Category: Devotions

This letter is Paul’s attempt to stand against the false teachers of Galatia who were saying a gentile had to become Jewish in order to be a Christian. If that was the case then the promise given to Abraham for all nations would not have meant all nations. It would have been nonsense for how can all nations move to become the nation of Israel. God’s plan was for every nation of the world to have the same blessing as Abraham. This is not referring to his wealth for Abraham was indeed wealthy. But it was his right standing before God. This is what Paul was referring to. This is the blessing and it is for everyone, of every tribe, language, culture and every nation without having to adopt practices of other nations.

 ^“Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3 v 8-9)

Paul is saying there are no limits and we should not put limits on anyone because even before the Law Abraham, the father of faith’ understood the gospel.

The people so culturally different to us are family, heirs, full members of the kingdom of God and Paul insists they be treated as such. Paul was insisting that the Jews could fellowship with the Gentiles, they could eat with them and importantly they must not compel them to do anything for God to accept them. They are accepted and they are blessed.

Over these last several days there has been fear on our streets and many of us are praying for peace. Riots are happening in cities and towns and many from other nations of the world who have come here for safety are fearing for their lives. They are hated by angry racist mobs who despise their presence and who violently demonstrate their non-acceptance in what were peaceful communities.

Why am I thinking of this hatred within this devotion this morning? For one thing it is constantly in our minds but the other is that the anger on the streets is the deep end of the swimming pool but I am seeing anger in the church also and though this may be the shallow end it is having the same impact of destruction. The problem the Apostle Paul addresses 2,000 years ago hasn’t gone away. It may not be about circumcision but it is about culture, it is about character and the chemistry of personalities. It is about acceptance.

The hater believes they have good reason to do so even though there may be none. The hater hates because others do not fit into their world. The hater is ignorant and unenlightened. The hater is a seeker of justice though they are guilty themselves. The hater focuses on what others do but it is who they are that they really hate even if they won’t say it. Hatred is on our streets right now but it is in our churches, it is in our pews and pulpits alike. The followers of Jesus will deny they hate but their words are as violent, plotting downfalls is as violent and destructive gossip is as violent. Paul’s problem is still here. “I will not accept you unless you do this. I declare you will not be blessed unless you fall into line.” Thankfully there are many churches who are places of acceptance! Paul believed the promise given to Abraham was for Jew and Gentile and wrote this, ““Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.” Romans 15:7

I stood before the congregation as I do most Sundays. Before me were people of different ages; different careers present and past; different scales of wealth; different nationalities, skin colour, gender, and even sexual identity. A young lady not used to public speaking came to the front to bring a presentation promoting an organisation. She was very nervous but despite the obvious struggle of a nervous stammer did very well and received an applause as she went back to her seat with people nearby saying, ‘well done’ with nods of encouragement. The Pastor came to the pulpit and called for the people to give to a local youth mission, ‘even though we may not benefit from this mission ourselves’. This church doesn’t have lots of youth but the ones they do have are catered for very well. This Church has a rich diversity of people, you wouldn’t necessarily arrange for this particular group of people to do life together because their difference is seen in a variety of ways. However, they all had been praising God using the same songs; they all would share the same refreshments after the service; they all shared the same Pastor and Eldership team who served them keeping this church in alignment with the Word and Spirit as much as they could. But they all were different. Some old in the faith but very young in spirit; some young in the faith but brow-beaten by life’s difficulties.

It wasn’t without tensions. It wasn’t perfect but it was a safe place.

During an appeal for anyone to come forward for prayer a man who had come to church for the first time that morning walked to the front. He committed his life to Jesus and everyone whooped and applauded bringing more praise to God.

As the man went back to his seat I said to him publicly these words: “Welcome to this Church. This is a safe place for you. You will grow as a disciple of Christ in this community.” Why was I so sure?

