A Compelling Truth: A 30 Day Journey through Galatians with Rob StanmoreSample

DAY 21

I find bread fascinating... and how much I love it is probably my weakness.

If you ever try making a loaf of bread, you need yeast to make the bread rise. However, you only need a small amount to see a whole loaf rise. This is the small, yet significant power, of yeast. Even as you start to put a few grains of yeast in the dough, it won’t result in half the loaf rising and the other half not rising, but rather it will work its way throughout the loaf.

Paul is using the metaphor of yeast to highlight the significance of choosing to live by works, or by grace.

The Galatians were used to hearing and observing Jewish customs. In Exodus 34:25, yeast was forbidden and unacceptable in sacrifice. When Paul references yeast, he is helping the Galatians to understand the huge significance of something they think  has only small significance. 

Living according to works will permeate your whole life. 

However, living according to grace will permeate your whole life.

The reality is that we cannot have Jesus and a bit of works on the side. 

We have to make the decision: Jesus is either everything to us or nothing to us. Thankfully, it is the greatest decision we can ever make.

Question
What is an area of your life that keeps trying to trick you into believing your identity is in your performance and not in Jesus?