October 2-8
Finding Freedom - Galatians 2:11-21
People and the Law
October 7, 2022 • Joan Lonsway • Galatians 2:19–21
In Galatians 2:19-21, Paul says: “For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law – I stopped trying to meet all its requirements – so that I might live for God. 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. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die” (NLT). Here is a commentary from my Life Application Study Bible: “Believers today are still in danger of acting as if Jesus did not have to die. How? By replacing Jewish legalism with their own brand of Christian legalism, they give people extra laws to obey and extra steps to take. By believing they can earn God’s favor by what they do, they do not trust completely in Christ’s work on the cross. By struggling to appropriate God’s power to change them (sanctification), they do not rest in God’s power to save them (justification). If we could be saved by being good then Christ did not have to die. But the cross is the only way to salvation.” There are plenty of good reasons for having laws, but I suggest you keep them in their proper place. Jesus should be Number One in your heart and in your Life.
Religion and the Law
October 6, 2022 • Joan Lonsway • Galatians 2:16
I was given a lot of mixed messages as a child. Growing up in the Catholic Church, I thought anyone who wasn’t a Catholic would burn in hell. No one specifically taught me that, but I gleaned it from what I observed and what I was told. For example, my Father would not let me date anyone who wasn’t a Catholic. Also, in my senior year my best friend became pregnant, and I was told by a priest that I could no longer associate with her unless she got married in the Catholic Church. Two children later my friend was married in the Catholic Church by this same priest, and I was her witness. Suddenly everything was “okay.” In Galatians Paul talks about the Jews and the Gentiles. Today there are thousands of religions and thousands of denominations within those religions, and the issues are the same as those in the Old Testament. Most religions have laws or rules that differentiate one from another and cause conflict, but the truth is stated in Galatians 2:16: “Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law” (NLT). Which is more important to you – rules and laws or Jesus Christ? You know there should be only one answer.
Does that law apply to me?
October 5, 2022 • Joan Lonsway • Galatians 2:11–21
When you look at the Old Testament you may get confused by the different types of laws and whether they apply today. Some people have broken them down this way: Ceremonial Law – These laws pointed towards Jesus Christ and were no longer necessary after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But, the purpose behind them is still relevant – to worship and love a Holy God. Civil Law – This type of law dictated Israel’s daily living. Our modern society and culture are radically different and it would be difficult to follow many of these guidelines. However, the principles behind them are the same today and that is to promote unity and a society of human flourishing. Moral Law – These laws show us how to love God and our neighbor (see for example, The Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-17). This kind of law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies today. We choose to obey this moral law, not to obtain salvation, but to live in a way that is pleasing to God. By studying the Old Testament Scriptures, Paul realized that he could not be saved by obeying God’s laws. God has provided a way of deliverance for us through an act of love by Jesus Christ and not by our own efforts. Even though we know this truth, we must guard against the temptation of thinking that acts of service, good deeds, charitable giving, or any other effort can be a substitute for faith.
Freedom
October 4, 2022 • Joan Lonsway • Galatians 2:11–21
Kevin preached on Sunday and, obviously, I wrote these devotionals last week in order to have them available this week. In reading an advance synopsis of his sermon he was to talk about FREEDOM from Galatians 2:11-21. So let’s talk about freedom today. I went through 22 years of my life (25-47) making up my own rules. During that time when I thought of death, it was morbid and scary, like a black hole with no bottom. Accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior took me out of that dark hole into a world of freedom through eternal life. Does that mean my life is a bed of roses? Of course not, but what a privilege it is to have a personal relationship with Jesus and to be able to talk to Him about my problems, joys, and victories. I still have conflicts with others and get criticized for what I believe, but Jesus has made it clear that we are to treat others as we would want to be treated. That’s what we need to remember when we run into conflict. It’s our choice how we respond and, hopefully, it will be in a loving way. Father God, thank you for the freedom you have given us through your gift of salvation.
Are you my brother?
October 3, 2022 • Joan Lonsway • Galatians 2:11–21
Take a moment and read Galatians 2:11-21. Peter was friendly with Gentile believers and even ate with them, until James’s friends criticized him for hanging around people who were not circumcised. They were mixing law with the truth of the gospel message. Even Barnabas was led astray by this hypocrisy. Paul chastised Peter for his actions, and in turn, the Jews accused Paul of watering down the Good News, to make it easier for Gentiles to accept. Paul then accused the Jews of nullifying the Good News by adding conditions to it. Peter probably thought he was promoting harmony by staying away from the Gentiles to appease James and his friends when, in reality he was supporting the claim that Christ alone was not sufficient for salvation. Recently I was caught in the middle of a conversation of “half-truths.” I couldn’t deny what they were saying but there was more to the story and, as a Christian, I feel I should have steered them toward the Bible to say, “yes that’s true, but here is the rest of the story.” How often do you do this to keep the peace? And, how often do you wish you had been bold enough to speak up? Jesus and the truth are worth defending.