storiesofvalue

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.  You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.  But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:1-6)

At the beginning of our study I said I would try to avoid making this study all about the Old Testament Law and the subject of circumcision.  However, today’s passage makes this rather difficult.  I sincerely believe Paul’s line of reasoning so far has led to this one point:

“Don’t do it!”

A ritual like circumcision, especially for a grown man, was a serious matter.  And it was irreversible.  So once a Gentile submitted to the act of circumcision to prove his righteousness, he would have a permanent reminder of the day he “caved-in” to legalism.

To restate the theological point Paul has been making: Followers of Jesus are made righteous by faith.  They are the true children of Abraham, having received his promise.  As a result, those who are of Abraham and recipients of the promise are free.  They are not oppressed by a Law they can’t keep, but have been washed clean.

So how do those who have received the promise in this way express their faith?  If they don’t do it through circumcision, how do they do it?  Paul says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”  We are saved through faith, and we show our faith by loving.

Every now and then a news story will appear about some insane act of violence committed in the name of love.  A boyfriend is jilted by his girlfriend, so he shows her how much he loved her by taking an overdose of drugs, or going on a rampage.  A fan wants to gain the admiration of a celebrity, so she stalks him or breaks into his home.

Does this sound strange?  Of course it does.  How could any of these acts prove someone’s love for another?

These examples might sound a little extreme as parallels to circumcision…but not really.  In fact, in Philippians 3:2, Paul called the people who pushed the Old Covenant on followers of Jesus “mutilators of the flesh.”  Circumcision was an important sign under the Law, but as a righteous act under Christ it was barbaric…insane…unnecessary.

I also realize there is a debate on the medical advantages and disadvantages of this procedure as a modern-day practice.  But that’s another story.  This is all about righteousness before God.  And when it comes to righteousness, circumcision is irrelevant.  When it comes to the New Covenant in Christ, it just does make the cut (sorry).

Dear God, help me learn to express my faith in the right ways.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.  His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: “Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.  At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.  But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”  Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. (Galatians 4:21-31)

This passage is a little complicated because it draws some unnatural parallels with Sarah and Hagar in an effort to show the difference between the Old and New Covenants.

In the Old Testament Abraham was promised a child, from which all of Israel would spring, by his wife Sarah.  When Sarah became old Abraham, at Sarah’s prompting, had a child through the slave Hagar.  The child’s name was Ishmael.  Then Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to Isaac, and from that time on there was trouble.

From an historical standpoint, Paul’s readers would have known Isaac was the child through whom the promise of God would pass, all the way down to the birth of Jesus.  Yet, he connects Hagar, the slave, to Jerusalem and the giving of the Law at Sinai.  Why?

Paul is using allegory to pick up on the idea of “free” and “slave.”  For the moment, we have to overlook the fact that Isaac, the child of Sarah, would have been associated more closely with the giving of the Law at Sinai (His son Jacob would become “Israel”.)  The comparison here isn’t between Isaac and Ishmael, but rather, between free and slave.

The new reference point that changes everything is the “Jerusalem above” where God’s people are free.  This Jerusalem stands in sharp contrast to the Jerusalem of Paul’s day, which was oppressed by the Romans.  You see, Paul’s audience knew history, but they were better able to relate to the present reality.  And the present reality was something both Jews and Gentiles could understand.  Just as Hagar was a slave and Jews in Jerusalem were oppressed, so the Law is oppressive for those who try to pursue self-righteousness.  But just as Sarah was free, there is a place where people are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  They do not obtain righteousness, but received it from Jesus.

I don’t know that we want to say much more.  This allegory alone should keep us busy today as we try to orient it in our mind.  But the bottom line is we can free in Christ.  Anyone can be a child of Abraham by faith.  If this is true, then it makes no sense to return to try to save ourselves.

Dear God, help me live by faith.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! (Galatians 4:19-20 NIV)

I can hear the voices of a thousand mothers saying: “Yea right!”

What did Paul know about childbirth?

Probably more than we think.  He lived before modern maternity wards, ultrasounds and epidurals.  While I feel certain there were attempts in Paul’s day to keep the process of childbirth modest, it certainly wasn’t pain-free.  And it didn’t occur behind block walls and glass.  My guess is, when someone was having a baby, you didn’t need to text the neighbors to let them know it was time.  They would hear it was time!

