Highlight:

Gal 5:13-15

  For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

Galatians 5:24–25 (NLT) 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Explain: 

Paul is telling the Galatians why they cannot turn back to the law. It’s because the grace of God, through the sacrifice of Christ, has made them righteous apart from the law. Becoming circumcised would mean that they were trusting in a law-driven righteousness, not a grace-driven righteousness. The purpose of this new freedom is not so that they can sin because they are not under the law; it is so they can serve each other in love. 

Apply:

We are often bombarded with messages about our freedom in Christ, especially in these days of the church. If, however, we enjoy the freedom without embracing it’s purpose (to serve one another) we demonstrate that we have never been converted at all. In v 24-25, we see, then, how this freedom is supposed to operate. We do not use it as an excuse for the flesh, we use this spiritual power to die to the flesh so that we can live out the love that the Spirit pours out on us.

Respond:

I will seek to live in His Spirit today and live in love for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Highlight:

Galatians 4:19–20 (NLT) ¹⁹Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. ²⁰I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you. 

Explain: 

Paul is distressed that the Galatians are being deceived by those who teach that keeping the law is necessary in order to be right with God. He says that he fears that they are being led back into bondage then says in these verses that he feels as if he is in labor againfor them. His goal is that Christ be “fully developed” in them. This tells me a number of things:

• Initial decisions do not guarantee full development. This is why we have so many people who PROFESS faith but never grow or actually turn away.
• Having Christ fully developed in us is a PROCESS not a momentary decision.
• True growth is not easy. Paul compares it to labor pains. This is because:
• It is spiritual warfare. Satan doesn’t mind professions because a FALSE or INCOMPLETE profession only serves to confuse or inoculate someone against the gospel. What Satan fights is having Christ be “fully developed” in someone.
• It is against human nature. Having Christ to be “fully developed” means seeking Him through habits that are not natural, require time, and must be learned (i.e. effective Bible Study, prayer, etc.)
• It is slow. You cannot rush spiritual development, so it may not create the immediate movement or numbers you’re looking for.
• True growth is effective. The problems that the Galatians were having all had to do with them not having Christ “fully developed” in them.

Apply:

The mission of the church is not just to do great programs or get great numbers. The mission of the church is to see Christ fully developed in her people. Anything less is a dereliction of our duty as believers and especially as pastors

RespondI will draw encouragement that we are on the right track in pursuing the growth of God’s people at Peace Church.

Highlight: Galatians 3:23–29 (NLT) ²³Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. ²⁴Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. ²⁵And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. ²⁶For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. ²⁸There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. 

Explain: The law which mandated a sacrifice for sins kept us from God’s wrath until Christ came. Now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith, we become the real children of Abraham and receive the promises of Abraham’s children.

Apply: We must keep this straight! We are saved and live by faith not by works

Respond: I will focus on this truth today.

Highlight: 

Galatians 2:15-16 – “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Explain: 

Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia and he has been giving them his background and story of coming to faith in Christ.  He closes out chapter two by explaining how we are justified, which is by faith in Christ rather than our works.  When we put our works up to God’s perfect standard, we will always be condemned.  Paul says that the only way that we can be justified is through faith in Christ. 

Apply: 

I know this truth in my head because I have read it, preached it, and heard it for most of my life, but it is one thing to know it, and another thing to live it out.  When I truly believe this, my life is lived in complete submission to Christ out of thankfulness to Him, and I am humble.  Often times I can be selfish and prideful, but when I grasp the truth of being justified by faith rather than works, I have nothing to be arrogant about.  I must live my life in a way that always points people to Christ who is the only one that can justify us. 

Respond:

Lord, help me to live with the right perspective and always point people to a right relationship with You.

Brad Perry

Highlight:

Galatians 1:13–16 (NLT) ¹³You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. ¹⁴I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.  

Explain: Paul is writing to confront false teaching of works salvation (by the law). In this chapter, he is writing to show them that God directly gave him the “filling out” of the truth that was needed to explain what Jesus’s ministry actually meant. The amazing part of this is to see the sovereign work of God Who called Paul even before he was born and didn’t alter his plan even though Paul was violently persecuting the church.

Apply:

• Our salvation is not in our own hands. While we must exercise our wills, the exercise of our wills is not possible until it pleases God “to reveal His Son to us.”
• Our destiny is not our history. God has the power to rewrite our stories to conform to His will.
• His revelation determines our salvation. It was God Who revealed His Son to Paul and that revelation turned His life around.

Respond

I will pray for God to use me in revealing His Son to others!