I was in a Church that understood the words of Paul and the promise of Abraham that all nations will be blessed. No matter who you are, the promise of blessing is for everyone and churches are places of acceptance. The streets may be places of hatred right now but there are many places of refuge. Let’s do all that we can today to not be people who divide but who are people of blessing and let us start with people who are different to us.

A reminder of the problem: are the gentiles accepted by God without becoming Jewish? That’s pretty much what it’s all about.

The Apostle Paul has been giving a resounding YES to that question. Surely that’s enough. In case anyone questions Paul Scripturally, he uses it.

^“Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3 v 8-9)

So let’s slow this down.

All nations.

Abraham died nearly 250 years before Moses was born. So this ancestor pre-dates the Law of God. He knew the gospel before the rules were created. The coming of Deuteronomy would challenge what Abraham had understood and led to the crying need for a Messiah. Paul is addressing those people influencing others to keep acknowledging the law. They wanted people to keep striving to keep the rules as a means of being acceptable to God. But all nations cannot be those limited by circumcision or keeping the Jewish lifestyle. All nations has to be nations who have never heard of the Law of Moses.

Abraham’s original name meant ‘exalted father’, Abram. But God changed his name to ‘father of a multitude’, Abraham. In that name change Abram realised life was not about him, his own exaltation, but about the nations across the whole world. His move to Canaan was the outworking of that revelation. We too are called to act on what we know. Jesus told us to “go and make disciples of all nations.” To disciple an ethnos (nations) means to transform the existing culture into a new culture of God’s kingdom. Where do you live? The home? The neighbourhood? Every tribe has its own language, rules of practice, location and most hate other tribes and outsiders.

There are Christians in every nation of the world. The church is now a diverse multitude representing thousands of peoples and languages. And the work continues to all nations.

Specific people and ethnic groups bound together by a common culture, language, values, socio-economic or ethnic identity are being blessed. The un-evangelised and under-evangelised groups where there are no Christian witness present, or no indigenous Christian community within that group of sufficient size to complete the task of evangelising that group without outside assistance are now being blessed. The Samaritans are being blessed. These are the people you might prefer not to work among but who very much need to know about Jesus; people who may live near you but who are culturally very distinct from you. Even the hidden people groups who are isolated and hidden from other groups living nearby. The promise is for all and 2,000 years later after Paul reminds us of the historical promise, ALL nations is still the call and it is still the goal and it is happening more than ever.

Paul is saying there are no limits and we should not put limits on anyone because even before the Law Abraham, the father of faith’ understood the gospel.

We would never ask someone from a different ethnic group, different language, from a hidden people group in a nation thousands of miles from us to live out their Christian life in the way that we do in the Western world. “Do it like we do it and God will accept you!” No. We just praise God that this promise is being fulfilled. The God of the west is the God of the east, north and the south. The God of all nations.

Do you ever worry about being good enough for God? Do you wonder if He is pleased or angry or is He someone who is rolling His eyes at you? How debilitating that must be! And more important what a waste of time as a follower of Jesus!

Moving from the questions (v1-5) which expose the false teachers who are insisting on circumcision and the need to live a Jewish life to be acceptable to God, Paul brings in Abraham. The father of the Jews is Abraham and he lived by faith and it is the people of faith (not works) that are his children.

“So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3 v 6-7)

God looks for faith; works with faith; pays out because of faith.

That is the gospel.

Faith … trusting Jesus.

Faith gives you enough credit for you to be declared innocent because the debt on your account has now vanished. God did it. Keep hold of this faith and don’t put it down so that works take over.

Of course Abraham made mistakes. But he kept bouncing back and got back on track with his faith in God’s promise. That is why God credited his faith as righteousness. Abraham held onto the conviction in God’s promise and acted on that promise. This is the faith Paul is speaking of. This is our faith. We bounce back. We keep holding on to the work of Christ on the cross. We keep faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The last of Paul’s 5 rhetorical questions.

