SYNOPSIS: Ultimately, you will be known for your goodness—before both the world and the Creator of the world. It will be your good character, not your great personality, that eternally defines you. Of course, I am not talking about your moral goodness saving you—only grace can do that. But your goodness matters. In the final analysis, it won’t be how gifted you were, how much you accomplished, how good-looking, how smart or rich or powerful you were; what matters to God and impacts a world is simply the external expression of the Biblical goodness God has worked in your life through Jesus Christ as it freely flows from the internal core of your Christian character.

Project 52—Memorize:
Galatians 6:10

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Ultimately, you will be known for your goodness—before both the world and the Creator of the world. It will be your good character, not your great personality, that eternally defines you. Of course, I am not talking about your moral goodness saving you—only grace can do that. But your goodness matters. In the final analysis, it won’t be how gifted you were, how much you accomplished, how good-looking, how smart or rich or powerful you were; what matters to God and impacts a world is simply the external expression of the Biblical goodness God has worked in your life through Jesus Christ as it freely flows from the internal core of your Christian character.

Goodness comes from the Greek word, agathos. It referred to a moral and spiritual excellence that was identified by its authentic gentleness and active kindness. Goodness is not moral and spiritual excellence alone; it is married to gentleness and kindness. Biblical goodness has to do with our character.  It is both internal—who we are, and external—what we do. We could just as easily substitute for goodness the word integrity: The outer expression of our inner core.

It is this kind of goodness—our integrity of character—that makes you living proof of a loving God to a lost world. As Paul says in Philippians 2:14-15, “Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night…”

So how can you cultivate integrity of character or Biblical goodness in your life?

To begin with, be firm in your commitments. Goodness begins with resolving in your heart that you will live by your values. Integrity of character doesn’t happen just because you can articulate a set of core values, you have to follow through by making a commitment that those values will drive both your private life and your public behavior.

Next, be as flawless in your work. Followers of Christ ought to be the most excellent workers in the work force—wherever your work is, at home, school or in the marketplace. Nothing harms the reputation of Christ like Christians who are chronically late, sloppy, cut corners, and produce an inferior product. Biblical goodness means you are doing your work as if Jesus were your boss or your client.

Then, be faultless in your behavior. Wouldn’t it be a badge of honor if the only criticism people could make about you is that you were a Christian? Someone once said, “if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”  If you are criticized, let it be because of Christ in you.

Finally, be as fervent in your faith. Make sure your faith isn’t just a concept; make it a reality in your daily life. Make walking with God number one in your life, with everything else coming in a distant second. When you truly put God first in all that you do, being good and living a life of integrity will naturally, you might even say, supernaturally, follow.

That’s how you cultivate goodness of character: You make a decision, then you live it out in your work before the world and in your walk before God, and you passionately pursue Christ above all else.

Your goodness of character, fleshed out in the real world of your daily life, is the kind of example your world desperately needs. And your Father takes great delight in it, too!

“Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character … what one has done in the secret chamber [will one day] cry aloud from the house-top.”  ~Oscar Wilde

Reflect and Apply: Firm commitments, excellence in your work, passionate pursuit of God—do any of those need to be shored up in your life?  I know Someone who said he would help if we asked.

Reflect:
Galatians 5:16-26 & 6:1-10

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore,whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good toeveryone—especially to those in the family of faith.”Galatians 6:9-10)

Sometimes you just don’t feel like doing good! Am I right—or is it just me?

I think that’s what Paul means when he uses the word “tired.” There are times when you feel tired of doing the right thing. There are times, honestly, when you feel like being bad—like grousing at your family, running a red light when it’s late at night and there’s no one around, eating a chocolate covered peanut out of the bulk food bin without paying for it, drinking directly out of the juice container rather than using a glass—or worse!

That’s just a part of what it means to live as a fallen human being in a broken, messed up world. Doing good all the time isn’t the easiest thing to do. Giving into your fleshly feelings is.

Being a Christ-follower, however, means being ruled not by a feeling, but by a law, a higher law. Paul describes that higher law throughout Galatians when he speaks of the law of servanthood (5:13), the law of love (5:14), the law of Christ (6:2), and the law of sowing and reaping (6:7-9).

