much.

Thoughts From Galatians 5 - Part 1

  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. Gal. 5:1-8

       Try as I might, I struggle with righteous behavior. I am righteous because of Christ but righteous behavior is different. I guess that's what the Galatians were confused by. They were trying to become righteous by acting or behaving righteously, forgetting that in Christ they were already righteous. Have I confused you?

      Let's take Christmas for example. All 21 of us are together in the house, everyone is talking all at once, babies are crying, kids say "mommy" 20 times in a row without the mom acknowledging them and then someone says something like, we would come visit more but it's too far of a drive and I want to say, "next time you ask us to babysit we will say, "It's too far of a drive", but I don't. I suppress it because I know that wouldn't be loving. But the very fact that I thought it and I wanted to say it shows how far I am from true righteousness. In fact, Paul says that we are awaiting righteousness which will finally come when we are in Heaven and free from these sin natures. You see, I can't truly love because I love myself most of all and try as I might, I always will until that self finally is laid to rest.

      The cool thing is God looks down from Heaven and sees me as righteous because of Christ, even though I feel far from it, and loves me and accepts me, and there is nothing, no work, no deed, no observance, no ritual that I have to do to earn it. I just am. The Galatians were struggling with that because someone had told them wrongly that they had to earn God's favor and because of that had lost their freedom.

     Do you feel loved and accepted by God or are you trying to earn His approval. Stop it. You're in. Bask in His love and just try to do right. The Holy Spirit has been given to you as your helper in that endeavor.

Thoughts From Galatians 4 - Part 4

 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Gal.4:17-31

             I heard someone the other day tell how they met their spouse and it wasn't through online, social media or dating apps but it was through trusting God to bring their spouse to them, I guess sort of like Rebekkah was brought to Isaac. Or, I know some infertile couples who aren't using reproductive technology but trusting God to give them a child. In saying such things they don't mean to, but we feel a bit of shame for not living "lives of faith" like they are. We see Abraham and Sarah as examples of faith that even while their bodies were "dead" to having children, they had Isaac and they slipped up when they tried to use the reproductive technology of their day, Hagar, and had Ishmael.

          Here's the problem; if faith is trusting God's promises, we aren't promised spouses nor children. We are promised such things like our needs being met, our paths being directed, all things working together for good, He who began a work will complete it, grace and mercy to help in time of need, Heaven, He will never leave us or forsake us - but I don't see a baby or a spouse in that list.

         This hits home because 3 of the grandchildren currently in my house for the Holidays were born through In Vitro. Now to me, that is more miraculous than timing the menstrual cycle, using ovulation test strips and timed coitus. Harvesting eggs putting them in a petri dish, fertilizing them with sperm, observing the Zona pellucida be penetrated under a microscope watching cell division and then freezing it to be implanted at another date by overriding the host's natural hormones with injections to time the prime implantation, seems a lot more miraculous to me. But what are we to make of the "wait on God" process of living? Is that demonstrating more faith?

        In one way it is because you are denying all your desires and telling God, "I want you more than anything." It's almost like Job saying, "Though He slay me, I will trust in Him." But, didn't we already tell Him that when we got saved? Does he want us to climb Mount Moriah now and sacrifice those things to prove it? Is that what the life of faith is, some kind of Monastic life of denying our dreams? The thing about dating Apps and In Vitro is that even though you use them, you aren't guaranteed success.  How do you view God when singleness and infertility are seeming inevitable even after pursuing marriage and Children. Are you angry at Him. Do you no longer trust Him? Have you quit talking to Him? Maybe, a life of faith is pursuing your dreams but surrendering the outcome to the Lord and saying in the end, "I'd rather have Jesus than anything this World has to offer."

Thoughts From Galatians 4 - Part 3

 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Gal. 4:12-16

             You have probably seen the videos on X or YouTube where the latest mega church is striving to pack the house hopefully for a good reason like presenting the Gospel. They will use anything from a sword swallowing fire blower to Harry Potter flying through the air in a circus like atmosphere. And now that the people have been drawn in, let's introduce you to the pastor and his wife. The pastor is buff and looks like he could bench press you and is definitely not going bald. He has $500 Tennis Shoes on, and his clothes are not from Sam's. The wife is beautiful and every woman wants to be her. She definitely has no visible aging.

       

             It's easy to pick on this "low hanging" fruit, but if a "show" brings people out to hear the gospel and even one gets saved that wouldn't have gone to a traditional service, all the mockers on X can mock all they want but it was worth it. Having worked with youth some and seeing my son do it in Silicon Valley where Church isn't a big draw, you can get a bit of empathy for these Mega shows but here's the point- in Galatians 4, Paul talks about how he drew the crowds in when he showed up to their town. He drew them in with strong Biblical supernaturally empowered teaching from the Word of God!

           Can you imagine that? Actually, don't you crave that? I do. How did he look? Frankly, he was hard to look at. You ever see someone with acne so bad that it's hard to look straight at them. His eye infection was kind of doing that number and it probably was even giving off an odor. He didn't come in nice clothes; in fact, he probably needed help getting changed into what amounted to his hospital gown. He wasn't buff or physically fit but rather pudgy, out of shape and ill. What drew the crowd was his exposition of God's word! Man, give me that any day. Who needs bells and whistles, I want the real thing.