Chapter 3 is one of those chapters where every paragraph and many sentences are a meal. There is so much here. Here are a few verses that jumped out at me.
Verse 2: I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
Verse 8: The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."
Verse 11: Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
Verse 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
For certain I could have chosen other verses as well. There is so much here.
I kept rereading those 4 verses…
From verse 2: obviously the receiving of the Spirit was not a theological statement. The Spirit provided a presence and a power that was noticeable. I pondered how the giving of the Holy Spirit has become an ‘add-on’ to the faith in our day… Do you have any thoughts?
From verse 8: I realized how often God’s global and all-encompassing plan for salvation has been from the very beginning. The great commission is not new; it is an obvious statement built upon God’s entire plan from the beginning.
From verse 11: it is all about faith in Jesus, not laws, not duty, not rituals! FAITH in Jesus!
From verse 28: human distinctions of gender, societal position and nationality/ethnicity have no place in the church. All are one in Christ!
These are some of the ‘meals’ I enjoyed as I sat with God and His Word this morning.
Lord God, thank You for the banquet You provide day after day. I bless Your name and am thankful that I have been invited to dine at Your table. Such is the gift of faith in Jesus. Amen.
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