I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me
and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing. – John 15:5
Pray
for God to speak to you through the reading of His word.
Read
Galatians 1:1-10
The Essence of the
Gospel
-
I
have heard the expression “God is the gospel,” which I think adequately sums up
the idea that our salvation is found in the very nature of God the Father, and
what he accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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How
does this passages acknowledge that Jesus “gave himself for our sins” speak to
the heart of Christ? What does it tell
us about Christ that he was willing to sacrifice himself for us?
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Jesus’
sacrifice was according to “the will of our God and Father.” What does it tell you about God that he
desired to save sinners like us?
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Passage
to Consider: Isaiah 53:5, 10
The
False Gospel of Security
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As
humans, we crave security. It is easier
to trust in things we can see or touch, than a God who is invisible.
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As
we will see, the Galatians were being tempted to return to the Law of Moses, a
series of laws given to the Israelites during the Exodus.
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The
Law offered a checklist of things they could do, or avoid doing, in order to
put them in right standing with God…or so they thought.
-
In
a similar fashion, the Israelites made a golden calf to worship in the
wilderness, even as God was giving the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai! It seems they were motivated, at least in
part, by the fact that Moses had been gone for a long time, and they didn’t
know what to do.
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How
does our desire for security lead us to trust in things rather than God?
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What
idols do we construct in our life because of our desire to trust in something
visible, something tangible?
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Passage
to Consider: Exodus 32:7-14
Destruction
of New Creation?
-
When
we choose the path of the Law, the path of self-justification, we travel a road
that ends in destruction. Paul says that
those who preach such a course, will be subject to the judgment and wrath of
God, leading to their own destruction!
-
However,
when we choose faith, to trust in God, the end result is new creation. At the end of this letter, Paul says that
outward signs mean nothing, all that truly matters is whether we have allowed
God to make us a new creation through the work of his Spirit!
-
Are
you walking the destructive path of self-righteousness, or have to put your
faith in God?
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Passage
to Consider: Galatians 6:14-15
Praise God for being
our gospel, our “good news.”
Pray for the
wisdom to avoid trusting in false gospels, and the courage and faith to trust
in the only one capable of making us a new creation!
