Grace, faith and works – in that order

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (Ephesians 4:1). How are we to live a life worthy of our high calling? Let's go back from Ephesians 4:1, back to Ephesians 2:8-10. There, we learn about grace, faith and works - in that order. We begin with grace. We …

Through faith in Jesus, we become God’s children and we receive God’s Spirit.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16-17). …

Out of the shadows of our past, into the light of His future

Micah 5:1-7:20; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Proverbs 21:17-26 God wipes out the shadow of our past - He “pardons sin” (Micah 7:18). He shines in the light of His future - “We will be “clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:4). From this standpoint of privilege, we are called to fulfil our responsibility: to be soldiers …

Condemned by the law, redeemed by the love of Christ

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'" (Galatians 3:13). The law condemns us - every one of us. None of us is without sin. The love that sent Jesus to the Cross - this is …

I will glory in the Lord… Glorify the Lord with me.

I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together (Psalm 34:1-3). As we read these words of the Psalmist, our thoughts move from him to …

In the Cross of Christ, I glory

"God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14). No boasting of ourselves - only glorying in the Lord: that's what we learn at the cross of Christ. How can we even think of boasting of …

Free grace is not cheap. It is costly.

We preach free grace: salvation is received as a gift from God through Christ, and is not earned as a reward for our good works. The preaching of free grace points us away from ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners. There is no place for a superficial moralism which says, "I've done more …

Then: God sent his Son. Now: God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.

"When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son... God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts" (Galatians 4:4-6). Then and now We begin with then: God sent his Son. We move from then to now: God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. Then, God sent his Son: this is …

When our devotion to the Lord is being deepened

"I have been crucified with Christ... Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). When our devotion to the Lord is being deepened, we learn to walk with Him on the way of the cross – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in …

From the heart of the law, a word of love

In Exodus 20, we read "the Ten Commandments", and, straightaway, we may be on our guard against legalism. In Exodus 20:5, we read words that make us feel that we, sinners, can't possibly come into the presence of the God of perfect holiness: "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children …

Let it be to me according to Your Word.

‘Let it be to me according to Your Word’ (Luke 1:38). When we ‘walk in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16, 22-23), God sees that it is ‘good’ (Micah 6:8). Let us ‘walk in the light’ (1 John 1:7). May the Spirit's ‘living water’ flow in us (John 7:39-39). This is the way of fruitfulness.

Set free – to stand firm

" ... Christ has set us free. Stand firm ... " (Galatians 5:1). Why does Christ set us free? Does he set us free to do whatever we like? No! He sets us free - to be his soldiers and servants. Without Christ as our Saviour, we are defenceless and defeated - when Satan attacks us. …

The apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, and Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord

"Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no …

More than a great preacher

"I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me" (John 17:8). Jesus was sent by God - to speak the Word of the Lord, but he was more than one of many preachers. Jesus is different …

A life-changing decision

What's your idea of God? Some people would say that God is an idea. Others would ask the question, "Did the idea of God come into our minds because God put it there?" Going back to the beginning, we are faced with a decision. We read the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning, …

The blessing of God is for you and me.

God loves us. This isn't for some perfect people who've never fallen into sin. There's nobody who's like that. All of us have made a mess of things, but God still says to us, "I love you." He says, "My Son, Jesus, died for you." This is what gives us the strength to choose his …

We are sinners. We’re called to be servants. Jesus is our Saviour.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). We read the words of Paul - and we look beyond him to …

We listen to Jesus, we learn from Jesus, and we worship Jesus.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). "By revelation from Jesus Christ": This was more than Paul's preaching. It was Christ's revelation. What a difference …

God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do" (Matthew 11:25-26). "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, …

The Name of Jesus

January 1: The Naming of Jesus – Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7 (or Philippians 2:5-11); Luke 2:15-21 His Name was called JESUS (Luke 2:21). Christmas is over – but let’s not forget Jesus. He is still here. He is still with us. He is for New Year’s Day as well as Christmas Day. He …

First Sunday after Christmas Day: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; Galatians 4:4-7 (or Philippians 2:5-11); Luke 2:22-40 – The Name of Jesus is Good News. It tells us of the Saviour’s love.

