Growing to be like Jesus

We have been working through Hebrews chapter 12 with the theme of "Growing to be like Jesus" in mind.  Today we are going to look at verses 12 through 17.  Now the term Christian literally means we are like or belong to Christ.  Now this can be a term that we or others give ourselves, or it can be a description of reality.  Now not very many people will say, "I am exactly like Christ."  We all know that we fall short in many ways.  But when we use the term Christian it is not a statement implying we are done.  Rather as we follow Jesus we remind the world around us of him.  In fact this very thing is said of the disciples.  The religious leaders took note that these guys had been with Jesus.  It had affected them in a way that reminded others of Jesus.

In actuality it is an impossible task to grow to be like Jesus.  However, it is something that God himself has promised to do in us.  God promises us that when he is done working on us we will look completely like Jesus.  This is a work that will take all of our life plus death.  Perhaps the sceptic will say, "well then it isn't real.  It's just a figment of your imagnination."  Of course this is not true.  Any one who has truly followed Jesus for any number of years will be able to look back at year 0 of their Christian walk and be amazed at how their life has changed.  We should never look at that change and feel proud.  Because without God's help and grace we would still be stuck in our sins.  Now God Himself is the Author and the Finisher (i.e. Perfecter, One who makes Complete) of our faith.  This work is like a long distance race.  God will enable us to complete it, but we must Cooperate.  Now pause and ponder on that for a moment......

God is doing a work in me that will end in making me look like Jesus and I need to cooperate with him.  Last week we talked about how God disciplines us in life to help us along the way.  Sometimes that discipline is a "Woodshed" moment.  That is we are going through a hard time because of our own sin and failures.  God does not protect us from the lessons we need to learn.  But he does give us the grace to come through it.  Sometimes his discipline is merely teaching.  Things don't always go our way and it isn't always traced back to our failures or sin.  It is merely our heavenly father teaching us.  Don't get discouraged in either of these times because they are proof that you are God's child and he cares for you.

The enemy often gets us discouraged by getting us focused on us.  I don't like this pain or grief.  Why is this happening to me?  What did I do?  But God's Word tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus.  He is the one who will bring us through.  So challenge yourself.  If your faith is in you then you will only grow in discouragement.  But if your faith is in Jesus there is always hope.  In fact your failures will only cause you to lean on him more.  Is that a bad thing?  Have your closest times to God not been when you went through tough times?  Did you not pray more and search your heart more?  I tell you that if you have become like Jesus at all it was done in those difficult times.  So learn to embrace the discipline of the Lord in your life as difficult as that sounds.

Purposefully Focus on the Difficult Task of Faith

Now verse 12 of Hebrews 12 begins a transition from God's discipline to our daily life as a believer.  Here we see that we need to focus during these difficult times.  When you read verse 12 the tendency is to think that the writer means we need to help others.  It is true that this verse ultimately leads to that.  But the primary focus is that our own hands can hang limp at our side and our own knees grow feeble during times of discipline.  Part of our focusing is to stir up our faith and do the works of God.  We can be paralyzed because our faith is being tested and stretched.  Now in several versions the words are "strengthen the hands..."  The word literally means to raise up and it would require strength to do so.  But the strength her is the strength of faith.  Idle hands means our faith has been weakened.  But a strong faith will express itself through our hands, feet, lips, etc...  So the instruction is to not let yourself be paralyzed during difficult times.  This is the time of battle.  The time to put your hands to the work that faith in Jesus requires of them.  Also the term for "feeble knees," more has the picture that they have been twisted and malformed.  We are called to straighten out those twisted and malformed knees, by faith, and do the work we have been called to.  Of course we need to help others in this as well, but if we are not doing this ourselves than we have nothing with which to help others.  Jesus, the Living Word, spoke to lame legs and hands and they were restored to their proper ability.  However, many are spiritually twisted into inactivity as their faith is shackled under discouragement.  If we will allow it the Word of God can, even now, come into our lives and not make the tough things of our life go away, but rather give us the faith to shake off the paralysis of doubt.

Another part of focusing ourselves is making straight paths.  Here the writer alludes back to Isaiah chapter 40 and John the Baptist.  John warned people that the Messiah was coming so they needed to prepare the way of the Lord.  This is a picture of the preparations that must be done in order for the Lord to enter, not just the world, but even an individual person's life.  It is an imagery of road building.  All the high places of pride in our life and in this world will have to be cut down and used to fill in all the low places of lacking.  If we are going to be ready for Jesus' return and the Lord's judgment then there are things we need to get rid of in our lives and things we need to add to them.  Ultimately we need to drop the pride of "my way" and let the Lord Jesus give us true righteousness.  We also need to drop the false righteousness of our self and let the Lord teach us the things we truly need to do.

