Galatians 2: 6-10

Friday, August 30, 2013   Galatians 2: 6-10

Through the Apostle Paul, God has given us the incredible Gospel of Grace; the Good News that God accepts us, unconditionally, just as we are, not as we should be, because none of us are as we should be. (Brennan Manning) Through Paul, God has also given us a passion for unity in the Body of Christ. In this letter to the Galatians, Paul sought to reestablish the church on the solid foundation of grace. He was also seeking to maintain unity between himself and the church of the other Apostles in Jerusalem.

To discredit the Judaizers, Paul asserts that the church in Jerusalem did not add to, or take away from his Gospel of Grace. In commissioning Paul to be an evangelist to the Gentiles, the church simply asked Paul to keep on helping the poor, which Paul had always been eager to do. There are times when we are compelled to speak the truth in love, even when such a confrontation may threaten unity, because to remain silent may have a more harmful effect on the church. (We’ll see an example of this in the next passage.) For today, let’s take some time to ponder how we can embrace Paul’s passion for unity within the church.

I believe God calls us to be a part of a local church because He wants us to use the gifts He has given us to help the church fulfill the mission He has for her. We will experience times of conflict within the church, as well as times when we don’t feel we’re being fed. There will be times of great productivity and times when it seems we’re just not contributing to the cause of Christ. In all of these times, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Sometimes we need to be like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus, soaking in his teaching. Sometimes we need to be like Martha and labor diligently for the Kingdom. (See Luke 10:38-42) Whatever season we may be in, our goal is to build up the unity of the church.

A couple who attend our Sunday school class are actually members of a church in another denomination. They attend worship services in their home church and Sunday school in our church. They contribute to unity in both churches. I know of a woman who took a time-out from her church. There were some issues troubling her and she just needed to step away for a season to sort them out. She’s home now and actively participating and contributing to unity in her church.

We all will face issues in our local church. If we hold tight to Paul’s passion for unity within the Body of Christ, I am confident our gracious Heavenly Father will give us the wisdom to respond to the issues in a way that glorifies Jesus and edifies our fellow believers.

Sē’lah

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(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.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        When Christ Thinks of Me: Meditations for the Followers of Jesus will be released on Amazon Kindle October, 1, 2013.

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Galatians 2:1-5

Thursday, August 29, 2013        Galatians 2:1-5

We live in a hyphenated-culture. Seldom is someone referred to by just one defining characteristic. People are referred to as African-Americans or Asian-Americans or Italian-Americans. We also divide ourselves into sub-groups based on schools and universities, states and regions. As seriously as some people take these divisions, they pale in comparison to how the Jews in the first century marked their identity through male circumcision. This national, religious and cultural identity ran so deep that the Jews who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah expected all the male followers of Jesus to be circumcised. This was a huge point of contention between the Apostle Paul and those leaders in the Christian movement who tried to require Gentile believers to comply with male circumcision and the Law of Moses. (These leaders were known as Judaizers.)

At one time, the followers of Jesus were known as Christianoi, People of Christ. Over the centuries, we have become Roman Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Pentecostals, and Anglicans etc. Why all the denominations and non-denominations and differing local churches?

It’s all about control. With churches, it is a way of trying to hold onto our past, and at the same time step into God’s Kingdom. This puts us in a dilemma. On one hand, the way churches are organized creates a temptation to think we are right and others, not in our church, are wrong. This creates disunity in the Body of Christ. On the other hand, our churches in their present form are all we have. This reality creates a huge temptation for us to think we can just bring our Christian faith alongside of our cultural beliefs and try to blend them together.

How can we respond to this dilemma? First, don’t take your denominational or non-denominational doctrine and structure too seriously. The most important thing is to keep your eyes on Jesus. Paul told the Corinthians “that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17). He was more emphatic in what he told the Galatians. Not only is our old life gone, our old identity is dead. We have a new identity as the People of Christ. (Galatians 2:20)

The Jews set themselves apart from others through their mono-theistic faith in the Creator God, their male circumcision and their dietary laws. Today, the People of Christ are set apart by their belief in justification by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Any other form of identification for the followers of Christ is not of 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.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        When Christ Thinks of Me: Meditations for the Followers of Jesus will be released on Amazon Kindle October, 1, 2013.

