Galatians 1 vs 1-5

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Galatians 1 vs 1-5

Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek

August 25, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Galatians 1:1–5

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Galatia was not a city or a town such as Ephesus or Colosse. Galatia was a region of Asia Minor (Modern day Turkey) where the churches addressed in this letter were located. This is the only letter of Paul written like this, to a set of churches in a region rather than to a specific church. This letter was written by Paul the Apostle, most likely from Corinth, sometime around 50AD.

It is clear as we read through this letter that what Paul is doing is combating and countering Judaizing false teachers who were very quickly undermining the central New Covenant doctrine of justification by faith apart from works. Look, I don’t just spit in disdain at the Judaizers for what they were doing. To me, it makes perfect sense (hold that thought), and what they needed was not to be hated but to be educated…

Christianity came from the Jew. Like THE Jew! Jesus Himself was a Jew, born under the law, lived and preached in and throughout Israel (you do realize that Jesus never stepped outside of Israel, right?), and He Himself was and is the fulfilment of the law of Moses. For thousands of years the Jewish people observed the Torah and held themselves in a separation unto God because and through the law from all other nations, peoples, creeds and lifestyles.

And then Jesus changes everything. Hebrews 8:6-13 says, “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For, if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Everyone rejoiced! They even received the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. AND, they were culturally concerned and connected with their traditions and identity as the peculiar people of God. The promises of God being flowed through their father, Moses, Abraham, David… And never had a strip of bacon darkened the doorway of their dentures! HA!

So, Paul travels to Antioch and certain Jews from Jerusalem follow him there and as he preaches the gospel and traditions are halted, the Jews even those who readily received the message of the Gospel were appalled and aghast at the lifestyle change! So, they begin Judaizing. Hey, the Gospel is great…, but you need to be circumcised. Hold the feasts. Observe sabbaths. Hold to the restrictions of the law. Don’t lose all that we are but by all means be saved… which eventually led to a must in order to be saved…

This caused Paul to call the first leadership council of the church in Jerusalem and this was recorded for us in Acts 15 where the pillars of the early church concluded circumcision as a commandment and the law as commandments had to be done away with…

Check this out, this even makes more sense, Jews all around and you whip out your axe on the Sabbath to cut some wood! And they all stumble! They all freak out! Even Peter got caught up in this! You had a circumstance where the new freedom of the New Covenant was harming people… That’s problematic. That’s not Christian! Quite the conundrum…, so hey, stop eating pork…, get your son circumcised…, and in that love your neighbor as Jesus taught us…, AND that led all the way to what we read in Acts 15 :1, “Certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

So, it makes sense. I get it. I get them. And they had to be educated in truth and in love… Galatians is a letter addressing this very real, and now you see very complex, issue… And that issue in and of itself is freedom versus bondage. Galatians uses the word “bondage” more than any other New Testament book in the Bible. The central message and essential fact addressed in this book is that all of us and everyone ever comes to God on the basis of His love and His grace and cannot be upon the basis of one’s own merit or the gospel of Jesus Christ is denied and we are not set free by God through Jesus but rather set to bondage by God through Jesus.

If my works cause me to have right standing with God then I am in bondage. Bound to the works I must and am compelled to perform. However, if it is by grace that I have been saved, through faith, then it is by grace that I have life and therefore freedom has encompassed me and now preserves me! Not freedom to sin. That is just more bondage. Sin brings forth destruction. Freedom from sin. That even though I remain practically imperfect, it is the grace of God through the blood of Jesus that sustains my right standing with God. THAT is complete and utter freedom! This is the message of this letter!

Galatians Chapter 1 Verses 1 – 2

· A couple of things are going on here. Most Bible commentators speculate/conclude that the Judaizers were challenging Paul’s authority in attempting to draw the church away from his teachings. So, he starts out by laying out very clearly that he is an apostle no only of Jesus but from Jesus personally! (Side note, and we [definitely even I] need to be careful about this. A false prophet, one who appears godly but is indeed not speaking for God, is someone who attacks the person of their enemy. Attack the doctrine, not the person. God uses donkeys effectively in the Bible and I need to remember that!)