Often in road building we can try to avoid the costs of making a road completely straight.  It is too costly, too difficult and too painful.  The message here is that the Lord requires a straight path, "the hardest to build for long distances."  This road must be straight and level.  So part of the focus is to keep focused on the difficulty of the work we have been called too and to not cut corners.  If we do so then there will be some effects.  "Dislocated" verse 13 could rather be translated turned aside.  If we only focus on the body then dislocated makes sense.  But in this verse a lame person on a road, trying to make their way, is in view.  Just as their foot, knee, leg has been affected or twisted in some way to debilitate them, so they may be "twisted or turned aside" off the road.  It is a powerful image that is difficult to translate, but I hope you see that when we humble our pride and lift up what is missing in our godliness then we help others who are lame to not be turned off the road of salvation.  In fact in verse 15 he brings up the idea of falling short of grace, i.e. not finish the race.  How many people have been wounded and pushed out of the way of salvation by our own pride and lack of righteousness?  Oh, God forgive us and help us to see where our own self-righteousness can take out the injured instead of healing them.  God intends his Church to be a healing community.  Not just in the sense of miraculous physical healings.  But even more so in miraculous emotional, relational, and spiritual healings.

Purposefully Focus on Others

As is fitting with the metaphor of a road or path, the writer has also been using the imagery of running a long distance race.  So these metaphors are richly mixed in many ways throughout this passage.  In verse 14 they are told to pursue, "run after," peace so as to catch up with it.  And, to do this with all people.  Peace is an elusive thing that we can grow weary trying to have with certain ones.  Here is the recognition that peace must be pursued and not half heartedly.  The writer also adds holiness as something we should pursue with all and in fact warns that without holiness we won't see the Lord.  Now it would be easy to say, "Yes I have the holiness of Jesus."  But the word used here does not have the perfect righteousness of Christ in view.  It has our own sanctification in view.  It basically saying that if we have not grown to be like Christ one bit then we will not see God.  Can this be true?  Here are some other Scriptures.  Judge for your self.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord isthe avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. ⁸ Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given^[a] us His Holy Spirit."

The point is not that you must also have works, but it is pointing out the same thing James does.  You cannot say you have faith when it has produced nothing in your life.  Back to the point at hand.  If we were only to pursue peace with others then we could use unholy means to obtain it.  Thus righteousness is held up beside peace.  We are to pursue both.  Many in this world love the term "unity" and "peace."  However they are willing to sacrifice the truth of God in order to obtain it.  There can never be peace with the wicked and their wicked deeds.  We are not to pursue peace as "people-pleasers", but rather through godly love bring peace to the table.  What the other person does with that is their business.  We must reject being offended and giving up because this is not the righteousness of Christ.  Rather we continue to bear the affront and pay back good for evil.  This is the weapon of love.  Love can conquer where no other weapon can go.  Everyone will see the Lord in judgment but not all will enter the time of Revelation 22 where the righteous shall see His face and he will wipe the tears from their eyes.  His eternal acceptance is what is in view in verse 14.

Verse 15 says that we are to be carefully watching for problems that would keep ourselves and others from completing the race of faith.  Thus we keep focused on those things that could trip us up.  It can be easy to look down on those who struggle where we are able to run on, but such thoughts are vanity and will lead to our own downfall.  We are called to help those who are in danger of falling short of grace, giving up before the race is done.  He then mentions the "root of bitterness."  It would be easy to think of this in the terms of a person being offended by another Christian, but the term is actually an allusion to Deuteronomy 29:18.  Read it and then think about how we are to be tied to the vine of Jesus.  The bitter root is drawing poison from a different source.  They are not really connected to Jesus, though they may purport to be.  The root of bitterness is those who are spiritual fornicators and if allowed will poison the faith and life of other believers.  These are people who like Esau are driven by fleshly appetites and worldly thinking.  They are unrepentant even though they may appear contrite and spiritual to the untrained eye.  Such roots can only be dug out and expelled from the group, otherwise they will cause many to be defiled.  Such is the weight upon the overseers of any assembly of believers.  They watch over men's souls that they may not be savaged by wolves that will rise up among us.

To grow to be like Jesus takes courage and fixation.  Keeping fixed on the task of becoming like him.  O Lord help us to fight the good fight of faith.  Amen!

Growing to be like Jesus

It is one thing to recognize the Father's voice in Jesus and connect to him.  It is quite another to become like Jesus.  The spiritual birth that happens when we put our faith in Jesus naturally leads to "growing" spiritually.

Today we are going to listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 to see the truth that those who connect to Christ need to grow to be like him.  You see the believers of Corinth had received the Truth from Paul and had believed on Jesus.  They were saved, but there was a resistance in their thinking and actions to becoming like Jesus.  Paul clearly expected to be able to talk to them on a more mature level, but discovered from their thinking and actions that he couldn't.  They hadn't grown up.  Thus the first thing I would point out about believers.

