September 13, 2024 – suggested reading: Galatians 2:1-16

“But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us— we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:4-10

What is the truth of the gospel? Martin Luther wrote, “Now the truth of the gospel is, that our righteousness comes by faith alone, without the works of the law.  The corruption, or the falsehood of the gospel is, that we are justified by faith, but not without the works of the law.” Phil Newton comments that “There are plenty who say they believe in being justified by faith, but they refuse to qualify that with “by faith alone”. To this we must stand firm as Lutherans — we need to look at other teachings and not flinch. I agree with Martin Luther, “For a true and steadfast faith must lay hold upon nothing, but Christ alone, and in the terrors of conscience it hath nothing else to lean upon, but this diamond Christ Jesus”.

Paul never budged from his position of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Paul says he absolutely did not yield to assaults on the integrity of the message that one is to believe in order to be saved. Our faith does not depend on our own understanding or right knowledge — it depends on Grace. And all our works are a response to this faith.

Pastor Dave

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