Dear Student of the Word,
It's been ten days, so it is time for your next dose of my verse-by-verse studies, this time from Paul's letter to the Galatian churches. This week we go into chapter two and read the passionate appeals Paul made to the believers in Galatia who were considering whether or not they had to follow the Law after they put their faith in Christ. Paul was adamant they did not, and used every argument possible to dissuade them from the course they were considering. Paul was a good pastor and apostle.
In this study, I wrote in part five of this seven-part installment:
3:1 – The word “bewitched” here literally means “to fascinate by false representations.” There are excellent teachers who can build elaborate systems that they claim represent service to God; but they are liars, infatuated with their own intelligence. The true gospel is the good news that Jesus was crucified on our behalf, and it is faith in this historic event and the living Christ that opens the way to God.
It is amazing how often I have tried to complicate that message. I pray regularly that I may present the basic truths to people in understandable ways, always looking to exalt Christ and His finished work in the life of the believer.
3:2&3 – Paul made one excellent argument after another to refute the claims of the circumcision party. I think of the verse that states, “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him” (Proverbs 18:17). I have often not taken the time to examine all sides of an argument or report of the truth and have been guilty of rashly siding with the first interpretation I heard. This has led to wrong conclusions and misunderstandings.
Here he asks the Galatians what they did to merit the Spirit of God when Paul came to them. They received the Spirit by faith and he then urged them not to make faith an event, but a way of life. How about you? Are your faith testimonies recent and full of life, or are your testimonies relics placed under glass in the museum of your mind and heart, reminders of a day gone by when you had faith in God?
Paul asked them a question that is a good question for you and I to ask from time to time. Is there something you began in the Spirit but now are carrying on through human effort?
This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:5).
Anything that has the scent of human effort is cursed in the sight of God. It is not capable of winning His approval. Only performing those good works that He assigned you to do can win His favor, and then only when you are performing in the power of the Spirit.
As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. For additional Bible studies, check out my website archive, which contains a complete collection of all my verse-by-verse New Testament studies, along with the unpublished volumes of The Faith Files.
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BORN TO FLY: Last year I helped promote a day for worthy cause and it's time to do it again. Diana Scimone is holding a Twitterthon on October 10, 2010, asking people around the world to give $10 to help stop human trafficking on that day. You can read about 10/10/10 here and then I urge you to give on or before October 10 to help the cause. I am on the board of Born to Fly and Diana is my sister-in-law, so I can vouch for the cause, the organization and the leader. They are all worthy of your support.
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