RodR

Paul wants the Galatians to know that his message is from God not from the leaders of the Jerusalem church. However, he also wants them to understand that his message agrees with the message being preached to the Jews by Peter. The Gospel being preached is for both Jews and Gentiles. Paul is also emphasizing that his authority comes from Jesus (the true head of the church) and not from Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem leaders support Paul’s position by not requiring that Titus be circumcised. "Luther suggested that Paul regarded Titus as a test case: 'He took him along then in order to prove that grace was equally sufficient for both Gentiles and Jews, whether in circumcision or without circumcision.'"

James wants to emphasize that doing God’s will is more important than hearing about His will. The quality of our quiet time and worship should lead to our spiritual growth and our becoming actively involved in making a difference in the world.

Paul’s “grace” conversion on the road to Damascus made him an ideal apostle to the Gentiles who were also to be saved by grace and could not claim to be sons of Abraham and therefore “entitled” to a special relationship with God. God used Paul’s Jewish learning and his zealous commitment to reinforce that Jesus was the Messiah they had been looking for and that He had died for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. It’s usually easier to look back and see how God prepared you for the ministry you are doing now than it is to recognize what He is doing in your life to prepare you for a future ministry. What’s important is having the faith to believe that whatever He is doing in your life NOW is preparing you for what He wants you to do in the future. Sometimes the choices we make lead us away from His plan and cause us embarrassment but it is possible to get back on track by listening and following the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Paul claims the source of his gospel is by revelation from Jesus Christ. His encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus testifies that he learned it from the source – the Living Word. As Christians, we also need to go to the Scriptures while relying on the indwelling Holy Spirit to confirm what we hear from spiritual leaders. Knowing/searching the scriptures is necessary for discerning false teaching and avoiding being led away from the truth.

I like the way you put this, thanks!

The Galatian believers were being led astray by false teachers. Paul condemns their lack of discernment as well as the intentional misinterpretation of the gospel by the Judaizers. Accepting a different gospel nullifies the True Gospel and becomes a source of confusion and division in the lives of Christians today.

Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. His sacrifice was just as much for our sins today as it was for those Paul is writing to here. The indwelling Holy Spirit and the living Word implanted in our hearts helps prevent falling back into our old ways.

Transformation (becoming increasingly more like Christ) is dependent on spending time with God and submitting to the Spirit’s guidance in all things. The older I get, the more I realize the need to give up my will for His.

We gaze upon the glory of God in the Scriptures (the Living Word). As we meditate on them and allow the Holy Spirit within us to shape our lives by what we read, our lives will glow with His brightness. The more time we spend with Him, the more we reflect Him in our lives. I want to be more open to the Spirit’s guidance in order to be more effective as His ambassador. (2 Cor 5:20)

The Spirit convicts us. (John 16:7-11) The indwelling Holy Spirit guides us unto all truth. (John 16:13) Submitting to the Spirit’s guidance frees us from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:2)

According to the account in Exodus, Moses’ face glowed because “he had spoken with God.” He covered his face when he was with the people because “they were afraid to come near him.” Moses’ face reflected God’s glory and was a demonstration that he had been with the Lord. In Moses’ time, the people could not have the close relationship with God that we can in our time. I believe the difference is the indwelling Holy Spirit – Christ in us as a result of a better covenant.

Recognizing and nurturing spiritual growth in accordance with the Spirit is a function of the local body of believers. We are all called to encourage and build up one another for the cause of Christ. (1 Thess 5:11) when we drop out of church, we cut off our source of encouragement and growth. We also deprive the church of our giftedness which is used to build up and encourage others.

Personal submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit is the foundation for ministry. The church builds on that foundation through teaching, mentoring, recognizing and nurturing giftedness in an individual Christian. We have all been given a “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5) and our competence to minister depends on listening to the “Spirit’s voice” and coming under the authority of those God has placed in positions to help prepare us for ministry.