To be an authentic follower of Jesus—to live as Jesus would, to think as Jesus thought, and to do as Jesus did—means to treat these higher laws just as you would the laws that rule our universe. For instance, I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that you’re not going to go up to the roof of your house today and defy the law of gravity. You might feel like flying, you might feel like weightlessness would be a cool thing, but you are not going to challenge the higher law that outweighs your want of weightlessness. There is a name for people who do that—dead!

So it is with doing good. You don’t always feel like doing good, but there is a higher law which you must serve. In this case, it is the law of sowing and reaping. When you don’t feel like doing good, you remember that there will be a harvest of blessing in due season for sowing seeds of good in the present season. Therefore, serving the higher law means that you put your feelings aside and simply “will” yourself to do good.

Now, by and large, there is an interesting thing that happens when you grab your “want to” by your “will to” and do what these higher laws are calling you to do: Your feelings begin to line up behind your actions. If you act like Christ, you begin to feel good about it. And when you string enough good acts together until those corresponding good feelings begin to follow, you will to live at a pretty high level of joy. Plus, you make God pretty happy as well—and that’s always a good thing.

Go out of your way to be a do-gooder today—even if you don’t feel like it. It’s the law! So go do the right thing!

“Grab your ‘wanter’ by your ‘willer’ and make yourself do what you know you ought to do, and God will help you do it.” ~Paul Faulkner

Reflect and Apply: Look for good things to do in the ordinary moments of your life, because that is simply what the law of Christ is all about. Love someone who isn’t too lovable in observable, practical ways. Serve someone when you feel like being selfish. Show kindness to some unsuspecting person with no thought of repayment. By your actions, fulfill the law of Christ today.

Reflect:
Galatians 6:10

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Ultimately, you will be known for your goodness—before both the world and the Creator of the world. It will be your good character, not your great personality, that eternally defines you. Of course, I am not talking about your moral goodness saving you—only grace can do that. But your goodness matters. In the final analysis, it won’t be how gifted you were, how much you accomplished, how good-looking, how smart or rich or powerful you were; what matters to God and impacts a world is simply the external expression of the Biblical goodness God has worked in your life through Jesus Christ as it freely flows from the internal core of your Christian character.

Goodness comes from the Greek word, agathos. It referred to a moral and spiritual excellence that was identified by its authentic gentleness and active kindness. Goodness is not moral and spiritual excellence alone; it is married to gentleness and kindness. Biblical goodness has to do with our character. It is both internal—who we are, and external—what we do. We could just as easily substitute for goodness the word integrity: The outer expression of our inner core.

It is this kind of goodness—our integrity of character—that makes you living proof of a loving God to a lost world. As Paul says in Philippians 2:14-15, “Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night…”

So how can you cultivate integrity of character or Biblical goodness in your life?

To begin with, be firm in your commitments. Goodness begins with resolving in your heart that you will live by your values. Integrity of character doesn’t happen just because you can articulate a set of core values, you have to follow through by making a commitment that those values will drive both your private life and your public behavior.

Next, be as flawless in your work. Followers of Christ ought to be the most excellent workers in the work force—wherever your work is, at home, school or in the marketplace. Nothing harms the reputation of Christ like Christians who are chronically late, sloppy, cut corners, and produce an inferior product. Biblical goodness means you are doing your work as if Jesus were your boss or your client.

Then, be faultless in your behavior. Wouldn’t it be a badge of honor if the only criticism people could make about you is that you were a Christian? Someone once said, “if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” If you are criticized, let it be because of Christ in you.

Finally, be as fervent in your faith. Make sure your faith isn’t just a concept; make it a reality in your daily life. Make walking with God number one in your life, with everything else coming in a distant second. When you truly put God first in all that you do, being good and living a life of integrity will naturally, you might even say, supernaturally, follow.

That’s how you cultivate goodness of character: You make a decision, then you live it out in your work before the world and in your walk before God, and you passionately pursue Christ above all else.

Your goodness of character, fleshed out in the real world of your daily life, is the kind of example your world desperately needs. And your Father takes great delight in it, too!

“Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character … what one has done in the secret chamber [will one day] cry aloud from the house-top.” ~Oscar Wilde

Reflect and Apply: Firm commitments, excellence in your work, passionate pursuit of God—do any of those need to be shored up in your life? I know Someone who said he would help if we asked.

