Tag: gal6

Called Unto Freedom!

Paul, writing to the Galatians, asks, You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. (Galatians 5:7–8, NLT) What is Paul referring to? What is holding them back? It was the false teaching that their relationship with God depended not only on the work of Christ, but these Gentiles had to follow the law along with their profession of faith in Christ for an authentic relationship with God.

This is not what Paul had taught them, and he is shocked. I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News (Galatians 1:6, NLT). Paul’s Good News was that salvation was by grace, through faith, in Christ alone, and the subsequent relationship going forward was on that basis—in Christ and free from the law. But Pharisaical tradition-loving Jews had slipped in and polluted this Good News with error.

Notice the impact of this error. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! (Galatians 5:9, NLT) These Gentiles in the Galatian churches were at risk of not receiving true salvation because salvation is by faith in Christ alone. Those who were saved were at risk of becoming legalistic, like the Jews who held to their traditionalism, though all of that had passed away with Jesus’ sacrifice, fulfilling all the law and satisfying God. 

Believers, we have been called to freedom, not unto the bondage of religion or traditions, endless rules and standards, but unto Christ. Our salvation and a meaningful Christian life are in Him, not our efforts, creeds, or the traditions of our stripe of Christianity. Paul leaves us with these words. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. (Galatians 6:15–16, NLT)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Galatians 4-6.

Sowing and reaping!

Tragedy strikes David’s family in today’s reading. Rape, revenge, and rebellion dominate the headlines of 2 Samuel 13-15. All of this tragedy was foretold by the prophet Nathan when he confronted King David for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. Yesterday, we looked at David’s confession and forgiveness, but forgiveness didn’t cancel the effects of David’s sin. The principle of sowing and reaping is still in play. 

David sowed lust and immorality when committing adultery with Bathsheba. He reaped accordingly through his firstborn son Amnon’s lust and rape of his half-sister Tamar. David’s plotting to cover his sin with Bathsheba came back in the form of Amnon and Jonadab’s plotting to get access to Tamar, Absalom’s plotting to kill Amnon, and Absalom’s scheming to overthrow King David’s throne. The sword (or violent death) that David used against Uriah was used against Amnon and Absalom. It goes on and on, not just one for one, but one always reaps more than they sow. 

While confession and forgiveness are good for the soul, the foolish think lightly of sin. Sin is devastating! Sin has long-lasting effects! The prophet Hosea speaks to this when he writes that those who sow to the wind reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). Job 4:8 speaks of plowing iniquity, sowing trouble, and reaping the same. The most famous passage on this is from Galatians. 

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (Galatians 6:7, ESV)

Now, let’s look at the other side of this coin. Does sowing and reaping only work in the negative, or does it also work in the positive? Notice what Galatians says.

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8, ESV)

Notice again what Hosea said to the people of Israel.

Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy… (Hosea 10:12, NKJV)

Yes, sowing good things produces good things!

Finally, there is great hope for all of us despite the effects of sin. Our God is a God of restoration! Maybe most of your life was spent sowing wickedness, and if you could, you would go back and change many things. What can one do? Is there hope? Yes! The prophet Joel speaks to the goodness of our God in Joel 2:25.

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten… (Joel 2:25, KJV)

In other words, while we can’t go back to change the past, and while we can learn from regret, the best view is still out the front windshield of life (not the rearview mirror)! Just watch what happens when God showers His grace on what is left! This is also the part of the story we get to experience if we repent of sin. Is there hope? Absolutely!

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Samuel 13-15.

Elbow room!

In this morning’s reading, Joshua continues to assign Israel their land grants. But there is drama! The descendants of Joseph complain that their allotment is too small. They want more elbow room! But is the land really too small for them? Are they really too big for the allotment?

The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?” Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.” The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.” (Joshua 17:14–16, NLT)

Is the land too small? Is the enemy too strong? Joshua isn’t buying their story! It’s not that the land is too small; both the faith and the effort of Ephraim and Manasseh are too small! The land is large enough, but clearing it will take a fair amount of work. The enemy that occupies their land is determined to stay, and they have chariots of iron…scary!

Though they have an allotment of land, God is not handing it to His people without some effort on their part. It will take faith to overcome the scary and hard work to clear the land! So what does Joshua do? He tells them to get to work and encourages them that they will be victorious! In other words, he doesn’t give them the “easy” land, especially since they have many hands to make light work!

Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.” (Joshua 17:17–18, NLT)

What a picture of the Christian life! We have a determined enemy, the devil, with iron chariots; he and his problems do not go away quickly. We tend to want the accessible land, the easy way out; we just want things to “fall into place!” But that is not reality! And like Joshua, God doesn’t buy our story that elbow room is the real problem. The problem is usually our faith in Him and our effort to obey and do His will.

So what does God do? He encourages us to be strong in the power of His might (not ours), strap on the armor of God, stand our ground, hold up the shield of faith, stay alert, persist in prayer, and put our hands to the plow—in other words, let’s get to work!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10–11, NLT)

Yes, the battle is the Lord’s, but the elbow room is ours!

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9, NLT)

Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Joshua 16:1-18:28.