Tag Archives: Galatians 5:1-12

Daily Bible Study

September 19, 2015 Bible Study — Faith Is Expressed By Love

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 23:22

    This is important advice for young people. Listen to your parents, they may not understand what is going on in your life, but they gave that life to you. Do not despise them when they get old and no longer have anything to offer you (or so you think). There is however more to this than just that they gave you life. The most important thing to remember is that they were your age once and despite any seeming disconnect between what they tell you and what is going on in your life there is likely to be value in what they tell you. This remains true, no matter what age you are. And remember that your mother gave some of the best years of her life to raising you, when she gets old and suffers the disabilities of age, give her whatever joy is in your power to give her.

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Psalm 63

    This is a psalm of praise which I pray my readers, and all others, will make their own. I earnestly search for God, having been assured elsewhere that those who seek God will find Him. I have found God, but it is the nature of being human that I must seek Him again each day. I will praise Him as long as I live, praying to Him openly. I want everyone to know that I worship and praise God. I strive to live my life so as to not to bring shame to those who also worship Him.

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Galatians 5:1-12

    We will not gain favor with God by being circumcised, by inflicting pain on ourselves, or by making ourselves physically distinct from those around us. There were two aspects of circumcision that led some to claim that it was necessary for Gentiles to become true followers of Christ. The first aspect is the pain which an adult experiences when he is circumcised. There are those who believe that we need to inflict pain upon ourselves in order to be made right with God. We see this in the self-flagellation movements which have cropped up from time-to-time and place-to-place throughout history. Paul rejects that idea. The second aspect is that those who are circumcised are physically different from those who are not. Being circumcised is an action which cannot be undone. There were institutions in the Roman Empire of Paul’s day where those who had been circumcised would stand out as different from the norm. The Roman baths and the Greek gymnasiums were places where the men who were movers and shakers in society would meet. In both locations, men went naked as part of the experience, so everyone knew who was, and was not, circumcised. There were those who believe that we need to stand out from the crowd in ways we cannot undo by some physical manifestation. Paul rejects this idea as well.
    Neither of these approaches is of any value. We cannot make ourselves right with God by following either of those paths. We are made right with God by faith which is expressed by love. If we truly have faith in Christ we will express that faith by showing love to those around us.

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Isaiah 30:12-33:9

    All too often, instead of seeking God’s help, we try to figure out how to do it on our own. Or we seek powerful allies to stand with us against those we perceive as powerful. Instead of trusting in God we depend upon deception and oppression to win the victory. But God is waiting for us to turn to Him. It is only by repenting of our sins and resting in Him that we will be saved. If we ask for God’s help, He will indeed grant it. If we stop rejecting His words He will guide us in the safe path.
    It is a short little bit of this passage but it always strikes a chord with me. If we put our trust in God, He will be a voice in our ears saying, “Turn left here. Just a little further. Now turn right.” Those directions will guide us on the path to doing God’s will. I strive to quiet my thoughts so that I can hear that voice as it guides me.

Daily Bible Study

September 19, 2014 Bible Study — Faith Expressed Through Love

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I added a “Ministry Links” tab to my blog. On it I am going to link to the websites of various Christian Ministries which I support to one degree or another. Currently, it has a link to the congregation I attend and of which I am a member and a link to a ministry which does wonderful work in Honduras and elsewhere: MAMA Project

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Proverbs 23:22

    Listen and respect your parents as they (and you) get older. IF not for them, you would not be here.

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Psalm 63:1-11

    This psalm inspires me to praise the Lord. I will sing, “Oh God, You are my God…I will praise You as long as I live.” I desire God with all that I am. I wish to serve Him with all of my being. I will emulate the psalmist and meditate about God when sleep is slow in coming. Meditating on God’s word calms my mind and gives my body rest.

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Galatians 5:1-12

    It is not the rituals and rules we follow that make us right with God. If you want to be right with God by doing good, you must never do anything wrong. We are not made right with God by being circumcised, and we are no better if we are not circumcised. Rather what counts with God is that our faith is expressed through love. As I am writing this, I realized this is one of those passages where it says a lot, but there really is not much to say about it. We are not made righteous by our actions. We are made righteous by the Holy Spirit. If we have faith that the Spirit will make us righteous, as God has promised, He will do so. In response to receiving that righteousness let us show our love to every one we meet.

