Read: Galatians 1:1-10
Imagine
yourself as a member of a Galatian church. You have gathered for a meeting. The
Apostle Paul has written a letter to be read aloud to the entire assembly of
local believers. This letter you are about to read will not be filled with
feel-good platitudes or vague encouragements that you are “on the right track”
(even if you really are not). After a short salutation (v 1-5), Paul launches
into a direct rebuke: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the
one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel
– which is really no gospel at all” (v 6-7a). You, as part of the Galatian
church, have been taught the truth. You know that “the Lord Jesus Christ gave
himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age” (v 3b-4). However,
since you first received this truth, false teachers have approached your
community. They have presented their take on the good news of Jesus Christ.
What they spoke sounded fine to you. After all, they were talking about Jesus.
On the contrary, Paul says that their teachings are not good news at all.
The
letter goes on to say that it does not matter who the teacher is: if what they
say contradicts the truth about who Christ is and what He has done, you are to
reject them completely. Knowing what some in your group must be thinking, Paul
ends his rebuke with a clarification. He is not merely writing to gain more
converts. His ministry is not about having more followers than anybody else.
No, his ministry is about pleasing God. Paul is writing not to gain your
approval, he is writing to ensure that you may receive your place in heave.
Prayer and Journaling
1. Reflect
on the people who have influence in your life. These may be people you interact
with directly (family, employers, etc.) or people you do not know personally
(authors you read, preachers you listen to on the internet, etc). Many people
claim to be speaking for Christ and if they use the right combinations of
words, they can sound convincing. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you evaluate
their influence. Do they lead you to the gospel of Jesus Christ (v 3-5)? Or
does their guidance contradict Scripture? Ask God to help you discern godly
influences from ungodly ones. Where He shows you false, ungodly influences, ask
for His wisdom in how to stop following their guidance.
2. Unlike
the Galatian church, we have the gift of a complete Bible. It is the measuring
line against which we can test all teaching we receive. We can know that
teaching is sound and beneficial if it lines up with the Scriptures. We can know
that teaching is false and harmful if it contradicts the Scriptures. We will be
held accountable for how we use the gift of the Bible. Do you regularly
evaluate what you’re learning against the measuring line of Scripture? Do you
even know Scripture well enough to do this?
3. Pray
for a love of Scripture to permeate the Church in Canada. Pray that believers
from all walks of life would diligently seek truth in the Bible. Pray that as
believers read their Bibles they would encounter God personally. Pray that
pastors and Church leaders would model a love for God’s Word to their
congregations. Pray that confused or unsure believers would find firm
foundations in the Word of God and that believers in danger of being led astray
would find safety in God’s truth. Pray that God would even guide unbelievers to
His Word and that, as they open the pages of Scripture, He would meet them with
His saving power.
