Category Archives: God’s Will

Accountability, Allegiance, Belief, Bible, Commands, God's Will, Hypocrisy, Judgment, Obedience, Sacrifice, Scripture

HYPOCRITES

GALATIANS 6:13

“For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.”

Do as I say and not as I do. You’ve heard that before, I am sure. A lot of parents may not say those words to their children, but they sure live them out. “Don’t smoke!” But they light one up regularly. “Don’t drink!” But they don’t have a problem popping a cool one. “Don’t cuss!” But they let a few words slide out when they are upset. It’s easy to give directions if you aren’t holding yourself to the same standard.

Paul continues to confront the Judaizers who were trying to force the Galatians to follow the Mosaic Law in addition to accepting Jesus as Savior. As a former Pharisee, Paul knew all too well the debilitating consequences of trying to follow the law. You couldn’t pick and choose which parts of the law you wanted to follow. It was all or nothing. Fortunately, the Galatian believers needed none of it. Paul wants to make sure they know that.

APPLICATION

James said it best, I think, when he said this in James 2:10. “For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.” There you have it. You can’t say, “Get circumcised,” and not keep the rest of the law. These Judaizers were forcing the issue of circumcision without they themselves keeping the whole law. They were, in fact, guilty of breaking the whole law. It was a futile exercise.

Don’t get me wrong. The law served its purpose. It pointed out to men the impossibility of keeping it. We needed something more. We needed the perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Jesus provided that. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hallelujah, praise the Lord!

Paul was not letting the Galatians off the hook with this statement in today’s verse. They still needed to follow the Lord’s commands. They should still strive to be holy as He is holy. But now all those things are under the blood of the Lamb. He has paid the price for our failings. We obey out of love, not fear.

O Lord, help me be an example of truth and honesty, not hypocrisy.

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Bible, Compassion, Encouragement, Family, God's Will, Goodness, Kingdom, Love, Scripture

HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH 

GALATIANS 6:10 

“So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” 

As a man, I am supposed to take care of my household. The Bible tells us that to not do that makes us worse than an unbeliever. But so many men neglect their families in so many ways. Oh, they may provide for them financially and physically, but they neglect the spiritual health of the wife and children.  

I believe Paul includes that in his encouragement to the Galatians in today’s verse. He says to do good to all people, “and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” You see, Paul goes beyond just the man’s household. He includes the household of the faith. We should especially do good to our fellow believers. We are in the same family – God’s family.  

APPLICATION 

Let me speak to the men right now. Men, you have a responsibility to care for your family. You also have a responsibility to aid those in your church or fellowship who have a need. Is there a widow who needs her yard mowed? Is there a single mom who needs some men to do some home repairs? I can’t help but think about James 1:27. “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” 

In Ephesians 2:19, Paul says we believers are all part of God’s household. That word has the idea of an intimate relationship. If that is true, why wouldn’t we watch out for each other? Why wouldn’t we come to the aid of a brother or sister? Why wouldn’t we give to them freely and without expectation of repayment? 

Now, wait a minute, Carl. You’re getting a little carried away. Really. Let me challenge you to look around and do as the Lord leads you. Ask your pastor if there is a family in the church who has a need. Volunteer to help. He will be so excited to put you to work serving those who have needs. We can do this now. Don’t wait! 

Father, show me who You want me to invest in. I know there are many. 

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Accountability, Battles, Bible, Burdens, Comfort, Family, God's Will, Ministry, Obedience, Scripture

SO, YOU THINK YOU’RE SOMETHING

GALATIANS 6:3

“For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Ouch! This verse feels like Paul is stepping on my toes. How about you? We have all been there. We think we are better than someone else. We think we would have never fallen like that person did. Some of my hardest falls have been the result of overconfidence. I like what Doddridge says about this verse. “The worst part of the fraud falls on his own head.” Man, that stings.

Don’t forget that this verse immediately follows the verse about bearing each other’s burdens. This is why. Because you may wind up in the same fix and need help yourself. Paul is warning the Galatians against vanity – spiritual vanity. Oh, it was so easy for them to think they were better than others. They had arrived. They were above those who struggle. Paul is saying, “Not so fast! You too may need a hand down the road.”

APPLICATION

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:12 where it says, “Now, when you think you are standing firm, be careful lest you fall.” We can never get overconfident, unless that overconfidence is in Jesus. He will never fail – NEVER! His promises are true. In Joshua 23, Joshua repeats a statement from chapter 21. He says in verse 14, “‘Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; they all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.’”