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time
we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore,
whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to
everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
(Galatians 6:9-10)

Thoughts… Sometimes you just don’t feel like doing good! Am I right—or is it just me?

I think that’s what Paul means when he uses the word “tired.” There are times when you feel tired of doing the right thing. There are times, honestly, when you feel like doing bad—like grousing at your family, running a red light when it’s late at night and there’s no one around, eating a chocolate covered peanut out of the bulk food bin without paying for it, drinking directly out of the juice container rather than using a glass—or worse!

That’s just a part of what it means to live as a fallen human being in a broken, messed up world. Doing good all the time isn’t the easiest thing to do. Giving into your fleshly feelings is.

Being a Christ-follower, however, means being ruled not by a feeling, but by a law, a higher law. Paul describes that higher law throughout Galatians when he speaks of the law of servanthood (5:13), the law of love (5:14), the law of Christ (6:2), and in our verse today, the law of sowing and reaping (6:7-9).

To be an authentic follower of Jesus, to live as Jesus would, to think as Jesus thought, and to do as Jesus did, means to treat these higher laws just as you would the laws that rule our universe. For instance, I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that you’re not going to go up to the roof of your house today and defy the law of gravity. You might feel like flying, you might feel like the weightlessness would be a cool thing, but you are not going to challenge the higher law that outweighs your want of weightlessness. There is a name for people who do that—dead!

So it is with doing good. You don’t always feel like doing good, but there is a higher law to which you must serve. In this case, it is the law of sowing and reaping. When you don’t feel like doing good, you remember that there will be a harvest of blessing in due season for sowing seeds of good in the present. Therefore, serving the higher law means that you put your feelings aside and simply “will” yourself to do good.

Now by and large, there is an interesting thing that happens when you grab your “want to” by your “will to” and do what these higher laws are calling you to do: Your feelings begin to line up behind your actions. If you act like Christ, you begin to feel good about it. And when you string enough good acts together until those corresponding good feelings begin to follow, you will to live at a pretty high level of joy. Plus, you make God pretty happy as well—and that’s always a good thing.

So go out of your way to be a do-gooder today—even if you don’t feel like it. It’s the law!

Prayer… Father, today I will find some good things to do, because that is simply what the law of Christ is all about. I will love someone who isn’t too lovable. I will serve someone when I feel kind of selfish. I will do good for someone with no thought of repayment. By my actions, help me to fulfill your law today.

One More Thing… “Grab your ‘wanter’ by your ‘willer’ and make yourself do what you know you ought to do, and God will help you do it.” —Paul Faulkner

“But the fruit of the Spirit is …self-control.”
(Galatians 5:22-22)

Thoughts…. Okay—I want to talk about self-control, and judging by the length of this extra-credit devotional, I have not exercised any! But if you’ve got some extra time today, I think this might be worth your read.

So what does the Bible mean by self-control? There are several different words used in the New Testament for self-control, but the word in our Galatians text is enkrateia, which refers to being strong in something.

In this case, it means to master your moods, impulses and behavior. Self-control is not simply “delayed gratification.” In our culture, delay means waiting two minutes in the fast food drive-thru instead of one, or giving up Coke for Lent—and drinking Pepsi instead.

Biblical self-control may mean giving something up completely. Self-control is the ability to direct my physical desires to fulfill God’s purposes, instead of using them for my own personal gratification. Self-control means taking care of my body in a God-honoring way. Self-control means biting my tongue instead of making that sarcastic remark. Self-control means saying “No” to something I want but isn’t good for me. Self-control says to a watching world that God’s long-range purposes for my life are more important than what looks and feels good right now. Self-control means to take dominion over my desires.

The root word for self-control means to “take hold of something” or literally, to “get a grip.” In whatever particular area of life we struggle, Paul and the other Biblical writers who preached about self-control would say, “Get a grip on this thing!”

And these writers are very specific about the areas where we are to get a grip and practice self-control. Foundationally, they would say get a grip in every area of your life. Don’t let anything be out of your control; bring every area of your life under the supervision of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul talked about bringing his entire body under control. He even said he would bring every thought captive.