Here’s one of my questions first: Can you remember a wonderful answer to prayer God gave you or maybe you hadn’t actually prayed but it was an out-of-the-blue gracious move of God? Hold that thought as we return to Paul’s question here:

“So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3 v 5)

Back to that answer to prayer that you have remembered: why did God do that? Was it because you were good or trying to be so? Or was it because He is good and you believe in Him?

Let me write something that does need qualifying but nevertheless is perfectly true and what Paul is saying.

The Spirit works when Christians don’t.

When I was in school my teachers time and again said, ‘Paul would do better if he tried’ and eventually that message gripped my life. I see it a lot in others. Wherever that message came from it did damage.

The greatest discipleship lesson is this: Train yourself not to follow the way of the world but follow the way of Christ – it is about what He did and who we are in Him. It is not about you trying but definitely applying what has been done by Him to every aspect of your life.

When we do not rely on our work to see God move and do miracles then He does just that.

Look what has happened in your life. Take a quick look back. This is what Paul asks in his next question:

“Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?” (Galatians 3 v 4)

What have you experienced?

For the Galatians they had experienced along with Paul (in Acts 14) persecution. Most would have probably escaped this hardship if they had been circumcised at the beginning of their faith in Jesus journey. So why feel threatened to be circumcised now? They had also experienced moves of the Spirit on their lives, “…who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders” (Acts 14 v 3). Was that for nothing? Is it now suddenly all about whether we are circumcised or not? This is what Paul was saying and he made his point clearly.

So what have you experienced?

Into a multitude of voices trying to convince you through lies, disappointments, hurts and doubts it is His voice that we need to hold on to. “Has it all been in vain? Don’t be weighed down by the burdens of others who do not know the grace you received, don’t walk away now from what brought you in, you will cheapen everything you have stood for and all that you have endured.” Your enemy wants you to work to please God and He will never stop no matter how old you are in the faith. But you never received salvation that way and you have relied on His grace all your life so why ruin those years by suddenly changing now?

Recently I found myself in the middle of a conversation where I heard one man try to convince his friend that a colleague was indeed an amazing valuable member of the team. He used an example of what that colleague had achieved in the world. He listed his incredible accomplishments. It felt like we should all be jolly thankful that this man existed at all. In a split moment I envisaged the moment this man had fallen on his knees before the cross; I wondered about the grace he received for his sins; his baptism; and so much more. These grace experiences that every one of us have had far outweigh any of our human achievements. If all that we are is what we have done and been then our salvation experience and so much more from the hand of God has been pointless.

Don’t let anyone burden you down to please God with some rules whether circumcision 2,000 years ago or today to jump through some hoop and fulfil a rule to please God.

You have so many beautiful experiences in God and so much suffering you have endured to begin to think this journey of faith is anything to do with you at all.

Do you remember how you came to be a Christian? The answer is a variety of ways except for one common truth, the understanding and receiving of the gospel. At the moment you were born again of the Spirit of God. You heard, you believed and you received of the Spirit.

Paul is aghast that at the moment of salvation it was all about the work of the gospel of Christ and the Spirit coming upon them. He says, “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” Galatians 3:3

Do you think that the gospel is for the beginning but that rules of obedience get you to the end? That’s foolish. It is the gospel that carries you to the end.

Do you think lifestyle kingdom principles will give you the assurance you are walking with God? That’s foolish. It is the gospel that keeps you close to the Lord.

Do you think the gospel is elementary? That’s foolish. The gospel is everything.

Do you advertise a free gospel but then payment comes later with circumcision (Paul’s argument) or whatever else is imposed on you?

Do you think the gospel is too cheap or too easy and the real price starts to be paid after salvation?

Do you think when you stand before God at the end of your life that what will save you is anything you have done or will it be the gospel?

It has always and will always be about our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

You are saved, are being saved and will be saved.

When facing many trials the Spirit will remind you that you have a Saviour.