· Acts Chapter 9. Paul is on his way to Damascus specifically to arrest and bring back to Jerusalem to be tried any Christians he could find. Then as he gets near his destination, Jesus personally and literally knocks him off his high horse! Blinds him and speaks with him. Then, he goes on to Damascus and a man named Ananias hears from the Lord about him and it was Jesus Himself that said in Acts 9:15, “The Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel!”

· So, Paul is laying out very clearly and very succinctly and quite defiantly, his calling has nothing at all to do with the affirmation or confirmation or support of any man or woman but he is called by Jesus alone!

· Now, that’s a double-edged sword of sorts. Why? Well, because it is! He is commissioned by Jesus but his commissioning is unto man! So, his audience, he has to deal with them perhaps disapproving of him. So, what should he do when that happens? NOTHING! He has nothing to prove to anyone! He knows his calling. He is sure of it and in this way, he is actually at a significant advantage!

· I mean, Paul heard the voice of the Lord directly. Paul was caught up into heaven and shown things and heard things not lawful to even repeat. He is SO sure of his calling that what can man do to him about it! WE need to be that sure of our calling, folks! And if you are called by God, you will be!

· And so, Paul’s authority to write this letter and to plant churches is from Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead! Ok, really quickly here, who raised Jesus from the dead? According to this verse, it was God the Father! AND yet we read in John 10:17-18 Jesus say, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” SO according to John 10, Jesus raised Jesus from the dead!

· But wait, there’s more! Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” So, according to Romans 8, the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. So, who was it! The Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit!? The answer is YES! Because they are ONE!

Galatians Chapter 1 Verses 3 – 5

· Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ… Why is that Paul’s greeting? Because that is the only combo that works! Before you have peace with the Father, before you can have peace within yourself to move on from your own self to the work of the Kingdom, you must receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ!

· If you won’t step into the grace that has been given to us through the sufficient blood of Jesus, if you can’t do that, if you can’t accept that, if you can’t surrender to that, then peace on all fronts is out of reach! Grace has entered and therefore we have ceased from works! Why? Because I am forgiven! It’s done! My sin is ever before me but grace just cut in line! And I know that through what Jesus has done for me, I am forgiven and I have peace, no more conflict, no more earnings…, with the Father. No more bondage whatsoever to anyone or anything!

· We hold such contempt against ourselves that it spills out on others. And we hold things against others. Why? Not because of what they’ve done. But because we can’t receive grace in our own selves! And so, we work. We work to approve of ourselves and we work to be approved by God and thus we make others work to earn our approval as well. This should no be so. Listen, if you want to feel better about yourself, get a bumper sticker that says, “Honk if you think I’m cute,” and go sit at a green light! HA! Having this instinctual goal of feeling good about yourself will never work. Fulfill your design and let God settle your heart with His peace… Simply receive the full grace of God fully through a coming-home to Jesus and peace that is promised by the Prince of Peace is yours!

· And check this out! Why are you saved? What did Jesus do it for? So that we could all go to heaven, right? Well, right and not-completely right! It says here, “that He might delivery us from this PRESENT AGE!” I am saved unto good works. Set apart from the world, from this kingdom so that I might exist in His kingdom. When? RIGHT now!! And that brings GLORY to God!

· Oh, folks we are just getting started!!!

Galatians 2 Verse 6-13

September 22, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Galatians 2:6–13

Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 6  Paul had an open heart to anyone that was with Jesus. And he would protect his heart from anyone who wasn’t. “Makes no difference to me,” sounds harsh but it’s a statement of alignment and priority. His decision and his loyalty are primarily influenced in/by his relationship with Jesus. And played out, that might look harsh to some… And that’s ok…  He makes a statement here that is one to remember. God shows personal favoritism to no man… Not a person that has ever lived has been more important than any other in the heart of God. This one is not easy to navigate in terms of my own and your own conduct. Because while showing partiality is sin, (several places in the Bible including James 2, Deuteronomy 10, Romans 2, Ephesians 6, and Acts 10), God takes pleasure in those who love Him, which is wonderful and good.  So, for me, for you, it’s an issue really of the heart. Some folks we mesh with because they are good to us, but the folks we don’t mesh with (different life goals typically), do we degrade their importance to us (which is ok) or do we degrade their importance to the Lord (which is not ok). Because even those that we don’t get along with are as important as you are to the Lord…  Different life goals…, it’s ok to degrade their importance to us personally? Of course! I’m not saying to be unloving or uncaring or ungraceful AT ALL. What I’m saying is how can two walk together unless they are in agreement? (Amos 3:3) What I’m saying is 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness.” What I’m saying church is Romans 16:17, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses (obstacles; ESV) (also can be translated, ok with hurting others), contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”  It’s the prayer life. That’s the measurement. Will you remember them in your prayers with a heart of love… Even though they are the opposite of your favorite? That’s a good measurement. AND, consistency in your dealings with folks. The moment you treat someone differently than another in an identical situation…, that could be an easy target for the enemy to mess things up! Because you typically are tempted to lie to get out of it if you’re called to the carpet regarding your unfair behavior… Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 7 – 10  I love this! Problem solved in a Godly way! Recognizing that we each have our ministries but they are different. And they don’t have to be the same, look the same or even administrate the same. God has called you to the circumcision? Great! Go for it, Peter! God has called you, Paul, to the gentiles? Great! Go for it! They were dealing with different kinds of people who needed a different style and emphasis, but the same message!  “When they saw the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to Paul,” Peter, James and John listened for what was the message and the motivation of what Paul and Barnabas were telling them and they perceived/discerned and understood that it was the gospel and grace (or better said, the grace of God through the gospel/testimony of Jesus Christ), hey…! That’s it! We are IN!  So, Paul has his calling which he is sure of and Paul has alignment with those really in a position of authority…, anyone else who seems be something, whatever they were it makes no difference. Words of Paul… Pretty awesome!  The only thing asked of Paul would be that he remembers the poor throughout his ministry which is a reference actually to the church/believers in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem first century although it was gaining steam and growing in number, business was bad. The Jewish/Judaist culture was certainly not embracing those that no longer followed the law of Moses… And so financially there was struggle…  There was also a famine at this time. Acts 11:27-30 we read, “And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”  Paul’s response was generosity and sharing and even being mindful of the financial needs of Peter, James and John…, all that wasn’t something he had to do… But was something he was eager to do! The appropriate response from someone who realizes they’ve received so much…, an eagerness to give and to share… A ministry of the presence of God on earth (which is also an echo of our original nature…, a manifestation of a redeemed nature)! Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 11 – 13  The gospel to the Jew and the gospel to the gentile comes toe to toe in this scene. But this isn’t a UFC octagon, this is an inflection point. Paul is using sharp language but again, the motivation of Peter and the motivation of Paul are the same. That’s why Peter gave Paul the right hand of fellowship in the first place.  Interesting here…, Barnabas gets “carried away” with this hypocrisy (Paul’s word) also. Peter and Barny no doubt are respecting their Jewish brethren. Avoiding an opportunity for them to stumble and be offended… They live in Jerusalem, around almost all Jews…, and here they are in Antioch, let’s take is slowly (no doubt their motivation),…  But their serving of one group causes great offense of another. Do you see that? So, what should be done? An inflection point… Paul’s ticked and he is the writer of this book so we get his default words under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Peter decided not to write about this… I am SURE his account would have been written under the same guidance, with the same message, but with perhaps completely different words and even tone…  One will be served, one will be hurt. That’s a problem. So, what must we do…? Well, we will never please everyone. That’s a first piece of information to know…, but the servant of the King must always seek to please the King. That’s what servants do…., they serve. We are about to see what Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10 played out, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” And there you have it. When in a sticky situation like we see here, like we will all face all the time as we walk in Christ in this upside-down world, when the chips fall, what matters is what is right in the eyes of God!

