I want to jump ahead for just a minute. At the end of Chapter 6 Paul makes clear the ultimate purpose of God working through Jesus, which is to create the ‘new people of God.’ We become the new people of God when we are transformed to become like Jesus. (Galatians 6:15)
I mention this because in the opening passage of Chapter four (verses 4-7) Paul reveals what I believe is the key to understanding how the transformation to the new people of God comes about.
In verse 7 Paul shifts from speaking in general terms, second person plural ‘we’, to speaking in specific terms, second person singular ‘you’. Paul moves from talking about ‘we’ and ‘us’ to talking about YOU. Not the person sitting next to you. You are God’s child. You are God’s heir. There’s the key. Personal ownership.
The most beautiful passage of scripture is, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” But, that passage is just beautiful prose until you take personal ownership of the subject phrase, ‘everyone who believes,’ and it becomes ‘I believe.’
Sometimes people focus only on the promises of God as they apply to, and benefit only, their personal life.
Sometimes people focus on the whole people of God because they cannot imagine God caring for them as an individual.
But, God saves us one at a time so that together we can become the new people of God.
What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.
Does God want you to change anything in your life?
No comments:
Post a Comment