Reflections on LifeSample

Galatians is a bit of a miserable book (to some). Paul is dealing with a faction in the church at Galatia, and his argument against their false teaching takes up the entire book. Some who claimed to follow Jesus were concurrently saying obedience to the Jewish law was needed as a means to salvation. Paul therefore begins the book (Gal 1:6) by stating his astonishment that they were so quickly deserting the one who called them to live in the grace of Christ - to instead return ‘to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all’ (v. 7). They were trying to gain salvation through their works and efforts - but it doesn’t work.

In today's verse (Gal 2:20), Paul paints a picture of the true calling. Our good works cannot save us; only the grace of God through Christ can! We therefore die to our own efforts as a way of gaining God’s approval - to instead embrace (receive) God’s grace offered to us through Jesus’ crucifixion.

The irony of the verse is of course that, once we ‘die’ we find ourselves to still be very much alive. To what are we alive? We are to ‘live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (NIV) - but what does this mean? Paul explains this beautifully when he later suggests we are now clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27) - the inference being that we choose to imitate Jesus’ character and conduct. Having died to our attempts to gain God’s approval through good efforts we now choose to do good because it is the right thing to do! We love God and want to please Him and imitate His ways. And we take joy in doing good, never becoming weary in it, because we know eternity awaits and a reward with it (Gal 6:9)!

What good can you do today simply because it’s good to do good? In what area could you refine your character, to be more like Jesus, simply because you love God, and want to please him? Remember, a reward does await, if we do not give up!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I am so grateful for your love and grace. Help me to choose what is right this day, and in every way, from a heart that is filled with love and gratitude to you. Amen.