Author Archives: gonelikeashadowatevening

Bible, Blessing, Legacy, Purpose, Scripture

BLESSINGS EVERYBODY

GALATIANS 3:8

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’”

I often sign off on my emails by simply saying “Blessings!” It is meant to be a way to say I am thinking about you and praying for you. I am asking the Lord’s blessing on that person(s). We say “Bless you” when someone sneezes. Here in the South, we say quite often “Bless their heart.” Blessing, blessing, blessing! But what does that really mean?

In the last part of today’s verse, Paul is quoting from Genesis 12:3 where God is talking to Abram (soon to be Abraham). It says, “‘And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’” Because of Abraham’s faith, God used him to bless all mankind. Just take a look at Matthew 1 sometime and see how the lineage of Jesus starts out.

APPLICATION

It’s interesting to me that the word used here in Galatians 3:8 for “blessed” is only used twice in the New Testament – here and in Acts 3:25. The Greek word used here comes from the word eulogeo, where we get our English word “eulogy.” It means to speak well of someone. So, when you say, “bless you,” you are really speaking well of them.

But let’s be clear about something. You cannot really bless anyone. We are just a conduit of God’s blessing. We extend His blessings to them. Just as Abraham was a conduit of blessing to the world through his offspring, we are a vessel used by God to bless other people. We have to be willing to be used though. That’s the hard part.

1 Peter 3:8-9 talks about this. “8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.” That’s a pretty good motivation for extending blessings, don’t you think?

The next time you “bless” someone after they sneeze, think about this verse. The next time you “bless” your food, think about this verse. We should be ready and willing to bless others whom we cross paths with every day. So…blessings!

I bless Your name, O Lord. I lift You up and praise Your name.

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Bible, Faith, Forgiveness, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

FATHER ABRAHAM

GALATIANS 3:7

“Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.”

Do you remember the childhood song, Father Abraham? The lyrics were:

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s all praise the Lord.
Right arm!

You would progressively add the left arm, right foot, left foot, nod your head, turn around and sit down as you did these motions. It’s a fun song to sing with small children. But we often miss what it is teaching us.

In today’s verse, Paul is teaching us this very truth. We, the faithful, those who have placed their faith in Jesus alone are considered to be children of Abraham, the faithful father. As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, our righteousness comes solely through our faith in Jesus, not in any works we may do. It is faith alone in Christ alone. Period! Exclamation mark!

APPLICATION

So, what is faith? I was discussing this recently with a friend. He shared how he had this very conversation with his physical therapists. He explained to her that the Greek word for faith, pistis, means to be persuaded by something. We have all experienced that in some way or another. I have been persuaded to get on airplanes and have faith that the mechanic has checked it out completely. Some call that blind faith. Maybe it is.

1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” That is why we can have faith in God – because He is faithful to do what He says He will do. So, it’s not blind faith. He has proven Himself over and over and over. All through Scripture we see His faithfulness. In our lives we have experienced it.

Today, share your faith to someone else. Tell them what God has done in and through your life. Tell them all about your journey with the faithful One. It’s one thing to preach the Gospel. It’s another thing to share life experiences that they can relate to. Be transparent and let God use you to bring others to faith in Jesus.

O Lord, find me faithful as You are. You have proven Yourself over and over to me.

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Bible, Gifts, God's Will, Promises, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

TAKING INVENTORY

GALATIANS 3:6

“Just as Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

While I was in seminary, I worked for The Gap selling clothes during the Christmas season. Since I worked at the end of their fiscal year, I was also tasked with taking inventory. This required us to count every piece of clothing and apparel in the store. They needed an accurate count to measure how much the stuff in the store was worth. This information was passed on to the corporate office for tax purposes. Our “reckoning” of the numbers was important.

I prefer God’s count. Paul shares a verse from Genesis in today’s verse. It comes from Genesis 15:6, “Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” The point Paul is trying to make is that Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish nation, was not saved through any work or deed. He was made righteous through faith, long before circumcision, long before the Law. God “took inventory” of Abraham’s faith and counted it as righteousness.

