Be Consistent
If you have been reading along or have already read through the New Testament you may have noticed something that I think is remarkable. Some may say it is not, but to me it shows character. When Paul begins his letters to the churches (1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Romans 1:7, Galatians 1:3), he consistently opens up with "peace" and "grace" and shows what he represents in God and in Christ. To some, that is no big deal as he is just writing letters. You will see though that these letters are also letters of direction or correction. I know when some of us are correcting or directing others that we are in charge of, we can become tyrannical. Paul consistently sends grace and love. He does not stray off the path of being loving even when correcting or directing. Why? Because he represents Jesus. We could learn from Paul's example.
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Bear with One Another in Love
There is so much we can miss when we chose (yes it is a choice) to not honor God with our words and hearts. When we are not honoring God, then we are not honoring others either. When you submit your will to Christ and let the Holy Spirit work through you, ideas like those found in Ephesians 4:2-3 are easier (not easy) to follow through on. It is not about doing it on your own volition but it is that of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." That humility and gentleness and patience all come from the Holy Spirit and these are a part of the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). Furthermore, in Ephesians 4:29, Paul tells the Ephesian church to watch what they say. He tells them to use their mouths to speak words to build each other up, not tear one another down.
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Slaves and Sons
Being under the law instead of under grace makes you a slave. A slave to the law. As I stated before, when it came to the law, you basically had to be perfect. There is no grace in the law. It is just the law. Either you broke it or kept it. There is no "well just this time" or "if you do it one more time" kind of warnings or grace. It was the law, so there was no space for grace. In verse 7 we understand that we are no longer slaves (under the law) but we are sons (daughters and offspring) of God and therefore heirs to the kingdom. In verses 21-31, Paul breaks down the difference between the slave son (law) from Hagar and the son of a promise from Sarah (grace through Jesus) and which one was blessed.
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Law or Grace
In Galatians 3:10 we read " For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” That means, if you are not accepting of Christ and his sacrifice then you are under the law. The law basically requires perfection. Christ does not require perfection but obedience to or submission to God's will through Christ. You can either be forgiven or keep striving for perfection. As I have stated before, you can be married and honor your spouse because you are married, or you can honor your spouse and your marriage because you love you spouse. As with Christ, it is not about religion but a relationship. As with marriage, it is not about the title of marriage but the honoring of the one you are with which represents that relationship. Christ has redeemed us by dying in our place and dying for our sins. The law was cursed and Christ became that curse for us (Galatians 3:13). Talk about total sacrifice.
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No Other Gospel
Paul opens up the letter to the Galatians with loving salutations. Then he gets right back at correcting the church for what they have done incorrectly. He wants them to know that there is no other Gospel other than one of Jesus Christ. They had turned to a different gospel which so many people do when they do not understand Jesus and his purpose on earth. We read the gospel and do not understand or allow for barriers to distort what we are to gather from the reading. Or we do not read the word of God and listen to what others tell us overlooking the importance for us to read on our own. In Galatians 1:10, Paul shows that he is bonded to serving God first and not man. Paul says "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." He is not trying to persuade God to think how he thinks, but show men/others how he will not try to seek man's approval over God's. He was not going to water the gospel down and deliver a different message as a people pleaser would do. He was going to give it straight to them as he was an apostle of God that was chosen by God's grace even before Paul was born (Galatians 1:15-17).
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When the Going Gets Tough
I once read a quote from Winston Churchill who said "If you're going through hell, keep going." Now, that does not mean keep everything the same and just sit there like a dead duck; it means don't give up. But, how can that be applied to our walk with the Christ? Would God ever want us to give up? What does God want from us anyway?
When times get tough God wants us to be patient. The problems do not always just go away over night. During these times we can stay prayerful in our personal time with God. We can pray for wisdom and the strength to endure (Romans 12:12). Know that God will hear you if you are righteous (Psalm 34:17). Maybe that is why things are tough for you. Have you been living a way that God does not want you to live? Have you been treating your body well? Are you surrounding yourself with Christ followers encouraging you to do what is right in the Lord? Have you submitted your will to Christ and accepted God's grace?
Let us also not grow weary (tired) in doing good. It may be easy to try to get revenge on someone who is doing you wrong, but that is not our responsibility. It is easy to be full of wrath when we go through these trials and tribulations, but that leads us away from doing what God wants us to do (Psalm 37:7-9). In our patience and perseverance we will reap if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9). Every week via text or phone conversation, my accountability partner and I remind one another to stay strong in the Lord. That means don't give up when things get difficult and keep pressing on to do what is right in God's eyes. I encourage you to do the same (Hebrews 3:13).
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