I love reading Galatians, to me it is the meat and potatoes of Christianity. I guess that one of the big questions that everyone has in this life is what happens after we die. If there is a Heaven and Hell, what do we do to get to Heaven. Pretty good questions. What I love about Paul is that he is blunt. In Galatians no words are minced, no speaking around the subject; Paul pretty much says "Here is the truth, believe it, live it, accept it." Just as I love Paul's bluntness I also love that Galatians is a great summary to the old Testament. A great perspective setter. When I read through the bible I remember all those nights I sat reading about sacrifice, about temples, the begats, about the rules of worship; Crazy stuff. I remember my head spinning as i tried to make since of it all. Galatians does that for me. It spells out the one truth about the new testament and that is that Christ is a game changer. Not only was he the one true sacrifice that made all those others obsolete, but his death on the cross made all those rules and issues of worship obsolete. He is the risen head of the Church, the reason for this faith. It is his sacrifice that purified us, washed away our sins. We owe nothing, he paid the price. It's amazing and troubling sometimes to think about. Paul spells it out, that as easy as the truth is that he puts out, it is sometimes easy for us not to see it. It's not our actions that get us into heaven, its our faith in him, our faith in his grace, in his sacrifice.
Galatians 3:11
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident for The just shall live by faith.
Having just returned from Africa, it's amazing that God led me to read exactly what it is that I needed to read. Not only does Galatians talk about Faith, Religion and Judaism; it also directly addresses Islam. How powerful is it that Paul addresses this faith in Galatians 5 by stating..
Galatians 4:29-31
29. But as then he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now.
30. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the sons of the bondwoman shall not be heirwith the son of the freewoman.
31. So then, brethren we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
This was written prior to Islam, yet it addresses it directly. The Fulani people are still an amazing people and will always be close to my heart. Yet their lives are dedicated to Islam. The lives of the People of Afghanistan are dedicated to the same. Their practice and adherence to their faith is something I do admire and respect, yet it is religion, it is controlled by adherence to their laws. Paul is spelling out in Galatians that it is not adherence to rules, be it of Judaism or Islam; it is adherence to our faith in Christ. We must see his sacrifice for what it is. His sacrifice is the one act of love that sets us free. The one act that fills that empty area of our souls, that area we so desperately attempt to fill. He alone can fill it. He alone can take our yoke, shoulder our burdens. It is through love that he created us. Created us for fellowship with him. His love led to his sacrifice, his very human actions. What a perfect God it is that we have. It is not our actions, it is not our sacrifices that allow us into heaven, it is our faith. When I have faith in him everything is possible. My faith is what allows that fellowship that we were created for. My faith in him means that I realize what he did for me, I see what his sacrifice meant. I stand amazed at it, awed by it. It is faith, not actions. How amazing that is. I know times are tough, I know I have difficult days ahead. God doesn't promise it will be easy. But what he says is that I've already paid the price, all you have to do is believe. All you have to do is have faith.
Galatians 6:17
17. From Henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For me this is an amazing verse, one I had to think about. Deeply. The more I think, the more I realize it's importance. Let no man trouble me. Wow..... almost humanly impossible to do. Are there marks on my body. Yes. Marks put there by the pain I have felt by living a human life, a life of the flesh. Scars on the outside and in. Did Jesus put them there. If he is the creator you got to say yes. Yet those marks and those troubling mean vindictive people I find in my life, should they trouble me? If i truly am a man of faith, if I live my life as Paul tells me too and realize the importance of that faith. Then no, they shouldn't trouble me. It is my faith that tells me that my God is a loving God. He created me for a purpose, all lessons will lead to his glory, all scars, everything. Faith can move mountains, yet without Love, without his love, it is like cymbals clanging in the wind. Jesus, you da man!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment