As Paul redirects the Galatians to the gospel of faith in Christ alone, he uses the example of Abraham. Going beyond Moses and the law, he shows that entrance into the family of God has always been about faith in God. And now through Jesus, not only has the curse of the law been reversed, but the covenant to Abraham has been fulfilled.
The purity of the gospel is so significant that Paul was willing to boldly confront Peter, who had been hypocritically proclaiming the gospel with his mouth, but not backing it up with his actions. In this story we see just how easy it is to fall prey to the fear of man and in so doing forfeit our freedom in Christ. And how our behavior flows out of our gospel identity, not simply our gospel understanding.
Paul uses a previous experience in Antioch to demonstrate the methods of false teachers in forcing gospel compromise. And he reminds the Galatians and us how important it is to give no ground to any addition to the gospel. Our standing in Christ gives us complete access to God.
Paul wanted the Galatians to know that his life journey was sovereignly enabled by God to lead him to bring the gospel to them. Certainly his apostolic authority but also both his testimony of salvation and the testimony of his life made him the right voice for them. Likewise, God has providentially place us as a witness and is preparing us to be his gospel voice where we are.
Paul confronts the Galatians' problem head on - any addition (or subtraction) from the gospel is no gospel at all. Paul's warning to them is just as imperative to us as we seek to not only believe and find our identity in the gospel of Christ, but also to live in it.
Paul opens his letter to the Galatians by reminding them of his commission by Jesus and the beauty of a gracious gospel that brings true peace.
When Jesus is brought to the temple as an infant, he has a surprising encounter with two older people - Simeon and Anna. Their excitement at the presence of Jesus is the result of being people who are boldly waiting for redemption. They have experienced exile, but even in it midst trust the goodness of God as they wait for his full plan to be revealed.
The arrival of the magi proclaiming Jesus as king in the face of King Herod sets up a perfect question for gospel readers. Who gets to be king? The reign of Jesus is a threat to all who want power and control, not just of a government, but of their own life. The magi give us the perfect testimony of acknowledging Jesus as king and submitting to him.
In contrast to Caesar, the humble arrival of Jesus shows a very different kingdom with a very different gospel. Peace is not attained through power and conquest, but through a God who willingly set aside power to redeem the world. For shepherds like us, that is truly good news.
Amidst all kinds of people laboring to enable the restoration of Israel, God comes to a common, insignificant person like Mary and speaks a whole new identity over her. And her faith in him leads her to embrace an unexpected hope not only for her, but the whole world.
In Advent, we celebrate an unexpected baby who brought with him an unexpected salvation. Jesus was a miracle baby like Moses with a name like Joshua who was the ultimate fulfillment of God's gracious rescue and restoration of this world.
When we are radically generous people, we are responding to God, rooting ourselves in the gospel and reaching out to extend the kingdom of God. We give not out of obligation or to prove ourselves, but because as Christians we follow a Christ who was generous in every facet of his being.
The church celebrates communion because it unites us to Christ and the ultimate fulfillment of the Exodus that is found in him alone. And when we do this, it unites us together as believers as we are again brought to our knees by our equal need for God and raised up to a place of honor as equal participants in his family.
What is the purpose of a sermon? We preach in order to awaken our minds and hearts to God and what he has and is doing in the world, so we can grow and remember. To do this well, we preach messages centered on Jesus and from the Bible.
Christians have sung when they gather since the inception of the church. We do it because we have been created by a God who sings in his image. In our singing we passionately respond to who God is and what he has done. And as we sing, we grow in our understanding of and commitment to him.
What the purpose of a regular church gathering? It is not about demonstrating your holiness and spirituality, nor is it about earning God's favor. Rather, the church worship gathering is an important opportunity to remember God and what he has done and be re-centered on it. Church is not something we come to consume, it is something we are a part of. We come to participate and play our role in the body of Christ.
For many, if not most, in our world, work is the place we look to for our identity. This is the natural outcome of sin. What was once meant to glorify God is now used to grab glory for ourselves. But God in his grace comes down to rescue those who are trying to build their way up to him. And when we pause to remember that he is God and we are not, there is a release from the tiring need to work for identity.
One of the reasons our work is so tiring is that we don't place the same value on it that God does. As humanity, we are created for work. And work is one of the primary ways that we bring glory to God and reflect his image to the world.
Pursuing isolation from or identity in relationships is a dangerous and tiring path! Instead, Paul shows us the life-giving reality of meaningful relationships. An identity found in Jesus through the gospel is the basis for meaningful relationships and meaningful relationships constantly point us toward the gospel-centered identity.
One of the major reasons we are feeling so tired in this life is the unending pursuit of self esteem. The world tells us this pursuit is central to our existence. But the gospel shows us that true life and rest come from not thinking higher or lower of ourselves. They actually come from thinking of ourselves less often.
In our tiredness, pursuing a relationship with God can feel overwhelming. For some, the experience of pursuing God is tiring. Our posture toward God is the key to unlocking a life-giving, dynamic relationship. Rather than being another thing to do, our connection to God becomes the means by which we gain true identity and rest for our souls.
Our world is obsessed with performance. And when we buy into the lie that our value comes from our performance it leads to exhaustion. The gospel tells us that God loves us even though we have nothing good to offer. We we believe this truth we find true life and rest for our weary souls.
As the story of Jonah comes to a close, we find a disgruntled, self-righteous prophet throwing a tantrum. His anger has overcome him and his entitlement complex has paralyzed him. And remarkably, we still find God relentlessly pursuing him. Will God's compassion lead Jonah to return to God?
God loves the world and is patiently pursuing its rescue and restoration. Humanity's only response to this is what the Bible calls repentance - a turning away from our rebellion and toward God. In Nineveh, we see that this is possible even in the most unlikely places.
Sometimes our present circumstances aren't always the easiest. How can we be grateful people, even in the belly of a fish? We have to believe that our past circumstances were as dire as they truly were and that our future victory is as certain as it truly is. And as we come to grips with God's gracious rescue, our love for him only deepens.
How does a prophet run from the God he serves? When his heart is just as hard as those God has called him to. As the book of Jonah opens, we see that it is less about a prophet sent to a foreign people and more about a God who pursues all of humanity (even rebellious prophets) and lovingly seeks their restoration.
Jesus outrageous command to love our enemies is not simply a moralistic call to a different way of living. It is a gospel-centered call to a different way of viewing humanity. Those who have been shown mercy are called to show mercy to others. And our identity as children of God make this possible.
Because of the grace and mercy God has given us, we love our neighbors by being people of justice. That means we have compassion for and take action on behalf of our weak, less fortunate, and oppressed neighbors.
For many if not most Christians, sharing our faith is a scary reality. But the apostle Paul tells us we don't have to be afraid or ashamed to do it. He reminds us that the gospel is powerfully good news for everyone.
Peter urges his readers to offer hospitality without grumbling. What he means is that radical hospitality is not just and open house, but open hands and an open heart. This kind of love for our neighbor is only possible when we realize that we too are strangers who have been welcomed in by God.
