Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Galatians 5:1-15
Set – Deuteronomy 27; Galatians 5
Go! – Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5
Galatians 5:1-15
1So stand strong for our freedom! The Anointed One freed us so we wouldn’t spend one more day under the yoke of slavery, trapped under the law.2 Listen because I, Paul, am going to make this message very clear so it cannot be misunderstood: if you undergo the rite of circumcision, then all that the Anointed accomplished will be lost on you. 3 And understand this: if you choose to be circumcised, then you will oblige yourself to do every single rule of the law for the rest of your life. 4 You, and anyone else who seeks to be on the right side of God through the law, have effectively been cut off from the Anointed, circumcised from grace, and cast off from the favor of God. 5 We, on the other hand, continue to live through the Spirit’s power and wait confidently in the hope that things will be put right through faith. 6 Here’s the thing: in Jesus the Anointed whether you are circumcised or not makes no difference. What makes a difference is faith energized by love.
7 Who has impeded your progress and kept you from obeying the truth? You were off to such a good start. 8 I know for certain the pressure isn’t coming from God. He keeps calling you to the truth. 9 You know what they say, “Just a little yeast causes all the dough to rise,” so even the slightest detour from the truth will take you to a destination you do not desire. 10 Despite this, I’m confident because the Lord reassures me that you will truly hear and take my message to heart. Besides, I also know that these troublemakers, whoever they are, will answer to God and be judged accordingly. 11 As for me, brothers and sisters, if I continue to preach circumcision—as these agitators claim—then why do I still face persecution? If I were to preach a compromised version of the good news, then the scandal of the cross would come to an end. 12 I really wish that these people who weigh you down with corrupt counsel would mutilate themselves!
13 Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love. 14 For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” so 15 why all this vicious gnawing on each other? If you are not careful, you will find you’ve eaten each other alive!
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
This last paragraph you heard today from Paul’s letter written 2,000 years ago to a church in Galatia could just as easily be addressed to many churches around the world today. How did so many of you get so far away from the truth of My word? I called you to the freedom as I taught you with My example as I walked among you. I still lived within not just the letter, but the spirit of the law given on Mount Sinai to Moses. But I refused to bow to the ridiculous traditions that pulled people away from My command to love each other.
I purpose when I first created man entailed the populating of the earth and giving stewardship of all My creation to you. To do so effectively, I wanted you to love each other. To care for each other and build relationships that allowed for opportunities to serve each other using the talents and skills I gave each of you. None of you can make it through life alone. All of you need each other for survival and the abundant life I want you to experience.
I want you to share in families and friendships and business relationships. I want you to act like I did when I walked the streets of Jerusalem and understand that freedom means service. Freedom means exercising the talents I gave you for the betterment of others. But here you are, squabbling over petty issues. Getting hurt over what you thought you heard, usually second- or third-hand, when that’s not what was said at all. Fighting and bickering over nothing. And all of this within the framework of the church. But not My church. I won’t visit when that stuff is going on. I’ll give it over to you, then. That’s what you want anyway in those situations.
Can’t you get rid of the selfish interests and look for the good of others? Can’t you understand the sacrifice I made for you to abolish the very behavior you exercise in your petty arguments? Does the tempo really matter if I am being praised? Do you think I care about colors of walls if you are lifting My name in prayer and thanksgiving? I want you to love others, especially those within the body of Christ. My command to you is to love Me first then love others as you love yourself. The gnawing at each other that seems to happen in My churches just doesn’t fit that pattern. So the question you must ask yourself, before I ask you in front of My throne, “Is my heart right with God?” Remember, if you hate your brother, you can’t love Me.
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