When being attacked by slander and allegations the Spirit will remind you that you have a Saviour.

When deciding whether to give into temptation the Spirit will remind you that you have a Saviour.

When not knowing which way to go the Spirit will remind you that you have a Saviour.

When taking your last breath the Spirit will remind you that you have a Saviour.

So today, listen to the voice of the Spirit who will continue to remind you that it is the gospel and nothing else that you need, you have a Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The problem we all face as Christians is the battle with not aligning ourselves with the work of Christ on the cross and also aligning with the work of the Spirit in our lives.

For the Apostle Paul it was incredulous to think that any Christian would lose that battle. These Galatians considered circumcision more trustworthy than the cross. So he doesn’t pull his punches.

“Are you so foolish?” Galatians 3 v 3.

Are you going to continue this craziness? (Message) How can you be so stupid? (CEV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1 v 7

Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. Proverbs 12 v 16

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. Proverbs 14 v 3

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Proverbs 18 v 2.

I could continue. The Proverbs especially are full of speaking about fools.

But you don’t need a theological degree or know the whole Bible to spot a fool.

When the body of Christ hurt the body of Christ they are foolish.

When the followers of Jesus follow their own desires they are foolish.

When the saved have been convinced they are not they are foolish.

The foolish are forever with us.

They cannot be trusted. They are unteachable. They are quick to react. They are full of pride and arrogance. They always have their opinion to give. Humility is hard to find.

These Galatians are under a spell.

No one wants to hear that they are a fool. And done in anger it is wrong to do so. But with love and care yes let’s call it out.

If you see your friend walking a wrong path then your love will cause you to wake them up. “Open your eyes, don’t be an idiot, look at the cross of Christ, and understand the Spirit within you!” That is our cry. Are you so foolish?

Who has bewitched you? That was the first question. The blindness to the power of the cross. Knowing the cross is there but being blind to its true impact is a spell over the spiritual eyes of the Galatians. There’s more questions and they’re important for us today.

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3 v 2)

Go back to the first time you responded to the Salvation message that Jesus died for you and rose again. Was that response from you something of your achievement or did you see it as a gift?

I remember further sermons in church of the full assurance that I was indeed saved by the blood of Jesus. You will remember them too. Did that seem conditional based on your lifestyle or did it not sound more like a guarantee by the Spirit?

When you received outpouring after outpouring of the Spirit was that because you were good enough?

When the gifts of the Spirit were given to you were they actually that? Were they gifts?

Remember that day when you heard that call of God, the pull of the Spirit, it might have felt like a push as well, but you knew that God wanted you to do something and go somewhere for He was going to use you: was that because you had passed some kind of test? When you look in the mirror do you think ‘yes I can see why God picked me, I would have done the same?!’

It’s never been about you has it? It has always been a gift undeserved. There has never been a time when you can honestly say you deserve what God has given you. It is all of Him!

Have you ever been given the evil eye? Or you might have heard someone describe how they were looked upon as, ‘they gave me the evils’. It’s the same thing. It comes from the story of Nazar, the charm.

You will have seen them on your travels in the many markets around the world. The charm is called ‘Nazar’ and more often than not it is a blue glass jewellery piece to ward off the ‘evil eye’ that comes from someone who is wishing bad-luck on you. If you have ever been to Turkey you will definitely have seen these amulets as they are everywhere! Even on their budget aeroplanes a Nazar was placed, though it didn’t help them as they went bust in 2007.

It dates back to at least 6^th century BC as drinking vessels have been found with Nazar engraved on them. But even today especially in some Asian and African cultures the strong belief that your soul can be damaged or even lost means that these charms are placed on people and their animals to ward off the evil eye.

The Greek Philosopher, Plutarch, who was born only 15 years after Jesus was the leading voice regarding the power of the evil eye so potent to even cause the death of children and small animals.