This isn’t the only time Paul used the metaphor of childbirth.  In Romans 8, where he was discussing suffering and the expectation of the Son of God, he wrote, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:22 NIV)

I don’t think Paul was fixated on childbirth.  I merely believe the whole experience was more transparent to his culture.

Let’s return to Paul’s point.  He wanted Christ to be formed in the Galatians, which meant he wanted them to “conform” to the image of Christ.  If the Galatians could find maturity in Christ, they could put their cultural and historical differences in perspective.  They could also fully embrace the life of grace and put more distance between themselves and the oppressive excesses of the legalists.

When Paul heard there were those who were beginning to revert to a life of self-righteous acts, instead of putting on the righteousness of Christ, he groaned.  Like a mother in labor he groaned.  “Ok, Paul, count, 1, 2, 3, breathe.  That’s good Paul.  That’s good.  Now push!!!”

But could they?  The pains of labor had gone on much too long and the church in Galatia was in distress.  Her blood pressure was dropping and something needed to be done.  If Paul was there he could intervene, but as it was, he was communicating by parchment, coaching them along…telling them what to do next.

We may not be in the church of Galatia, but all of us need to pay attention to the formation of Christ in our lives.  A good work has begun in us, but God didn’t design us to struggle in labor for the rest of our lives, or to cause others to labor while they wait for something to happen.

If I might borrow from Paul’s metaphor: “Where does Christ need to be born in your life?” Let what is formed be born!

Everyone is waiting.

Dear God, bear with me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.  It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you. (Galatians 4:16-18)

The specific contextual issue here was one of apostolic authority.  Paul was concerned that the Galatians had quickly been drawn into legalism by those who denied the sufficiency of the cross.

But there is a human dynamic at work here.  In fact, the older I get, the more I believe apostasy is about 20% doctrinal and 80% personality.  This personal estimate isn’t intended to diminish the significance of false teaching.  It’s just that I have become convinced dysfunctional relationships provide the breeding ground for the spread of bad doctrine.  Conversely, healthy relationships nurture productive discussions, which in turn can restore the truth.  Allow me to expand this notion.

When people feel they are being unfairly attacked for their beliefs, they become more entrenched.  The attacks may be real, as there are plenty of people who prefer labeling and bullying over a sincere examination of the scriptures.  On the other hand, the attacks can be imagined by those who suffer from past hurts and insecurities.

Sins of the heart can drive false doctrines that hold the promise of a pay-off for their share-holders.  Perhaps you have been approached by those who claim to be doing a God-ordained work, which in the end turned out to be a carefully devised scam, or at the least an unethical scheme.  These unfortunate occurrences are often driven by greed, envy and a host of other human fears and ambitions.

In the case of the Galatians, it appears there were those who were using the “wedge” approach to accomplish their ill-conceived objectives.  They were attempting to discredit Paul and his ministry associates in an effort to turn the hearts of the Galatians against them.  These false teachers specialized in creating false perceptions, which made those returning to legalism more zealous than ever.  And, the climate of dysfunction that already existed in the church due to the presence of Jews, Gentile converts to Judaism, and Gentiles only fueled the fire.

If the struggle in Galatia was as simple as Paul telling them the truth, the matter would have been settled quickly.  But this was not the case.  Human emotions were out of control, and truth was the victim.

In the church I serve we have a slogan: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty and in all things love.”  This statement provides the framework for a healthy discussion of doctrine.  If a doctrine is not essential to salvation, or is not clearly explained in scripture, we should give one another space to disagree.  If it is essential, we should study together to come to the truth.  And in the process, we should practice love.  After all, when it comes to the truth, we all want to get it right.  There is no room in truth-seeking for problems of the heart.

Of course, when we are stirred up with zeal it is hard to discern these things.  But we should practice self-awareness and do our best to seek truth for truth’s sake.   Any other motive is 100% guaranteed to create a problem.

Dear God, help me not to be a part of the dysfunction.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.   As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.  Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. (Galatians 4:12-15)

First… a word about the opening phrase, “become like me”.  Paul had proclaimed his freedom from the Law, based on his faith in Jesus.  He was not obligated to participate in ceremonial regulations regarding the Old Testament sacrificial system since Jesus had offered Himself as the final sacrifice on Calvary.  He hoped the Galatians could feel the freedom he had: once a Pharisee, but now a true child of Abraham by faith in Jesus.