APPLICATION

What are you “counting” right now to prove your righteousness? You had might as well stop. In Romans 4:13, Paul says this, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” The same applies to us. There is nothing we can ever do to earn the righteousness of God. It is a gift through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

And aren’t you glad it’s a gift? Don’t you love gifts? You do nothing to deserve them. Think about it. What do you do to “earn” a birthday present? Nothing, except keep having them, lol. Because someone loves you, they gave you a gift. The same is true about our righteousness in Christ. Because He loved you, He gives you His righteousness as a gift. You just have to accept it.

Sadly, some people refuse that gift. They think it sounds too simple. They don’t think they need it. For whatever reason, they refuse to accept this free gift of grace which makes us righteous. My faith in Jesus is “counted.” The inventory is taken. I am found righteous, not because of anything I have done but only because of Him. Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I give You all praise for giving me this gift of righteousness.

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Bible, Miracles, Power, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A MIRACLE?

GALATIANS 3:5

“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

The closest thing I have seen to a miracle was the birth of my two children. If you have never experienced that, it is truly amazing. How can a living being come from within another living being? How can that little being start breathing air for the first time? How does that little baby know to begin to breastfeed from their mother? It is truly a miracle that happens thousands of times every day.

In today’s verse, Paul continues to ask questions. This time he asked them whether God, Who gave them the Spirit and works miracles among them, did this by the Law or through faith. We know the answer is through faith, right? But what kind of miracles did God work among them? Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says this. “The Greek means not so much ‘causes miracles to be wrought in your midst’ as ‘implants in you miraculous powers.’ The power to work miracles is regarded as a special faculty bestowed by God upon individual Christians.” 

APPLICATION

While we do not know what specific miracles Paul was referring to, we can make an educated guess based on the evidence throughout the New Testament. We know that Jesus performed miracles to draw the unbelievers unto Himself. I love John’s last verse which says, “21:25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”

God is still performing miracles today. He is working in and through believers to do these. Unfortunately, many of us in the Western world are too busy trying to explain away these miracles. However, in other parts of the world, we hear of miracles of healings and even the dead being raised. Visions are happening all over the Muslim world. Why? To draw unbelievers to Jesus.

So, every time you share the Gospel with someone, you are being used to deliver the miraculous saving power of Jesus. The Greek word for “miracles” is dynamis, which according to HELPS Word-studies means, “for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities.” We are simply the Lord’s tools to perform His miracles, if we are willing to be used. Are you?

Lord, use me to perform whatever You want to do. 

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Bible, God's Will, Modeling, Perfection, Scripture, Strength, Suffering, Testimony, Testing

WHAT ARE YOU SUFFERING FOR?

GALATIANS 3:4

“Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

Raise your hand if you are suffering right now? That wasn’t very many. Let’s try that again. Just kidding. I can’t really see your hands raised. But if I asked each of you individually that same question, you may respond in the affirmative. Perhaps you are suffering for your faith right now. You may face ridicule and scorn from family or friends. Your employer may harass you because of your Christian stance on issues. If that is your case, then Paul asks you a question today.

As Paul addressed the Galatian believers, he asked them this question we find in today’s verse. Many of them had suffered for turning to Christ. Some of them may have lost everything to follow Jesus. If they had not personally suffered, they probably knew someone who had. Suffering in the first century for Jesus was not an uncommon thing. Is it worth it today?

APPLICATION

In Philippians 1:29, Paul says this about the issue of suffering. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,” How about Romans 5:3-4. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

There’s a purpose in our sufferings. Recently, I was with someone who is going through a tough physical challenge. I told them that God allows us to go through things in our lives for a couple of reasons. One is to draw us to Himself. He will often use our life experiences to show Himself to us and call us into His family. Secondly, as believers, I believe He uses suffering to refine us and make us more like Jesus.

Paul is reminding the Galatians believers that their suffering was not in vain. God had brought them so far for a purpose. He had proven that He was all they needed. Why go back to the fleshly way of living? Why go back to trying to earn your way to heaven? God was and will always be all we need. He has given us direct access to the throne through His Son, Jesus. Simply rest in Him.

O Lord, You are all I need. I thank You that You consider me worthy of suffering for Your name.