They were prevalent in the Jewish culture. In the Midrash Sarah casts an evil eye on Hagar causing her to miscarry her pregnancy. In the Talmud the descendants of Joseph are immune from the evil eye.

So Paul uses this as we begin chapter 3 of Galatians and enter into the bulk of the main part of his letter to them.

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (Galatians 3 v 1)

‘Who has put the evil eye on you?’ That’s what Paul was saying. ‘Who has put a spell on you?’

They know Jesus the Messiah was crucified for them. He had gone into great detail about the cross of Christ and what Jesus had suffered. He is astounded that his portrayal in his preaching to them had not prevented them from being ‘bewitched’.

Recently I was with a group of people who had all fallen out with one another. My task was to try and keep them together for the sake of the church. The divisions were historically deep, personal and hurtful. The only way forward was that everyone had to lose. So I suggested that every one of them no matter how right they felt they were, all of them should willingly and voluntarily hang on the cross like Christ had done for them. Was it possible that we could there and then visualise ourselves dying for each other?

You see, as I meet so many people and find myself in all kinds of situations of conflict, it feels at times that I am with people of the cross who have lost sight of the cross. Victory over their brother or sister in Christ is more important than the cross of Christ. When Christians use social media to attack others, they may feel vindicated, but where is the cross?

It isn’t just in conflict either. The most powerful act of God was an event that looked like a horrible twisted gory mess. It was torture. Blood and broken flesh. It was not pretty. This was no Oscar winning performance. This was horrible. Yet it was the most powerful thing that God did. Our Sunday Church services are one of the best places for people to see who the Church is. The atmosphere, the fellowship, the worship, the teaching, the announcements of the events. It needs to be good. We must have a lovely place for people to come to etc. But when the pressure to perform enters the arena we lose sight of the blood-soaked cross. When the most important person is the presence of ourselves or even the visitors then we have lost sight of the presence of our nail-printed Jesus.

Paul calls them stupid. He is not speaking of their mental state. But the fact that they have been blinded he is saying spiritually they are foolish. The rules that we place on each other have nothing to do with the cross. Circumcision as a means to prove you are a true follower has nothing to do with the cross. Arguing over whether we should pay a tithe (has I heard the other day) has nothing to do with the cross. Walking out of the church because a woman is preaching has nothing to do with the cross. There are Christians today who are bewitched. They know about the cross but they are blinded to the message of it.

We don’t need a Nazar. We do need to consecrate our hearts. We do need to humbly come and kneel at the cross again.

So what happened to my group of people? Was it possible that they all hung on a cross and die for each other? It was possible but they didn’t do it. In the end in trying to win they all lost and so did God’s church. Why? They had been bewitched.

Grace is challenged continually across the world by preachers who are concerned about a sinful Church. The fact is the Grace of God is the answer to a sinful Church.

To live by grace means you are not denying or trying to forget the sin in your life, but by allowing grace to expose it you find who you really are. Grace calls you to keep coming back to Jesus. Let Jesus bind up the wounds.

Let grace be with you and with you in the midst of others. Let the community of God’s people be marked by grace words, grace reactions and grace decisions.

Paul has been writing of what he said to Peter when he confronted him over withdrawing from the Gentiles. He now brings that to a close.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:20-21 NIV

• he has died to the law (trying to please God)
• but he is very much alive
• what you see isn’t now me but Christ in me.
• he does not deny the grace of God.
• he cannot hold to grace and the law.

On that last day when each one of us stands before Jesus Christ it will not be because we have lived such holy lives that will enable us to stand. Even if we think we are far better than the fallen Christian or even perhaps you feel your life is worse, the same truth remains: the only way anyone of us will be able to stand before Jesus Christ is His pure grace not our pure works.

Grace wasn’t only given for that day when we came into the revelation of Jesus and began to follow Him having our sins cleansed; it isn’t only for today when each day is a day of His unmerited favour and blessing on our lives; it is definitely for our future when we stand before Him.

Until He comes let grace live!