Tag: Galatians

Galatians Day 4- Not Man Made

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

medium_5653503758Have you ever seen an incredible sunset? What about a moutainscape that just took your breath away? My wife is from Boise, Idaho, and so when we go there every year usually during the summer. A couple of times we’ve gone to McCall, Idaho- this incredible moutain town- and the drive from Boise to McCall is incredible. There are mountain scapes, and scenic rivers. It’s so beautiful, especially to this south Florida guy whose drives down our interstate are all billboards and trees on either side. My point is, some things are so beautiful it’s obvious that man didn’t make it. Whenever I see those sights I am  in awe of what God did with His Words in Creation.

It is obvious with creation, but it’s also obvious with the Gospel!

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me. (Galatians 1:10–24)

In today’s text Paul makes 2 arguments.

1. The Gospel isn’t a man made message.
“The gospel which was preached of me is not after man…”
Paul goes over his history with the Galatians. He spoke of how he received the revelation of the gospel from Christ Himself, and how that He did not confer with any men to try to come up with this message.

2. The Gospel finds its’ source in Jesus Christ.
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood…”

Paul says that God had an incredible plan for his life to share this incredible message with Him so that He could share it with those who he used to despise. Incredible!

Why are these arguments so important?
If the Gospel comes from God, is about God, and should glorify God then I don’t have a right to change that message.

How do we change the message?

  • When we keep it to ourselves we are saying it’s not for everyone.
  • When we try to earn it by good works, we’re saying the Gospel is not enough.
  • When we add something other than Jesus to the gospel it becomes another gospel.

Today, Pray that God will give you the opportunity to share His meessage with someone!

Galatians Day 3- Time for Some Intolerance!

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional2 Comments

medium_9835315996If there is any value that is held up as an ultimate virtue in our culture today it is tolerance. When it comes to the gospel, what we learn in today’s text is a zero tolerance policy when it comes to teaching something other than the gospel. Check out what the scripture says:

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9)

It doesn’t matter who changes it.   The translation of “accursed” is the greek word transliterated “anathema”. It refers to committing someone to destruction in eternal hell. Kind of a big deal right? Paul says in effect, “I can’t change it. Even someone like an angel who seems supernatural can’t change it. The reason it is so serious is because it has eternal implications.” It does matter what we believe and teach because teaching the wrong thing could impact someone’s eternity.

Just so there is no confusion, God is willing that all should come to repentance. Even the false teacher has the opportunity on this side of eternity to repent and believe the gospel. Still, no one has the right to change the gospel.

We should have no tolerance for teaching that proclaims another gospel.

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Galatians Day 2- Abandoning the Gospel!

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Devotion for January 22, 2014

Warning- very male illustration ahead.

397621743_fc701db610Imagine walking through an incredibly humid jungle in the middle of war torn Vietnam. Your a soldier in a platoon working your way through the underbrush to meet up with another unit in a short period of time. You look behind you to see if your fellow soldier has your back and you realize that he is gone. He left! He abandoned you. Now you are exposed and unprotected. This is a picture of the word “removed” in our text for today.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Paul expresses amazement at how far from the gospel they had gotten and how quickly it happened. They abandoned “him that called you into the grace of Christ”. They left. They abandoned the Lord, Paul and the gospel itself. Where did they go? What distracted them?

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (Galatians 1:6, 7)

False teaching and false teachers had drawn them away from the gospel that they had received. Notice that Paul says that this was on purpose. There were people who were trying to do this for multiple reasons.

False teachers and false teaching is not a new problem. Unbiblical preaching and teaching are easily found today. We have access to so much teaching on the Bible, and Paul gives us this warning- there are some who will teach the wrong thing for their own personal reasons.

Tomorrow we’ll be looking at how we respond to people who preach “another gospel” to us.

But for today think about this…

You and I have a responsibility to discern what we are being taught by the Truth of God’s Word.

This isn’t just true when someone is preaching or teaching. This is true of the “sermons” that we hear all the time from ourselves, tv, radio, blogs, podcasts, commercials, billboards, friends and family. And this is especially true when the teaching is dealing with the gospel itself.

Where are some of the places you hear these “sermons”?

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Galatians Devotional- Deliver Us From Evil

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Devotion for January 21, 2014

Over the next few weeks we’re going to study the book of Galatians together on this blog. If you know someone who may enjoy doing this study with us, invite them to subscribe to my site.

Here are some quick facts about the book of Galatians to get us started:

  • Author- Apostle Paul

  • Galatians is an Epistle, or letter written by Paul to several churches in the region of Galatia.

  • Paul began churches in this region in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

Ready? Let’s get to it. We’ll start with the first 5 verses today:

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Paul begins by talking about the authority that has been given to him by Christ, and God the Father. Paul didn’t have any authority on His own. The authority he had came from the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead! He wanted his readers to understand that He wasn’t speaking in his own authority. The following isn’t just his opinion to be considered among the other voices that had been speaking to them.

(2) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: (3) Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Grace and peace deal specifically with the gospel-the good news that we can be right with God. The grace of God is what brings the peace with God that every person needs.

(4) Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

This grace and peace that we experience from God through the gospel is given to us by Jesus Christ who gave himself on the cross. Think about the fact that God gives us peace through the violent death and the shed blood of Jesus on the cross for our sins!
Often when we talk about the gospel we speak of its’ eternal effects. Certainly,the peace that is given through the gospel allows us to be able to spend eternity with God. But Paul here speaks of the how it impacts our life now to “deliver us from this present evil world.”

How does the gospel impact our daily life?

  1. Access to God- Because of the gospel we can talk to God every day!
  2. The indwelling Spirit- If you are saved the Holy Spirit lives inside of you convicting of sin and helping you and I to make Godly, Biblical decisions.
  3. Peace- Peace with God gives us the opportunity to have the peace of God. This world certainly is evil. There is so much that brings stress, tension, and conflict.

(5) To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5)

The ultimate end of the gospel is that it brings incredible glory to God. Because of the gospel we can bring glory to God by allowing Him to live through us. By Christ dying on the cross He brought glory to His Father.

Question: How does the gospel impact your every day life?