Verses 16 to 26
I'm sure that many of us have heard sermons which seem to focus upon vv. 17-21. Like conversion testimonies which so glamourise our life before Christ that the rest of us are left thinking, 'Well I had a pretty dull life and didn't sin as much as I could.'
We need to know what the life of the sinful nature is - but only so we can avoid it. Not so we can endless talk about it.
I read this passage in Peterson's The Message a few weeks ago and I think the way he presents the fruit of the Spirit is really good and worth setting out side by side with the ESV:
ESV Peterson The Message
Love Affection for others
Joy Exuberance about life
Peace Serenity
Patience We develop a willingness to stick with things
Kindness A sense of campassion in the heart
Goodness A conviction that a basic holiness permeates things
Faithfulness Involved in loyal commitments
Gentleness Not needing to force our way in life
Self-control Able to marshal and direct our energies wisely
Some are better than others, but on the whole Peterson will help us look at this familiar passage in a new light, and that has to be good.
There is a phrase I like about practising the presence of God. I wonder if we need to have an additional phrase practising living in step with the Spirit? Sometimes the message that the Spirit will grow his fruit in us can lead to a passive waiting for the Spirit to grow patience in me. But, we are already filled by and with the Spirit can we not begin to practise living as tree producing this beautiful fruit?
Showing posts with label Gal 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gal 5. Show all posts
Monday, 29 March 2010
Gal 5
Verses 13 to 15
Freedom is a great blessing in Christian living which we receive in union with Christ. However, the word 'freedom' can be a trap to many. We hear freedom and we think, 'Great, I can do whatever I like.'
Our freedom in Christ is in Christ. We have been set free from sin, death and the devil so that we can now serve Christ, serve others, live as a blessing to the nations. Our freedom in Christ is not for ourselves, but for others. We need to learn this new perspective upon freedom.
Freedom is a great blessing in Christian living which we receive in union with Christ. However, the word 'freedom' can be a trap to many. We hear freedom and we think, 'Great, I can do whatever I like.'
Our freedom in Christ is in Christ. We have been set free from sin, death and the devil so that we can now serve Christ, serve others, live as a blessing to the nations. Our freedom in Christ is not for ourselves, but for others. We need to learn this new perspective upon freedom.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Gal 5
Verses 7 to 12
The metaphor here is of running and being hindered from running - very similar to standing firm or falling away, holding fast and letting go; having received the gospel and abandoning the gospel.
Obeying the truth is a key phrase in Galatians, to obey the truth is to remain in the gospel. Obedience is not a contrast to faith, but a consequence of faith and salvation. Yes, a letter in the NT which is traditionally held up as one of the great texts for justification by faith alone requires from those so justified, obedience.
There is a persuasion, a temptation to not obey the truth. God who calls us as his disciples will not persuade or tempt us in this way. The old saying is true, just a little of such persuasion will infect the whole lump. Just a few who encourage us to disobey can very easily cause great trouble for the church.
Paul has great confidence, not I think in the church, or Christians, at Galatia, but in the truth of the gospel. He believes that when he preaches, or writes, of the gospel that gospel carries with it all the power and clarity needed to persuade others of its truthfulness. Paul therefore can hope in the gospel that those taking a different position from his will have their minds changed by the gospel. The judgment or punishment reserved for those not submitting to the gospel is the judgment of God which will fall upon all who reject his gospel.
The cross is offensive: it challenges our self-sufficiency, declares our sinfulness, rebukes our rejection of God - we are offended when we are challenged and condemned as rebel sinners before our God. To preach the cross faithfully is to put one's self in a place of being rejected and causing offence. What then shall we do, give up on preaching the cross? May it never be. Only the cross makes all people right with God. Let it offend us, better that we are offended and led to the cross than not offended, not brought to the cross and so not saved by Christ.
v. 12 very well expresses the exasperation of Paul towards those who teach human actions in place of the cross.
The metaphor here is of running and being hindered from running - very similar to standing firm or falling away, holding fast and letting go; having received the gospel and abandoning the gospel.
Obeying the truth is a key phrase in Galatians, to obey the truth is to remain in the gospel. Obedience is not a contrast to faith, but a consequence of faith and salvation. Yes, a letter in the NT which is traditionally held up as one of the great texts for justification by faith alone requires from those so justified, obedience.
There is a persuasion, a temptation to not obey the truth. God who calls us as his disciples will not persuade or tempt us in this way. The old saying is true, just a little of such persuasion will infect the whole lump. Just a few who encourage us to disobey can very easily cause great trouble for the church.
Paul has great confidence, not I think in the church, or Christians, at Galatia, but in the truth of the gospel. He believes that when he preaches, or writes, of the gospel that gospel carries with it all the power and clarity needed to persuade others of its truthfulness. Paul therefore can hope in the gospel that those taking a different position from his will have their minds changed by the gospel. The judgment or punishment reserved for those not submitting to the gospel is the judgment of God which will fall upon all who reject his gospel.
