Tear Down the Walls: Galatians Part 2
Today is a fresh day given by the Lord to you. Take a deep breath and tell God that you’re thankful for a new day.
Gather yourself. Take another deep breath. When you’re ready, read on.
Jesus doesn’t start with a bunch of ideas. He doesn’t begin with policies and procedures. Jesus begins with people. He calls people, he builds up people and expands his kingdom through people. People like you. People like me. All people are invited and all can be useful.
Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica:
Yes, you are our pride and joy.
1 Thessalonians 2:20
Peter calls those who follow Jesus the “living stones”:
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple…
1 Peter 2:5a
The Kingdom is all about building up people. This is why we urge you so strongly to do what you’re doing right now: positioning yourself to be built up through the scriptures. We have a strong desire for you to grow deep into the love that God has for you. We want you to be rooted and established in love. We believe in the fruit that comes from trusting in the Lord.
On Sunday, I talked about the danger of adding to the gospel or following a false gospel. We read the following:
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:6–7 NASB
Read the paraphrase from Eugene Peterson:
6 I can’t believe your fickleness—how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! 7 It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head.
Galatians 1:6–7 (The Message)
Paul was quite serious that any other gospel is no gospel at all. He writes with strength, and he certainly isn’t afraid to confront the Galatians.
Jesus isn’t afraid to confront us, either.
False gospels are appealing because they tickle our ears or play to our pride. The enemy of our souls is quite smart—rather than out himself, he plots and plans like a master propagandist: slight misrepresentations here and there take us by small degrees away from truth.
Today, I’d like you to take some time to prepare your heart to be lovingly confronted by Jesus. If a false gospel (which is NO gospel at all!) has taken root in you, of course you want to be corrected. Tomorrow, I will present some false gospels that are common.
Once you are on a path of correction (repentance), you’re becoming the living stone with whom Jesus can build his kingdom.
Prepare yourself by praying this prayer:
Father, you are the one true God. I trust you to lead me. I will trust in you with all of my heart and not lean on my own understanding. In all of my ways, I will acknowledge you and you will make my paths straight. Jesus, I want to believe the right gospel and live the right gospel. Help me to abide in you. Holy Spirit, I pray you would prepare my heart to be corrected. Amen.
