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Hi girls! I hope you enjoyed this most lovely Saturday. I certainly did, out-of-doors, prepping to put in raspberry plants. We're a little late, but a friend of mine just gave me a big tote of starts from her garden, so I will be putting them in anyway.
Tonight I started the book of Galatians in my reading (I've gotten a bit off-schedule this past week or two). Here, Paul writes to the church at Galatia, which has allowed erroneous teaching to creep in and lead them astray into salvation-by-works-of-the-law teaching, which we know is false--yet it was appealing to them then, and it is still appealing to people today. Why do you think every other religion and cult requires some kind of works or rule-keeping in order to "join the elite"? Because it makes people feel as if they are doing something to earn their righteousness, and it glosses over the ugly reality that "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." "There is none who is righteous, no, not one." If the devil can have people feeling that they're doing a good thing and somehow contributing to their right standing before God, then he knows he's got them all the way deceived and nowhere near being genuinely saved--for true salvation comes only from recognizing that our own righteousness is filthy rags, and there is only one intermediary between us and God--the Lord Jesus Christ. See here what Paul writes to the church struggling with this serious issue:
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."
O foolish girls! Who has bewitched you? You
have seen and believed the evidence that Jesus Christ was indeed
crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive salvation because
of all the good things you did, or was it by believing the Word of God
in faith, without any good work? Having begun your Christian life so
ardently in the Holy Spirit, have you now rabbit-trailed off and tried
to "supplement" it with being a "good" person? Was your initial exuberance and
steadfastness all for naught--or is there yet a shred of
hope for you? God supplies the Holy Spirit to you and works miracles in
you--but does he do it because you adhere to the old law, or is it
because you heard the gospel and believed through faith? After all, even in
the Old Testament, Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as
righteousness." In the same way, all who believe are also counted
among the redeemed, just like Abraham. The Bible, because God would justify all who believe by faith, records the early presentation
of the gospel to Abraham, speaking of Jesus: "In you shall all nations
of the earth be blessed." So remember, girls, all who believe by faith and live by faith
are also blessed, and their salvation is secured, just like Abraham of old.
The only place good works have in the believer's life is that they are an out-flowing expression of the love we have for our Lord and our delight in obeying his word. Good works are a fruit of saving faith, not a bargaining chip in negotiating one's salvation. Such knowledge should fill us with joy and even more delight in doing good works as ambassadors of the name of Christ, because there are no stipulations to be met, no burden to bear--only the joy of true freedom. "I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." (Ps. 40:8)
Good
night! Have a most glorious and blessed day worshiping our Lord
together tomorrow! I'll see [some of] you at church tomorrow.
Love,
~Brenna. . . Coram Deo . . .
"Living before the face of God"
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