Believers are Called to become Spiritual Adults

Now for some context let's look at 1 Corinthians 2:13-16.  Paul points out two types of people who exist in this world: the Natural Man, and the Spiritual Man.  Now it would be easy to say that natural here must be focused on material things.  However, the word for natural is "psyche."  It is where we get the idea of the mind.  Thus natural here has to do not just with the material outward world, but even the inner thoughts and desires of the mind of man.  Thus the natural man may talk about spiritual matters.  The natural man may appear spiritual for all practical matters.  But he does so through human wisdom and human (natural) thinking.  Yes the natural man's spirit/soul is heavily involved in this activity.

Now with that in mind the spiritual man must be something more than a person who thinks more about spiritual matters.  In fact in verse 14 it is clear that it is the "Spirit of God," who is trying to teach us Truth.  Only the "spiritual man" receives the things taught by the Spirit of God.  So the mark of a "spiritual man" is that they are receptive to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Now let me make an important point.  The scripture and history has taught us that the Natural Man is receptive to the teaching of evil spirits and thus can be highly religious.  But they reject the teaching of the Holy Spirit because it seems foolish to them.  So we should not  get the mistaken idea that the natural man is irreligious and that the spiritual man is "no earthly good."  When we look at Jesus we see him clash with the Natural Men who ruled over Israel.  They claimed to be spiritual and represent God, but they only represented the wisdom of natural man misled by demonic forces.  When the Truth of God came to them in Jesus, they hated, despised, and killed him.

The reason I bring this up is because it sets the stage for our passage in chapter 3.  The Corinthian believers had responded to the Holy Spirit's teaching that they needed to repent of their sins and believe on Jesus Christ the Messiah to cover those sins.  They were spiritual and not natural men.  However, something was wrong.  Paul should have been able to speak to them as people who respond to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.  But instead they were resisting.  Instead of calling them "natural men" he refers to them as "carnal" and "babies in Christ."

Those who respond to the gospel and are born again are still babies in regard to following Christ.  They need to be fed and need to learn to walk, talk and reason.  So that they can follow Christ and the Holy Spirit for themselves.  During this period of time believers learn to have their mind "renewed" (Romans 12:1-3) and their activities pruned.  The old natural way of thinking and living is pruned off and we learn to embrace the way of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The book of Galatians lays this out in chapter 5. Believers need to grow in learning to live their lives as a response to the Holy Spirit versus living their lives as a continual pleasing of their carnal or flesh nature.  In fact, Paul warns them in Galatians, that God will not be mocked.  They can say they believe in him and appear to embrace him, but if they continue to live their lives for the pleasures of their flesh instead of the Spirit then it will destroy them.  Here we see with Paul that his first reaction is not, "you guys aren't Christians."  Rather he points to their need to grow-up.  They have remained babies too long.  Our journey of learning to hear and listen to the Holy Spirit and growing to be more like Jesus is a messy one that is frought with mistakes on our part.  However, the Lord is faithful to us and will continue his work of making us to be like Jesus.  Paul doesn't coin the term "carnal Christians."  Rather he says that they are "brothers" and "in Christ" and immature.  Clearly God is using Paul under the help of the Holy Spirit to call them to growth.  Some will respond and grow in spite of their past immaturity.  Others will persist in living to their flesh and ultimately be destroyed by it.  It is not for us to determine who is what, but to speak the truth to one another in love.

So Paul approaches them as fellow believers, but challenges them to grow up.  He continues the illustration in verse 2 of chapter 3 and says that when he taught them he taught them with "milk" because they couldn't handle "solid food."  This clear analogy speaks to things that are easier versus harder to digest.  Just as food is to the natural so Truth is to the spiritual.  The "milk" of the truth is that God has loved us and paid the price for our sins.  We just need to put our faith in him and we will be saved.  However there are further Truths that are harder for us to swallow.  It was hard for them to swallow that God is not operating according to man's wisdom.  He often calls us to do that which is not "wise" in the natural.  Our immaturity finds it hard to digest these things at times.  Here we see Paul trying to lay the groundwork so that these immature believers might understand his concerns.  They are trying to follow Christ with their Natural Mind and resisting the Holy Spirit's attempts to renew their minds.  Even now as Paul addresses them he realizes they are still in the state they were in when he first taught them about Christ.

When Paul states that they are still "carnal" in verse 3, his point is not one of totality.  What I mean by that is this: the picture is one of a continuum on which we move more and more closer to being exactly like Jesus.  In that sense, everyone of us fights against carnality at ever deeper and harder to discern ways.  Paul does not speak down to them as one who has arrived.  But rather speaks to them as an older brother who is calling them to follow him on this road of becoming more like Jesus.  They are not 100% carnal otherwise they would have never believed on Jesus.  But the overall tendency of their life is marked by following their fleshly desires rather than the Spirit of God and this is a real concern.  So this is not a new category of Christian (i.e. the carnal Christian) rather it is a battle we all must fight as we follow the Holy Spirit.

