“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers 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 to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:1-5 ESV)
Questions:
• What is meant by “not from men nor through man”?
• What is meant by “but through Jesus Christ and God the Father”?
• What is the grace and peace being spoken of here?
• What does it mean to be delivered “from the present evil age”?
The apostle Paul was a messenger of God, called of God to open blinded eyes, “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (see Acts 26:12-18).
The Lord sent him, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, to speak the words of God to them, and to share with them the truth of the gospel of Christ, of our salvation. And it was God who gave him the words to say to the people. He was not called of man, and he did not get his training of man in a seminary, and he did not go through some religious indoctrination into any particular church denomination or into their particular theology. But he spoke God’s words to the people as he was led by the Holy Spirit.
And that is our model, too, that we should all be called of God and led of the Holy Spirit in whatever areas of ministry God has called us to and has gifted us in. And this is not saying that we should never be subject to human authority, but that the authority for what we do and for what we speak or write should come from God, and from the Scriptures, as being led by the Holy Spirit, and not by the marketing schemes of human beings. For so many messages today supposedly of God are really of humans, instead.
Now we are to speak God’s grace and his peace to the people, but this needs to be biblical grace and biblical peace, and not this “light and fluffy” stuff that so many today are marketing to the world as having come from God when it is clearly not of God. For God’s grace to us is not just salvation from the punishment of sin and a free ride into heaven. And his peace is not absence of all conflict nor is it harmony (unity) with all people in order to not offend anyone with the truth of the gospel of our salvation.
For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works,” the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (see Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
And the peace of God is peace with God, so it is absence of conflict with God in that we are not at odds with God but we are in harmony with him and with his purpose and plan for our lives, and so we submit to his authority. But that means that we will not be in harmony with all human beings, and thus there will not be absence of conflict between us and other humans if those other humans are against the Lord and against his design and purpose for our lives, because they want to live life their way, instead.
For God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ (God the Son) to the earth, to ultimately be put to death on a cross, was that he who was without sin might put our sins to death with him in order to deliver us out of our slavery (bondage) to sin, if we will submit to his will and purpose for our lives. And not just to deliver us from slavery (addiction) to sin, but to empower us to live righteously in holiness and in godliness and in moral purity, and no longer according to the ways of this “present evil age.”
[John 8:31-32; John 10:27-30; John 14:15,21,23-24; John 15:1-11; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14,24; Romans 11:17-24; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Peter 1:5-11; Hebrews 3:6-15; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6,15,24-25; 1 John 3:4-10,24; 1 John 4:19-20]
To Be Like Him
An Original Work / March 16, 2014
Based off Scripture
Crucified you are with Jesus.
To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,
Because He died at Calv’ry,
So from sin you’d be free.
Oh, what joy He brings into your life,
Giving life with Him endlessly.
Oh, what plans He has for your life.
Share the gospel faithfully.
Show the people He loves them.
Now His witness you’ll be.
Tell the world of sin about Jesus,
How He died for them on a tree.
Purifying hearts, He saves them,
Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.
Turning now from their idols,
New lives they have begun.
Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.
Over sin, the vict’ry He won!
When He comes again to take us
To be with Him evermore,
There will be no more crying.
Gladness will be in store.
Heavens joys will now overtake us:
We’ll be with our Lord evermore.
https://vimeo.com/89237609
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