Saturday, July 3: Galatians 1-NO other Gospel.

After weeks in the OT, I find it refreshing to swim in the sea and teaching of the New Testament. And Galatians is like a dive into the Atlantic on a Connecticut summer day. The temperature of the water jolts you awake, my body tingles with the cold but after a moment or two, I am invigorated and ‘alive.’

From its opening line, Galatians jolts me with the wonder and uniqueness of the gospel. Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead (1). God is the source of the preaching of Paul… not man’s wisdom, not a keen mind that ‘figured things out.’ NO, God deposited into Paul the message he was and is to preach and teach… read on. Verses 11-12: I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. The gospel is God’s, plain and simple. And as such, we can accept itor reject it, but it is not ours to change. And its truth is not dependent upon what we believe about it.  The gospel’s truth and veracity comes from the fact that it is God’s!

Reading this opening chapter, it is easy to spot that the issue for them (and for us) is accepting the gospel as delivered… no changes allowed. Something is going on in Galatia that is tempting them to change the gospel.  We will read about this in the days to come. My mind floats to my day, our day, this day and how people today continue to attempt to change God’s delivered gospel.  They cut out this or that to make it more palatable for the taste of the 21^st century person. But remember words from above:

We can accept it or reject it but it is not ours to change!

For me -and probably for readers of these words- the remainder of this morning would be well spent thinking through the Scriptures.  They are the revelation of God. They are the foundation of the faith and the carriers of the gospel as God presented it. Here are a few questions I am pondering:

• How well do I know the scriptures and the gospel it presents?
• How well do I know Jesus Christ as presented in the scriptures?
• Am I letting God’s gospel and God’s word inform and transform me or am I trying to make God’s word fit my likes and dislikes?

Oh, many more questions spin in my mind but you have a sense of where the Lord is taking me in my quiet moments with Him today…

Father and Jesus, Your gospel is a gift from You to me (us).  Forgive me those places where I misunderstand and correct me into correct thinking and living. And more importantly, Lord, discipline and even rebuke me where I am in my sinfulness subverting Your word and changing it to something I ‘like’ better. Cut out those places in my life. O, Lord, that Your word would form and transform me… this I ask through the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit living in me… through Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.