Part of our growth is in learning to first hear the Holy Spirit and then second to follow him in thought and action.  In Matthew 16:18 when Jesus says, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven," he is commending Peter for hearing the what the Spirit was teaching.  Did Peter ever have trouble following the Spirit instead of his flesh after this?  Sure, we see it highlighted at the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.  Even if you say, "Yeah, but that was before Peter was filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit."  You still have to deal with Galatians 2:11f where Peter follows his flesh.  I find it interesting that in verse 2 Paul doesn't say they wouldn't receive it, but rather that they couldn't receive it.

Here is one of the hard truths of God.  We cannot in our own strength even take hold of God's Word.  It must take hold of us.  Through this life God takes us through a journey where our mind and flesh fail us, and we learn the beauty of his hard truths.  God himself has to work on us in order for us to be able to receive Truth.  The more we receive the easier it is to take on more.  The more we resist the harder it is for us to take on more.  And, in fact we can be in danger of losing even that which we have.

The Corinthians were still enamored with the natural wisdom of their Greek culture.  They approached the gospel and the Scriptures with the natural wisdom of their culture.  This was blocking them from growing to be like Jesus.  What cultural mindsets are blocking us from becoming more like Jesus?  What wisdom of this world is perhaps holding me back?  Am I still a baby in Christ?

Now let me blow your mind for a moment.  In order to quit being spiritual babies and grow up in Christ we need to become babies in the natural wisdom of this world.  "Unless you become like little children you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  They were too sophisticated in the thinking of this world.  The Greek people had a long and deep history with so called "philosophy."  In a sense they thought they were wise and it was keeping them from following Christ.  They needed to drop the wisdom of this world, "become like little children" and be taught the wisdom of God which is found in Jesus Christ.

In John 5:19-23, Jesus exampled this.  He says that he only says and only does what he sees the Father saying and doing.  Simply put Jesus shows us that true wisdom does not pretend to know anything but rather mimics God.  In mimicking God we come to receive true wisdom.  In fact it will show the world's wisdom for what it is:  earthly, sensual, and demonic.

I don't know if you want to be like Jesus.  It is easy enough to say, but Jesus went to the cross and all those disciples who said they wanted to be with and be like him ran.  Our flesh is no different.  When the Spirit reveals different ways in which I need to become like Jesus, my flesh recoils and resists.  That is why Paul said he had to die daily.  We have to put our fleshly desires to death every day if we are going to grow to be more like Jesus.

So ask yourself today, do I really want to be like Jesus.  And then pray this prayer.  Lord, there are parts of me that recoil from who you are.  Please save me from myself and teach me to let the "old me" go.  Teach me to follow you and to become like you.  Amen!

Protecting the Pure Gospel Part 12

Well today we will finish the book of Galatians.  Paul closes with a one two punch of exposing the motivations of the false teacher/s and restating the "rule" by which Christians should live and follow Jesus.  Our text today is Galatians 6:11-18.

Making A Good Show in the Flesh

Five of Paul's letters make mention of the fact that Paul would have a helper who would write what he wanted.  The method is not explicit.  That is, was it a dictation or did the writer influence the wording?  Clearly there is no question that what was written expressed what Paul wanted.  The letter we call 2 Thessalonians further states that a mark of Paul's letters is that he would write something by his own hand at the end of each letter.  Most likely this was his way of reassuring the recipients that it really was him and it also gives a personal touch to the address.

So it is not strange for Paul to make mention that he is writing by his own hand.  Whether his writing has started here in Gal. 6:11 or he has written the whole letter would really be conjecture and not necessary to discover.  What is strange is how Paul brings attention to the largeness of his letters (letters of the alphabet).  Some have felt that this was most likely for emphasis, much like typing in all caps is a kind of visual shouting.  Though this may be, I believe that the context requires this strange point of Paul's to contrast with the "good show in the flesh" that the false teachers desire.  It seems clear that Galatians 4:14,15 reveal that Paul had a physical problem that had something to do with his eyes.  This eye problem may have affected his ability to write.  Normally in life large writing is a sign of beginners.  Little kids start off learning to write with a line that is not only about an inch in height, but it is also split in half by a dotted line and has a lot of space between it and the next line.  No adult would expect to get a letter from a friend that had writing at that size.  As we develop our ability to write we move to wide ruled and then college ruled paper.  Thus Paul seems to be pointing out the largeness of his letters as a way to show that he definitely isn't trying to make a "good show" in the flesh.  In fact, his flesh is fighting against him.  It's physical weakness does not enable him to write well.  Paul isn't concerned about how he looks.  He could have easily been ashamed of his inability to speak well and write well, but instead he tells the Corinthians that this actually allows the power of God to be seen.

