Peer-Pleaser or God-Pleaser?

19-21What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

Galatians 2:19-21 (The Message)

¹⁹For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Galatians 2:19-21 (NIV)

I was talking to Lisa Myers the other day and she told me that this Bible verse from "The Message" translation "blew her mind". So I checked it out. I've also put the NIV translation up, because I found that it was a verse I've read and heard quoted before. The Message translation made me look at it in a new light, and I thought that was awesome.

I found this part especially pointed: "Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God?" How easy is it to try to adopt what we believe to please our peers. It is so "in" these days to accommodate everyone else's point of view on religion and try not to offend them. It seems like the right thing to do. If we are accepting of their beliefs, then we're loving them, right? Well maybe.

Then again, maybe not.

This verse talks about us having a relationship with God, and living out our lives through that relationship. If we are instead trying to live our lives to please our peers and trying to build a relationship with God based on that, we are not on a firm foundation. I think it's important to note though, that Paul never promises this is an easy task. It takes work to have a relationship with God - just like any other relationship. It's a much more rewarding one to have however because God never bails on you and He's always ready to take you back no matter how many times you bail on Him.

http://kairosverse.blogspot.com

Carry Each Other's Burdens

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

Continuing our theme from yesterday, of Jesus' command to love one another, we have this verse. This verse talks specifically about how to love one another. Carry each other's burdens. What does this mean? Help each other out. When you see someone struggling with something, offer your assistance. This doesn't mean just carrying the groceries. It encompasses more. If you see a friend who is sad, comfort them. If you see a Facebook status that indicates something is wrong, send that person a message and see what's up.

Those are relatively easy ways to carry soemone else's burden. If you know your friend is doing something wrong, say something to them. Support them if they're trying to quit something they shouldn't be doing. Keep them accountable. Keep them away from that boy who keeps hurting them, or that girl that keeps using them, or those cigarettes, that beer - whatever they need help with. Carry their burden because that is what God has asked you to do. Love one another.

http://kairosverse.blogspot.com

Life by the Spirit

¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)

My handy dandy random Bible verse generator came up with this one. I like it - it's pretty straightforward - don't do bad stuff. I'm listening to Superchic[k], a band suggested to me by Maggie Christ. It took me like a year, but I finally bought one of their albums and it came today. :) The song I'm listening to now is called "One and Lonely". It started by talking about reality TV and not living the way the rest of the world lives. That's what this verse is about.

Being justified by grace doesn't mean we have a free license to sin. That's cheap grace. Instead we have to do something - we have to make an effort. Specifically live by the Spirit. We have to do the things we know we should, even when we don't want to. We have to steer away from the temptations that are in our lives. Sounds hard, right? It is. we have a sinful nature - we're drawn to sin. Every day is a new battle, but also a new day to succeed where we may have failed the day before.

Being a Christian isn't making a decision and putting Jesus in our pocket. It's a way of life. God gives his grace freely, but there is a response, and that's where they idea of costly grace comes in. God gives us grace and then takes up a free love offering. What are you going to put in the plate today?

http://kairosverse.blogspot.com

Carry Each Other's Burdens

¹Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ²Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ

Galatians 6:1-2

Yesterday our verse talked about what to do when we fail. I thought it appropriate today to look at a verse that talks about when others fail. It's very popular to say, "Let people do what they want as long as they're not hurting anyone else." What people also mean though is, "You have no right to determine right and wrong for anyone else." Do we?

Today's verse says that we should help others when we see them sinning. It doesn't say we should accuse them of wrongdoing or that we should avoid them because they're filthy sinners. What it says is that we should gently point out the problem and help that person to make a change.

If you see someone doing something they shouldn't - take on their burden. Consider it your problem too and figure out how you can help them to stop doing whatever it is that they're doing. Offer your help. Don't be afraid of rejection. Most likely despite any shame they might feel, they will welcome someone else's loving help. And even if your help is rejected - you will know that you have done the wrong thing and that you tried to help out of love and not judgment.

http://kairosverse.blogspot.com