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Bible, Blessing, Perfection, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Salvation, Scripture

PERFECTED

GALATIANS 3:3

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

I have never met a perfect person. No one can claim that status. Well, there is one – Jesus, but I am talking about us regular, old ordinary, run-of-the-mill people. I have seen a baseball pitcher pitch a perfect game. I have seen golfers play a perfect round of golf (by that I mean playing at or under par). But I have never seen a perfect human being who has never made a mistake.

Paul continues in today’s verse with his questions. After calling them foolish again (do you think that got their attention?), he asks them if they think they can perfect themselves through the Law. That’s what he means by “are you now being perfected by the flesh.” Paul knew, all too well, that there was no way to keep all the Law. If you failed at even one law, you were guilty of failing them all. One step forward, two steps back.

APPLICATION

So, what can we do? Do we just give up and say Well, I gave it my best shot! No, goodness no. We have a way of escape. We have a path to perfection. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “‘Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” What?! Perfect?! That’s what He said. So, how is that supposed to happen.

Hebrews 10:14 gives us a wonderful promise. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” You see, we can do nothing to be perfected. But Jesus, through His sacrifice, has already perfected us. Isn’t that incredible? There is never any reason for us to beat ourselves up and say we are failures. No! If we are in Christ, He has perfected us.

I joke a lot about being perfect, but I know I am far from it. I fail miserably every day. My flesh is wicked and corrupt. Now, before you start pointing your finger at me, take a look at your own self. We are all guilty of sin. Praise the Lord that He has taken all that upon Himself and has made us perfect in His eyes.

Words will never say enough to thank You, Lord, for the sacrifice which gave me perfection.

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Bible, Choices, Grace, Law, Questions, Scripture

JUST TELL ME ONE THING

GALATIANS 3:2

“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Have you ever said, “Okay, just tell me one thing”? We say that when we are trying to win an argument or to clarify something to someone. Keeping the important things, the important things is important (say that five times real fast, lol). I know when I preach, I try to tell the people what I am going to say, I say it and then I tell them what I said. I want to make sure they understood the message and the facts were clear.

In today’s verse we see Paul making sure the Galatian believers kept the main things the main things. Can’t you just hear Paul exhorting them? Let me ask you one question – was it through faith or the Law that you received the Spirit? I don’t know about you, but I can hear that in the tone of this verse. Paul was tired of others coming in and muddying the water with their added restrictions and guidelines.

APPLICATION

Don’t ever let anyone put you back under the Law. Carl, no one is going to do that! Oh yea? How about those people who say you can’t miss church, or you must dress a certain way? Romans 7:6 says, “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

There are plenty of people out there ready to put you back under the Law. They have a long list of “Thou Shall Nots.” But for us, it’s more about “Thou Shall.” For instance, look at 1 John 4:7. “Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” Isn’t that better than getting your hand slapped for something you did or didn’t do? We are commanded to love each other.

So, let me ask you just one thing. Does your life exemplify Jesus to a lost world? That’s really what matters. That is a main thing. We are his witness. We represent Him. Take that to the world. Let them see Jesus in you. If you and I do that daily, we will grow in our faith. We will mature as believers. We will see fruit for our labor. Do the main thing.

Keep me focused, Lord, on what You say is important, not what others say.

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Bible, Foolishness, Scripture, Wisdom, World

ARE YOU FOOLISH?

GALATIANS 3:1

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?”

Those are fighting words! Don’t call me a fool! Unless of course you are calling me a fool for Jesus. That is okay. We’ll get to that later. Being called a fool by someone is demeaning. It’s a put down. We don’t like it, do we? So, why in the world would Paul use such language in this letter? Let’s take a look.

You have to remember that in the original letter to the Galatians, there were no chapters and verses. Verse 21 of chapter two ran right into verse 1 of chapter 3. The discourse Paul had just recounted between he and Peter is followed by this statement. He is warning the Galatian churches to not be “bewitched” by those who wanted to deceive them into believing they needed to add anything to God’s grace shown through Jesus. He is literally saying, “Wake up! Don’t you see what they are trying to do?”