Contrast Paul to those who were teaching the Galatians to add the law, especially circumcision, to believing Jesus is the messiah.  Paul says, these guys are motivated by the outward and appearance. Now "in the flesh" can mean one of two things.  It can refer to things done in the body (which is pretty much anything we do) or it can refer to things done in response to the desires and will of the flesh versus the desires and will of the Spirit of God.  I believe here Paul is referring to the body.  They want their outer life to look good.  Those things that they do with their body are on display.  Now it is clear that their show isn't really for God.  Their show is for others.  But even if it were for God, the problem is not what they do, but rather why.    Paul has been very clear that believers are free to circumcise or not circumcise.  However, if they circumcise because they believe that it is necessary for salvation, then they are straying away from grace and rejecting Christ.  The "why" for these false teachers is that they want to look acceptable/good for others.  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:12, that they are "those who boast in appearance and not in heart."

The second thing Paul points out about them is that they "compel" the Galatians to be circumcised.  The word compel means to make someone think something is necessary.  This can be done by force, logic, manipulation, duress, etc...  Either way, one individual influences another to believe that something is necessary.  Now notice what it is that they are making them think is necessary.  It is an act of the flesh.  Anyone who points to a certain, act of the flesh, and says you must do this to be saved, has left the gospel.  They may talk about Jesus, the cross, etc.. but as soon as you add works of the flesh you have rejected who Jesus is and what he has done.  It always sounds spiritual when these people make their arguments.  However, Paul said that it has an appearance of godliness, but it is impotent (no power) to transform our life.  Only the Spirit of God dwelling within us, laboring with our faith in the work of Jesus, in order to express actions of love, has power to transform.  In actuality they do not promote faith in Jesus, but rather, faith in your own works.

Thirdly, Paul points out that the reason they teach such stuff is because they want to escape suffering persecution for the cross of Christ.  Paul could have easily only said for Christ and it would have been correct.  However, he purposefully connects (nails) Jesus and the cross precisely because these teachers are trying to separate the two.  You cannot have Jesus without a cross.  In fact you cannot follow Jesus without picking up your own cross and following him to Golgatha.  The only way to heaven is through the cross, do not be deceived.  It is somewhat self-serving to point to a crucifix and say, "how horrible.  Our Lord, isn't still suffering.  He is risen."  Yes it is true that Jesus is risen.  However, it is also true that the foundation of the gospel is his being nailed to the cross until he died.  We must never forget both of these.  It is too precious not to point out that once Jesus was nailed to the cross he couldn't go back even if he wanted to.  The flesh has to be nailed down through crucifixion otherwise it will not follow the Spirit of God.  These guys are promoting something that is not only powerless to transform them and follow the spirit, but it hates where the Spirit leads and refuses to follow. 

The book of The Acts of the Apostles displays that persecution came from three areas.  Those who promoted the gospel of Jesus and it alone, were persecuted by the Jews who rejected him as messiah.  These were religious phonies who said they loved God, but when he showed up they hated him and put him to death.  Persecution also came from the Romans.  Judaism was sanctioned by Rome, but not Christianity.  For 300 years Christians suffered under varying cycles of persecution from Rome.  To keep connected to Judaism was to be acceptable to Rome.  Lastly, a more insidious, subtle, and social persecution came from these legalistic teachers themselves.  Their judgmental, mocking pronouncements over those who embraced grace alone was a heavy thing to endure.  It preyed upon those Jews who were weak in their faith and it put fear in those Gentiles who respected Jesus but also feared God.  The Apostle Peter himself was tempted by this social pressure, as Paul pointed out in Galatians 2:11 and following.  Those who want to follow Jesus cannot allow the fears of their flesh to lead them.  We must boldly face any persecution that comes our way whether from other religions, the secular world, or other "Christians."  This is part of the cross that we have to bear in order to follow Jesus.

Fourthly, in verse 13, Paul states that these false teachers are hypocrites.  Yes in circumcision they have accomplished one of 613 laws that Moses had given.  They do not keep them all.  In fact they don't even attempt to keep them all.  It is a common practice amongst legalists to have a top 10, or whatever, list.  It may change from group to group, but the same dynamic always remains.  If you don't do or do do these X things then you are not saved.  However, their list always leaves off the sins that they commit.  So the extremely obese preacher doesn't put gluttony or over-eating on his list and the preacher who likes to look good doesn't put vanity or $100.00 haircuts on his list.  The problem with lists is not what is on the list, but rather why it is on the list.  Paul points out that they are hypocrites.  They do not keep the law.  If you seek to be saved by the works of your flesh you will be condemned by the law everytime.  "Oh, for a thousand lives to live....." we would still never get it right and still be condemned by the law.  That's why we needed Jesus! It is logically inconsistent to insist on circumcision to be saved (or any pet law) and not insist on other aspects of the law and thus condemn yourself and us all.