Now onto this interesting description of Paul’s condition when he first preached to the Galatians.  There has been much speculation about the nature and cause of his illness.  Some have even suggested it wasn’t an illness at all, but perhaps his recovery from the hardships of persecution, and even a near death stoning experience with an angry mob.

The most popular theories are that Paul had a fever, or an eye disease that flared up during his visit to Galatia.  The eye disease theory is sometimes supported by his statement that the Galatians would have torn out their eyes for him had they been able.  Later, Paul referred to a “thorn in the flesh” in his life that he prayed for God to remove, and some have speculated that the “thorn” must have been an eye disease, as indicated here.

We really don’t know for sure, but it is important to know this passage is one that enters into the debate of physical healing as it relates to God’s servants.  The logic goes like this: if Paul, who was a great servant, prayed for God to remove an eye disease, which He did not remove, then we should not be surprised when we pray with great faith and God doesn’t heal us.  I personally think this is a good principle to keep in mind since God chooses to heal whom He wishes.  However, this is a difficult logic for some to accept, and could explain why some reject the idea that Paul’s eye problem here, or his thorn in the flesh were physical diseases.

This important subject aside, I think the biggest takeaway from our passage is the relationship Paul was able to develop with the Galatians as a result of his circumstances.  His illness brought them closer, and endeared him to his listeners.  It forced Paul to let others care for him, which deepened his appreciation for those who helped him.

Throughout the years I have discovered the most meaningful relationships emerge through ministry to one another.  People who merely serve together, but don’t need each other operate on a shallow level.  They coordinate and sometimes collaborate, but aren’t necessarily concerned about building one another up.

God can certainly accomplish His mission without deeper relationships among His people, but it doesn’t represent the fullness of His design for His church.  And without this, the work isn’t as effective.  Don’t be afraid to share your needs with others, and stand ready to meet the needs of others.  You may just be setting the stage for a greater work of God.

Dear God, help me to serve with vulnerability.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. (Galatians 4:11)

“Where have we failed?”

When the people we have invested our lives in ignore the basic principles we hold dear, we wonder what went wrong.  How did we fail to pass along the truths that form the foundation of our very being?

I have had conversations with parents who were heartbroken over poor decisions their children made.  Almost all of them have instinctively reflected over the past in an effort to figure out where they might have gone wrong.

I have heard the disappointment in an employer’s voice when someone he hired, trained and mentored has damaged the company with unethical or illegal behavior.  How could someone he had been so good to do something so wrong?

And I have listened to the frustrations of God servants who have poured their lives into those who are downcast, only to watch them throw away all of the advances they have made to return to their destructive habits.

When we lead others, we expect good things, and when bad things happen, we can’t help but take it personally.

The apostle Paul had given his life to the Galatians.  He had introduced them to Christ, and helped them discern how to view Old Testament practices in light of the cross.  And since the differences between Jews and Gentiles were cultural as well as spiritual, he had worked to help both groups see how Jesus’ sacrifice and their decision to follow Him should change their attitude toward one another.

But the reports were not good.  Evidently, some had forsaken the simple message of the cross and had begun seeking righteousness through the Law, which could not be kept.  Not only this, but they were imposing their views on others, discouraging people in their faith and creating disharmony in the body of Christ.

Where had Paul failed?

Nowhere…

People have a mind of their own, and they often let their relationships with others and their human ambitions get in the way of the truth.  Unfortunately, our fear of being rejected by the people we are trying to impress will lead us to do desperate things…even turn our backs on what we know to be right.

Of course, we are imperfect beings, and we do fail in our leadership of others at times.  We just shouldn’t let the perception of failure make us think we are wasting our time.

Dear God, show me where my efforts make a difference in others.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! (Galatians 4:10)

I will never forget the strangest funeral I ever preached.  An elderly man with no family pre-planned his funeral with a local funeral home.  He lived well into his 90s, and had no living spouse or children.  All of his friends were dead and he didn’t have a church connection.  So the funeral home called me to do the funeral.

No one came.