But there are some specific areas which the book of Proverbs, in particular, exhorts us to exercise self-control:

In Proverbs 29:11 we’re told to get a grip on our temper—and I think it would be safe to broaden that to include all of our emotions—get a grip on our moods. “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”

Proverbs 6:25-26 tells us that we’d better control our sexual desire: “Do not lust in your heart after the beauty of an adulterous woman, or let her captivate you with her eyes, for she will reduce you to a loaf of bread…” In other words, if you lack control in the area of sexual purity, you’re toast! If you give over control to impure thoughts, pornography, or an inappropriate relationship, it will lead you right down the path to destruction.

Proverbs 21:20 teaches that we must get a grip on our consumption and spending: “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” If you are out-of-control in your spending habits and in bondage to materialism, debt, or living from paycheck-to-paycheck, robbing Peter to pay Paul, begin to cultivate this fruit.

Proverbs 23:29-35 talks about getting a grip on our drinking habits. It warns that if you’re loosing the control battle to strong drink, “in the end, it’s going to bite you like a viper.” That’s why Paul says, “don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to excess, but instead be filled, or controlled, by the Spirit.”

Proverbs 23:4 warns us to get a grip even on our ambition: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.”

Proverbs also speaks of getting a grip on our physical lives, even exercising self-controlled in our eating habits. Proverbs 23:1-3 says, “When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. And don’t stuff yourself; bridle your appetite.” (The Message)

Perhaps the most discussed, and most difficult area where Proverbs calls for getting a grip is on our mouth. The 31 chapters of Proverbs have over 150 references to the words we speak. Proverbs 10:19 says, “Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” (New Living Translation) Proverbs 21:23 says, “Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.” (The Message) James says when you get control of your tongue, you’ve got perfect control. This little slab of muscle in your mouth is the last and most difficult physical member to bring under self-control. And when it’s not, it does enormous damage. If you’re prone to gossip, criticism, harshness, lying, discouraging words, the Bible says, “do what it takes to get a grip, because you are destructive to others and putting yourself in eternal danger.”

There is no area of life where we’re exempt from developing self-control. We need to blanket our lives with this fruit so that the devil can’t get a foothold and distract us from the life God desires us to live.

So where do you begin? Let me quickly suggest 3 starting points for cultivating self-control:

Step one, start with you! One of the most profitable discoveries we can make in life is to realize that we can only work on changing us! This is the very first step is to take responsibility for your lack of self-control. Instead of worrying about the change that should take place in someone else, focus on you.

D. L. Moody was once asked, “Of all the people you come into contact with, who gives you the most trouble?” Moody’s answer: “D. L. Moody. I have the most trouble with myself.” The cartoon character Pogo said it well: “We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.” The whole issue of self-control starts with self. You’ve got to begin to work on you! John Maxwell said it this way: “The first victory that successful people ever achieve or win, is the victory over themselves.” No person is truly free until he or she attains self-mastery.

Now this may sound elementary, but most people trip up right from the start because they are unwilling to face reality about themselves. So start the self-control you with you!

Step two, start small! The old adage is true, “you can eat an elephant—one bite at a time! Don’t get overwhelmed with how far you may have to go. God is ready to give you just the right amount of grace and strength to gain mastery of these areas right now. He doesn’t give you a reservoir of grace and strength for a month or a year from now. But like the manna in the desert, he gives you the right amount for today. And tomorrow, he’ll give you the right amount for that day. Do what you can today. You don’t become a spiritual giant by praying an hour a day…you begin by praying five minutes a day. Or may three or two…you just begin spending time with God. So it is with any area of self-control. So begin by identifying your area, ask God for help and begin to take resolute action steps.

Step three, start now! Do it today. John Hancock said, “All worthwhile men have good thoughts, good ideas, and good intentions, but precious few ever translate them into action.” The Bible says today is the day of salvation! Don’t let a minute go by without taking action to develop self-control. All heaven is holding its breath for you to begin—and succeed. The time is short and heaven is a nearer reality than ever before. And you have a Father who will move heaven and earth to give the will and the power to develop self-control in any and every area of your life, because he loves you and wants you to be free. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12-13, “Be…careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.”

There is a prize for us who run the race and train our bodies and discipline our minds and partner with the Spirit to develop the fruit of self-control: It is the reward of heaven and recognition of God in the life to come. It is to have God’s final approval that will make every effort you put forth now to develop self-control, as painful and sacrificial as it may be, worth it in the end.