The fifth and final problem is in what the false teachers boast and glory.  They boast in getting other believers to be circumcised.  They boast and glory in the number of flesh works that have been done.  They love to keep data tables of flesh operations, why?  Because they glory in those things that they, and mankind, have accomplished.  Friends, we can either be the type of person that comes into New York City and marvels at the immensity and beauty of its buildings and boasts/glories in that.  Or, we can be the type of people that come into the city and weep over the great energy that is expended in destroying ourselves.  It is insanity to boast in those very things that are destroying us.  Check your own heart, Christian, and ask the Lord to see if you boast and glory in things that will not last.  Do we boast in the number of people who walk down an aisle and say the words, "I want to serve Jesus."  How many of them had their hearts circumcised?  That's right.  We don't know because we can't see their hearts.  Even if we could the boast is not in the circumcision of their hearts, but rather in the fact that Jesus' death on the cross makes it possible for true righteousness in our lives.

Paul now turns from the false teachers and contrasts how he feels.  God forbid that I would boast in anything but the cross of Jesus.  Again, Paul could have said Jesus and been correct.  However, he purposefully points the Galatians back to the cross.  Particularly because they are not yet crucified to the flesh.  Somehow there is still a twinge in their heart for what the flesh can do.  They are in danger of being like Lot's wife who in the midst of being saved from the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, longingly looked back to them and was destroyed.  We cannot look back to the works of our flesh and see any hope or we will doom ourselves and those who follow us.  Paul strongly negates the idea of ever boasting in any work but what Jesus did.

Now the false teachers would piously state that they "boast" in Jesus too.  But their life testifies against them because their every decision attempts to avoid the cross.  How can I say I boast in something but every time it comes close I hide or pretend it doesn't exist?  To follow Jesus is to embrace self-death, crucifixion.  Just as Jesus' flesh was nailed to the cross and couldn't get free, we need to freely choose to follow the Spirit and be nailed to our own trees in life.  So that our flesh cannot turn back to the desires of this world.

Only Christ's work on the cross is worthy of boasting.  Do we truly behold our savior on the cross and marvel at the amazing love, and the precious grace, and the wonderful hope that he made available by freely choosing to go to it?  Are we amazed like a person who watches a chess match is amazed by the move of a master chess player?  Do we then seek to imitate and follow the wisdom of our Lord's "master move" by similarly embracing the cross of our own life?

In fact Paul goes on to state that Jesus death on the cross means that the world has been crucified to him.  This is the poignant but also beautiful truth of crucifixion.  Yes, Jesus was no longer responsive to this world, and in that moment imagine the death of all the hopes and dreams of his apostles.  Everything Peter said he would do in the flesh became dust.  This flesh must be killed before the Spirit can resurrect it and pour new life into it.  This is true first spiritually and then eventually physically.  Paul says that he is dead to the world.  Nothing in the world appeals to him any more but to lift up the cross of Jesus so that all men might be drawn to him.  He is not enamored with the buildings and idols of Athens or Rome but rather is enamored with Jesus.  The Church of Jesus has become far too enamored with the things we have built with our own hands.  The Church of Jesus has not truly boasted in the cross of Jesus, but rather have boasted in the works of our own hands and our own minds.  God forgive us and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.  Thus the tough truth:  It is impossible to embrace Jesus, in Spirit and in Truth, without dying to the world.  You cannot do both.

Of course verse 15 is a restatement of Paul's earlier principle of life.  The legalists always cry foul when the grace of Jesus and the glory of the cross of Christ is preached, alone.  They either attack the messenger as promoting sin or they point to sin in people's lives and say, "Are you saying that this is good?"  It is as if they have their fingers stuck in their ears and refuse to hear the deeper thrust of the argument:  the flesh is the problem.  How can you propose fixing it with the flesh?  The rule of life for the Christian should be this.  The works that I can do in the flesh have no power to "save" me or "justify" me before God.  The only thing that has power is a new creation.  This "new creation" is the same thing Jesus spoke of in John 3, the "born from above" or born of the Spirit person.  Paul defined it in Gal. 5:6.  The new creation does not ask what law must I perform to be saved.  The new creation has put its faith in the work of Jesus and thus has already entered into salvation.  The new creation expresses its faith in Jesus through actions of love towards others: both believers and unbelievers, saved and the lost, family and enemies.  The new creation doesn't sweat over the issue, "I haven't been circumcised, I'm not sure God will let me into heaven."  Rather it responds to the situation at hand by saying, "If Jesus were here I wonder what "move" he would make?  I think I will love in this way......  Freedom!!!!!!!

