BACKGROUND:
Paul asked a personal question to the Galatians; apparently he was reminded of an accusation against him. If Paul were preaching that people needed to be circumcised in order to be saved, then why were the Judaizers still persecuting him? He would be preaching the same message they preached! But the fact that he was still being persecuted by these false teachers was proof that he was still preaching salvation through the cross of Christ alone.
Why was Paul persecuted for this message? To these false teachers and especially to Jews brought up to love and revere their law, the concept of needing someone else’s death in order to be saved was offensive.
The very thought of describing the Messiah as an executed convict disgusted them. But the impact of Christ’s cross on their pride was the greatest stumbling block. As Paul described to the Corinthians (1:23), “When we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense” . Paul had witnessed the rejection of the gospel by both Gentiles and Jews, each for different reasons.
Paul’s words here, though very harsh, were not meant in jest. He wanted to make another point regarding circumcision. The false teachers, the Judaizers, who were preaching that the believers needed to be circumcised. In effect, Paul said that if the false teachers were so concerned about zeal for the law, maybe they shouldn’t stop at circumcision but go the whole way and mutilate themselves. According to their own logic, wouldn’t this make them even holier? The comparison to pagan rituals was probably not lost on the Galatians. Pagan priests of the prominent cult of the goddess Cybele in Asia were eunuchs, castrated as a part of a sacred ritual. By making this statement, Paul placed circumcision as no better than the pagan rituals of cutting parts of the body.
Paul’s critics may have condemned his preaching of Christian freedom, saying that it would lead to people living without restraint or guidelines. Paul had an immediate and forceful answer to the critics, explaining that freedom was not to be used to satisfy the sinful nature. When we indulge the sinful nature, we open the door to all kinds of unhealthy behaviors and attitudes (1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 2:8-10; Jude 4). The demands of our human nature present a constant threat to our real freedom in Christ. We need His ongoing help and power and strength to keep our “flesh” under control.
Christian freedom does not leave believers wandering through life without laws, rules, restraints, or guidelines. Instead, they freely live according to God’s standards and glorify God through loving service to others.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
Without a doubt, there have been some who take the freedom we have in Christ and seize it as an opportunity to explain away apathy, laziness, lack of self-control, irresponsibility, indulgence of the flesh - you name it. Listen to what the apostle Paul said to folks who walk that path;
"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!" 1 Corinthians 6:12-15 (NIV)
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."
Romans 6:15-18 (NASB)
What's my point? Our freedom in Christ is not to be used as an excuse to laze faire it through life. NO. While we are no longer slaves to sin, we are now slaves to righteousness. Just because I can do something does not mean I should. That's the point. My encouragement to you today is this. Take the freedom you have as a followers of Christ and choose to serve. Choose to dig into the scriptures. Choose to pray with your family. Choose add spiritual disciplines to your faith.
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." 2 Peter 1:5-9 (NIV)
Lord. walk with the people of COV today. Teach them about our freedom in Christ. Teach them to use their freedom to pursue YOU. Lord, protect them today. Make a way for them today. Bless them today. Stay faithful. Stay the Course. I love you guys.
No comments:
Post a Comment