I mean no one.  When the time came for the funeral, I walked out into an empty chapel and dutifully preached a funeral to empty pews.  The only one who heard what I had to say was the funeral director, and I am not so sure he wasn’t outside drinking coffee.

I believe there is value in honoring the dead, whether others are there to hear or not.  And while the dead man certainly couldn’t hear me, it was only right to reflect on the life revealed in his short obituary. I was there to hear, and the strange circumstances alone have stuck with me.

Yet, most of us would admit, the social aspect of this funeral was irrelevant.  In this case, it might have been better to say a few words over a graveside instead of an empty chapel.

I know this isn’t a perfect analogy, since sometimes these kinds of services are held and an obituary is placed in the paper just in case there is someone still alive who wants to attend.  I merely toss it out there to show how empty a ceremony can be if it is taking place out of mere obligation.

There was nothing wrong with the traditional special days and seasons recognized by Jewish people in Galatia, just as there is nothing wrong with the celebration of Passover today for Jewish Christians.  Unless they are viewed in one of the two following ways: 1) As proof of one’s righteousness to satisfy an obligation to God, and 2) As meals of hope that deny the Messiah has come.

Obviously special Jewish days and seasons would have been mostly meaningless to Gentile believers in Galatia.  They could have benefited from their historical context if their Jewish brothers used them to share stories of God’s faithfulness.  But if they were used for either of the two reasons suggested above, they ran the risk of obscuring the cross.

At the time the arrangements were made, it was impossible for the man I preached the funeral for to know he would outlive everyone he knew.  But had there been some way to convert the funeral costs, give the director his cut and use the rest for something else, perhaps a gift to a homeless shelter or a children’s hospital would have been more significant.  If someone had told a struggling family, “a nice man left some money to buy you some clothes,” there would have been others to carry on his memory.

The cross and the empty tomb are the foundational events for followers of Jesus.  We celebrate them through the Lord’s Supper and by worshipping our risen Savior.  Everything else is just a memory.

Dear God, teach me to attach the right importance to the right things.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.  But now that you know God–or rather are known by God–how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? (Galatians 4:6-9 NIV)

We are back to the child metaphor…

Like a child under the governorship of a guardian, the Law directed and developed the hearts of people before the coming of Christ.  It led them to put their hope in the promise of God, as given to Abraham and ultimately revealed in the Son.

The Law instructed, but by its nature it also condemned.  Both Jew and Gentile were condemned, though not all knew it.  And finding their selves under condemnation and the slavery of sin, God’s creation cried out to Him and waited for His Savior.

Then He came!  The Son came to give His life as a payment for sin.  Then He came to live in the hearts of believers and interceded for them: “Abba, Father.”

Imagine what these words meant to a Jew.  Their righteousness was not based on adherence to the Law, but rather the right heart.  God was much more personal than they ever realized, and true religion was about a relationship first, and a way of life second.

But even more than the Jews, try to comprehend what this talk of an inheritance meant to a Gentile.  Gentiles lived in a culture of paganism, and they were not only enslaved by sin, but also by their adoration of false gods that could not save them.  Then, in one masterful stroke, God changed everything.  He called them as sons, made them heirs of the kingdom, and put His Son in their hearts to cry out “Abba, Father.”  And they weren’t even the children of Abraham…so they thought!   But yes they were!  The promise of Abraham had always been accessible by faith, and now it was theirs through Jesus.

What a challenge it must have been for Jews and Gentiles to come to terms with these matters.  There were Jews by birth, Gentiles who had become Jews and Gentiles who had accepted Jesus without first passing “go.”  And all three groups had to come to terms with Old Testament practices as they related to the worship of Christ.

Perhaps the main principle for us to keep in mind is not to be jealous children.  It should be our desire to hear everyone cry out “Abba, Father” as the Son inhabits them through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The cry might not sound right coming from the lips of those who are different from us, or have a different past they we do.  But we must rejoice when we are given new brothers and sister, having accepted the same Lord by faith.

How do you view others who come to Christ?  With suspicion?  With indifference?  Or with joy?  How do you think the Father views them?

Dear God, cry out in me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.  So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.  But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Galatians 4:1-5)

Do you believe Paul is talking about one’s actual childhood, or something else?  I think something else.  I believe he is using the metaphor of childhood as a backdrop for the collective experience of mankind.