Prayer… Father, today I would like to take some small steps to bring self-control to my life, especially the troublesome areas of my mind and my mouth. By your strength, I will think only on what is pure, noble, uplifting and glorifying to you, and I will speak only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. At the end of this day, may the self-control that I exert over my flesh be pleasing to you and take me a step closer to full devotion.

One More Thing… “Our words are the commentaries on our wills.” — Antony Farindon

“It is for freedom Christ has set you free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.”
(Galatians 5:1,13)

Thoughts… The big idea of Galatians is that Christ’s suffering on the cross means that you don’t have to. His death was substitutionary—he took your place; his death was atoning—he paid the penalty for your sins because you couldn’t pay for them yourself; His death was sufficient—there is nothing you can do to add to it or to make it better. What all that means is that when you were saved, you were freed from a long list of do’s and don’ts and rules, regulations and requirements that you could never keep anyway. By Christ’s death, you were set free from living under that bondage of impossible expectations.

So Paul’s challenge then, is not to allow anyone or anything to enslave you again to either the works of the law on one end of the spectrum, or the works of the flesh on the other end. Religion, in this case, meeting the requirements of the Jewish law, is all about what you can do to get God to accept you, favor you, and save you. True Christianity is radically different. It is all about what was done for you. Christ has already done it all—and you can do nothing to improve upon it. Your salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus’ atoning death, plus nothing else.

Therefore, you are free. You are free from the requirements of the law. You are free to do what you want, to live like you want, to eat and drink what you want, to worship like you want. You are totally free.

But here’s the deal: Don’t use that freedom to gratify the desires of your sinful nature. Rather, use your freedom to love God by serving others. After all, your freedom didn’t come cheaply! God gave his very best to deliver you—he gave his one and only Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Likewise, Jesus gave his all—he offered his sinless life as your substitute, taking on your sin and paying the penalty for it so you didn’t have to.

Now if you truly understand the profound implications of that costly gift, you would never cheapen God’s grace by indulging your own sinful desires. You would never use your freedom from the requirements of the law to live a spiritually slothful or self-indulgent life. If you truly grasp grace, you will offer all of your life for the rest of your life as one continual offering of worship to God. How? By loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind! And that wholly devoted love is expressed in its highest form by loving your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:14; Matthew 22:37-39)

If you will make that your highest priority—or as Paul says in verse 16, if you “live by the Spirit” then “you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” What are those sinful desires? Verses 19-21 list them: “Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Out of gratitude for God’s grace, those must be put to death. And when you do, when you offer your life as a living sacrifice of gratitude and worship to God, then fruit of the Spirit will be produced in abundance in your life: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free, Paul says. So use your freedom in a way that reflects your deep, profound, and inexhaustible gratitude to God for the amazing grace that has set you totally and forever free.

Prayer… Father, thanks for the free gift of spiritual freedom. My freedom cost you your very best, so I never want to abuse it by cheapening your grace with self-indulgent living. Rather, I want to use my freedom to serve you by serving others in love.

One More Thing… “Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God.” — Samuel Chadwick

“You are observing special days and months and seasons
and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have
wasted my efforts on you.”
(Galatians 4:10-11)

Thoughts…. Every so often a well-intentioned Christian will strongly suggest to me that the church ought to incorporate a certain practice within our worship. These people are usually passionate about Jesus and are committed to personal discipleship, but they are convinced that if we don’t observe this particular worship expression—usually rooted in some obscure Old Testament passage—then we aren’t truly worshiping and will not experience the Lord’s presence among us.

Over the years, I have seen everything from “Jericho marches” to “holy laughter” to “slaying in the Spirit,” just to name a few, come into the church in an attempt to take our worship to a “deeper level” of spirituality. Years ago, I had a close ministry friend who became convinced that since our church didn’t participate in the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, we were under God’s disfavor. Of course, he had scripture and verse to back up his claim. At about that same time, a Bible teacher in our fellowship had come to believe that it was wrong of us not to include a Passover Seder during Holy Week. She, too, had a Biblical passage to prove her point. At various other times I have had people tell me that we should be waving flags during our singing or blowing a ram’s horn as our call to worship. I could probably fill a chapter in a book with the variety of things that, according to these folks, we should be incorporating in our worship expressions. I wonder what the next worship craze will be: Ritual circumcision? Sacrificing goats? Reconstructing the Ark of the Covenant?

