One of the great ironies of religious life is how some of the people whose lives are most dictated by rules are often the people who are greatest offenders of the rules. This makes no sense to many people who are outside of religion. Religious people who fail to uphold the rules are very quickly labeled as “hypocrites” and cast …
The Yoke of Slavery
One of the greatest works of literature in the history of the English language is the allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress. Many of the themes of Galatians take great prominence in Bunyan’s masterpiece. Not least of these is the comparison between works of religion and salvation by grace through faith. A great illustration of this juxtaposition takes place on one of the occasions …
Religion vs Relationship
Galatians 4:21-31 offers a bit a sidetrack in the straightforward message that has been presented throughout the letter. The sidetrack is important, however, because it uses a well-known story from the Old Testament to illustrate the overall point that salvation by grace through faith is greater than the covenant of works found in the Mosaic covenant. To understand the illustration, …
Shepherds and Wolves
Matthew 20:25-28 The paradigm of leadership that Jesus gave to his followers is one that turns every non-Christian view of leadership on its head. Whereas the world (Gentiles) typically view leadership as an exercise of power (lording authority), Jesus teaches that those who would lead in his kingdom must be servants first. Leaders who lead the way that Jesus taught …
Lent Devotional #25 • The Lamb Who Serves
Read Exodus 12:1-14 and John 13:1-17, 31-35 Think about the most humble person you know. Got that person in mind? Now, how much power, authority, or influence does that person have? Unfortunately, the person you have in mind probably isn’t the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or on trajectory to become our next President. In our world today, power, …
Becoming Stupid
Galatians 3:1-6 One mistake that we often make when referring to the Gospel is to believe that God’s salvation is cheap. We think this way out of a misunderstanding of grace. Our salvation is a gift from God to us which we did not and cannot earn. But that does not mean that the Gospel is cheap. Jesus paid a …
Lent Devotional #24 • Abraham Rejoiced to See Me
Read Genesis 17:3-9 and John 8:51-59 When is the last time that you eagerly waited for something with such hope and expectation that you were visibly full of nervous excitement? This is the kid at Christmas that can’t wait to rip open her presents. This is the husband that can’t stop crying when he sees his bride in her white …
Lent Devotional #22 • Son of Man Lifted
Read John 8:21-30 and Numbers 21:4-9 Jesus came to his own people speaking to them about their shared history. Three times in theGospel of John. Jesus makes an explicit reference to an odd tale from the Israelites time in thewilderness under Moses. We see one of those references in John 8:28. “ 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted …
The Foundation of a Relationship with Christ
Galatians 2:15-21 The theme in Galatians over and over is that no work can ever justify us before God. Only faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient to make us right before God. What is remarkable about Christians is how we so easily slip back from pure faith in Christ to religious works as a means of justification. Paul is pushing …
Lenten Devotional #20 • Silencing the Prophets
Read Jeremiah 26:8-11 and John 7:25-30 We hold the memory of Biblical prophets in such high regard that we would consider the calling to be an honor. And it is, in fact an honor to be given the task to speak the very words of God. But the Old Testament prophets led a lonely, unpopular existence of threats and suffering. …