False Brothers (Galatians 2:4-10)

SCRIPTURE

Galatians 2:4-10

Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

LANGUAGE

Vs 4 False brother - pretend associate

Vs 4 Secretly - to come alongside stealthily

COMMENT

False brothers. That is a tough term. Those who come in and act as your friends, but have an agenda. The agenda in this case was to spy on their freedom. Humans tend to be a jealous lot. When someone has something, we think we should too. Just look at the socialist agenda that so many are chasing. It is not fair that the rich have more than us, they should be made to not only pay their share, but more so since they have more. The rich on the other hand, do all they can to hold on to what they have, looking for loopholes in tax laws or other ways to take advantage of the system. So when these Jews saw that the followers of Jesus were no longer being bound by the Jewish laws, they were jealous. Since they had to follow the laws, so should everyone. Since everyone who seeks to follow the law is slave to the law, they wanted to "bring us into slavery" (Vs 4) with them. 

The law enslaves. It tells us what to do.Grace sets us free. Free to do what we want to do. Which for the Christian, looks insanely different than it does for the rest of the world. The rest of the world sees freedom as an invitation to do whatever it wants, whatever feels good. And the world wants joy, power, security. It finds those things in sex, alcohol, possessions, control. The Christian wants joy, power, and security too, those truly converted just find it in a different place, they find it in Jesus. Our joy is now found in serving Him. Our power is not the power of controlling others but in following Jesus and seeking to serve Him by how we treat others. Our security is found in His love for us, starting with how he loved us while we were sinners and continuing in our childlike efforts to love Him still. 

John Piper has a term he calls "Christian Hedonism." I am sure a lot of Christians don't like that term because they see hedonism as the selfish pursuit of pleasure. But isn't hedonism the pursuit of joy at all costs? Isn't that what the lover of God is pursuing when no matter the circumstance, they can praise God because through it all, God's love is greater than our circumstance? Why did Paul and Silas sing praises while in chains? It was not because they loved torture. It was because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the sake of Christ. Joy like that does not disappear when the money runs out.

Lights of the World

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 5:14-16

COMMENTS

Just as with salt, we could look deep into the subject of light, and draw many interesting analogies. But what is the purpose of this teaching?

Again, let's look at what kind of things Jesus said at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Things that speak of the different perspective that His followers should have. Humility, mercy, mourning, meekness, purity, and even the ability to experience joy in the midst of suffering and persecution. Things that are out of the norm for much of society. Things that would stand out in a world that seeks the comfort and pleasure of self. Things that would stand out like light in darkness.

Jesus said we are the light of the world. Without any light, the world would be in utter darkness, wandering aimlessly. Imagine a world with no real mercy, purity, humility. A world with no joy. A lights, we illuminate the character of the God who created the universe. As lights we cannot be hidden. As lights we should shine.

But darkness does not love the light. Ever been in a dark room for an extended time? Even a normal light seems bright, causes us to shield our eyes from it, seems irritating. We should not be surprised when others are irritated by our actions. They are counter-intuitive to them. But we must remember what our purpose is, to let them see our good works, so that they might glorify God.

This says something our the how and why of our works that cannot be dismissed. We are not doing good works for the sake of doing good works. We are not doing good works to shine the light on our own goodness. Our works are works that glorify God. They are done for the joy we find in who God is.

Salt of the Earth

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 5:13-14
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."

LANGUAGE

taste = lose taste, lose savor, make foolish

COMMENTS

For all of the different characteristics or uses for salt, Jesus points to one: Taste. Taste = savor, flavor. Perhaps a better translation of this is, "If salt is not providing taste, is it really salt? No, it is just dirt to be thrown on the ground and walked on."

Jesus has just finished speaking about what should make us happy. Happiness comes from our understanding of God, and not our circumstance. Happiness comes in ways that the world views as weaknesses: humility, poverty, mourning, the pursuit of righteousness, mercy, purity, being persecuted. Because our circumstance should not dictate our joy.

If you take a mouthful of salt and try to eat it, it is not very tasty. But add some salt to plain potatoes or meat, and it awakens a flavor that is much more desirable. God has placed us to be salt to the earth. Not big clumps to be eaten on its own, but small pockets of flavor scattered throughout the world. Yet if we do not have or add flavor, if instead we are big clumps of material that do nothing for the world, are we really salt? Or are we just an equivalent to dirt?

I find it interesting that the word "taste" in verse 13, can also be translated "make foolish." But if the salt is made to be foolish, is it really salt? How can salt be foolish? It can't, but we can. We are foolish when we follow the principles of the world rather than the teachings of Christ. We are foolish when we buy into things like the prosperity gospel instead of the Beatitudes. Much of what Christians today follow is the line that God wants you to prosper, be healthy, have a great marriage, etc. So we pursue stuff rather than God Himself. Sometimes following God gets you crucified, beheaded, sick, imprisoned, snake-bitten, shipwrecked, stoned (the kind where people actually throw stones at you), or dead. But if our joy is in the Lord Himself, we don't lose our joy.