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think these ideas are completely weird—except for those last three—they’re pretty weird! I do think that sometimes it is helpful to incorporate some of these things as a way of teaching the roots of our faith and giving us a stronger foundation for worship. But what I have trouble with is when people insist that certain expressions and practices are necessary to true worship.

The Apostle Paul pointed out that to insist on incorporating Old Testament worship practices into New Testament life was to slip back into the tutelage of the law. It was to willingly give up our freedom in Christ and come again under the domination of that from which Christ’s death and resurrection has set us free. Paul reminds us that we now live under a new and better covenant whose only requirement is that our worship comes as an expression of the overflow of a loving and grateful heart.

Jesus himself addressed this issue with the woman at the Samaritan well. A discussion was being had about the proper place and style of worship when Jesus made this declaration about new covenant worship:

“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
The Father is looking for those who will worship him that
way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him
must worship in spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:23-24)

If you want to observe a feast, go ahead. If you want to wave a flag, go ahead. If you want to blow the shofar, go ahead. Just don’t make it into a law and insist that everybody does it—and must like it. And if you do any of these things, don’t draw attention away from Christ and on to yourself when you do them. Remember, worship is about exalting Christ, not feeling good about yourself.

Whenever you worship, wherever you worship, in whatever way you worship, just remember that the Father wants your heart. He is still seeking men and women who will worship him out of a sincerity of the heart and a theology that is rooted in the foundation of new covenant truth.

Prayer… Father, may grace and truth always season my worship. May you find in me a worshiper who gives you my heart and who stays cemented in your truth.

One More Thing… “When God’s people begin to praise and worship Him using the Biblical methods He gives, the Power of His presence comes among His people in an even greater measure.” — Graham Truscott

“After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are
you now trying to become perfect by your own effort?”
(Galatians 3:3, NLT)

Thoughts… Are you as guilty as I am in trying to get God to like you more? Even though I have been a Christ follower most of my life and have come to increasingly appreciate the grace of God as I get older, I still find myself steering back into the same ol’ ditch of human effort to gain favor with God.

If I don’t feel good about some ministry effort, I’ll redouble my energy on the next activity. If I preach a dull sermon, I’ll work myself silly so the next one will be on the same level as the Sermon on the Mount—although that never seems to work. If I fall into a sin that I’ve promised to never do again, I find myself thinking of how I can make up for it—something akin to Protestant penance. If I am feeling unsuccessful, I will unleash a torrent of good-sounding activity to compensate for my lack.

Sounds pretty goofed up doesn’t it? Well not so fast! I’ll bet you do the same thing.

Here’s the deal: No matter what you do, you cannot get God to like you any more than he already does. In fact, Romans 5:8 says he loves you so much that even when you were still in sin, he sent his Son to die for you. That’s how much he likes you! Zechariah 2:8 declares you to be the apple of God’s eye—don’t ever forget that!

So if you’re a Christ follower, relax! Chill out. You’re in. You’re on your way to heaven. You’ve got the Holy Spirit living within you. You are saved, forgiven, empowered, and favored by God. Reframe your thinking: Instead of focusing on your shortcomings, focus on God’s sufficiency. That’s what you’re depending on anyway. God loves you, warts and all. Allow him to work on your warts, but enjoy his unconditional love—it will change your life.

Prayer… God, your grace is more than enough for me. It is greater than all my sins, and sufficient to compensate for all my shortcomings. As Thomas A. Kempis said, “He rides pleasantly enough whom the grace of God carries,” so your grace is carrying me, and it will carry me right into your eternal arms at the end of my days. For that I thank you.

One More Thing… “Free grace can go into the gutter, and bring up a jewel!” — Charles Spurgeon

“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face,
because he was clearly in the wrong.”
(Galatians 2:11)

Thoughts… There was an elephant in the room, and someone needed to point it out. Never being one to shy away from difficult conversations, Paul was just the guy to do it. So he confronted Peter, the great Apostle, boldly, unequivocally, and publicly.