Those promises still hold true. He is a promise keeper to the end. Even the last words Jesus spoke on earth after His resurrection says this. In Matthew 28:20 we read, “…‘and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” So, when we fail (and we will), He is always there – to the end.

Let’s back up a minute to the previous verse since this is important to the context. We must bear one another’s burdens because we need each other. There will come a day when you fail and that brother or sister to whom you gave a helping hand will run to your aid. That is how the body works.

Thank You, Father, for the body of Christ that looks out for each other.

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Bearing, Bible, Burdens, Caregiver, Compassion, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Love, Modeling, Scripture

BEAR OTHER’S BURDENS

GALATIANS 6:2

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

I don’t know about you, but I have enough burdens of my own without bearing someone else’s burdens. Am I right? Well unfortunately, we don’t get off that easy. The Bible tells us to step up and help others when we see a need. Now, wait a minute, Carl. I don’t have the time or the energy to do that. I understand, but let’s look at what Paul says about this.

“Bear one another’s burdens.” That’s what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say to the Galatians (and to us). But what does that mean? The Greek word translated as “bear” is bastazo which means literally to lift up or to carry. This verb is a command in the Present Tense, which means it is not a one time thing. You should do this constantly. Why? Because by doing this, you will be doing exactly what Jesus would have done. That’s what the rest of the verse means, “fulfill the law of Christ.”

APPLICATION

Do you have a particular weakness which you need help with? I remember when I went through my last stem cell transplant how I needed my wife’s help. I was so physically weak at times that I required a walker or cane to walk without falling. She watched me so closely every time I stood to walk. She was right there by my side to lend a hand if needed. I could not have gotten through that time without her.

In the same way, we see our brothers and sisters in Christ who need help. It is our responsibility to come to their aid. Maybe it’s a husband who is struggling in their marriage. Step up! Perhaps it’s the single mom who needs help picking up a child from daycare. Step up! It could be a believer who is fighting the temptation of porn. Step up! We are called to help carry these loads for our fellow believers.

Just as Jesus carried you in His arms when you were weary, we can do the same for others. Obviously, there were those in Galatia who needed help. Paul wanted them to help each other, to lift and carry each other when necessary. The blessing we receive far outweighs any effort we put in. Be there for someone.

O Lord, You have done so much for me. Help me be there for others.

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Bible, God's Will, Love, Mercy, Restoration, Scripture, Sin, Stains

RESTORE

GALATIANS 6:1

“Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.”

My dad taught me how to restore furniture. It wasn’t a quick, easy or clean process. It required elbow grease, hard work and usually lots of sandpaper, cleaners and rags. And after time and energy is spent over days, weeks or even months, you would have a beautifully restored piece, something worthy of displaying.

Let me use that analogy today to describe the word translated as “restore” in today’s verse. Paul is describing how the mature believers should respond to a fellow believer who has been caught in sin. The Greek word used here is katartizo, which means to be “exactly fit to be in good working order.” Paul is saying that the Galatians need to help those individuals become useful servants again. The body needs all its parts to function correctly. The church cannot afford to lose these precious saints because of their slip into temptation.

APPLICATION

Okay, I want you to list all your slipups right now. Just kidding. I would not want to list mine anywhere. I would probably need two legal size notepads to list all mine. But as Albert Barnes says, “Christians do not commit sin deliberately, and as a part of the plan of life; but they may be surprised by sudden temptation, or urged on by impetuous or headstrong passion, as David and Peter were.” Those are the ones Paul is saying we should restore.

Like in my analogy of furniture restoration, restoring a brother or sister from their slipups can be messy. Sin stains. James says in James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” We know the effects of the world on us. If we allow it, it will pull us down and leave its mark.

Instead of burying our wounded in the church, let’s bandage them up and help them gain their spiritual strength. Let’s help them wash away the filth that sin has left on them. When we do that, we not only strengthen them, but we strengthen the body of Christ as well. One warning – as you do this, be careful to guard yourself of being stained by their sins. Be guarded against the devil’s schemes to pull you into the cesspool with them.

Father, help me be that person to lift up the fallen among us and restore them to serving You.