First Sunday after Christmas Day: Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Psalm 148; Galatians 4:4-7 (or Philippians 2:5-11); Luke 2:22-40 The Name of Jesus is Good News. It tells us of the Saviour’s love. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus has fulfilled these words (Luke …

Beginning with Esther – and moving on to Jesus

"Who knows, perhaps you (Esther) have come to the kingdom for such a time as this ... If I (Esther) perish, I perish" (Esther 4:14,16). When I read the words, "For such a time as this", I found myself thinking of the words of Galatians 4:4 - "When the time had fully come God sent …

The grace of God reaches us and changes us.

"I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45). Where does holiness come from? How are we to become holy? Before we read about God's holiness, we read about his love. God says, "I am holy" - but, first, he says, "I ... …

Living as a new creation

How are we live as a “new creation” (Galatians 6:15)? Paul speaks to us about “faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6). What does it mean to have faith? How are we to live a life that is inspired, controlled, motivated and directed by love? Paul speaks about the beginning of the life of faith: …

Love, joy, peace… where do they come from?

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Love, joy, peace ... - Is this what we find when we look within ourselves? or Do we find something very different? What does Jesus tell us about ourselves? Does he pat us on the back and tell as that, at …

“God forbid that I should glory … ” (Galatians 6:14).

Galatians 6:11-18 "God forbid that I should glory ... " (Galatians 6:14). This is more than "I will never boast ... " Who says, "I will never boast"? Remember Peter. He said this, and, then, he denied the Lord three times. "God forbid ... " is a prayer for God's help. It's not an assertion …

In all that we do, we need love.

"Christ makes me bold enough to order you to do the right thing. However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love" (Philemon 8-9).  In all that we do, we need love. We learn this love from Jesus "who loved us and gave himself for us" (Galatians 2:20).

We don’t like change.

We're creatures of habit. We have our daily routines. What are we to say about this? - Take care that you don't get stuck in a rut! If we are serious about our commitment to Jesus Christ, we must be ready for change. Jesus doesn't leave us the way that he finds us. He changes …

God keeps us for Himself so that we might be used by Him to bring others to Him.

Isaiah 36:1-37:38; Galatians 2:1-10; Psalm 107:23-32 “For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 37:32). In a time when many people are turning away from the Lord, God is still preserving His own people for Himself. …

Praise the Lord. Thanks be to God.

"Praise the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (Psalm 103:2). When we read these words, we find our thoughts moving beyond the Psalmist to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We remember the words of Paul - "The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20), and …

The Death of Christ

"This is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Early on in my Christian life, I read James Denney's book, The Death of Christ.  Reading this book gave me a real sense of the importance of the death of Christ. This has stayed with me over the …

“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”

Galatians 3:23-5:6 ‘God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts’(4:6). The Spirit is not a reward we earn by being good people. The Spirit is God’s gift (Titus 3:5). Paul connects the gift of the Spirit with Christ’s death for us and our faith in Christ(3:13-14). We do not come to God …

Learning from the Apostle Paul

Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Galatians 6:14 Paul was no silent disciple, no half-hearted follower of Jesus. He was not ashamed of his Lord. He was glad to say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith" (Romans …

Let us rejoice in Jesus, God’s Son. Let us rejoice in Jesus, our Saviour.

"God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3-4). This post is a continuation of my earlier post, "This is my Son. This is your Saviour." You should, really, read that post before reading …

Plenty of reasons for rejoicing in the Lord

The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice ... Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name" (Psalm 97:1,12). Psalm 97 begins and ends with joy - rejoicing in the Lord. True joy comes to us from the Lord. We think of who God is - the King of love. We …

God forbid that I should boast.

"God forbid that I should boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). These words of Paul take us to the heart of the gospel. They remind us of his words in 1 Corinthians 1:23 - "we preach Christ crucified" - and 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "I decided to concentrate …

Responding to God’s Word (44): When I survey the wondrous cross

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). What a wonderful Saviour we have! He died for us, and he rose again for us. He has given to us his free gift of salvation. He has forgiven our sins. He lives in our hearts. He's leading …

What does it mean to be free?

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). In today's world, there are plenty of people who speak of freedom in terms of I, me and my. I: I'm free to think what I like and do what I like. Nobody can tell me what I'm to think and how …

Saved by the Lord, we are to give ourselves to Him in worship.