If we bear the name “Christian” and are allowing ourselves to be transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we represent Christ to the world. People, who do not know Christ, learn of him through our actions and reactions. They will know when our actions do not agree with our words. When they do see us representing Christ well and mention it, we should use it as an opportunity to give God the glory while accepting the compliment.

Whenever Christians take a stand for the “Truth” found in Scriptures, we have an effect on those around us. To those who are open to God, the effect is positive. To those who are not, the effect is negative. The tendency is to “water down” the Gospel’s fragrance in order to make it more acceptable to all. Paul is saying that he is unwilling to suppress the truth and is encouraging his readers to follow his example. You can revive your fragrance by setting your eyes on the prize and looking at the end result instead of compromising to make it more pleasant for now.

REPLY TO 'iam4_1god' "I am looking for real, down-to-earth Christians who practice what they preach and then pass it on. Sometimes I think I'm asking for too much." Please don't stop looking. Somewhere there's a body of believers who need your gifts as much as you need theirs.

The ultimate purpose of church discipline is restoration. Restoration is impossible without forgiveness. Satan uses unforgiveness to stir up resentment and suspicion. When we have doubts and misgivings about those we need to forgive, Satan will use the opportunity to divide and conquer - especially if we share our concerns with others. Unforgiveness does more harm to ourselves than it does to those we cannot forgive. Eventually, it makes it hard for us to trust anyone. Realizing how much I’ve been forgiven helps me forgive others.

Confronting a brother or sister who has sinned is one of the most difficult responsibilities of a servant leader in the church. It is especially difficult in our age of political correctness and privacy rights. Submission to Christ includes humble submission to those He places in authority over us. Many church splits are caused by awkward attempts at church discipline and an unwillingness to come under authority. Unfortunately, the prevalence of self-serving leaders makes this even more difficult. We must stay in tune with the Holy Spirit in order to discern God’s mind in specific situations. Blind obedience might promote a façade of unity but unity that is out of line with God’s will is not the unity He desires.

To “lord it over” someone is to misuse a position of power or authority. Either extreme in leadership style can lead to a loss of followers. Servant leadership (shepherding) is a strong, compassionate style that is a balance of the extremes.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives signifies our adoption by God. Paul says He (The Spirit) is God’s “seal of ownership.” We are united with God as His children and He (The Spirit) is a promise of our Eternal inheritance as children of God. – Eph 1:14.

Your aunt sounds like a wonderful witness for God's love and mercy. Thanks for sharing what she told your uncle!

Paul describes God’s faithfulness in seeing us through crisis in vs 9-10. In vs 11, Paul recognizes the importance of others’ prayers in this process. He emphasizes the value of intercessory prayer and its effect. From time-to-time others tell me they are praying for me. I can honestly say that there have been times when their prayers have been felt. Knowing that has encouraged me to pray for others and let them know when I’m praying for them.

I love the way Paul describes how God uses life’s difficulties to strengthen and encourage Him. He summarizes God’s intention in verse 9 – “that we might rely on God and not on ourselves,” and we know God can handle the crisis because He has the power to “raise the dead.” Then, in verse 10, Paul makes it practical by reminding himself and us that God “has delivered” - “will deliver” - and that give us hope that He “will continue to deliver” His children from difficulties of life. When we trust God to handle the little things, He is faithful, and His faithfulness gives us hope that He will also handle the big things. It makes me more effective because I quit trying to handle crisis on my own and begin to rely on His strength, power, and wisdom.

I receive comfort from knowing that God sees the bigger picture. When I’m only focused on the here and now, He reminds me that He has comforted me in the past and because He is faithful, He will continue to give me comfort and strength to face life’s difficulties. Sometimes others need to know that they are not alone – they may need to hear how I’ve been through what they are going through. Many times the best comfort I can give is to assure them that God cares and that He suffers when we suffer. “He is an ever present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9)