APPLICATION

It wasn’t uncommon for the early believers to be called foolish by the world. They were thought to be idiots and unwise because of their faith. I love what Proverbs 12:15 says though, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a person who listens to advice is wise.” The wisest advice you will ever receive is to turn to Jesus. Paul was reminding the Galatians about this.

I need to do something here that I normally would not do. I need to include a long passage in which Paul fully explains this paradox between the wisdom of God and the foolishness of the world. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says,

“18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: ‘I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO HAVE UNDERSTANDING, I WILL CONFOUND.’ 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than mankind, and the weakness of God is stronger than mankind.”

Did you see what Paul was saying? The world sees us as fools because of our belief, because of our trust in His Word. So, go ahead, be called a fool for Jesus. Wear that like a badge of honor. He will exalt you!

Lord, I will be a fool for You. I will stand true to Your Word when everyone around me berates me.

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Abiding, Atonement, Bible, Blessing, Law, Needless, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

NEEDLESS

GALATIANS 2:21

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Have you ever done something for someone that was a waste of time? Perhaps you prepared a wonderful dinner for them, only to have them never show up to enjoy it. Maybe you worked and saved for that special gift and then they never got it. It is a hollow feeling. All your effort, all your work was in vain. It meant nothing to them. That can be painful.

Paul concludes his rebuke of Peter, Barnabas and the other Jewish believers with this final sentence of chapter two. He proclaims once again that their salvation is through Christ alone, but this time he shows the absurdity of the return to the Law. He says he refuses to just throw away God’s grace (something Paul had experienced so fully) and rely on the Law to give him righteousness. The word “needlessly” is used nine times in the New Testament. It can be translated in a good or bad sense. Here it used in that negative sense (in vain, without cause, needlessly). Certainly, Christ’s death was not in vain.

APPLICATION

Well Carl, I would never treat Christ’s death that way. Are you sure about that? Take a look at what you put your faith in. Is it in family? They will fail you. How about that big bank account? That could be gone in a second. In your health? Don’t count on it. The only thing that is for sure is what we have received through Jesus. As Coke says, He is the Real Thing!

The reality is in order to see Christ’s death as meaningful, we must see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior. We must all come to believe what Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We can’t get there by ourselves. We can’t get there any other way than Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. Did He die needlessly? Certainly not!

There are so many people who think they can achieve holiness in the way they live. If they don’t do this and do that, God will smile on them. Listen, holiness only comes as we submit completely and fully to the Holy One. He takes our ungodly life and transforms it through His Spirit. Today, dwell on His atonement. Think about what He did for you. There is no other way but Jesus.

Lord, I praise You for giving me the only thing that could bring me to You – Jesus.

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Bible, Freedom, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Scripture

DEAD TO IT

GALATIANS 2:19

“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live for God.”

What freedom we have when we finally get victory over something that has controlled us! Amen? It wasn’t until I understood the freedom that I have in Christ that I was able to escape the self-imposed shackles of religion. I believed I had to do certain things to gain God’s love. I thought I had to also not do other things.

Paul was very aware of this mindset. His training as a Pharisee had taught him to follow the Law. But now he understands that the Law could never lead him to righteousness. Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says this about this verse, “The road to freedom from the Law lay through the Law.” Paul wanted to make sure Peter and the other Jewish believers in Antioch was reminded of that freedom.

APPLICATION

You can’t say it much simpler than Jesus did in John 8:36. “‘So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.’” Jesus is saying this in the midst of a conversation with the religious leaders. They equated freedom with release from enslavement. They did not even realize they were enslaved to their laws and guidelines. They did not understand the freedom Jesus was referring to.

In 2 Corinthians 3:17 we read, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” That is the key to our freedom. We have the Spirit of the Lord dwelling within us as believers. The Spirit reminds us of this freedom day after day. He tells us we do not have to be tied to the Law or man-made guidelines anymore.

I am so thankful for my freedom in Christ. I am thankful I am dead to all those old ideas I had about what it meant to be spiritual. Living dead to them and alive to Christ makes everyday a day worth living. It brings new excitement, not drudgery. Isn’t that how you want to live?

Father, I thank You for my freedom I have in Jesus and for the life I can live through Him.

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