September 12 – suggested reading: Galatians 1:1-24

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles…” Galatians 1:6-16

Galatians lifts up two things of which we should take notice: the need for the cross of Christ to get right with G-d. And secondly, the need of the Spirit of Christ to obey G-d. Anything that diminishes Jesus Christ is anathema or a non-starter to Paul. Anything that puts our own efforts in place of the presence of the Holy Spirit is also a non-starter with Paul. And the reason Paul begins with such an immediate punitive tone is that someone had convinced the Galatians to put themselves where the Spirit belonged and to put the works of law where faith in the cross belonged. In other words, our salvation is dependent solely on faith in Christ and his teachings and his death and resurrection. Christ did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it and complete it.

Pastor Dave