GRINDIT podcast

Paul tells the church at Galatia, who is made up of Gentiles, “Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.” Think back to early in the Old Testament when God came to Abraham and said “Leave Ur and go to a land I will show you.” Abraham was in a pagan land where people didn’t worship Yahweh...they worshipped gods that didn’t exist! Where did they learn of these gods? It all starts in the Garden of Eden, the fall of man, and man being kicked out. It wasn’t until Seth had a son names Enosh when people started worshipping Yahweh by name. That was a period of around 240 years! Paul tells us that people had their own idea of God and they fashioned God into their own ideas and images. Think about it...when Moses challenged Pharaoh in Egypt, they had gods for everything yet they did not worship the One true God—Yahweh. Paul tells the Galatians, “You are known by the God that really exists!”

We hear people say, “Salvation is free” or “Salvation is a free gift from God and all you have to do is receive it.” That is true in a way but our salvation wasn’t free...it cost Jesus everything. He willingly gave his life as a ransom, a payment, for our sin so that we could go free. Paul says he was born under the law, which made him subject to it, but he chose not to sin, yet he became sin when he hung on the cross. He was persecuted, hated, despised, rejected, beaten, crucified, buried, and came out alive holding the keys to death and hell...and he calls us his children...if...we have given our lives to him and been clothed with him, receiving his Spirit in our hearts! Have you?

Paul is explaining to the church at Galatia that they cannot have a relationship with God through following the law because the law puts them in bondage. He says, “As a child, we are under the elements of this world” meaning we grow up hearing the alphabet. The letters of the alphabet make certain sounds and that’s the way it is. You cannot change the alphabet or the sounds. You are in bondage to it, and just like us, Jesus came in bondage to the law meaning he had the choice to sin but he didn’t! He never sinned once and became our sacrifice so he could purchase our freedom. Now we are no longer under bondage to the law because we have freedom in Christ!

The law was good because it showed us what sin is however, it also held us captive because there wasn’t any way to be set free from the bondage of sin...that is...until the way of faith came. That way of faith has a name, Paul says, and his name is Jesus, or Yeshua which means, “God is Salvation.” When Jesus came, he came with the authority from God and he would say, “You have heard it said (the law), but I say to you...” and the people were amazed at his teaching and hius authority. Paul tells the church at Galatia, you have a choice to make. Yo have been taught about Jesus, you believed in Jesus, but now you are putting your trust in yourself by trying to be obedient to the law. You can continue down this path but it will not turn out well for you. You can quit trying yourself and put your faith in Jesus like you were taught from the beginning and be filled with the Holy Spirit so he can take care of everything for you and you’re guaranteed to be in with God. What’s your choice? Faith or your works?

In the same way....that’s how Paul put’s it to the church at Galatia. What is he talking about? In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Abraham believed God just like you did...by faith. He didn’t receive anything in his own effort. In fact, Abraham struggled when he didn’t trust God! He was fearful of dying when he was traveling through foreign land so he lied and said Sarah was his sister. Abraham was willing to let his wife be taken by another man just so he could live! Can you say, “Epic Fail!” Salvation comes from our faith in Jesus, not our own efforts.

Paul is upset with the church in Galatia because they have believed a false gospel. They have taken the faith they have put in God, in what Jesus has done for them on the cross, and put it in themselves, in their own works, their own righteousness because they are trying to win God’s approval by following the law. Paul says, “You already had God’s approval! How else do you think you were filled with the Holy Spirit? How do you think you were performing miracles?” It is because they had put their faith in God…just like Abraham.

The word Bewitched means someone has used something that is artificial, something fake to trick, to deceive…like a magician tricking our eyes and making us believe what they are doing is real. That’s exactly what has happened to the church at Galatia. Paul says, “I came to you and painted a clear picture of Jesus and what he did on the cross, yet you have believed a fake.” It may look real and it may sound real, but it’s 100% fake! I brought you the real deal because I got it from the mouth of Jesus himself and yet, you have so quickly removed yourself from God! Don't fall for the fakes!

Paul confronts Peter because of his sin, his choosing to not fellowship with the uncircumcised Gentiles when the circumcised Jews came into the room. Paul lets Peter know that he is in sin and his sin has led others astray as well! We take a deep dive into the seriousness of sin and who it effects beside us. What we see is it comes down to who do we chain ourselves to, who are we bound to? Ourselves? Our flesh? Or Jesus? Do we gratify our flesh or do we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us? If we say Jesus, then do we live like it or do we unholy lives deceiving ourselves thinking we are in good standing with God. Lord, break every chain that bounds us to the things that hinder our relationship with You!

Paul is going to talk about confronting Peter when he sinned by getting up from the table while he was fellowshipping with some uncircumcised Gentiles, and going to set with the circumcised Jews and not having any fellowship with them. Paul says he wasn’t having that because sin is serious business and our sin could easily persuade others to sin as well, which is exactly what happened when Peter did what he did! Did Paul handle it right? What does Jesus say about the seriousness of sin and how do we handle it when a brother or sister in Christ sins?

Paul says some false believers tried to sneak into their meeting with the leadership at the church in Jerusalem to take away the freedom they have in Christ. These false believers wanted to make the Gentiles adhere to the laws God gave the Jews and Paul says, “No! They don’t have to do that, in particular, they don’t have to be circumcised!” We go on a deep dive in this podcast about “freedom” and what Paul means. Bottom line, God gives us His word...Do we trust Him?