In Pursuit of Joy...Matthew 5:9-12

SCRIPTURE

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

LANGUAGE

In my previous posts, I discussed how the word translated "Blessed" could also be translated as "Happy."
Peacemaker - Loving peace. I find it interesting that the United States has peace-keeping forces, that are armed to the teeth, ready for battle. They do this to keep the peace. Perhaps being a peacemaker means that we will defend what is necessary in order to preserve peace for others.

COMMENTS

John Piper has a concept he calls "Christian Hedonism." At first, this sounds like an oxymoron. Christian being a pursuer or follower of Christ, and hedonist being a pursuer of pleasure. But by putting these two terms together, I believe he is trying to get us to understand the idea that our joy is found in our pursuit of Christ. I am reminded of Hebrews 12:2. "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Jesus endured the cross for joy. Happiness. Pleasure. I believe this to be truth, because He was focused on the mission, not the emotion or feeling of the moment. He ultimate thought was to do God's will, and nothing could bring him greater pleasure. Previously, I had made this verse about me. His pleasure was to bring me salvation. But this is only true because it was God's desire, and that is what Christ was focused on.

What greater joy than to be called a son of God. Then be a peacemaker. (Vs. 9) What greater joy than to possess the kingdom of heaven. Then understand the persecution you face is for righteousness sake, the ability to stand before God acceptable and justified. (Vs. 10) What greater joy than to have reward in heaven. To stand with the prophets in the presence of God. Then when you are mistreated, when others cause you to suffer all kinds of pain, rejoice and be glad. Because the joy in serving God is always greater than the trials of this earth.

A few more verses to read that deal with the concept of joy:

• Romans 14:17
• 2 Corinthians 1:24
• Galatians 5:22,23
• Philippians 1:25
• Colossians 1:11
• James 1:2
• 1 Peter 1:8

And so many more...

I'll have an order of Christianity, hold the cross.

Post found here.

I read a post I had written before, it speaks of the fact that Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to achieve his mission, one that would bypass the cross. A legitimate temptation for Jesus, who while fully God, was also fully man. No cross means no suffering. What a deal!

But Jesus said, "No deal!"

He knew that to eliminate the cross was to fail. Can we think any less?

How did he do it? How did he overcome that immediate temptation and press on? Satan was not aware of one important thing about Jesus. He saw the cross as joy. "Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

How could the cross be a joy? Was it because he was going to be so happy he gave me salvation? I don't think so. I think it was because Jesus was not focused on himself (or me for that matter), but on his Father and the mission God gave him. Jesus relished in doing the work of God, no matter the cost.

We too, are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus. (Matt 10:38; 16:24 for starters) If we look at the cross, that is very unappealing. If we look at ourselves, it is still unappealing. But if we look to Jesus, if we understand that our cross is not ever going to be as big a burden as his. Even in death, we do not have to suffer the consequence of the sin of the world. I can and should take up my cross because I am focused on God the Father, and God the Son. I can bear my cross, because God has promised to see me through.

Try as you might, if you do not have the cross, you do not have Christianity.

This is why we fail at life change

If a church declares that the gospel is the most important message the world has ever known , and yet the gospel is not seen as the impetus and motivation for all the church offers, this disconnect is indicative of an unhealthy church personality or culture.

Chandler, Matt; Geiger, Eric; Patterson, Josh (2013-11-26). Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church (Kindle Locations 1460-1462). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

I find this to be the most powerful and convicting quote I have read this far.

Why does the church exist, if not to spread the gospel? Is there anything that would be a greater priority? But we do things without considering the full implication of the gospel message. We create programs and events to draw people in, thinking perhaps that we are in fact spreading the gospel, when the reality is that the gospel is no where to be found. At least not the dying to yourself and surrendering all to Jesus gospel. And why not? Because we are not making Jesus beautiful, but rather are attracting people to ourselves, our denomination, or our club. No wonder, when persecution comes, people abandon "their faith," because their faith was not in Jesus or His Father, but in the comfort, convenience, or attraction to a building, program, or group. The gospel was never a part of it.

Offerings are down, we need to grow the church. We need a new gym, time to call people to give sacrificially. There is room for more people in the seats, lets challenge folks to invite their co-workers, friends, and family to church. Ch_ _ ch, what is missing? U R.

C h _ _ c h . What is missing? The gospel. The beauty of a Savior who came to rescue me, at the cost of His own life when I did not deserve it. That is what is missing.

Not everything is Gospel.

