Tag: God not mocked
What counts: a new creation!
Scripture reading for September 21st: Galatians 6:1-18
Even spiritual people get caught in sins. Spiritual people can still make wrong choices and become deceived. Pride is usually the culprit and we fall into the devil’s trap. Paul encouraged the Galatians to carry each others burdens and love others enough to seek to help them be restored. We must stay in the Spirit and not become conceited or prideful ourselves because we can fall into sin ourselves. We must be honestly checking out our own hearts for wrong attitudes and prideful judgments of those who are trapped. (Galatians 6:1-5)
Paul briefly speaks to the Galatians about their giving. They are encouraged to share their resources with those who teach them the word of God. Generosity and blessing God’s workers is the heart of the Spirit too!
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, will from that nature reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8) Sowing is always a choice of our free will. We are not victims or creatures caught in our circumstances. We make choices each day to either follow the Spirit or our sinful nature. The easy path naturally is the way of the sinful nature. However, it is in truth the hard path because it always leads to destruction and death. When we choose the way of the Spirit, the trials come and the enemy opposes us. However, this path always leads to eternal life and blessing!
The false teachers were trying to get the Galatians to follow the law. In that way they could boast in their flesh and avoid persecution from the religious Jews. Paul’s word to them was, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” Our good works, however religious they may be, can never produce righteousness in us before God. Our only hope is faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. This faith brings the Holy Spirit into our life to make us a new creation of God. “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
Live by the Spirit!
Scripture reading for December 1st: Galatians 1-6
Have you ever had a battle with your flesh? Was your will power enough to win the victory? Could the Law help you overcome your desire to escape the battle? Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians to help them overcome some religious false teachers who wanted to mix the law with grace. They felt that all bases must be covered to make God happy. Paul had a simple solution.
“You were called to be free. But don’t use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:13-16)
Paul encouraged the Galatians to live in freedom by living by the Spirit. The Spirit indwelling us brings the life of God into our inner man. We are not under the law, which can only reveal sin and stir up our flesh to break it. As we live by the Spirit, we live a life of love, serving God and others. We put off the acts of the sinful nature that used to plague us and ultimately would keep us from the kingdom of heaven. (Galatians 5:18-21)
We allow the Spirit to develop fruit in our lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-24) The Spirit is in harmony with God the Father and Jesus Christ and produces no conflict or division with man or God. When we live by the Spirit, the sinful nature doesn’t have a place in our life.
Living by the spirit brings a harvest of eternal life! God cannot be mocked, what we sow we certainly will reap. (Galatians 6:7-10) Doing good and seeking unity and restoration will produce a good reward. We don’t work for the reward, but are assured of a harvest if we don’t grow weary. This requires faith and patient endurance. Living by the Spirit is the positive antidote to trying to keep the law to earn our freedom. One leads to eternal life, the other to condemnation!