Galatians 5
Readings for this week February 26 - March 2
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Day 1 – Only One Way Forward
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Galatians 5:1-6
The old way doesn’t work any more. We can’t go back. We shouldn’t want to, and it’s pointless to try and do so, says Paul. Despite what the agitators are saying, we can’t have it both ways, clinging to circumcision and the law while also following Christ. The former has done its work but is no longer in force, is no longer the way forward. The work that Jesus has done and the grace he has offered to all is enough – more than enough. Anyone trying to tell you anything different is leading you away from the truth of the gospel. It is faith in Christ that is needed, freely accepting the grace that he offers and the work he has done on the cross to bring us back to God in reconciliation.
There isn’t any other way this happens. The law’s task is done; Jesus has fulfilled it and broken the barrier of sin that separated us from him – something that the law couldn’t accomplish but that he did. What would be the point of going back to something inefficacious? That would be dropping out of grace; that would be turning our back on the glorious saving work of Jesus. But instead we eagerly wait, in the Spirit, for the hope of righteousness because it is faith working through love that matters, that makes the difference. It’s nothing that we could do – and that includes trying to uphold the law. It is faith in Christ – a working, dynamic, active faith – that is important. We can’t earn it, but we must follow it, we must walk the path of faith, accepting, submitting, following.
Question to Consider
What pulls us back towards the law? What makes us create hoops for others (and ourselves) to have to jump through to please God?
Prayer
Gracious God, I need to stay the course, remain on the path, not turn back from you. Help me not be tempted to turn back to the life I had before, but move forward into your will for my life, in your freedom. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – No Compromise
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Galatians 5:7-12
“It is commonly said that it does not matter what people believe so long as they are sincere, and that it is unwise to clarify issues too plainly or to focus them too sharply.
“But the religion of the New Testament is vastly different from this mental outlook. Christianity will not allow us to sit on the fence or live in a haze; it urges us to be definite and decisive, and in particular to choose between Christ and circumcision. ‘Circumcision’ stands for a religion of human achievement, of what man can do by his own good works; ‘Christ’ stands for a religion of divine achievement, of what God has done through the finished work of Christ. ‘Circumcision’ means law, works and bondage; ‘Christ’ means grace, faith and freedom. Every man must choose. The one impossibility is what the Galatians were attempting, namely to add circumcision and Christ and have both. No. ‘Circumcision’ and ‘Christ’ are mutually exclusive. [...]
“And behind our choice lurks our motive. It is when we are bent on flattering ourselves and others that we choose circumcision. Before the cross we have to humble ourselves.”
John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, pp.137-8.
Question to Consider
What does a human centred, human determined religion look like? How is Christianity different? How do we make sure we don’t impose our own human standards on God?
Prayer
Loving Father, help me be humble. You sit on the heavenly throne but you are also enthroned in my life. You are the centre, not me. Help me remain faithful and obedient to you in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – The Nature of Christian Freedom
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Galatians 5:13-18
We have been set free. Cleansed, forgiven, restored and reconciled. We have been set free from sin. We no longer need to live at the mercy of sinful desires – but that does not give us the freedom to indulge these desires. We need not be under their sway any more, but this does not mean our fallen human nature can now be ignored, or even safely entertained, as a harmless irrelevance. We have actually been set free to crucify our sinful, fallen nature, our ‘flesh,’ with Christ. We have not been set free to indulge but to serve. Our freedom is always more than just something for our own benefit, for ourselves alone. The nature of Christian freedom is not just freedom from but freedom to.
We may have been set free from systems of merit and frameworks that required us to strive to uphold the rules in order to demonstrate our place in the community, but that doesn’t mean this new freedom is ours to indulge in as we please. No longer being under the Law should not lead to lawlessness. As Paul makes clear, echoing Hebrew scripture and Jesus, we still have obligations to ourselves, our neighbours and God. We don’t indulge the flesh, we control it. We don’t exploit our neighbour, we love and serve them. We don’t disregard the law, we obey and honour the law of the God we have been reconciled to. We don’t relapse back into slavery; neither do fall back into licence. Freedom for ourselves, yes, but also freedom to serve and love the world.
Question to Consider
What are some of the barriers that keep people ‘in prison’? What can you do to bring freedom to others?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me use the freedom you have lavished on me to help others to know you and the freedom that you bring. May we know what a servant life lived in your freedom truly is. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – The Inheritors
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Galatians 5:19-21
I’m sure we’ve all seen movie scenes where the deceased’s will is about to be read, the family and friends gather round to hear it revealed, with one or two of them supremely confident that they’re finally about to come into the riches they’ve felt were always their due…only to discover they’ve been left out of the will, disinherited, or left only a mere trifle of what they thought their work and behaviour and position had entitled them to. But unlike that scenario, Paul makes it very clear, well ahead of time, the type of behaviour that will not partake of the inheritance of the kingdom of God. Anyone engaging in any of the activities he lists here (and he’s not accusing the Galatians of doing so) is not a true child of God, or a member of his redeemed family. There’s no excuse: we’ve been told.
These are attributes of the selfish nature, of someone living only for themselves, of someone who believes that freedom means licence to do whatever they want. These behaviours are the selfish works of the ‘flesh,’ the result of someone heedless of the call of God, immune to the obligations of community, and oblivious to the importance of love in all human relationships. And it couldn’t be clearer: such people will not inherit the kingdom. Such behaviour is harmful to the kingdom. But as we will see in tomorrow’s reading, it’s never just a case of knowing what not to do and being told what a selfish, ungodly, sinful life looks like. We are also informed what a Spirit-led, kingdom life offered to God looks like.
Question to Consider
What do you notice about Paul’s list in these verses? What things do many of these behaviours have in common? How do we avoid them?
Prayer
Almighty God, I praise you for the freedom you bring. May I never abuse it and use it for selfish ends or for my own gain or pleasure, but instead use it to glorify you and bring freedom to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – The Fruit of the Spirit
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Galatians 5:22-26
Notice the contrast Paul makes between the flesh and the spirit, and in particular the different words he attaches to them: the works of the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit. Works we can try and manufacture for ourselves, on our own timetable, at our own discretion. It is a person-directed endeavour. But what the Spirit does in us is actually more akin to the growing of fruit. It takes time, it takes care, and done well the crop is abundant and can go on ‘fruiting’ year after year. It still takes effort and commitment on our part, but God is the one in charge and the result – the fruit – is his Spirit at work transforming us. If renewal is gradual and God shapes us a little at a time, we can see it in the fruit in our lives.
While we need to be faithful and obedient and position ourselves in a posture of openness towards God, the qualities listed in verses 22 and 23 can’t be achieved through hard work. They come when God changes us, they are part of his renewal process. We’ll become more patient, we’ll show greater self-control, we will be kinder, more trustworthy, and so on. These qualities are the result of God’s Holy Spirit living in us. Our selfish and rebellious desires lose their grip. Being renewed involves submitting every part of our lives to God and then letting his Spirit work wherever he sees fit. We need to learn to allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge every day. When we do, we begin to notice small but significant changes in who we are, how we act, and how we love others.
Question to Consider
Of the fruit listed in today’s passage, which do you most struggle with? Why?
Prayer
Lord God, by your Holy Spirit grow in my the fruit that’s missing from my life. Transform me into a greater likeness of your son, a kinder, more patient, loving, trusting disciple. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)