Galatians 2 vs 1-10

September 15, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Galatians 2:1–10

The chapter break between chapter 1 and chapter 2 is one of the worst ones in the scriptures, ha! Paul encounters Jesus on his was to Damascus. He then goes to Arabia and back to Damascus. After three years had passed, he goes to Jerusalem, sees Peter and James (Jesus’ brother), departs and goes to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 1 · Now, the rumor and fame of Paul begins to spread in Judea because this was the same Saul who had petitioned and received letters from the High Priest that had authorized him to be a marshal of sorts against Christians…, but that was three years ago and no one had heard from him since. What happened to him? And the talk churned up when it was heard that he had in fact returned, empty handed, and had lodged with Peter!! WHAT?! He should have been arresting Peter! · After that, he returns to the regions of Arabia and Cilicia and remains there fourteen years. What was he doing? No record at all. Other than in the next verse he says he’s been preaching to the gentiles and no doubt making tents. Paul was a tent maker by trade. And after these fourteen years, he returns again to Jerusalem and with him are Barnabas and Titus. · These two were a perfect pair to accompany him. Barnabas was a well-known and well-respected leader in the early church. A Jew. His name actually wasn’t Barnabas. That was his nickname of sorts. According to Acts 4:36-37, his name was Joses which means “Exalted One,” but the apostles started calling him Barnabas which means, “Son of Encouragement.” · Then there was Titus. A Greek. A gentile. And the scripture has actually a lot to say about him. He even has his own book, not written by him but written by Paul to him. He was a true son in the faith to Paul. Paul refers to Titus as having his same heart in 2 Corinthians and also makes the statement in 2 Corinthians 2:13 that not having Titus with him caused him to have no rest in his spirit. · Do you have someone like these in your life? A Royal Table? One person to inspire you. One person to correct you. And one person who is just a raging fan of yours? Everyone needs a Royal Table. But that’s all about you. Which is a lesser thought. So…, what about you? Are you a Barnabas, a son of encouragement, in someone’s life? Are you a Titus, giving someone absolute rest in the spirit, in their life…? Christian, not only are we to be this to one, we truly are to be this to many… And we have no right, not even for a minute, to complain that folks aren’t taking the time with you when you aren’t being these things for them… · So, Paul has a prominent Jew and a stout Greek with him, and here he comes back to Jerusalem! Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 2 · This by revelation bit doesn’t mean Paul is having visions and dreaming dreams…, this simply means he is going under the guidance and direction of God. That is truly part of the life of a Christian. The physically measurable reality of being a believer. What you do, where you go, what you say, how you react, how you act, all those things and more, you are in sync and synergy with the Holy Spirit. · Part, if not all, of our role and job on this planet is to minister the presence and reality of Jesus Christ. You know that right? Salt and light… And on one hand the flesh is so strong (the fear is so great – because somewhere along the way you were hurt so deeply) that folks just live looking so much NOT like Jesus and justify it through the condemnation of others… I’m this way because they did this, said that, on and on… · And on the other hand, we have Christians that cannot relate, reach or love the lost or anyone that doesn’t buy-in to their perspectives because they are too blinding…, too salty. Oh, I’m about to ruffle some feathers now… No master chef pours salt on their recipe…, and do you know they actually make lights that are weapons!? The key is always to live by revelation, the guidance and communion with God through the Person of the Holy Spirit. Ministering the presence of Jesus… · So, what is the point that Paul is making here in talking about his visit to Jerusalem to the Galatians… Let’s read a few more verses… Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 3 – 5 · The point Paul is making here is that Peter and James and the leaders of the church there in Jerusalem (as Paul says “to those who were of reputation”) accepted Titus without the necessity of the law proving his point to the Galatians that salvation and fellowship in the