Paul closes by blessing those who will walk by the "rule" he has proposed.  This rule or canon (like the word cane) is simply the 2nd greatest command: to love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus Christ has given you freedom to love.  "Yeah, but do I have to do this...?"  You have been given freedom to love and to grow in love however greatly you want.  Love continually cries out to us to go deeper.  You have the freedom to mine the depths of love however deeply you wish.  And, may God's peace and mercy be upon you as you live this life.  Yes, peace.  God does not desire you to be fretting over every decision of your life.  He simply wants you to ask the question how can I love and how do I want to love in every situation.  Don't ask what job does God want me to do and then sweat over the fear that you may have chosen the wrong profession.  Rather, discover how you can best demonstrate love to your fellow man through the talents God has given you and then do it!  You have been given freedom to learn how to love. So be at peace and enjoy the mercy of God.

Paul points out a huge issue in such a small verse in verse 17.  The false teachers promote a cutting of the flesh in order to receive God's mercy.  However, Paul has similar marks in his body.  There is a contrast between the marks of circumcision and the marks of suffering.  They are both painful.  But one was in response to avoiding the persecution of those who hate the cross.  The other was received because Paul would not let go of the cross of Jesus.  These marks were marks of love between Paul and his Lord.  They were the marks of faith in Jesus rather than the marks of faith in me.  Oh may the Lord give us true spirituality and true religion wherein we endure, suffer and do what our flesh doesn't want to do because we love Jesus and want to be like him.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with your spirit.  Let it be so!  Amen!

Protecting the Pure Gospel, Part 11

In keeping with his theme of loving each other, Paul reminds them of the practical care they should give to their teachers and then ends with a general principle of doing good towards all men.  This section is Galatians 6:6-10.

Even as we deal with a subject that is difficult for a teacher to teach, let us keep in mind that Paul's point is that he desires the Galatians to show their "spirituality" not through acts of the law, but rather through free acts of love towards one another.  Thus he is talking about true spirituality, of which materially supporting those who benefit us spiritually is just a part.  Thus the logic so far is this.  First carefully restore those who fall into sin and deviate from Christ.  Second, they should help each other carry those inescapable heavy things of life that are difficult for any one person to carry alone.  This third section is the imperative that they should take care of the material needs of their teachers.

The Material Needs of Spiritual Teachers

When men are focused on the law, brotherhood is one of the first things that is sacrificed.  Thus if it was a problem yet, or only one forseen by Paul, we do not know.  Let's point out first that though Paul gives an imperative he uses language that speaks of a different relationship.  The Christian students are told to "share" all good things with their teachers.  This word literally means to give them a portion or an interest in your stuff.  Notice it does not use language that suggests a wage or particular amount.  Thus under the freedom of grace, love obligates us to do something, but does not dictate the measure.  Teachers are not to be treated nor are they to act as "hirelings."  No matter how much pressure the government may put on churches to treat and equate their ministers with employees, this is not the relationship that God would have it be.  It is to be the relationship of brothers who are working together and each share in the blessings of the other.

Paul spends way more time on this in 1 Corinthians chapter 9.

"If we have sown spiritual things for you, [is it] a great thing if we reap your material things?" 1 Corinthians 9:11 (NKJV)

Though this may sound cheeky to modern, cynical ears, Paul is making an argument to believers by using the Old Testament and sound logic.  The Old Testament taught Israel to not "muzzle the ox while it is treading the grain."  The idea is that he who works should be encouraged by that work.  Man is created in such a way that he cannot work long at something that does not in some way benefit him.  Though we could pick that apart in the name of spirituality, God does the opposite.  He tells us to understand that part of our nature and not to ignore it.  There is something inherently more free about a system that says, we won't muzzle you why you are working for us.  Also the levites were totally taken care of through the sacrifices of the rest of Israel.  God was the inheritance of the Levites and thus the people were to help bless them in the name of the Lord.  Paul was not teaching this from selfish motivations because he often did not receive any money from churches, especially the Corinthians.  He had purposefully taken care of himself by tent-making so that he would not be a burden to them.  Initially this would be because there were few Christians.  But there also seemed to be something in the thinking of the Corinthians, that Paul resisted.  Thus, he teaches them to do this not for his benefit, and not solely for the benefit of teachers other than himself.  It was for their own good.  More work will come from the one who is blessed for it.  I might also add, that to the believer spiritual blessings are eternal.  They never end.  However, material blessings are only temporary.  Thus the logic of Paul is such that what is the big deal to give up something that is temporary out of thanks for something eternal?  There can be no reply outside of pure cynicism.

Now Paul compares disregarding this command to mocking God.  Very few would actually mock God to his face, but we can deceive ourselves about our "mocking" actions.  So Paul tells them to beware of deception in this matter.  They were being led away from the truth (It is right to support materially those who bless you spiritually).  In doing so they were mocking God.  The word mocked means to literally turn your nose up to God, to scoff or hold him and his ways in derision.  So Paul's logic is this.  God has revealed that the taught should supply the needs of the teacher.  When we refuse to do this we are mocking him.  In fact, anytime we refuse to walk in the ways that God reveals in his word we are mocking God.  

