I have started going through the book of Galatians with my Discipler Stacey. I love the epistles. I love getting to hear what is going on in the beginning of the churches and the Christian ministry. I also believe these books provide great wisdom for any Christian to follow. Something I didn’t know was the book of Galatians was one of the first or possibly the first of the letters Paul wrote.
Paul was a little bit disappointed and worried for the church of Galatia. He loved them, of course, but he was also concerned they were starting to listen to other leaders around them. These are not leaders who were going to help them grow closer to God, but rather these were leaders that were taking them away from the truth of the Gospel. Through his letter, he tried to reason with the church leaders and members to focus on the good and glory of the Gospel and not try to add to it.
Within the first chapter of Galatians in verses 6 and 7, Paul says this, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Paul saw there were people who were trying to add and change the Gospel to make it sound better to them, and he wanted to warn the church to avoid those people and their teachings.
We also as people can attempt to add or to change the Gospel. Throughout history, there have been many churches and church leaders who have added certain rules to the Gospel to make a Christian stronger in their personal beliefs. Many times each church will create their own sort of laws and rules that soon will be seen as Gospel. For example, some churches follow Lent which is a season of giving up or sacrificing something before Easter. Along with this, many Christians will choose not to eat meat on Fridays before Easter. Are either of these a problem? Absolutely not! I do believe they have some benefits in their own right. However, it is important to know that whether or not a person chooses to participate in Lent will not be what gets them into heaven.
This even started when Jesus was in ministry. The church leaders would often berate anyone who was caught doing anything on the sabbath. Jesus was ridiculed because he had decided to heal a man on the day of the Sabbath. The Pharisees were outraged, and yet at the same time, pleased because they thought they finally caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to. They thought they caught him being not as great and glorious as his followers believed him to be. Jesus showed us through this, that it is not about the law itself but rather the intention of following the law and the Father that makes the difference.
Are the original rules bad? No, For example, Jesus believed the Sabbath should be honored. However, he also knew it couldn’t be held in such high regard that we are not willing to do anything to show love or help to others even when it lands on a sabbath day. It is good to be aware of taking rest and spending extra time with the Lord on the sabbath, but we don’t have to be so legalistic about it to where it becomes hindering.
Another problem many Christians run into is feeling the need to say yes to every single option and experience. We may feel called to give every donation and to volunteer at every church event. While we are called to volunteer and to give, we also need to be aware of where we put our money and our time. We need to have boundaries and we need to have discernment, and we need to be willing to talk to God about all these opportunities. There may be an opportunity God is not calling us to, and therefore we need to be willing and ready to decline an offer.
I have been taught the only way to receive salvation is through Jesus Christ, but sometimes I think God will only love me if I pray for so long or if I spend so long doing my devotionals or if I volunteer so many hours in a week. I feel as though I have to follow every single rule or law in order to be a Christian. While each of those things such as praying, reading of the Bible, singing worship songs, etc. are beneficial to our overall growth, it is important to know these items are not what save us.
As Paul will often go out of his way to remind the Ephesians, God made the law, so we could have a blueprint but at the same time we need to be aware the only reason we have the ability to go to heaven is because of Jesus Christ. We don’t have to try to focus on our abilities and what we have the power to control as opposed to the ways the Lord has saved us from falling into more sin and from the evil temptations of the world. This is only through God, and through his son sacrificing himself for us. This is the greatest gift that has ever been given to the world.
My challenge for you is to revisit the Gospel. There are many versions of the Gospels in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to choose from. There are also many sermons and books surrounding the Gospel that a person can also study. Please remember through your revisiting of the Gospel to praise and worship God, not for validation of an action completed, but because of his wholehearted sacrifice he gave for you.
Colossians 3:23 Blog 