The cross is offensive: it challenges our self-sufficiency, declares our sinfulness, rebukes our rejection of God - we are offended when we are challenged and condemned as rebel sinners before our God. To preach the cross faithfully is to put one's self in a place of being rejected and causing offence. What then shall we do, give up on preaching the cross? May it never be. Only the cross makes all people right with God. Let it offend us, better that we are offended and led to the cross than not offended, not brought to the cross and so not saved by Christ.
v. 12 very well expresses the exasperation of Paul towards those who teach human actions in place of the cross.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Gal 5
Verses 2 to 6
It might appear as though Paul were saying that Christ and the law are mutually exclusive; you can have either the law or Christ but not both. However, that's not exactly right.
Accepting circumcision is about our practice, our lifestyle and the way we think or hope we can approach God. To accept circumcision is to depend upon the act of circumcision for our acceptance with God. When we do this, clearly, Christ becomes meaningless to us, since the gospel declares to us that in Christ alone can we find acceptance with God.
This is made clear in v. 4 of this paragraph where Paul writes about desiring to be justified (made right with God) by the law. If that is our desire we have 'fallen away from grace' - nb. there is the falling away theme once again!!
Christ and the law are not mutually exclusive, that is the wrong way to think about how Christ relates to the law. Christ fulfills, achieves, completes, satisfies the law. In Christ the law is ended. The law points to Christ and now Christ has done the law is fulfilled in Christ.
We are to approach God in Christ, depending upon his finished work, with faith enlivened by the Spirit clinging to the hope of righteousness - which is Christ. It really is all about Jesus!
v. 6 needs careful handling. In response to vv. 2-5 we cannot simply ignore circumcision, or any other religious practice we may think of. Non circumcision is no more of a claim before God than circumcision. United to Christ Jesus by the gift of faith which is made alive in us by the Spirit we find that our lives are changed and our deeds, our actions become those of love. Faith alone does not mean we sit at home, comfortable in our intellectual comprehension of 'the faith'. By no means! Grace alone describes our salvation by God in Christ, faith alone describes our union with Christ and our life now lived in union with our Saviour.
Faith is only faith when it results in acts of love displayed in our lives.
It might appear as though Paul were saying that Christ and the law are mutually exclusive; you can have either the law or Christ but not both. However, that's not exactly right.
Accepting circumcision is about our practice, our lifestyle and the way we think or hope we can approach God. To accept circumcision is to depend upon the act of circumcision for our acceptance with God. When we do this, clearly, Christ becomes meaningless to us, since the gospel declares to us that in Christ alone can we find acceptance with God.
This is made clear in v. 4 of this paragraph where Paul writes about desiring to be justified (made right with God) by the law. If that is our desire we have 'fallen away from grace' - nb. there is the falling away theme once again!!
Christ and the law are not mutually exclusive, that is the wrong way to think about how Christ relates to the law. Christ fulfills, achieves, completes, satisfies the law. In Christ the law is ended. The law points to Christ and now Christ has done the law is fulfilled in Christ.
We are to approach God in Christ, depending upon his finished work, with faith enlivened by the Spirit clinging to the hope of righteousness - which is Christ. It really is all about Jesus!
v. 6 needs careful handling. In response to vv. 2-5 we cannot simply ignore circumcision, or any other religious practice we may think of. Non circumcision is no more of a claim before God than circumcision. United to Christ Jesus by the gift of faith which is made alive in us by the Spirit we find that our lives are changed and our deeds, our actions become those of love. Faith alone does not mean we sit at home, comfortable in our intellectual comprehension of 'the faith'. By no means! Grace alone describes our salvation by God in Christ, faith alone describes our union with Christ and our life now lived in union with our Saviour.
Faith is only faith when it results in acts of love displayed in our lives.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Gal 5
We can divide Gal 5 into the following sections:
1
2-6
7-12
13-15
16-26
Verse 1 has been coming for a while now, all through chapter 4 we could sense it coming over the horizon.
This surely is the characteristic call to the Galatians - stand firm! Do not submit again!
The blessing of the gospel, the outcome of being justified by faith is freedom in Christ: freedom to worship God, freedom to follow Jesus, freedom to live by the Spirit.
We have been set free for (in order that we might enjoy) freedom!
Do we live in this freedom? Are we remaining there (standing firm)? Or have we exchanged our freedom in Christ for a new slavery?
1
2-6
7-12
13-15
16-26
Verse 1 has been coming for a while now, all through chapter 4 we could sense it coming over the horizon.
This surely is the characteristic call to the Galatians - stand firm! Do not submit again!
The blessing of the gospel, the outcome of being justified by faith is freedom in Christ: freedom to worship God, freedom to follow Jesus, freedom to live by the Spirit.
We have been set free for (in order that we might enjoy) freedom!
Do we live in this freedom? Are we remaining there (standing firm)? Or have we exchanged our freedom in Christ for a new slavery?
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