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Bible, Boasting, Challenging, Envy, Examples, God's Will, Scripture

BOASTFUL, CHALLENGING AND ENVIOUS

GALATIANS 5:26

“Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

If you have ever come across someone who can be described by our title, you learn quickly to avoid them. No one likes to hear someone constantly bragging about themselves. No one likes someone who is challenging and difficult to get along with. And an envious person (envy defined as getting joy at someone else’s bad luck or wanting what they have) drives people away like a shark in the water near a beach.

Paul ends chapter five (remember there weren’t any chapter dividers in the original letter) by giving the Galatians a further instruction. He had just told them to follow the example of Jesus. He further defines that by saying three things not to do – be boastful, be challenging or be envious. Let’s break down those three admonitions in our application time below.

APPLICATION

Paul begins today’s verse by saying, “Let’s not become boastful.” What does that mean? It means “self-deluded conceit driven by personal ‘delusions of grandeur.’” (HELPS Word-Studies). It is the Greek word kenodoxos which only appears right here in the New Testament. These people are full of themselves at the expense of others. Not a friendly and loving individual, to say the least.

Then Paul tells them to not be “challenging one another.” The word used here is prokaleo which is also only used right here. It means to provoke. It’s the idea of someone who is constantly trying to start a fight. They look for ways to get under your skin to get you to respond negatively. Again, this is not a very loving person and is definitely not what you want to be described as.

The last thing Paul says in today’s verse is to not envy one another. Once again, we have a Greek word that is only used right here. It is phthoneo. It is defined as “becoming bitter (sour) because of another person’s success.” (HELPS Word-Studies). Their favorite expression is “That’s not fair. I deserve that.” I pray that is not you!

All three of these character traits run totally against the example of Christ. But you must choose how you are going to respond to others. Boast only in Jesus. Challenge only the forces of evil. And desire only the best for others. That’s being Jesus.

O God, give me the power to live just like You. 

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Abiding, Bible, Examples, Following, God's Will, Leading, Scripture

FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT

GALATIANS 5:25

“If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.”

I can’t help but think about the childhood game of “Follow the Leader” when I read this verse. That was such fun as a child, especially when you got to lead. Over and under things, up and down others. The leader would often make it challenging, but if you followed the path of the leader and watched what they did, you could make it.

Paul tells the Galatians here since they are alive in Christ through their acceptance of Him as Savior and Lord, they should also follow Christ’s example. The Greek word translated “follow” is only used five times in the New Testament. It means to “walk in line, in strict accordance to a particular pace (‘stride’); walk in cadence, ‘keep in step.’” (HELPS Word-studies) It can also be defined as “to be in rows, fig. to walk by rule.” (NAS Exhaustive Concordance). So, you see it wasn’t just to follow Christ. It was to follow exactly.

APPLICATION

How in the world does the Lord expect us to do that? I can’t live just like Jesus. He is the Son of God. Sure, He had an earthly body, but He had superpowers. Right? I can’t turn water into wine. I can’t heal leprosy by touching someone. I can’t raise the dead. Or can’t I? Now, hold on. Don’t think I have lost my mind. Hear me out. No, hear the Word out.

In John 14:12-14, Jesus says, “‘12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.’” What a promise! I am not going to go build a whole, new denomination of churches on that, but I am told He can do anything through me.

You see, that right there is the key. It is Him working through me to do these things. It is not me. So, when He tells me to follow Him exactly, He empowers me to do so. He will not force me to march like a robot. We have that irritating free will. But if we will allow Him to work in our lives, we can do anything for Him. Isn’t that awesome?

Follow! follow! I will follow Jesus!
Anywhere, everywhere, I will follow on!
Follow! follow! I will follow Jesus!
Everywhere He leads me I will follow on!

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Attitude, Bible, Brain, Devil, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Remembering, Scripture

NO OTHER VIEW

GALATIANS 5:10

“I have confidence in you in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear the punishment, whoever he is.”

Our brains are amazing things. My wife and I have been watching a television series where they quite often perform brain surgery. It is amazing how the brain works but how quickly it can be affected by the smallest of tumors or brain bleeds. Those can cause us to start having strange behaviors or bodily functions. It doesn’t take anything large to cause a large change.

The Greek word that is translated into the phrase “will adopt no other view” is a difficult word to put completely in the English. It has the idea of an inner perspective showing itself in outward behavior. But that doesn’t even quite get the meaning from the Greek. Paul was directed to use this word by the Holy Spirit for a reason. Perhaps the idea of using a word that was hard to understand tells us something. Other ideas can confuse us. We have to be on guard against any of those, no matter how small they may seem.