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Galatians 1:18-24

Wednesday, August 28, 2013     Galatians 1:18-24

Many years ago I made arrangements to visit a young man in the hospital who was under police guard. As I approached his room I was stopped by an Officer. I identified myself and told him I had received permission from his Captain to visit the young man. The Officer responded, “Who are you?” I again gave my name and repeated that I had been authorized to make this visit. He again asked, “Yeah, I go that, but who are you?” He was trying to establish my credentials; was I an attorney, relative, or friend of the family? None of the above. All I could do was repeat myself. Eventually the Officer gave up and allowed me to make the visit.

The Apostle Paul was in a similar situation. He had moved on after first proclaiming the Good News in Galatia, and other Christians, who took exception to Paul not requiring Gentile converts to keep the Law of Moses, had moved in. The issue of Paul’s credentials, his authority to lead the church, had been called into question. The issue of who has the authority to speak for Christ is still an issue for the Christian movement today.

By that time, Paul had been completely accepted by the church leaders in Jerusalem, and he had been commissioned as an evangelist to the Gentiles. His authority was undeniable; yet he never relied on that ecclesiastical authority in making his case to the Galatians. As the old adage goes, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Paul reported that the Christians in Jerusalem knew that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” And they praised God because of me” (Galatians 1:23-24).

Paul isn’t teaching us that clergy credentials don’t matter. He is teaching us that while they certainly have their purpose and place, there is something else that is more important. Is there fruit? Is their ministry making disciples for Jesus Christ? Can you see evidence that they are building for the Kingdom of God?

By the way, the young man I went to see in the hospital was there because he had tried to commit suicide. He was under guard because he had been arrested for dealing in drugs. I went to see him to share my faith in Christ and offer the hope of Christ to him. We prayed at the end of my visit and I left him thumbing through the Gideon Bible. He called me the next day to tell me that after reading Psalm 32 he had prayed and asked Jesus to be his Savior. This was several years before I became a credentialed minister. I was just plain ole John Q. Church-Layman. Paul didn’t make a big deal out of his church credentials because he wanted to be clear that it is Jesus that authorizes us, each and every one of us, to go and make disciples for the Kingdom of God.

Go!

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.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        When Christ Thinks of Me: Meditations for the Followers of Jesus will be released on Amazon Kindle October, 1, 2013.

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Galatians 1: 10-17

Tuesday, August 27, 2013         Galatians 1: 10-17

The Galatian churches had started requiring the keeping of Jewish law in order to earn, or maintain their relationship with God. Paul wants the church to be grounded in the Good News that our relationship with God is first, last and always based on faith, not works. Paul’s position seems rather simple and straightforward; however, the issue he is addressing has been the most difficult concept for the Christian church to grasp. Every church I know of has added to the Gospel with both explicit and implicit expectations of their members. This is not to say God does not have high expectations for His children. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that faith in Christ does not give us a license to sin. God’s great gift to us is holiness of heart, and now that we are grounded in grace in our relationship with Him, God expects us to pursue holiness of life. But living a life of holiness, or harmony with God, does not establish our right standing with Him. God’s gift of grace in Christ Jesus establishes our right standing; our thank you to God is our pursuit of holiness of life.

Paul asserts he received his message through a “direct revelation from Jesus Christ.” This isn’t just a biographical statement. Paul is affirming what Jesus taught Peter in Matthew 16. Jesus had asked his disciples “who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” “Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out” (Matthew 16:17-18, The Message). The rock is not Peter as a person. The rock is God revealing to Peter, to Paul and to you and me the truth of Jesus Christ. This is how Paul expressed this truth in Romans 8: 16, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” The truth of God in Christ Jesus is beyond anything we can imagine or grasp on our own. The only way we can grasp this truth is to realize that Christ Jesus has already grasped us: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12, NKJV).

There is a cost to being followers of Jesus. Paul states he is a ‘slave’ of the Messiah. This is important because a slave bore the marks, or scars, of a slave. False apostles are not prone to suffer for their cause. If our faith costs us nothing, others will value our faith as meaningless.

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.  In addition to this BLOG they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        When Christ Thinks of Me: Meditations for the Followers of Jesus will be released on Amazon Kindle October, 1, 2013.

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.