Galatians – Be Still…

Galatians 5:16-26 – Who’s In Charge?

Do these verses give you a clearer picture of the phenomenon of having a conscience? It’s a lot more personal than that when you imagine the Holy Spirit guiding your direction. In fact, as you get to know the Holy Spirit, you’ll begin to recognize the help you’re receiving. I’ve been known to say something like, “The spirit inside me is suggesting another way for me.”

I can almost picture the little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. When situations warrant, these two fight it out. Just like verse 17b says, “These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” As believers, we want the angel to win and protect us from making bad choices. We want to be listening to the Holy Spirit and letting him control. We’re much more likely to succeed and avoid temptation. Continue reading “Galatians 5:16-26 – Who’s In Charge?”

Galatians 6:4-5 – Our Responsibility

“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” (Galatians 6:4-5)

What a great reminder to take a self-check right now. Paul is giving us permission, encouraging us to do so in this moment. Each time we claim this verse and live it out, we can make sure we’re taking care of our own faith business before we try and change the world or, worse yet, compare ourselves to others.

Context (Galatians 6:1-10): Paul is handling some sensitive subjects here in chapter 6. Namely, the harvest of those seeds we plant both in ourselves and in others. We’ll face temptation and plenty of opportunities to do the wrong thing in God’s eyes. Paul is hoping to help us thwart those inevitable missteps. Continue reading “Galatians 6:4-5 – Our Responsibility”

Galatians 2:20 – To Die with Christ

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

This verse is not morbid but beautiful. The image of being crucified with Christ doesn’t put us on the cross beside him like the criminals. We are reminded that when we are Christ- followers we have the assurance that we can have salvation from our faith and not being bound by the law. This is a good verse to have memorized because of it’s implications on our salvation.

Context: This verse comes during a conversation between the apostle Paul and Peter, the disciple. Their conversation may have been a bit “heated” as their topic involved Gentile vs. Jew and the importance of following or not following the law of Moses. Those were big issues for the early believers to work out. Gentiles did not know all those laws, and Paul had been preaching that it didn’t matter because faith and trust in Jesus is what counts. Continue reading “Galatians 2:20 – To Die with Christ”

Galatians 4:4-5 – God’s Child

Read Galatians 4:4-5

God’ Son is Jesus, but we can call ourselves “children” of God according to these words from Paul. Stop for a moment to reflect on what it means to be a child of God. It’s comforting, isn’t it? It sure makes me look at the world a little differently. I’m pretty sure most of the people walking down the street don’t know Jesus like I do and know they can be children of God, too.

This is an interesting passage to use for an Advent reflection, but it speaks to Jesus’ role in the world then and now. It’s a bit of the gospel, Jesus’ birth story, and our future hope all wrapped up together. What jumped out to you in this reading? Continue reading “Galatians 4:4-5 – God’s Child”

Christmas ? Galatians 4:4-7 – Freedom

Read Galatians 4:4-7

The Christmas season continues as we celebrate Jesus’ coming into this world. We have been reflecting on how this little baby brought truth, wisdom, and faith. Paul is describing for us how our inheritance of faith works in today’s reading. Paul had been talking about how until Jesus, people had been like slaves to the law. Jesus’ coming changed that for us when he brought freedom.

There are some great nuggets we don’t want to miss in this reading. The first one is that Jesus came at just the right time. God’s timing is always perfect. We may wish for things to happen on our timeline, but when we can let go and let God, that’s when the miracles happen. Is there something you need to let go of so God can step in without you being in the way?