Body of Christ and in the faith is secured by the grace of God… · And yet some spied them out… slipped in secretly, with some sort of stealth, looking like brothers, acting like brothers, but when it came time for obedience to the Word of God, they weren’t brothers. And that’s how you know. And that’s hard. The “I love you’s” and the encouragements and the compliments and the smiles and the hugs and the warmth and the affection…, none of that truly communicates partnership. The only thing that is true in identifying family in the Lord is obedience to the Word of God. Which is really just trust and loyalty to Jesus… · Paul wouldn’t yield to them at all… And thank goodness that he didn’t. If he had then perhaps Christianity would have simply become a new sect of Judaism. But Paul held to salvation by grace through faith under the guidance and revelation of Jesus Himself and even at times, Jesus only! Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 6 · Paul had an open heart to anyone that was with Jesus. And he would protect his heart from anyone who wasn’t. “Makes no difference to me,” sounds harsh but it’s a statement of alignment and priority. His decision and his loyalty are primarily influenced in/by his relationship with Jesus. And played out, that might look harsh to some… And that’s ok… · And this statement is one to remember. God shows personal favoritism to no man… Not a person that has ever lived has been more important than any other in the heart of God. This one is not easy to navigate in terms of my own and your own conduct. Because while showing partiality is sin, (several places in the Bible including James 2, Deuteronomy 10, Romans 2, Ephesians 6, and Acts 10), God takes pleasure in those who love Him, which is wonderful and good. So, for me, for you, it’s an issue really of the heart. Some folks we mesh with because they are good to us, but the folks we don’t mesh with, do we degrade their importance to us (which is ok) or to the Lord (which is not ok). Because even those that we don’t get along with are as important as you are to the Lord… · It’s the prayer life. That’s the measurement. Will you remember them in your prayers with a heart of love… Even though they are the opposite of your favorite? That’s a good measurement. AND, consistency in your dealings with folks. The moment you treat someone differently than another in an identical situation…, that could be an easy target for the enemy to mess things up! Because you typically are tempted to lie to get out of it if you’re called to the carpet regarding your unfair behavior… Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 7 – 10 · I love this! Problem solved in a Godly way! Recognizing that we each have our ministries but they are different. And they don’t have to be the same, look the same or even administrate the same. God has called you to the circumcision? Great! Go for it, Peter! God has called you, Paul, to the gentiles? Great! Go for it! They were dealing with different kinds of people who needed a different style and emphasis, but the same message! · “When they saw the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to Paul,” Peter, James and John listened for what was the message and the motivation of what Paul and Barnabas were telling them and they perceived/discerned and understood that it was the gospel and grace (or better said, the grace of God through the gospel/testimony of Jesus Christ), hey…! That’s it! We are IN! · So, Paul has his calling which he is sure of and Paul has alignment with those really in a position of authority…, anyone else who seems be something, whatever they were it makes no difference. Words of Paul… Pretty awesome! · The only thing asked of Paul would be that he remembers the poor throughout his ministry which is a reference actually to the church/believers in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem first century although it was gaining steam and growing in number, business was bad. The Jewish/Judaist culture was certainly not embracing those that no longer followed the law of Moses… And so financially there was struggle… · There was also a famine at this time. Acts 11:27-30 we read, “And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.” · Paul’s response was generosity and sharing and even being mindful of the financial needs of Peter, James and John…, all that wasn’t something he had to do… But was something he was eager to do! The appropriate response from someone who realizes they’ve received so much…, an eagerness to give and to share… A ministry of the presence of God on earth!

