Hi Friends, it is my prayer to write as the Spirit leads. This message has been percolating ☕ for a bit. It's about the freedom we have in Jesus.
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Our verse for today👇🏾
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“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”Galatians 5:1.
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I love Paul’s epistles; each book is in a league of its own. However, my heart delights in the Book of Romans and Galatians this season. Why🤷🏾♀️? Of course, the Gospel. Paul took great care to lay the Gospel out in the Book of Romans and defend it in the Book of Galatians, and there is no time like the present to brush up on our spiritual skills to contend for the faith!
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The apostle Paul’s writings have divine order to them. Starting with the wealth we have as believers, then the walk as believers, and finally, the warfare as believers. He often encourages the church and then moves forward with a word for the church😉.
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However, the Book of Galatians is slightly different. Instead of encouraging and admonishing the church in Galatia, Paul gets down to business with the Gospel and the fact that they believe something different👇🏾
“who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Galatians 1:4.
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“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6-7.
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Paul’s heart is for the Gospel and the freedom it brings. He doesn't want the Gospel mishandled in any way, whereby the children of God would be placed under a yoke of bondage. The issue back then was the people preaching a gospel of works🤔 (the necessity of circumcision) rather than the Gospel of grace😉 (the cross is all Jesus and none of us). The issue is it is still happening today💁🏾♀️ and this is why it is important to dive deep 🤿 into this book.
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First, look at one astounding statement by Paul👉🏾: “You are so quickly deserting him.” Friends, believing any other gospel is deserting Jesus 😮 this is serious, which is possibly why Paul gets to the heart of the matter quickly.
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Next, Paul defines the Gospel of our Lord Jesus as the Gospel of grace. How do we know this 🤷🏾♀️? Let’s reread it, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—” Galatians 1:6.
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Paul sets ‘the call into the grace of Christ’ as opposed to a different gospel, which means the grace of Christ is the Gospel.
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Many people come against the preaching and teaching of God’s grace as though it is apart from His holiness and justice, and nothing could be further from the truth! Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. And here Paul states in the book of Acts, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24.
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So why the fuss 🤷🏾♀️? Because it is important to receive what Christ has done and not add anything to it. What might adding to the cross look like today? It's when we 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 we need to 𝒹ℴ anything or 𝓅𝓇ℴ𝒸ℯℯ𝒹 𝓉ℴ 𝒹ℴ 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 to be in 𝑔ℴℴ𝒹 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 with God or ℴ𝒷𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃 His blessings. Beloved, we cannot do anything to be good with God apart from accepting what Jesus has done! It is all of Christ and none of us.
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It seems straightforward enough, but what Paul describes is insidious and religious meaning. It often feels right to the flesh but is wrong, and we know this because Paul later says, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”Galatians 5:4.
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Friends, just because we fall into sin, have lying symptoms in our bodies, or deal with thoughts in our minds because we find ourselves struggling doesn't negate the truth that we were delivered at the point of salvation. What we experience horizontally in this life doesn't change the truth vertically and the power of the cross inside us. We don't need to proceed from a place of doing, only believing and believing what the LORD has done. God does things because He is good, not because we are good. However, we are good because we are in Christ.
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Friends, the blood of Jesus set us free; therefore, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8.
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Jesus is salvation. What He did on the cross is Deliverance. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we may look the same, but everything, absolutely everything changed😉.
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We were dead in sin. We were void of a relationship with God. We were void of the Spirit of God. ALL of that changed at the point of salvation. We were raised from death to life and placed in Christ. There is now no us apart from Him. We were justified and given right standing before a holy God, and He is our Abba Father. The Holy Spirit has made His home in us forever. This is the truth: He is our inheritance.
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Bathe in the truth this weekend and enjoy our liberty in Jesus. It is perplexing, fantastic, and filled with so much promise. Beloved, we are free in Christ. We are free to think like Him. We can move as Him because we are in and one with Him.
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Often, we want to jump to our part; what do we do? Instead of soaking in His part! There is power in what He has done. I leave you with one final thought; what if the heart and the posture of it, and our perspective were the only changes here and now? Isn't that more than enough? To be consumed by His Person, filled with His Spirit isn’t He enough? May we never forget: Jesus is the prize! Jesus is the chief end! Becoming like Jesus is the win!
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The more we see Him; the more we experience His life as our very own. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. And this is not us mental ascent; it is abiding in Him 👉🏾 “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”John 17:21.
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This is why, my heart burns so passionately for the truth. Friend, don't let the freedom by which Christ has set you free be usurped in any way 👉🏾 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36.
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Scripture Meditation 📖
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“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”Hebrews 1:3.
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“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”Hebrews 10:10.
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“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.”Hebrews 10:12.
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“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.
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Our experience may not perfectly align on the outside in this moment with what Christ has done on the inside, but it doesn't change that the work is finished! It also doesn't change what God said! The ONLY fight we have is the good fight of faith; that is believing what Jesus has done and declaring what Jesus has said, Amen🙏🏾.
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Live Loved🫶🏾 Happy Weekend!
Weekend Journal Prompts📓🖋️
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Reflect on Galatians 5:1. What does freedom in Christ mean to you personally? How can you stand firm in this freedom today?
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Paul begins his letter to the Galatians with a strong presentation of the Gospel. How can you ensure that your understanding and sharing of the Gospel remains pure and unaltered by human traditions or philosophies?
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Meditate on the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice as described in Galatians 1:4-5. Journal how His deliverance from the "present evil age" impacts your daily life.
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Think about ways people might add to the Gospel today, as mentioned in the post. How can you guard against these additions in your own faith journey?
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Reflect on Colossians 2:8. Are there any philosophies or traditions that have influenced your understanding of the Gospel? How can you return to a Christ-centered perspective?
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Contemplate the divine exchange that occurs at salvation. How does knowing you are in Christ change the way you view yourself and your purpose?
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Consider a time when your feelings were in conflict with God’s word. How did you navigate that situation? Write about how you can strengthen your trust in God’s word over your emotions.
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Jesus prayed for unity with Him and the Father. What does being one with Christ look like in your daily life?
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Reflect on the statement “It is finished.” How can you shift your focus from your efforts to what Christ has already done? Journal a prayer or declaration of trust in His finished work.
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Reflect on 2 Corinthians 3:18. How have you seen yourself being transformed into Christ’s image? What practices help you to behold His glory more fully?
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Consider John 8:36. What areas of your life do you need to surrender to experience true freedom in Christ? Write a prayer asking for His help in these areas.
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Meditate on the passages from Hebrews. How do these truths give you confidence and assurance in your faith?
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Reflect on what it means to fight the good fight of faith. How can you practically apply this in your everyday life, especially in moments of doubt or struggle?
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How can you adjust your heart posture and perspective to be more Christ-centered? Write about a specific area where you want to see change and growth.
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Contemplate the idea that Jesus is the prize and the chief end. How does this shift your focus and priorities? Write about ways you can pursue knowing Jesus more deeply next week.
Loved the read!