APPLICATION

Jesus uses this same word in Matthew 16:23 when He rebukes Peter. “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s.’” Peter allowed another thought to enter his mind that was not from God.

We see it used again by Paul in Romans 8:5. “For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Then Paul uses it again in Philippians 2:2. “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

We cannot let any other thought enter our minds, our brains that does not belong to God. We know the evil one wants to corrupt our minds, to get our thoughts off of Jesus. He is the one who “is disturbing you” today. Don’t think for a minute that you are free from his attacks. Keep your focus on Jesus. Listen closely to His voice. Then do what He says.

Father, I want to keep only Your thoughts in my mind. Help me hear You clearly.

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Belief, Bible, Calling, Direction, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Messages, Persuasion, Scripture

WHO’S CALLING?

GALATIANS 5:8

“This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.”

Have you ever been tricked by someone on a phone call? I used to occasionally call the office secretary when I was on a road trip and disguise my voice. I would pretend to be a donor who wanted to donate some wild and outlandish thing (which actually happened more times than you can imagine) just to make her squirm a little and figure out how to answer this person. Of course, towards the end of the call she would recognize it was me and threaten me bodily harm when I returned. Lol

Paul is warning the Galatians and us in today’s verse to be careful who you answer to, to make sure you know who is actually calling you. The Greek word for “persuasion” is only used here in Galatians 5:8. It refers to a self-produced persuasion. In other words, they decided themselves to believe this caller. It was not God who was calling them to keep the Mosaic law and deny their freedom in Christ.

APPLICATION

Matthew Poole’s Commentary says this about “Him who calls you,” “is not from God, who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light, unto fellowship with himself, into a state of grace and favour with him, and to the hopes of eternal life; and who yet calleth you by his gospel: it must therefore be from the devil and his instruments, who go about to seduce and pervert you.”

Think about Poole’s words for a second. It is God who has called you out of darkness into marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), into fellowship with Himself (1 John 1:3), into grace and favor (1 Peter 2:20, and to the hopes of eternal life (1 Peter 5:10). It seems Poole liked 1 Peter, didn’t he? It is God who calls us to these things. He isn’t adding on to His requirements.

The next time you hear a voice directing you to do something, make sure it is the voice of God and not His arch enemy attempting to disguise his voice and imitate God. Remember, the devil will never ask you to do anything that will glorify the Father or the Son. It will only be about you, what will make you happy. Listen closely. Learn to recognize His voice.

Father, it is sweet to hear Your voice and recognize that You love me beyond words or deeds.

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Allegiance, Bible, Circumcision, Covenant, Faith, God's Will, Grace, Heart, Rescue, Salvation, Scripture

ALL OR NOTHING

GALATIANS 5:3

“And I testify again to every man who has himself circumcised, that he is obligated to keep the whole Law.”

A common cheer or motto among team sports is “All for one and one for all.” That implies that if one falls, they all fall. It means they must all stick together. The team has to stick together and is stronger together than separate. That is a good thing. However, our verse today is talking about a negative side of that “all for one” mentality.

Circumcision was the distinguishing mark of Jews. Since Abraham, this has been done to the male children. It was and still is a physical sign of allegiance to God for them. This rite was being forced on the Gentile believers in Galatia. There were Jewish believers who believed that they had to continue to follow the Mosaic laws, which included circumcision. Paul correctly points out that if they were going to keep this one law, they should keep them all (which was and still is impossible). Circumcision was not bad. It just did not prove their faith.

APPLICATION

What are the things in your life that you do to show you are saved? I bet it is that big Bible you carry to church each Sunday. Perhaps it is the way you wear your hair or refrain from alcohol. You wear these as a badge of honor to prove your faith. Like circumcision, there is nothing wrong with a big Bible, short hair or not drinking, but none of those things will save you.

Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 22:25-26, “‘25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may also become clean.’” This still applies to us today. It’s not about what the world sees we are doing. It’s all about our heart. We cannot keep all the laws and we cannot keep all the traditions. We will fail.

I have met lots of people who have said, “I could never become a Christian. I am too bad. God could never forgive me.” That is exactly why they need a Savior. There is nothing we can do to gain His favor. We can’t be good enough. That is what Paul is saying to the Galatians, and that is what is still true for us today. All we need is Jesus. Let’s make our motto “All to One.” How about that?

O Lord, thank You for rescuing me and always being there for me. I give You my all.

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