Peter had gotten caught up in trying to impress certain followers of Christ who were quite legalistic in their approach to faith. They were still following many of the Jewish customs, both in their daily lives and in their public worship. Peter, himself a preacher the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith to the Gentiles, now reverted back to his old ways, acting like one of the Jewish Christians right in front of the Gentile believers. This was hypocrisy pure and simple, and it sent the dangerous message to both the Jewish and Gentile believers that observance of the Law was still necessary to faith.

So Paul took Peter on, and rebuked him to his face for all to see and hear. Paul’s message was hard to hear, but the truth, and it was needed!

We would do well to learn from Paul how to have difficult conversations. Rather than being so “nice” that we allow destructive words or actions to slip under the radar, we must be lovingly courageous enough to confront with courageous love. There are times when so much is at stake that to avoid confrontation just to maintain a relationship or to keep the peace becomes sin on our part, and it will lead to untold damage in the lives of those who need to be directed by our words. Paul’s confrontation put his friendship with the Apostle Peter at risk, but more important than a friendship was the health, well being and doctrinal purity of the Antioch fellowship—not to mention the spread of the Gospel and the future growth of Christianity.

So how should one go about having these kinds of conversations? First, we need to make sure that what needs to be confronted rises to the level of a moral offense and is not merely a disagreement over personal preferences. Second, if possible, we need to have the conversation with the offending party in private. Third, the confrontation needs to be public if it has created a public perception that the wrong behavior is acceptable. Fourth, the conversation needs to be bold, but graceful, and done to bring about reformation and reconciliation. Finally, when we confront, our conversations need to be weighted toward solutions rather than focused only on criticism.

Difficult conversations should be rare, but when they are called for, we must be committed to speaking the truth in love rather than preserving the status quo. Someone’s eternity may be riding on it.

Prayer… Lord, give me the courage to love people enough to confront them when it is the only way that they will grow into the character of Christ. Help me to be ready to speak the truth in love, with humility, and always seasoned with grace.

One More Thing… “Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless.” — Francis Schaeffer

“Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel
from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News
than the one we preached to you.”
(Galatians 1:8)

Thoughts… Every once in a while, it’s so obvious you can’t miss it. Most of the time, however, it’s a subtle, almost imperceptible, theological slight of hand. What I am talking about is the twisting of the pure and simple Gospel.

It happens a lot—more often than you might think. To think that Satan would sit quietly by and allow the Good News to be preached in its simplicity and purity Sunday after Sunday from pulpits and in Sunday School classes or in weekly home group Bible studies would require the willing suspension of disbelief on your part. Satan knows the fundamental power of the Gospel, so he goes after it early and often, trying to pervert it in any way he can.

That’s why Paul writes so many of his letters. That’s why he continually calls believers to alertness. That’s why he gives this sober warning here in the opening verses of Galatians. If anyone, a preacher, teacher, Bible study discussion leader, even an angel from heaven for that matter, brings a Gospel message other that salvation by grace through faith in the atoning death of Christ on the cross and his physical resurrection from the dead, then let the curse of God fall upon them.

So be alert. Be discerning. Check out the sermon to see if it lines up with God’s truth In a sense, God has given you the ministry of spiritual fact checking. Don’t swallow everything you hear hook, line and sinker. Don’t be afraid to ask question if you aren’t sure about what was said. Never let anyone mislead you into thinking that your salvation is based on observing certain laws, or good works or righteous acts or sinless perfection. On the other hand, reject anyone who teaches you that sin doesn’t matter, or whose teaching abuses God’s grace, or who takes advantage of your spiritual liberty by leading you into questionable practices.

Stick to the basic: Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

And don’t be afraid to vet what you hear from your spiritual leader, as much as you love and respect him or her. Keep them honest, and it will keep both you and them faithful to the most important truth in the universe—the Good News!

Prayer… Lord, I believe that you died on the cross as the only possible substitute for my sins. It is only through your sacrificial death that I can receive forgiveness and be made righteous before God the Father. I believe that you rose from the grave after three days, that you now live before the Father to ever intercede on my behalf, and will return one day soon to take me home to be with you forever. It is by the grace of the Father that I have been saved from sin through the gift of faith that has led me to put trust in your redemptive work. I completely trust in you as my Savior and fully follow you as my Lord.

One More Thing… “It is a remarkable fact that all the heresies which have arisen in the Christian Church have had a decided tendency to ‘dishonor God and to flatter man.’” — Charles Spurgeon