Galatians-Week 3-It's grace, people, get the message

Ok, so we've laid just a very little background for Chapter 3. In this chapter, Paul is going to annihilate the idea that the law could ever surpass or supplant or in any way challenge the grace offered through Jesus Christ.


14. How do you know you're saved in the first place? Answer: Hello, Holy Spirit, come on in.

1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Here Paul says "Don't you remember how you even came into the family in the first place? It wasn't through anything you did, but through something that Jesus did and because you believed. You experienced it for yourself and you saw the effect of this change in the lives of the people around you. Why would you think you can change it now? Oh, and you know that feeling of difference that you have...let's just call that the 'Holy Spirit.' That's proof of God's favor, proof of salvation, and your guarantee that no matter what happens here, your future is secure. Forever."

I could be paraphrasing, but really, he has an excellent point. The Holy Spirit, which is God, comes to the believer at salvation. And never leaves.

1 John 4:13: We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13-14: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Here's how someone smarter than I am said it:

No ritual, ceremony, regulation or any other thing devised or accomplished by men can pick up where the cross leaves off--because the cross never leaves off. The cross is the continuing and eternal payment for all sin, and every sinner who puts his trust in the cross is forever and continually being forgiven. A believer can no more stay saved by works than he could have been saved by works in the first place. The cross keeps moving powerfully and relentlessly through history, and it will stand forever as living proof that men cannot redeem themselves.

Galatians-Week 3-What is faith?

Chapter 3 of Galatians is a doozy, lots of questions are answered here. Big questions that can cause some confusion and stumbling among Christians, new and old alike. If you're in the class, make sure that you jump in and answer this first question if you're reading it beforehand. I'll be so impressed.

12. Were the people misled by the Judaizers in danger of losing their salvation because they were adding all these requirements to salvation?
Short answer: uh, no. They weren't in danger of losing their salvation. But they were still in big danger. They were in danger of losing all of the joy and hope that is supposed to be a part of the Christian life. And the bigger danger: the harm to their witness to the world. The world knows us because we're different. We have a hope and a future which should mark us as different. Struggling under the law, these Christians were no different than the lost to the world's eyes.

Here's another way Paul addresses the simplicity of salvation:
Romans 3:22

22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

There is no difference...all have sinned and all are justified freely.

13. What is faith?
I think this is a tough question, one I really struggle with sometimes. Do I have (enough) faith? I want to measure up. But it's so much simpler than that. I already do. It's more of an "either or" decision, not a measuring stick.

Here's what Hebrews 11 has to say about faith:
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Isn't it interesting to see what the writer of Hebrews (probably not Paul) says about these heroes of the Old Testament? These are heroes of faith. And they had faith in God and his promises...and their salvation is complete only in Jesus Christ.

So, does it really work?

Genesis 24
10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor. 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

I've mentioned that I've been working on my own independent study of prayer. This is a prayer of one of Abraham's servants. And God answered it by sending Rebekah, and she did as he prayed and she was the one for Isaac. More than once I've wished God would just send the sign, the burning bush, the cloud of smoke leading the way. And I have prayed a prayer like this when I was scared to death that God was calling me to make a mission trip. And he answered each prayer in a way that was without question an affirmative: Yes. Go. God is full of mercy and he knew that nothing less would get me moving. But I've also wondered whether this reflects a lack of faith. Is this a way to test God or is this a way to search God's will and know?

I've been thinking about this for the past week because I feel like I'm facing a big decision. I know how I feel in my heart, but my head tries to be logical, to make the proper decision regardless of how I "feel" right now...the best decision for my future. And, as logic really isn't my strong point, especially in personal decision making, it's a struggle. So today I was driving on the way to my next hurdle, the normal feeling of dread riding shotgun, and I was just basically talking to God...and I said, "You know, if I don't see results tonight or if this person calls me to tell me she can't make it again, I'm going to know the right decision to make" never really believing that it would ever be that simple. I arrive. I'm bustling to be prepared. And she calls to say she won't be able to make it. So...now what? Is that answered prayer? After the first epic battle over the Peru trip, I've never believed in coincidence. If I put on my ill-fitting logic hat again, here's what I know:
1. God answers prayer every day. Maybe not always in ways that I hear, but I believe they're answered.
2. God answers through His word and His people. Both seem to be at work here.
3. I've been asking, seeking, knocking for some time. God promised to answer.
4. When I think of making this decision, I feel peace. I worry over tomorrow, but today I will feel happy, unburdened, at peace. Since God has promised to take care of tomorrow, maybe today is what matters.