Not everything in God's Word is gospel; there are a lot of exhortations, commands, and imperatives. They are to be followed. However, they are not the gospel. Not everything that we need is gospel. We also need to be directed. We need to know God's commands so we will come clean, acknowledge our sins, and flee to Christ and also so they can direct us in grateful obedience.

Michael Horton. Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church (p. 109). Kindle Edition.

We need to be directed. I agree. But direction without destination is futile. Some focus on the direction, but lack the destination. Or some confuse the destination. I read a quote today, and it sounds so good. It was on a preacher's Facebook page.

"There is nothing God loves more than keeping promises, answering prayers, performing miracles, and fulfilling dreams. All he is waiting on...for us to ask. Dream big, PRAY big."*

I want to believe this. Trouble is, the Bible doesn't bear this out. David's son died. John the Baptist was beheaded. Jonah's shade was withered. Stephen was stoned. Paul was imprisoned. Jesus asked that the cup be taken from Him. I could go on. If God is all about fulfilling our dreams, didn't some of these men have a place at the front of the line?

There is nothing God loves more than His Son. Yet God allowed Him to suffer to keep His promise to Abram and to us. He has answered the prayers of the suffering, by giving them a vision that their suffering will not be eternal as they call out to Him. His greatest joy is to see that His Son's sacrifice was not in vain. That is the miracle of miracles. That is the fulfillment of the greatest dream ever, not to avoid the certainty of Hell, but to spend eternity in the presence of God.

I m not saying don't pray. Yes, pray your guts out. Like David, lay everything on the floor before God and leave nothing out. Share your pain and struggles, your frustrations and your joys. Expect miracles. Trust in Him completely. But remember the destination. The destination is eternity with God. It means that we love Him above all else and whatever we have to endure down here, we do faithfully.

*Upon doing some checking, I found that this quote is from a book by Mark Batterson.

Participation to Observation

From a previous post, I want to comment on the idea that...

Worship has changed from participation to observation.

I think for many people, worship is something that is done on Sunday morning, period. No wonder some look at heaven and want to put it off as long as possible. Ten thousand years of singing His praise, and still no less days than before. That really hits home as we count down to the end of the school year! Six more days, then we get a break! But ten thousand years and we still are no closer to the end!

But what if worship is more than Sunday morning? What if worship is what defines us and our relationship to God? What if worship is how I eat, work, talk, rest, play, and basically how I engage with every part of life? Then worship defines me and worship is a part of me. Then I don't just worry about the part(s) of my life I give to God, but I give it all to him. (This is one of the reasons I don't agree with the concept of the tithe, where we give 10% and keep 90%. Doesn't it all belong to Him?)

So worship is not something I do, it is part of who I am. Think of Paul, singing out praises in prison. Was it Sunday morning and time for worship, or was this just who Paul was? If you don't know, try reading some of his writings! "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS, again I say REJOICE!" I don't know how this can be done outside of worship, do you?

Which is it?

Our Sunday School leader made a curious statement the other day. He was teaching on the chapter of "God's Astounding Opinion of You" (by Ralph Harris) that deals with the issue of God being our friend. I believe it is chapter 10, if not, it is close. He stated that he did not feel that this chapter was very theological, but none-the-less, it was a good chapter.

To quote Inigo Montoya (of the Princess Bride), "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." The word "theology" can easily be broken into two parts, "theo" (God) and "ology" (the study of). And what topic could be more theological that God's character and what it is He thinks of us? This should shape the very depths of how we view Him!

So during this lesson, we spent some time in Matthew 15, verses 12-15. Some commented on verse 16, where it says "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide."

So here is my theological question, one that has many implications and I believe must be wrestled with. What does it mean that God chooses (elects, determines, predestines, or whatever label you want to give it) and how does He choose?

Does He choose like the NFL draft, based on some attributes that we possess? Or is it more like sticking His hand into a bowl of M&M's and randomly getting a handful of different colors? I have my thoughts on this, which I hope to share, but for now it is off to work!

I need a break!

From the book, "God's Astounding Opinion of You" (Introduction)

"While works for God are important, the work of God in His people should thrill us so much that we become crazy about and gladly dependent on Him."

It looks genuine. You can't tell the difference from the outside. It has all the same visible markings. But when you open it up, the guts are not the same. Of course, I speak of a Rolex and its counterfeit counterpart. 

The same is true of some in the church. They play the part. They attend church, give, teach, etc. But the reason for their efforts is an effort to appease God. They have to stay on His good side. They are working so hard to be the people He wants them to be. And when they fail, they let themselves have it. The constant struggle is difficult, but they assure themselves that it will be worth it in the end. Oh, the joy that awaits in heaven, because life on earth is tough!

Then there is the man who is a Christian who does not look as if it is a struggle. He seems earnestly joyful. He seems to be at ease, at rest. He does all of the same things that everyone else does. He goes to church, gives, teaches, etc. But his is not a heavy burden, but rather a journey that he embraces. So much looks the same, but what is the difference?

