The Town

Where do you turn in times of trouble? We have been trained to call our counselors, our spouses, our kids, our parents or our teachers when we are up the creek. We have been taught to read the latest self‐help book rather than the Word of God. Others of us turn to drugs, alcohol, food, spending money, buying junk, or self-medicating with some other addiction. Our nature is to turn from trouble and steer into more trouble. But Jesus shows us what it means to turn to the Father when we are in trouble and to trust in Him through dangerous or grievous situations.

The statement from which all of the other words flow in Psalm 23 can be found in the opening verse. These are earth‐shattering, life changing words. These words establish a relationship so grand, so holy, so incredible that the claims of the Psalmist must be true. He writes, "The Lord is my shepherd."

The big question you must ask when reading Psalm 22 is simple – Did Jesus die for me? We can talk about his suffering and be moved by it. We can talk about his love and be encouraged by it. We can talk about his teaching, his healings, his sense of humor, and his wisdom and be wowed by it. But did Jesus die for you? That is a big question.

Humanity continues to rage against God. The Church often looks past themselves and to the rebellion of the culture around them and gleefully looks for the day when the laughing God of heaven will destroy all the great sinners. We can't wait for God to rage against the machine of debauchery, rock n' roll, druggies, whores, opposing political parties, our next door neighbor's barking dog, and liberal theologians. We miss the point, the conviction of Scripture, and the words of the Holy Spirit.

Paul uses an illustration from nature to show us how the Christian life works. Whatever we sow, we will reap. This is as true in the Christian life as it is in nature. A farmer must sow in season in order to have a harvest season. If he plants corn, he will reap corn. If he plants wheat, he will reap wheat. If the farmer does not plant anything, he will not reap anything.

Paul is dealing with two types of behavior: those who provoke and those who are envious. Those who provoke are those who look down on others. Those who are envious are those who feel inferior and look up toward others. Both provocative and envious people have one thing in common - they both want the glory for themselves.

If you have been justified by faith and are free under the Gospel, then you will desire to keep in step with where the Holy Spirit leads you and desires to change you. We are to always be asking God what He wants from us and how we can become more like Christ.

Since we have been set free in Jesus Christ, we can now live a life that reflects and enjoys that freedom. We are free from the rules as a way of salvation, but are also now free to obey out of our gratitude. And this is not a yoke of slavery. Obedience is the mark of a free man.

We often hear about the great religions of the world. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are often included together. In our pluralistic and idealistic culture we attempt to reconcile all the great religions together. They, according to the masses, are of equal significance and equal truth. Jesus didn't think so and neither did the Apostles. Remember, Paul began Galatians by cursing any and all other religions - even those that claim the name of Jesus, but do not preach the true Gospel of Jesus (e.g., Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Christian Scientist, etc).

We often hear about the great religions of the world. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are often included together. In our pluralistic and idealistic culture we attempt to reconcile all the great religions together. They, according to the masses, are of equal significance and equal truth. Jesus didn't think so and neither did the Apostles. Remember, Paul began Galatians by cursing any and all other religions - even those that claim the name of Jesus, but do not preach the true Gospel of Jesus (e.g., Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Christian Scientist, etc).

It doesn't matter if you are male or female, Jew or Gentile, slave or free--you are a son of the Living God by faith in Jesus Christ alone. We have different names. We have 46 different backgrounds. We look different. We have different cultures and traditions. We have different theology. But under the one Gospel, we are one people, under one Father God, because of one Messiah. In the Christian faith we call this "sonship."

Paul makes it clear that salvation does not depend on our performance. But the Law must play some role in the Christian's life. Some Christians view Law and Grace as two equal tracks that must be tread upon carefully. We must have one foot on the Law and one foot on grace. But Paul does not teach this. He says that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Paul is working against the tide of a works-faith based hybrid of Christianity. The Galatians had begun with faith in Jesus and were now depending on adherence and obedience to the Law for their salvation. This teaching had come from Judaizing Christians who did not believe that Jesus on the Cross was enough.

There is a huge contrast between the Law and the Gospel. The Galatians had forgotten Jesus crucified and were now returning to that which damned them as a means of salvation. Christians must know the difference between the Law and the Gospel. They are not enemies, but they have different functions.

In Galatians 2:15-21 Paul is speaking to those who had also been raised in the faith. He says, "we ourselves are Jews by birth." Paul is beginning to make the case that birth into a religious family does not save you, for he goes on to say that we have been justified by faith and not by works of the law.

The Apostles probably did not fully understand the real world implications when they decided that circumcision and food laws were not to be added to the Gospel. It didn't take long to arrive at the truth, but it would take time to iron out the details in the real world. It didn't take long for Peter to flip flop. It's what Peter did well. He also repented well. Although Peter knew that nothing was to be added to the Gospel, he still did not live out his theological convictions. Peter agreed with the decision to not force Jewish tradition on Gentiles and yet he continually followed the rules which became a problem for the church in Galatia. Consequently, Paul and Peter were in a battle.

Imagine the setting. All of the greatest players are in the room. They have all the authority to make things happens. It is do or die time. A conflict has arisen and this group of people has been asked to bring a resolution. Whatever they decide will set the tone for billions of people until the end of time. What could cause such a commotion? What could bring so much intensity to one room? Circumcision.

We don't often see what God is doing through someone until the whole plan unfolds. Paul was one of those guys. Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul, then called Saul, was on his way to destroying the church and crushing the Gospel--or so he thought. The church must have wondered what God was up to every time Saul showed up in their town to wreak havoc. This man was relentless. And yet, in the end, God used Paul to change the world.

When we add even a small addition to the Gospel we have no Gospel at all. This is what Paul is saying in the first verses of Galatians. We are free to follow Jesus and Jesus alone. We can't add good works, self-righteousness, traditions, churchianity, Christianese, or even our brand of doctrine to the Gospel. The Gospel is the Gospel all by itself. It doesn't need our help to improve upon it.

Have you ever heard of a person who made a complete turnaround in their life? Maybe you were shocked by the turnaround because this person seemed like a lost cause? Paul was that man. He was once called Saul and he made it his mission in life to kill Christians and crush the advancing Gospel of Jesus. That is, until Jesus met him on a road and told him otherwise.