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV) 

⁵Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 

Explain: 

Having corrected the Corinthians in at least two letters over many things, Paul now tells them to examine themselves to see if they really do know that Christ lives inside of them. The thrust of this is that, before they can really take the corrective actions that he has asked, they must really be saved and possess the Holy Spirit. The question, Do you not know YOURSELVES that Jesus Christ is in you? is interesting. This tells me several things:

• You can and should examine yourself to see if you are genuine. Two words are used, one which speaks of the purpose of the test and the other to speak of the process of the test. 
  • The purpose of the test is to ascertain the nature of that thing being tested. The believer is to test themselves to see if they really do have the Holy Spirit.
  • The process of the test is to be thorough. It means to look at something in minute detail.
  • There will be a witness of the Spirit if you are Christ’s; You will KNOW YOURSELF that Jesus Christ is in you.

Apply

This tells me that self-examination is proper for the believer. it also tells me that the proper exam will render evidence that the Holy Spirit lives inside a person. 

Respond

I will look for the kinds of questions you can ask yourself to make this kind of exam.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (NKJV) ⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Explain: 

Paul is defending his standing as an Apostle because he had been attacked by some in Corinth and, as a result, he had lost influence with the people. His motive in his defense was not to lift himself up in pride, but to regain the influence he had lost so that he could have an impact in the church (v19). In the course of his defense, he speaks of the unbelievable experience he had of being taken to heaven. With that experience, however, he was given a “thorn in the flesh” so that he would not become proud. These verses describe that thorn.

Here’s what we can say about the thorn:

1. It had a purpose in Paul’s life: to keep him from pride.
2. It had a dual cause: It was given by Satan and allowed by God.
3. It could not be prayed away. Paul asked God three times to remove it.
4. It was debilitating and painful.
5. It was a “means of grace.” It was an opportunity for Paul to receive the grace of God.
6. It was a “means of power.” God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.
7. It was a source of praise. I will boast in my infirmities.
8. It became a source of pleasure. Because Paul’s weakness meant Christ’s strength, he enjoyed the weakness.

Apply:

• If we want God’s blessing and power on our lives, we must be weak.
• If we operate in God’s power, we will receive Satan’s thorn.
• Strength is not the goal of our lives, weakness and dependence is.

Respond

God give me grace to be able to “take pleasure” in the thorns.

Highlight:2 Corinthians 11:28–29 (NLT) 28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? 

Explain: 

Paul is comparing himself to the false teachers with which the Corinthians are enamored—the “super” apostles. He speaks of all the things he has suffered as a minister of the gospel and concludes that, on top of all of that, he has the “concern” for all the churches. I had never noticed that v29 specifies the source of that concern. It flows out of a heart connection with people that causes him to take them personally. Two specific areas are mentioned:

• Weakness – This specifies some spiritual, physical, or moral lack. Paul takes personally the weaknesses of others and grieves over them. 
• Defection – He says that he cares so much that, when someone turns away, he is indignant. It truly bothers him.

Apply:

There is both a call and a warning here.

• The call is to engage with the people like Paul did and care like he cared.
• The call is also to make sure to safeguard your heart against discouragement when there is weakness.

Respond

I will seek to rest in the Lord and engage with people.

Highlight: 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,^[1]

Explain: These verses have been used to teach a lot of things. What they mean in context, however, may be quite different from the way we use them. Paul is using them as a defense of his own ministry. He is saying that some of the people who are comparing preachers in Corinth and are minimizing his ministry are using the wrong standard of measure. They were looking at the forcefulness of their rhetorical skill and judging Paul to be very bland both in speaking and in appearance. (v10) Paul tells them that the weapons he uses are not human (which are the weapons his opponents are using), but spiritual. They are powerful not to entertain the emotions but to destroy spiritual strongholds and change the minds of unbelievers. When it comes to life change, those are the weapons that we need!

Apply:As we measure spiritual success, the real measuring stick has to be the bringing down of spiritual strongholds and changing the minds of unbelievers.

RespondI will think of how we can actually measure this.

2 Corinthians 9

H:        vs. 6-7  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

E:         Paul was telling the Corinthian church to not be reluctant in giving due to the fact of not having enough to give. It’s not the size of your gift that matters, it’s the attitude of the heart. We should all give according to what we have been given, but we should not compete with others to out give just for greater prestige. God knows the heart of a person and the motive behind their giving.

A:         The Lord has given so much to us. We are called to give back to him through our monetary gifts, our talents, and abilities. When we keep back for ourselves those things that we think are ours, then we only hurt ourselves. God wants to bless us even more than we already are if we will just open up and be generous with all we have.

R:         Sometimes it’s hard to give when we feel that if we just had a little bit extra we could be in a better place. It’s hard to trust that He has something better in store for us if we just have faith. I have to allow Him to show up in so many different ways and trust that He will have my back in all circumstances. Lord, help me trust you more! ~Amen