Remember, Paul has been talking about the Law and how God provided it in a particular historical season to prepare our hearts for the promise of Jesus.  So as a people, the Jewish nation, and really all of mankind, were metaphorical children.  The Law was a guardian, steering and prodding their spiritual lives until such time the curse of sin could be erased and the Spirit of God could come to live within.

The Law did not employ the “basic principles of the world”, but it had the unintended effect of promoting legalism and self-righteousness.  There was nothing wrong with the Law, just as there is nothing wrong with many rules and regulations.  But when they take the place of the foundational desire of the heart to do the will of God, they can become the devil’s workshop.

I will never forget an experience I had with some teens in a church I once served.  A husband and wife who had a pretty narrow view of what church should look like unleashed a bundle of complaints about the teens.  They criticized their dress, their behavior, their attitude, and their lack of respect for others.  Since the teens in questions were among the most mature and gracious I had ever met, I shared the complaints with them and we agreed together to go to the couple’s house and apologize for any misunderstanding.  Within the first five minutes of our conversation, the couple made several unkind comments to the teens.  And then it happened… The husband kicked his coffee table and a Playboy magazine slipped out from under his wife’s Good Housekeeping.  Oooops!  From that point on things were awkward…not because of the magazine, but because the teens that were with me were consumed with trying to be respectful when what they really wanted to do was roll on the floor and laugh.

The “basic principles of this world.”  Law has a way of leading us in that direction.  When we replace the right heart with the right rules, disaster is sure to follow.

Please don’t get me wrong.  I hope you know by now I have an unusually high level of love and adoration for the Old Testament Law.  It was beautiful.  And I also believe we find a number of rules or “commands” in the New Testament that must be followed.  One of the dangers of misinterpreting the distinction between Law and grace is the temptation to disregard sound spiritual instruction.

On the other hand, right living without the right heart almost always leads to wrong action.  As humans we are incredibly crafty, and we can easily maneuver around the truth to proclaim our sinful behavior just, while condemning others for the wrong we do.  Does this sound confusing?  It is.  Imagine how confusing it seems to the rest of the world.

Dear God, help me grow up in grace.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:25-29 NIV)

If you are a follower of Jesus did you know you are “Abraham’s seed?”

Ok, I know this title deserves an explanation.  “Abraham’s seed” isn’t exactly bumper sticker material (although, it would be an interesting one).

Abraham’s seed is a synonym for Abraham’s descendants.  Physiologically, they are the children of Jacob (Israel), the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.  And as we know, Israel’s sons constituted the tribal divisions of the Hebrew people.

But now we know there is a spiritual seed of Abraham that includes both Hebrew children and Greeks.  It also excludes some physiological descendants of Abraham.  That’s right.  Abraham’s seed includes people were once considered far off by members of his family tree, and excludes some who would understandably assume they were in the household.

If we have accepted Jesus by faith, we have inherited the promise given to Abraham, and therefore are “Abraham’s seed.”  Jesus was the promise.  The Law, and everything Jewish carried the message and set the stage for the fulfillment of God’s plan.  And when it was fulfilled, the supervision of the Law ceased.  It retired from service.

I will be honest with you.  For some time I thought Abraham’s seed related mostly to Jewish people who were given the Promised Land, and through whom Jesus came.  I figured when Jesus came and people like me started following Him, we became the new people of God, and received the new promise of salvation through His Son.

But now I know, as a follower of Jesus, I am a descendent of Abraham and a recipient of his promise.  Both of us came to the Lord by faith, and both of us were rewarded with righteousness.  Abraham’s faith was “counted” as righteousness until such time Jesus would pay his penalty on the cross.  In the same way, I am made righteous through faith in Jesus, and unlike Abraham, I have the full revelation of His story.

What all of this means is, I must drastically rewrite my family tree.  I always knew I was Welsh and German, following in a line of Joneses, Hiebers and Baeslers.  Now I know I am a seed of Israel’s race.  I guess I am going to have to look into attending some new family reunions.

Wait a minute!  I already do…every Sunday when I share communion with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I always heard family connections can get complicated.

Dear God, thank You for making me a child of the promise.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.