I'll pick Jesus

Galatians 1:10

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 Paul makes an interesting statement here when he says, "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." I think it is more what he doesn't say that strikes me. He does not say that by preaching Christ, or calling himself a Christian, he would be rejected by man. He says that by seeking man's approval he would no longer be a servant of Christ. I think that there are so many who are working to do both, and sometimes just the former. Paul was not interested in that. If he were, he wouldn't have confronted the Galatians regarding their straying from the heart of the gospel.

So for those who seek to keep the peace, because so-and-so is a major contributor, or they volunteer in so many places, etc., does that peace keeping show you to be a servant of Christ? I am not saying that Christians should always be confrontational, but there does seem to be a time and a place to do so. 

And one of the sad things is, we often get it backwards. We are so ready to stand up and confront the world, to purge the world of sin, but when did God commission us to purge the world of sin? I was of the understanding that God called us to make disciples. We are willing to make enemies in the world in order to appease those in the church, when Jesus was always willing to make friends in the world while not caring if a few religious leaders or even disciples were bothered in the process.

Hmmm...who do I want to be like?

Good cheesecake!

Galatians 1:6-9

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Paul has laid out who he is  and how he feels about the gospel. He is enveloped in the gospel more than anyone I can think of, outside of Jesus. He has an understanding of it and a passion for it. He has grasped the concept of grace and it has changed his life. Now he looks at others, and is astonished that they could feel or act differently. How could someone be impacted by an understanding of grace and truth, and give that up to go back to living under some kind of other law? That would be like tasting a my mom's cheese cake, and then going back to store bought. 

Paul likens this change of heart to following a different gospel. Not that such an animal really exists as far as God is concerned, but in man's eyes, that is exactly what it is, a different gospel. And it is not a new animal, it is the same old dirty dog that bit you before. But there is a certain level of comfort we have with this old dog. 

But for those who return to their old ways, they shall be cursed.Cursed because they have missed the boat and are in danger of hell, but also the curse of living under the law. Because when you live under the law, the only way to satisfy it is to maintain every aspect of it, and impossible task. Paul, as good as he was in his previous lifestyle, surely still realized that he was not perfect. He deeply understood the freedom that grace afforded. And he relished it, and was amazed that some would not. 

I want to find that deep of an understanding of grace. I want  to grasp the meaning of the gospel message. Don't I? (Yes, I understand there is an inherent risk to that kind of an understanding.)

Really good cupcakes

Galatians 1:3-5

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. Sure, he is writing to a group of Christians and you might expect talk like this, but somehow I think that this is how Paul would talk regardless of the audience. 

Grace to you, and peace...don't those two go together just like popcorn and butter? Like steak and potatoes? Like copy and paste? Can there really be peace without the promise of grace? And just look how grace permeated Paul's life. Paul gave up an entire lifestyle because of the grace of God. He turned from a man on a fast-track to power and prestige and became a man who joyfully endured suffering like it was the frosting on a cupcake, the really good, creamy kind, with sprinkles.

That is what the gospel does, if you get it right. It ruins you for the stuff that you used to think that you could not live without. Paul was a realist. He looked at the age he was living in and saw it for what it is, a present evil age. I don't think he was comparing it to any other age on earth, as many people are prone to do (although perhaps he easily could have). I think he just realized that any age on this earth is an evil age, because sin reigns. And God has through Christ redeemed us from this age, and that is something that Paul completely grasped.

All of this, Paul's gift of apostleship and his radical life-change make his message compelling, one that is at least worthy of an audience. At least it does for me.

Music Monday

I listen to a variety of music, some by Christian artists and some not.

One of the albums that I cannot seem to get enough of lately is by a group called "The City Harmonic." This is one of my favorites, "Holy(Wedding Day)"

The group has a sound that reminds me of U2. Very powerful. Hope you enjoy it.

What's Up Next...

So I made it through the book of Job...

I thought I would take up the book of Galatians next. This is the book that changed my thinking about what it means to be a Christian at a time when God had just begun to steer me in a direction that I did not want to go. Changing me from a church-goer to a follower of Jesus. A road that I still travel...

 

Galatians 1:1-2

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me,

Paul is the author of this letter, and he begins by stating his authority as the author. He was an apostle. This authority was recognized by the other apostles, who had taken the other route to their office. Those were the ones who had been with Christ throughout his earthly ministry. Paul was different, he was dramatically called out of a life as a persecutor of the church. 

Paul was set apart by God to be an apostle. What does that mean? Does it mean he did not have a say in the matter? So say that of course he did, and that if Paul had not chosen to follow Christ, God would have raised someone else to do the job. But I struggle with that, because there was only one Paul. Only one who was on the fast track to Jewish leadership, with an eye on perhaps being High Priest. Only one who was a Pharisee among Pharisees. How could God raise up someone with those credentials, when all along he had chosen Paul for this job? 

Being chosen by God, those are some great credentials. I don't think I can argue with them, knowing what I know about Paul's life. Knowing what he gave up, knowing how he lived, what he endured, and how he endured it. Seeing his contentment, a contentment that was not based on circumstance, but on a relationship and love for God. Seeing a man who had undergone a change in his belief system not unlike, at least in some ways, the change I was to go through. Yeah, this is a book that I might want to pay close attention too.

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."

Job's First and Second Responses

So Job has listened to God tell him how little he is compared to an infinite God. And Job responds by telling him that he (Job) is of small account, and that he will shut up and listen now. I find that to be a good response. Perhaps my wording is a little harsher than the Bible's, but I think that is how Job took it. I think the translations tend to water things down a bit.

Can Job catch God with his little games the same way he sparred with his friends? That would be like trying to catch a dinosaur with a stone, or catch a whale with a fish hook. Ain't gonna happen.

So Job responds again, a little differently this time. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Oh yeah, it is me, Job. I was saying what I did not understand. I think that now I am ready to listen. Not only am I ready to listen, but I get it now. I don't just hear, I see. And because I see, I repent.

In Job's first response, he is humble. In his second response, he is humiliated. I know that some will think that is harsh, but I believe it. At first, Job expresses his place before God, yet God continues to show him his place. Perhaps like the man that Jesus healed, who at first saw people but they looked like trees walking, he needed some more convincing. (Mark 8:22-26)

Job saw clearly, and he was humbled enough to repent. He went so far as to say that he despised himself.

So now God turns to his friends. He rebukes them and then has Job pray for them, saying he will accept Job's prayer. He forgives them and restores Job's fortunes. His His brothers and sisters came and ate with him, and comforted him for all that the Lord had brought upon him.

⁵ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
⁶ therefore I despise myself,
    and repent^[a] in dust and ashes.”