Monday, June 19, 2017, 3:38 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “A Believer’s Prayer.” Speak, Lord, your
words to my heart. I read Galatians 1 (NASB).
To Rescue Us
(vv. 1-5)
Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the
agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from
the dead), and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us
from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to
whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
What is the gospel of our
salvation? It is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God), came to earth,
took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as
we are also tempted, yet without sin. Then, he was crucified on a cross,
although he had done no wrong, merely because people hated him, were jealous of
him, were threatened by him, didn’t like what he taught, didn’t like some of
the things he did, didn’t agree with what he stood for, and didn’t believe him
for who he was (and is). Yet, this was all in God’s plans and purposes from the
beginning of time, that he should be our sacrificial Lamb to take away the sins
of the world.
For, you see, when we are
born into this world, we are born with sin natures, separate from God, without
hope of salvation, and without the promise of eternity with God. We have all
sinned, and we have come up short of attaining God’s divine approval in our own
merit (Ro. 3:23). So, Jesus, although he knew no sin, became sin for us that we
might become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:21). When he died, our sins died
with him, and were buried with him. But, when he was resurrected from the dead,
he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death. He did all this for us that
we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might no longer live
for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us.
When we believe in Jesus
Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in
death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to
be like God in true righteousness and holiness. The old has gone. The new has
come. For, you see, Jesus didn’t die that horrible death merely to free us from
hell and to promise us heaven when we die. He died to radically transform our lives,
to deliver us out of bondage to sin, and to free us to now become bond-slaves
of his righteousness. He died that we might be rescued from the kingdom of
darkness, and that we might be brought into God’s wonderful light (Jesus
Christ, righteousness, and truth). Our salvation does not mean we are merely
forgiven our sins so we can continue in sin without guilt. Jesus died to rescue
us from this present evil age, that we might walk in his holiness and
righteousness.
A Different Gospel (vv. 6-9)
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who
called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not
another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the
gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you
a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we
have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel
contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
There are many people who are
distorting the gospel of Jesus Christ, who are twisting God’s Word to make it
say what their itching ears want to hear. These distortions of truth come in
many different forms, all of which I cannot cover in such a short period of
time. One of the most grievous ones, though, is what I term a “false grace
gospel.” These people distort God’s grace to make it a free license to continue
in sin without guilt and without remorse, thus they dilute the true gospel, as
Jesus and his NT apostles taught it, to make it more acceptable to the world
and more agreeable to the adulterous and idolatrous church. Thus, they teach
that God requires nothing of us – no repentance, no obedience and no submission
to Christ and to his cross.
The gospel message they end
up with is no gospel at all, because it leaves its adherents still in slavery
(addiction) to sin. Now, this is not to say that we will never sin, but that,
as followers of Christ, sin should no longer be our master or us its slaves,
for Jesus freed us from slavery to sin, if truly we have trusted in him to be
Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives. We should no longer walk (in
lifestyle; habitually) according to our flesh, but now according to the Spirit
of God. For, if we walk (conduct our lives) according to the flesh, WE WILL DIE
IN OUR SINS. But, if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the
flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-14; Eph.
4:17-24; 1 Jn. 2:1-2).
What many of these false
teachers are telling people is that all they have to do is believe in the
existence of Jesus Christ, and accept his forgiveness of their sins, and that
now they have heaven guaranteed them, and it cannot be taken away from them, no
matter how they live from this point forward. But, that is not salvation! That
is just carte blanche to continue living in sin while believing that you will
still go to heaven when you die. But, where is the freedom from slavery to sin
in that? There isn’t any, because there is no death to sin, and no resurrection
to new lives in Christ Jesus. There is no new birth (being born again) of the
Spirit of God, because there has been no death to the old life of living in sin
and for self (Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14).
Pleasing God, Not Man (vv. 10-12)
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or
am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not
be a bond-servant of Christ.
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it
from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus
Christ.
I hear many of these false
teachers also tell their listeners that God is pleased with us no matter what
we do, and that he smiles on us and that he delights in us even when we are
engrossed in sin and willful rebellion against him. This is not freedom from
sin! This is giving excuses for continued sin against God, and giving God’s
blessings upon it, too. Oh, how wrong!
If God is pleased with us
with everything we do, even when we are ignoring his Word, and going our own
stubborn way, then why does scripture teach us that we need to find out what
pleases him and to do it? Why does scripture teach us what does please God? Why
does it say that “those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God”?
And, why does it say that “whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh
will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will
reap eternal life”? (See: Ro. 8:8; 2 Co. 5:9; Gal. 6:8; Eph. 5:10; Col. 1:9-11;
1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:4; Heb. 11:6; Heb. 13:6; & 1 Jn. 3:22.)
Jesus died on that cross for
our sins that we might die to sin and live to please him, and that we might
become followers of God, and not of man (humans). What is the point of our salvation
if all we do is try to look for loopholes in God’s Word to excuse away our sin,
and to try to avoid obeying it? Isn’t that counterproductive? We can’t be
servants of the Lord and slaves to sin and the flesh, too. If we hold on to our
old lives of living for sin and self, we will lose them for eternity. But, if
we lose our lives (die to sin) for the sake of Jesus Christ, we will have
eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25).
A Believer’s Prayer
An Original Work / July 31, 2012
With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.
Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.
Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.
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