Isaiah 38:1-40:31; Galatians 2:11-3:9; Psalm 107:33-43 “The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Temple of the Lord” (Isaiah 38:20). Saved by the Lord, we are to give ourselves to Him in worship. This worship is to be in the Spirit (Galatians 3:3). …

Our great privilege and our great responsibility

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). These verses speak to us …

Is the Gospel still relevant?… Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

GALATIANS  1:1-2:10  -  ‘A revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1:12) - This is what the Gospel is all about. Christ is the Gospel. Without Him, there is no Gospel. What was Paul’s testimony? What did he preach to others? - God ‘was pleased to reveal His Son in order that I might preach Him…’ (1:15-16). We …

Let’s set our feet firmly on the Rock of ages – our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 41:1-42:25; Galatians 3:10-25; Proverbs 22:28-23:9 The Old Testament looks forward to the coming of Christ – “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1). He is the fulfilment of the Old …

Our faith has come to us from above, from God.

Galatians 1:1-12  "The Gospel" came to Paul "by a revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). This was important for Paul - and it's important for us. Our faith has come to us from above, from God. It doesn't come from ourselves. It is given to us by God. At the heart of our faith is …

More than a moral teacher

How are we to get to know Jesus Christ? Are we to look at his moral teaching - and look no further than that? Looking at Jesus' moral teaching will take us so far - but does it really take us to the heart of the good news concerning God's love for us? If we …

What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us.

"No one can ever buy back another person or pay God a ransom for his life" (Psalm 49:7). What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us -  "... the  Son of Man came ... to give His life as a ransom for many people” (Mark 10:45). "God forbid that I should …

A New Beginning: Some thoughts from the Scriptures

Genesis 1:1-3‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. Its opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right. (a) the priority of God(1) God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) the priority of God’s Word (3) God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord. (c) the priority …

The Holy Spirit – God’s Gift, Not His Reward

In Galatians 3:14, we read about "receiving the promise of the Spirit through faith." What does this mean? It may be helpful to think, first, about what it doesn't mean. We must never think of the Holy Spirit as a reward that is given to us because we have faith - the more faith we …

Lord, we thank You that our lives are not controlled by what we are. They are transformed by who You are.

Praying through God's Word - Judges 14:10-16:3 Lord, we thank You that our lives are not controlled by what we are. They are transformed by who You are. We are sinners. You are the God of grace, Shall our sin triumph over Your grace? - "God forbid!" (Romans 6:1-2). "Sin shall not have dominion over us" (Romans 6:14). Your …

The fruit of the Spirit

We read about "the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23) - and we're ashamed of ourselves! We fall so far short of what God wants us to be. While we're here on earth, we'll never become, fully, all that God intends to be. We stumble. …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other”: This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Israel (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians 4:25-26; Galatians …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other” – This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Israel (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians …

The Lord bless you and keep you.

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven" (Psalm 32:1). The forgiveness of sins - this is such a great blessing. The forgiveness of sins: it's just the beginning of so much great blessing which will continue throughout our life on earth and for all eternity. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit …

The Law of God, the Spirit of God and the Son of God

"The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24) Some schoolmasters may be viewed as disciplinarians. I think, however, we should see the work of the Holy Spirit here. He convicts us of sin and leads us to Christ. This is not the impersonal law. It's the personal approach of the Holy …

The Scriptures and the Saviour

"Jesus' disciples saw him do many miraculous signs beside the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ , the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life" (John 20:30-31). There is such a close connection between the Scriptures …

Journey through the New Testament: Galatians

‘A revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1:12): Christ is our Testimony. Christ is our Message. He is the crucified Christ - ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me’. He is the living Christ - ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but …

With God, we shall gain the victory.

Isaiah 44:24-46:13; Galatians 4:21-5:6; Psalm 108:6-13 “I am the Lord, and there is no other” – This truth is repeated several times over in this part of Isaiah (Isaiah 48:5-6,14,18,21-22; Isaiah 46:9). The contrast, in Isaiah, is between God and the gods. The contrast, in Galatians, is between Christ’s salvation and other ways of salvation (Galatians …

The way, the truth and the life; faith, hope and love

We begin with the words of Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6). From there, we move on to the words of Paul: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13). There are six words upon which we must focus our attention. There …

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Galatians 5:22-23).

* The love in us comes from the love of God. * The joy in us comes from the joy of God. * The peace in us comes from the peace of God. ... The God of love, the God of joy, the God of peace ... Without God, there can be no love in …

Let’s give all the glory to our Saviour.

"God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). At the cross, we see Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In the cross, we see the fulfilment of God’s eternal plan of salvation – “the Lamb slain …

Saul replaced, Saul transformed

Two men with the same name - Saul, the first king of Israel, and Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christ and His servants. In both stories, we read of a new man. * In the case of Saul, the first king of Israel, David was the new man. Saul was rejected. He was replaced. …