I think I have an answer.
Quick, somebody with better logic...point out the flaws in my reasoning!

Get the Drift

This Sunday we studied a little more on Jacob's life. Jacob is another one of those characters that really gives a regular person hope. Jacob was so imperfect. His name says it all: Deceiver. He tricked his brother out of his blessing as first born, ran away in fear for his life, and even though God came to him personally, he continued to try to weasel out of conflict instead of automatically doing the right thing. Sounds like someone I might know. And still, God would use him to save the world. The last king descended from Jacob/Israel: Jesus. I guess if God waited on one of us to always do the right thing...well, it would be a really long wait. This time around, we looked at what Jacob did after his sons destroyed Shechem. When his life and his entire family are in danger because of his inaction and lack of leadership, then Jacob takes action...bury the idols, let's go back to where we should be. Until that point, it looks like they followed the normal path...following God perfectly is just a little too hard, let's try something a little easier. And before you know it, you have idols that you worship instead of the God of Israel, the God who called Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who spoke to them personally and through them made it possible for me to belong.

It's a good thing Jacob was a part of the legacy. God made a promise to Abraham and he kept it to Jacob, protecting him from the consequences of his actions. In this one time, Jacob's entire family/tribe could have been destroyed. Instead God reminded him of where he started, sending him back to Bethel where he met God in the first place. Some returns are easier than others, aren't they? Sometimes it's a correction, and then sometimes it's a turn back to where you should be. I guess it all depends on where you are in the drift. I think I'm a little off course.

Thank you, God, for the reminder that you don't move, that I can always return to you, and that you will keep your promises even when I forget.

Persistence

Matthew 7
7Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.
8For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.
9Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent?
11If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and [h]advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and [i]advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

So instead of doing what I felt like I had to do on Wednesday, I put all that aside and pulled out my Bible. I've never done an unguided study. Usually I rely on published writers to help guide me through a study. I like books. I especially like to write IN books so it works for me. In my confusion, I just decided to start someplace, anyplace.

I pulled out my Comparative Study Bible (4 versions for the price of one...really big one) that has King James, Amplified, New Amercian Standard, and my fave New International versions. And I had a concordance. Remember the verse from Wednesday? I think that it's interesting that the first revelation came to me at the beginning of the next chapter. The first verse I looked up was in Matthew 7. I'm familiar with the Ask, Seek, and Knock version. The "Keep ON" part was lost on me. Until I read it on Wednesday. I'm sure I'm all alone in the world, but I think I've always understood that as "Ask". To me, that's one time. Maybe it's a sign of an easy life that I think one request is all that's needed. And some things just aren't that easy, right? Ask, but it's really keep on asking, knocking, until you get the answer. Like the man who goes to his friend late at night to ask for bread. The first answer is "No, I'm already in bed." But if he keeps asking, the man gives the friend what he wants. Persistence pays off. And of course, my natural bent is to make the leap...if I keep asking, eventually God will be annoyed enough that I'll get what I want. Works with Mom, right? Well, not MY mom, but I think it must work somewhere.

I don't think we can leap that far, but now that the light bulb's gone off, I do understand why asking once is not the idea. Now I bump up against the problem that God already knows what I need...why do I have to ask? I'll tackle that one next. Maybe.

Stepping out...and then back?

I am confused. I don't really mind admitting it because it happens pretty often, but I'm just not sure what to think. Does this ever happen to you? I feel like I've made a calm, rational decision accompanied by prayer and an earnest desire to be in God's will. So why am I not successful? Or happy? Or even sure that this place is on God's map for my life? In this place in my life, I have no time for anything more than work. It's temporary, but I'm feeling that I might be on the wrong track. If it were the right track, would I feel like God is saying:

I want you to build strong relationships with Christian friends. You need to be in Bible study.

I want you to influence your friends and family. You need to be teaching a Bible study. And controlling your temper. And putting in the time.

I want you to make an impact here at home. You need to be involved in a ministry. Remember the ESL classes? You could do that.

I want you to make an impact on the world. You know that mission trip? Yes. Go.

I want you to use the gifts I've given you: intelligence, humor, and a love of writing, reading, and study. For me.

And right now, I feel like not even one of these things can be accomplished along with my current ambition. So how do I know when to make the change? Could the total peace that I felt making the first decision to get here have been wrong? Maybe it was confidence in my own ability to be in control. Confidence is unusual for me! Maybe that's why I mistook it for something else. Or can the pulls that I feel to do more be combined with my life as it is? I'm confused. And this verse comes to mind "Seek ye first the kingdom of God...":

Matthew 6 (from the Message translation)
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

God, please make my path clear.