Enemy

When Paul ministered to the Galatians, trying to teach them truth he said this in Galatians 4:13-16, “You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”

When I read this, this morning, I got thinking about how easily people go from loving to un-loving and even hating just by telling them the truth.  Paul’s concern for these people was very real, he loved them and he knew they were being led astray by false teachers.  Read what he says in verse 19, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.”

Paul called the Galatians his ‘little children’ whom he had preached the truth to and who had accepted the truth and had been set free by the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  These people had been set free from the law that could never justify a person because a person is only justified by faith in the living Christ, God’s only begotten Son.

Paul said this in Galatians 2:16-21, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

These people had been set free by the grace of God through faith and the false teachers were upsetting their faith so Paul had a righteous anger because of it.  Paul went on to say this in Galatians 3:1-4, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

No one can ever be saved by keeping the law, or by your good works, even if you could keep the whole law, which no one has ever done except Jesus. Read what Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

If these people were going to depend on keeping the law to change them, Christ’s death would not benefit them at all.  Only Christ’s sacrificial death and the shedding of His blood on the cross and His resurrection could atone for their sins and His dwelling within them in the form of the Holy Spirit could ever change their lives and set them free.  Paul knew the truth and he knew that the truth would be the only thing that would set these people free and he wasn’t ashamed of the gospel so because of his love for these people he proclaimed it to them.  I know it isn’t easy to hear the truth at times and sometimes we rebel against it and we shouldn’t be surprised if some people hate us and treat us like their enemies because of it.  Jesus was crucified for telling the truth and John and Paul were beheaded.  I think every born-again believer has experienced some kind of persecution because of speaking the truth.  But like I said, truth is the only thing that will set people free and we need to be willing to speak it in love.

I have given you something to think about and also to act on, by putting what you have read into practice.  I hope you have a blessed day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!