Paul says that they deceive themselves if they think they can continue on the path of rejecting God's word and not run into a negative result.  God is not mocked, does not mean people don't do it.  Rather it means they don't do it and get away with it.  They will regret it and God's ways will be shown to have been right.  Here Paul brings back the concept of "in the flesh" and "in the Spirit."  In chapter 5 we are told to walk in agreement with the spirit and not the flesh.  We are also told that the Holy Spirit will evidence certain fruit (actions) in our life.  Here he uses the picture of a farmer sowing seeds.

All farmers know that if they want a particular crop then they are going to have to sow that kind of seed.  It is a no brainer that is self-evident.  But we too often forget this in life.  The only reason to reject God's truth about supporting teachers is because our "flesh" would rather keep that money, food, whatever for ourselves.  When we walk in agreement with our flesh we are sowing seeds that will eventually mature and when they do we will find that the action ruined things, spoiled things, and destroyed things, both in our lives and the lives of those around us.  However, if we walk in agreement with the Holy Spirit (thus believing and doing God's word) we are likewise sowing seeds that, when they mature, will bring everlasting life, both to us and many around us.  This sowing principle will be enough for the spiritual man to convince him.  It is a warning to the fleshly minded believer that they are not "protected" by grace from the negative consequences of their choices.

It is easy to grow weary in any task.  Paul doesn't say it will come but challenges them to ward off weariness.  Doing good is not easy.  It is hard work at times, but it always bears good fruit.  Paul points to the coming harvest.  The harvest literally comes in "our season."  I believe that this is pointing not to a personal time of getting something from God in this life, but rather the coming season when God will turn all things over to the saints during the milllennium.  This is not our season in the world.  Our season is coming.  Until then we keep working although it may seem as worthless as a farmer putting good corn into the ground and waiting for it to bear fruit.

They Should Do Good to All People

Now Paul begins to move away from the issue of caring for their teachers and gives a general principle that reminds us of the "love your neighbor as yourself," command.  The "all men" here does literally mean all men, unbelievers included.  Jesus, of course, reminded us to "love our enemies," because in doing so we would demonstrate that we are children of God.

The reality is that in spite of all the negative things that have been done under the banner of Christianity, Christians have historically been known for caring for those who are not their own.  Whether it is the orphans of Rome left on the garbage heap to die or the lepers and untouchables of India, Christians have been on the forefront of helping those whom no one else would help.  And, this is as it should be.  For our Lord commanded us not to treat the world in the same way it treats us.  We are to do them good and leave justice, vengeance to God.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't have governments and laws against evil.  The Christian is not called to look at people who are not believers and despise them, but rather to love them and do good to them in the name of Christ.  We are not talking compromise here.  Rather we are talking simply how we treat others.  You can graciously disagree with someone, but many are disagreeable even with those who are on their side.

However, we should note that Paul does add a qualifying clause that says we ought to give priority to those who are believers.  Thus the sense is, Believers should love everyone, but especially love each other.  This is a simple lesson in priority.  Jesus said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"  The rhetorical question obviously begs the answer, "nothing."  Surely it profits the world, but not the individual.  Even Jesus' sacrfice on the cross has a personal profit.  He will have us to spend eternity with him.  That was a joy to which he still looks forward.  Why would I take a mission trip to Equador to try and save people if I am not saved myself?  This is not an argument against missions or loving the lost, but rather a caution.

People like to say that they love Christ but hate his people, or have no problem loving sinners, but hate saints.  Now, I know that there are phonies out there, but we need to recognize that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  Families always step on each other's feet and get in each other's personal space.  It is tougher to really love those who are closest to us because it costs us far more.  When I spend $2,000.00 to go overseas and share Jesus with someone, I'm there for a week or two and then I'm gone.  I have loved that person but not very deeply.  Paul's caution is that don't get so carried away with loving the world that you quit loving each other.  Our priority is to love each other well, then we are in a position to love the lost.

Picture the command that Jesus gives to his disciples.  They were to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Do you see the priority?  They were to make a global impact, but not without first making an impact at home.  Many ministers have learned this lesson the hard way as they "sacrificed" their own marriages and kids in trying to "love" the marriages and kids of other families.  Isn't that crazy?  Why would you give your neighbor's kid a smorgasborg when your kids are starving at home?  The point is not to squelch giving or love to others, but to ensure it is in Spirit and in Truth.  What is going on inside the person who easily loves those he doesn't know but can't truly love those he does?  Why is adultery so easy?  Because love is difficult and challenging.  It takes a real man and a real woman to love.  Adultery is another form of self love.  You can say you love that person you are trysting with, but in reality you only love yourself.  And, just as you run from the love of  your spouse today, you will run from the love of your adulterous partner tomorrow.  Love itself is a challenge.  As we go deeper in love, it hurts.  But as we die to our own comfort for the sake of others, joy is born and we enter into pleasures we have never known.

May God help us to live this kind of love for one another and for this lost world.