Thoughts from Galatians and Ephesians

If you are like me, then you probably grew up memorizing the books of the Bible, possibly via song. And, because of the rhythm in which I memorized them, I always visualize the letters to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians as smashed between the larger 1&2 Corinthians and 1&2 Thessalonians. Does this have any bearing on today's post? Probably not. But it was really interesting to spend some time in each of these epistles, seeing how Paul addressed each church's individual situation and struggles. The Bible Project's videos for each book are, as always, quite helpful: watch the ones for Galatians and Ephesians. 

Gal 1:8 "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!"

This is an affirmation of the supremacy of the Gospel and a reminder that appearances can be deceiving. The Gospel does not change, though people often try to add to it or dilute it. In this letter, Paul refutes the arguments of Judaizers, who claimed that Gentile Christians must adopt Jewish laws and customs. Today, people try to say sin isn't really bad, completely undermining the purpose of Jesus' death and resurrection. Both approaches are wrong, and Paul gives a very clear "Woe to you!" message to anyone peddling them. We must be very careful to present only the true Gospel, without adding to or taking anything away from it.

Gal 2:14 "When I saw that he was not acting in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, 'You are a Jew, yet you live as a Gentile and not as a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?'"

Paul was calling out Peter's hypocrisy over the issue of "unclean" foods. Paul didn't let himself be intimidated by Peter's status; he saw damage being done, so he said something. We should not be hyper-critical people, looking for any inkling of weakness in order to pounce. That is not the way of grace. But it is important to speak up when those close to us are falling away from Truth. Whether Paul and Peter were close is hard to say. But Peter was a church leader, and his actions had a widespread impact. Paul had to say something lest others be led astray. It's important to speak the truth in love and extend grace, but it's also important to hold our leaders accountable.

Gal 3:7,9 "Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham... So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."

No one has ever been saved by the Law. Instead, God has always counted faith as righteousness. 

Gal 4:6-7 "Because you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit Who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir."

Paul uses this adoption argument often throughout his letters. It is such a powerful picture of what God does for us. We deserve nothing good from God on our own; in fact, we were in active rebellion to God. Yet He loves us so much that He created a bridge of reconciliation through His Son. He then goes even further and adopts us, making us part of His family. That is truly incredible!

Gal 5:13-14 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

My study note speaks to the difference between "freedom to sin and freedom to serve." There is really no such thing as freedom to sin - indulging the desires of the flesh really just means re-yoking yourself to Satan. Instead, we are set free from the power of sin and to serve others in love. My study note further talks about the dangers of dissension when we lose that love and unity. I am a very critical person. I'm not proud of it, but I've always struggled with it. Especially at church, I struggle not to nitpick. But I don't want to be like that. I want a heart of grace that looks for positives instead of negatives, a heart that desires unity and not discord.

Gal 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Eph 1:18-19 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe..."

Eph 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

I love the imagery of being God's handiwork. He created us with intention and as a work of beauty that He delights in. And He created us for a purpose. That's encouraging.

Eph 3:12 "In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."

Eph 3:17b-19 "... And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all of the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

This is such a beautiful, rich prayer! I think I want to hang it on our wall, honestly. My study note: "God's love is total, says Paul. It reaches every corner of our experience. It is wide - it covers the breadth of our own experience, and it reaches out to the whole world. God's love is long - it continues the length of our lives. It is high - it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is deep - it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death."

Eph 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Time and time again, Paul comes back to this concept of unity. We are not called to divisiveness or petty disagreements. That is the way of the world. Instead, we are called to follow one God and embrace what unites us, loving each other despite our differences.

Eph 4:26-27 "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

Anger is a powerful, dangerous emotion. Feeling angry is not a sin, but it can very easily lead to actions that are sin. Seething anger easily turns to resentment, and Satan loves resentment. He slips in and feeds the flames, and that's not good for anyone. It's okay to feel angry, but it's important to learn how to process that anger. Then, once you have processed it, let it go, seek reconciliation, and don't come back to it. I can be guilty of dealing with my anger or hurt partially but then coming back to it the next time something hurts. That's not good, and it's not biblical. Forgiveness is total.

Eph 5:18-20 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Eph 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Parenting should not be about me and what I want. Instead, it's all about leading this little one to Christ. This is so hard! I definitely need Jesus' help, because on my own I so easily revert to thinking it's all about me.

Eph 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

This is a reminder to me that 1) Prayer is extremely important and 2) God wants to hear all our prayers, not just the ones that sound pretty and important. 

So, those are my thoughts from reading Galatians and Ephesians. What do you think? I'd love to discuss this in the comments!