Are You Weary?

Galatians 6:9-10 NIV

 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

 

For what reasons might we become weary in doing good? We do get physically tired. I know I do, and sometimes I want to rest and then the Lord says, “Get up!” So, I get up, but not always immediately.

 

Sometimes we can get disheartened and discouraged by other believers’ (or professed believers’) lack of heart response to God’s word and to the teachings on holiness, godliness, and righteous living. So many who call themselves Christians appear so apathetic to God’s calling for us to be holy.

 

We can become weary in doing good, too, when we are mocked, rejected, despised, persecuted, abandoned, falsely accused, or just outright ignored for speaking the truth of God’s Word and for taking God and His Word so seriously. For, many who profess faith in Jesus Christ are not interested in holy living. They like messages which tickle itching ears.

 

So, the encouragement here is that we should continue doing the good that God has for us to do under his direction, and in his power and strength, regardless of how others respond to us. Even though we may not be seeing much in the way of positive results now, we should not give up, for we will reap a harvest one day, at the proper time.

 

Galatians 6:12-17 NIV

 

“Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

 

“From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”

 

We live in a different situation today than did the Jews and Gentiles of the time of Paul’s ministry on the earth. For, the Jewish Christians had previously been under the Old Covenant and the laws of Moses, which included many ceremonial and purification laws which they were required to follow, one of which was circumcision of all males.

 

So, many Judaizers were trying to convince the Gentile Christians that they had to circumcise their males and that they had to follow some of the Jewish ceremonial and purification laws and food restrictions. And to some extent some of this still exists today, but that is not the main opposition to the true gospel in today’s world and in the worldly church.

 

The fleshly gospel of today is not so much about adding to the true gospel external requirements as it is about removing from the gospel our Lord’s requirements for repentance, obedience, submission, and holy living. It has now become a gospel of omissions, taking out what they don’t like, instead of adding on what is not required.

 

Both gospels are false, for they both come from the flesh of man and are not of the Spirit of God, for they are not consistent with the teachings of Scripture. Yes, this present false gospel does teach some of the Scriptures, but they teach them largely out of context, and thus they make them say what they want them to say.

 

So, what these teachers of this false (cheap grace) gospel of today are trying to compel us to do is to reject the Lord’s requirements for repentance, obedience, submission, and holy living. For, they want us to believe that those are “works-based salvation,” and thus they are to be rejected.

 

And they are most certainly doing this to impress people by means of the flesh, for they are appealing to the flesh of man in order to gain the acceptance and approval of human beings. For, this is how they are building their earthly kingdoms, by attracting the ungodly to their gatherings by worldly means and methods.

 

And it is true, too, that they are doing this to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ, for the cross demands death to sin. For Jesus died on that cross, putting our sin to death, so that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness. And if we teach the crucified life, we are not going to be well liked, for sure (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24).

 

Thus, those of us who are teaching a faith in Jesus Christ that includes repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ are being rejected and persecuted for our faith by those teaching the cheap grace gospel.

 

Fully Ready!  

 

An Original Work / June 19, 2013

Based off Acts 20-22, 26; Mt. 28:18-20; Ac. 1:8

 

Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?

I’m fully ready to suffer for Christ.

If I must die for the sake of His name,

I am convinced it will not be in vain.

Glory to God and to His Son Jesus,

Who has redeemed us; bought with His blood.

 

May I speak to you? Jesus came to me;

Asked of me, “Why do you persecute me?”

He said, “Now get up and stand on your feet.

Go, and you’ll be told all I have for you.

I have appointed you as a servant,

And as a witness; you have been sent.”

 

“Go into the world and preach the gospel.

Open the blind eyes. They will receive sight.

Turn them from darkness to the light of Christ;

From power of the evil one to God,

So they may receive forgiveness of sins,

And a place among those who’re in heav’n.”

 

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