Galatians 1 vs 11-24

September 8, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Galatians 1:11–24

Galatians Chapter 1 Verses 11 – 12 · I love this because Paul basically says here that man does not have the authority to change what man did not originate! The gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t something of men so men cannot alter it, change it, evolve it, deconstruct it, reverse engineer it or re-engineer it! Oh, but we try, right? Gender, marriage, definition of right, definition of wrong, who God is, what is my purpose in life… None of those things are of man or from man and yet here we are in a reality where all of that and more is up for discussion… And that is the single reason why as a world, country, and individual…, we see degradation and certainly no growth towards God! · So folks coming along and changing or adding to or taking away from the simple gospel of salvation, right standing with God through the blood of Jesus alone, available to anyone no matter creed, culture, education or qualification… Look, anchor so solidly, so ferociously to the truth that a lie becomes like nothing to you! · And Paul throws a little play on words here which is fun. In the Greek, he literally says, “The gospel which was gospeled by me…” Same word twice. And that’s a hint, a glimpse into the strategy of the demonic and why the gospel has been twisted in such effective, rational, worldly ways over the generations… Because if we can twist the gospel then we can stop the gospel. Because once it’s Jesus-AND, once it’s grace-YEAH BUT, then it’s not Jesus and it’s not grace and the gospel is no longer the good news of the gospel! · It’s not of man, doesn’t come from man, can’t be taught it even from me or any other man…, the true work of salvation, the true receiving of the gospel, the energizing of a saving faith is limited to revelation, one-on-one revelation of Jesus Christ Himself to a heart! Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness…” Not ears, not mind, not understanding, not agreement…, the true work of salvation and the true receipt of the gospel is with the heart only! Galatians Chapter 1 Verses 13 – 17 · Paul is driving home the statement he just made that his salvation, his receiving and understanding of the truth didn’t come through men simply telling him what someone else knows. The gospel and the truth of Jesus Christ, even the truth and all things that need to be known by each one of us about each one of us…, its like a steak from Ruth’s Chris. Have you ever been there? You know, taken out a second mortgage to have a meal, ha! · The steak there undergoes a 28-day aging process and is prepared using a patented 1800-degree broiling method that was developed by the original founder of the restaurant chain. It has a concoction of proprietary seasoning and each steak is served sizzling on a 500-degree plate. When you take your first bite your soul comes out of your body and slaps you in the taste buds, its so good! Can you taste it? OF COURSE YOU CAN’T! I can describe it all day to you, teach about it all day to you, but if you never pay that price and take your own bite, you won’t really ever know… · Can you tell others about it without devouring it yourself? Absolutely! Will it be an accurate education? Absolutely not! And guarantee you’ll put your own personal points in there, why? Because you don’t ACTUALLY know what it’s like so you embellish your own imagination, naturally! Likewise, folks that have not surrendered their heart to the sufficient grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ…, they have their own angle to what it means to be saved…. · Paul says here that he was uber-religious. But wasn’t saved. (Just one symptom of that by the way…, the religious, the self-worshippers unaware, their default is to change everyone around them and never change themselves…, ouch!) He says here that he was advanced in his culture and a leader amongst his people in his trade and talents. But wasn’t saved. Paul says here that his passion for truth was unmatched and his zeal in pursuit of God was unrivaled in the world. But wasn’t saved… He went all in with what he thought God wanted and, in the end, it left him empty. Then God showed him what He wanted… And it was so complete that for 1,000 days he didn’t learn a thing from anyone that was anything in Christianity… He took all that he got straight from the Lord! Galatians Chapter 1 Verses 19 – 24 · To see folks change and folks changing, even yourself, the changes in your own heart and thinking and life due to a real relationship with Jesus Christ and a right relationship with God, not only is it incredible and outstanding and refreshing, but more so than all of that, God is glorified. · Acts Chapter 7 Verses 57 – 59, “They cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God…” · Acts Chapter 8, verse 3, “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women committing them to prison.” Act Chapter 9, verses 1 – 2, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” · That same man now lives for Jesus. That same man, the man we just read about, wrote roughly 25% of the New Testament under the guidance and inspiration of God Himself. That same man carried one central message the rest of his life, that there is forgiveness and eternal life, (something this world does not have to offer), in Jesus Christ. That’s the message he put on display and lived out himself, why? Because after all he had done and the monster he had become…, all of that died that day on the road to Damascus. The day that he, energized by a personal interaction and revelation of Jesus Christ, began to address and change himself rather than the people around him. He balled it all up, boxed it all up, stuck a label on it that read Jesus Christ, 777 Calvary Way, and he sent it to the only Person and place where it could get dealt with… giving his all, his heart of hearts to Jesus calling Him, “Lord.” · I don’t need massive faith. I don’t need intense strength of belief. I need the decision to respond to Jesus when He calls to me and that’s it. When He tells me this, I listen. When He directs me to that, I am directed. No greater faith and that is a life that WILL be changed. That will grow. That will mature. That will find strength, everlasting life, poise, purpose and joy! For my elite own personal goodness! To the refreshing of everyone in my life… AND, to the glory of God!