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I need a really big hammer...

Galatians 5:16-24

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,divisions, ²¹ envy,^[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

What does it mean to "walk by the Spirit?" I guess in part, that depends on your theology, and how much of a choice you have in the matter. I believe that we do possess certain choices, while God orchestrates the big picture. So walking by the Spirit is a choice that the Christian must make, and the goal is for the Christian to experience a greater joy and closer relationship with God by intentionally seeking Him. And the closer that relationship, the lesser our desire to do those things that would lessen that joy.

The flesh and the Spirit are at war. The Bible makes that clear. And I am flesh, so my desires are at war with the Spirit. As a being of flesh, I am out to please myself. But as a being of flesh, I am also blind to the things of the Spirit, and the joy that can be found in surrender and obedience.

I don't want the word obedience to be misinterpreted. It is not about following an external set of rules. If we are in submission to the Spirit, we are not under the law. But because of our relationship, our love, our joy, we will not do things that go against the Spirit.

The fruits of the flesh are obvious. Or at least they would be if we weren't so blind. So Paul lists them for us in case there was any doubt. The fruit of the Spirit should be obvious too. But again, just in case there is any doubt, Paul lists them. These are not a law, but rather a fulfillment of a relationship with God.

He closes with this statement: "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." That doesn't sound optional. But then I read about the struggle with the flesh in Romans. We are not yet perfect, but we cannot take our walk with the Spirit lightly.

If we are struggling with this, I am reminded of a mechanic's saying that somewhat applies here. "If at first you don't succeed, a bigger hammer is what you need." Excuse me, while I run to the hardware store.

On materialism

Anything by Platt or Piper is usually worth listening to. This sure is.

What if...

Galatians 2:17-21

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

What if we are found to be sinners? What does that say about Christ? Does that make him a sinner as well, or the servant of sinners? Answer: No.

If I choose to return to sin, it is only I who am to blame. I am the law-breaker, not Christ. It was through God's ultimate law that I died to the legalities of living by a set of rules. I gave up that life in order to fully serve God. I have died to myself, for and with Christ. I no longer live in this flesh, but Christ lives in me. I live by faith now, and this faith does not nullify the grace God has show to me. The very faith I have serves to magnify that grace, because that faith comes through His grace. For if I could achieve righteousness through any means of my own, then Christ has died in vain.

And Christ did not die in vain.

What if we heard messages like this in the church today, instead of the feel good, make much of us sermons that most preach? What if we made much of God and what He has done, instead of ourselves and what we must do? What if we heard messages that pressed us hard to be crucified with Christ, and what it means to count the cost of discipleship, instead of hearing how much God wants to bless us? What if we heard more about what it means to live by faith, and that it might cost us everything? What if we heard messages about the glory and grace of God, not coming because we have earned it through some action of effort. What if we preached more about finding our joy in God and not in circumstance or gifts?

Well, then maybe our preaching might be more like Jesus and Paul's.

And maybe we would be more like the disciples who gave their lives for their Savior.

Oh! No wonder we don't preach like that.

What I Learned

So now that I have finished Job, what have I learned?

One thing I learned is that my actions, good or bad, do not affect who God is. I think I used to have this idea that my sins devastated God, and to overcome this He sent his Son. This means that God sent his Son so that for himself, so that he would be able to allow me into his presence. Now I see it a bit differently. While God is Holy, and he is disgusted by my sin, God could easily live without me. The fact that he sent his Son was done out of love, and was for my benefit. God is ultimately content regardless of my choices. When Adam brought mankind into sin, God was not viewing himself as a failure. He cannot fail.

So what is the impact of this? It means that my love for him is based on what he has done for me and me alone. Sending his Son was not something he did so that he could be with me, but something he did so I could be with him. A subtle difference to some, but something I see as a major shift in thinking. I was completely and selflessly done on my behalf. Just like when God commands us to worship him or live in holiness, it is done for me. Therefore my response should not be to be a moral good-nick because that is what makes him happy. My response should be to love and worship him completely because that will ultimately bring me the greatest joy.

Job saw God and repented. Previously he was a hearer, but upon becoming a seer of the truth, seeing his worth to God in light of his standing before God, Job came to appreciate and love God. I think it was at this point that Job received his salvation, and that everything in his life was leading up to this moment. Just like when Satan had Jesus crucified, thereby cementing our salvation, God used Satan to ultimately bring Job into a true relationship of salvation, taking him from a Pharisaical hypocrite to a true child of God. I love that.

BTW: If you have read some of my previous posts, you know that struggles that I have with the institutional/evangelical church. Here is a great series of 5 short posts that not only highlight how I feel, but also relate to what Job endured from his 3 "friends."