For God Is Working In You

Meditations on Galatians

November 3, 2021

For God Is Working In You

Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.

Galatians 3:2

Read Galatians 3: 1-9

Our culture differs greatly from that of the Galatians. Twenty-first century in the USA is referred to as post-Christian as most of the people in our culture do not believe in any gods, much less in the Christian God. Many Christians, while affirming their faith in God, see their faith as the way to a better quality of life.

In contrast to our culture, it was vitally important to the people in the Galatian congregations to be in a right-relationship with God. This was not optional to them. It is not hyperbole to say it was a matter of life and death to them. With this in mind, we can sense Paul’s frustration. Paul had proclaimed the Gospel to them, and the Galatian Christians had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They had entered into a right-relationship with God by grace, through faith in Jesus. Then church leaders who came after Paul forced their congregations to keep rules and laws in a desperate attempt to stay in a right-relationship with God.

Seeking the life in Christ is hard work! On one hand, we rejoice that God loves us, unconditionally, just as we are. On the other hand, we know this marvelous grace of God does not give us a license to keep on sinning. We are called to crucify our flesh with its sinful desires. On one hand, we want to glorify God and live in a manner that others can see Christ in our mortal flesh. On the other hand, the witness of Christ within us comes by grace, not an accumulation of good works.

My Takeaway: Reaching a balance where our good works are evidence of God’s grace at work in our lives is an art more than it is a process to be learned. As we seek to release the graceful artist within us, we’ll do well to remember Paul’s words to his friends in Philippi: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13).

Trust God.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.