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Notes on Galatians - Introduction

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In the opening of his book Stages of Faith, James Fowler tells of driving to a conference where he was set to speak.  His goal was to get his audience thinking about the direction of their lives.  He wanted them to contemplate where they were currently spending their best time and energy, but he also wanted to challenge them to go deeper.  What did they really want to be focusing their time and energy upon?  Where did they want to give their best?  What did they want to devote their lives to?  What did they want their most important work to be and what legacy were they going to live?

Mentally, he came up with his list of questions, but in doing so, it hit him.  The questions hit him.  What did he want to give his life to?  What work did he want to focus upon and pour his energy and talents into?

When we pick up Paul's Letter to the Galatians, two things become very clear.  First off:  for Paul, there is absolutely no question in his own heart and mind what work truly deserves his best.  He is absolutely committed to the work of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ because of his enduring awareness of what Jesus has done for him.  He knows deeply that God loves him.  He is firmly aware that all of his sins have been covered by Jesus’ blood.  He knows that God has saved him by faith and by grace.  This is the good news that lives at the core of Paul's life.  From that place he is committed to be an advocate for the way of Jesus, and that means he is also deeply committed to building up Jesus' disciples.

His goal:  bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  His aim:  build up the saints of God in Jesus Christ.  His tools:  the Word of God as captured in the Scriptures (meaning at this time the Old Testament) in one hand and the power of the Holy Spirit at work within him.  It's impossible to read Galatians and not get a sense of Paul's zeal and driving passion.  He is absolutely committed to this task.  

That's the first thing you can't miss, and that is encouraging.

The second should distress us.  It convicts me.  

There are other so-called "gospels" that are constantly vying for our attention and our time.  All of them will try to seduce us, and - if we are not careful - we will constantly be pulled into these alleyways of misplaced energy.  Though the names and styles of these false gospels will change, we will soon see they are the same ones we face:  getting side-tracked by pet-projects, getting caught up in looking for our security in politics and money, getting pulled into the cheap thrills of booze or illicit affairs, getting swayed into the endless merry-go-round of keeping up with the Jones's.

Life, then, is a battle to stay keep ourselves focused on the right thing.  Life is a battle to put our energy into the stuff that is worth really investing in:  God’s plans and desires for our lives.  

What do we want to be investing our best energy and time into?  What do we want our lives to construct and build?  What legacy do we want to live?

Galatians forces us to ask these hard questions.  But most importantly, Galatians makes us realize that there is - ultimately - one thing truly deserving our best:  the God who gives us everything and then even more out of great love for us.  Join me in praying that God helps us to move towards what is truly life-giving and worthy of our time.  That is to say, join me in praying that we move towards Christ and away from the things of this world.

~Pastor Wes








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