Galatians has some good theology in it. Paul is reaming the church because they are falling for other gospels, namely, it seems, a gospel that is highly legalistic. Using analogy, metaphor, story, and flat out rebuke, Paul is trying to hammer it home: you cannot attain justification, salvation, or any other "ation" by observing the law! The law does not impart righteousness!
I love this (3.2-5): "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?"
The whole letter is really good, when you read it in one sitting. Paul talks about Abraham, how the dude believed God, and was deemed "righteous." He makes an interesting analogy with Hagar and Sarah, which I'm still trying to unpack. But his point seems to be,
You were crucified with Christ. What is dead to him can also be dead to you, should you choose to believe this can be true for your life. What's more -- he died so that you could be free. He set you free from the bondage of the law, from the bondage of sin, from the bondage of the flesh and its desires. What he offers you is new life. What he offers you is his Spirit. FREELY. And you receive these things one way, and one way only: by believing what you hear.
I've been thinking of all of us while reading Galatians this week, and for a very specific reason. God is up to something. After hearing from some of you this weekend, and the last few days, I am convinced that this is a season for believing what we hear. All of us can see that God is on the move. All of us know that he is poking and prodding and beckoning each of us in ways unique to who we are. And, in one way or another, all of us are hungry for more. We want to go deeper. We want more of Jesus. We want to believe that we can do the things Jesus did, and the "greater things" that he promised we'd do. We want to experience his presence. We want to be changed, rearranged, and claimed by his love.
And like the church in Galatia, it is so easy for us to fall into the deception of other gospels. Gospels that tell us we have to "do" things to experience God's presence. Gospels that give us a checklist of disciplines to master before we can participate in God's kingdom work on earth - healing the sick, raising the dead, etc etc. Gospels that tell us we're not quite there yet, that we're not quite good enough, that we've gotta do this and this and this before we can do that...
The whole letter is really good, when you read it in one sitting. Paul talks about Abraham, how the dude believed God, and was deemed "righteous." He makes an interesting analogy with Hagar and Sarah, which I'm still trying to unpack. But his point seems to be,
You were crucified with Christ. What is dead to him can also be dead to you, should you choose to believe this can be true for your life. What's more -- he died so that you could be free. He set you free from the bondage of the law, from the bondage of sin, from the bondage of the flesh and its desires. What he offers you is new life. What he offers you is his Spirit. FREELY. And you receive these things one way, and one way only: by believing what you hear.
I've been thinking of all of us while reading Galatians this week, and for a very specific reason. God is up to something. After hearing from some of you this weekend, and the last few days, I am convinced that this is a season for believing what we hear. All of us can see that God is on the move. All of us know that he is poking and prodding and beckoning each of us in ways unique to who we are. And, in one way or another, all of us are hungry for more. We want to go deeper. We want more of Jesus. We want to believe that we can do the things Jesus did, and the "greater things" that he promised we'd do. We want to experience his presence. We want to be changed, rearranged, and claimed by his love.
And like the church in Galatia, it is so easy for us to fall into the deception of other gospels. Gospels that tell us we have to "do" things to experience God's presence. Gospels that give us a checklist of disciplines to master before we can participate in God's kingdom work on earth - healing the sick, raising the dead, etc etc. Gospels that tell us we're not quite there yet, that we're not quite good enough, that we've gotta do this and this and this before we can do that...
But what's shocking about THIS gospel is there is nothing to be "done" before we can go "do." We don't have to attain a certain level of righteousness before we can experience God's presence. We don't have to master certain disciplines before God starts using us to perform his signs wonders and miracles. For if these things could be attained by following any law or checklist, Christ died for nothing (2.21).
Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
My friends, I know your hearts well enough to know that you've believed what you've heard. So be encouraged. He's got you. You are RIGHT in the center of his will for your life.
You haven't done anything wrong
and you have not "missed the boat," so to speak.
He wants you to experience his presence. He wants you to live into his kingdom reality on earth. He has many people he wants to heal. And he wants to use you. He wants to see you step into his freedom. And most of all, HE wants you to understand his wild, unashamed, abandoned affection for you.
The one who has called you is faithful, and he will do it.
Thanks Kel... this is exactly what I needed to hear today! It's so hard to grasp the extravagance of God's work in us - how he gives his grace so abundantly without any preconditions! It's almost risky to believe, but so, so necessary. So thanks, sista, for reminding us. I'm gonna be resting in Galatians for the rest of the week... :)
ReplyDeleteLovin' you gals.
this just stabbed me in the heart. i really dig this kel. this is so much of whats been circling around in my head.
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