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Isaiah 30:12-33:9

    God has promised that calamity is coming for those who put their trust in oppression and lies rather than in doing the work of the Lord. Those who put their trust in military might and worldly power will find themselves beset on every side. However, those who turn to God and wait for His deliverance will be saved. A time of great turmoil and destruction is coming on this world. God is going to sift the nations like wheat. God’s burning anger will strike down upon the earth and ruin will fall upon the nations. But the people of God will sing for joy on that day. Those who would rather trust in military might and worldly power rather than on God will face immeasurable sorrow.
    When I look at current events this passage is one of great hope for me. I look at what is going on in the world and see times of great trouble arising. Turmoil is spreading throughout the nations and every sign tells me it will get much worse before it gets better. However, I do not believe that my salvation comes from the power of armies, or the machinations of politicians. It is God who will bring deliverance to those who put their trust in Him. I will trust in Him and this passage tells me that He will show His power by protecting those who belong to Him.

Daily Bible Study

September 19, 2013 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Isaiah 30:12-33:9

     Today’s passage starts by telling us that those who despise what God says, preferring to instead rely on oppression and lies, will experience calamity. Calamity will fall upon them suddenly, seemingly without warning (although, the prophet compares it to the collapse of a bulging wall, so the warning is there for those who are willing to see). It is only by turning to God and resting in Him with quiet confidence that we will be saved from the coming calamity (the prophet was referring to a specific event in history, but I believe that his words apply to us today). However, rather than follow that course, they chose to turn to a foreign nation, a human agent, for rescue. God warns us that when the time of trouble comes human agents will fail us.
     God longs to be gracious to us, so He will show us compassion. Those who wait for His help will be blessed. If we call to God for help, He will answer. He will be our teacher, a voice in our ears telling us when to turn right and when to turn left.

***

     This reminds me of a recent event I went to for the group I fence with. Part of what we do at some of our events is to conduct something called melee, where one group of fencers attempts to be victorious over another group of fencers, all fighting at once. This is very different from one on one bouts. One of the important things is teamwork and working together, just as in any sport. I have done fencing melee on several occasions and it has never gone well. By the time I figure out where I should be to support my teammates, I have been eliminated from the field. However, on this last occasion, I, and another fencer inexperienced in melee, was matched up with a veteran with experience directing other fencers in melee. He spent a good bit of his time telling us when to move right and when to move left, when to move forward and when to move back. He gave me directions on where to focus my attention. This made it much more fun then my previous experiences. I did not have to worry about how what I was doing fit into what everybody else was doing, somebody else was doing that. I could focus on doing my part, letting someone else guide me to fit it into the big picture.

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Galatians 5:1-12

     Paul wrote that Christ has set us free. Now that we have been freed we must not willingly enslave ourselves once more. Paul uses the example of circumcision to show us that we cannot find favor with God by following a set of rules and regulations. If we try to make ourselves right with God, we are rejecting God’s grace whereby He made us right with Him through Christ’s sacrifice. What is important is that we have faith, which will be exhibited through love.
     Paul warns us that false teachings can be like yeast. Something that seems like it is a disagreement over a minor point of doctrine can spread and influence everything until our entire belief system has become corrupted. If we place our trust first and foremost in God, He will keep us from believing false teachings. God will hold accountable those who spread such confusion.

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Psalm 63:1-11

     I read this psalm and want to embrace it as a meditation for my heart.

O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.

I strive to search for God and His will for my life with all of my being. The imagery presented here of someone thirsting for water in a parched desert is such a great metaphor for how our souls long after God. I have occasionally been involved in intense athletic activity on a hot summer’s day. When I got done, I was so thirsty that I could wanted water and even after drinking my fill I wanted more. That is how I want to feel about God, like I can never get enough of Him. It seems to me that the closer I get to God, the closer I want to get to God.

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Proverbs 23:22

     Listen to your parents, they have a lot to teach me. Even now, more than 20 years after my father’s death I think of things he taught me and thank God for his wisdom. I know that I fall short of spending the time with my mother that I should.

Daily Bible Study

Se[tember 19, 2012 Bible Study

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Isaiah 30:12-33:9

     Today’s passage tells us that calamity will fall suddenly upon those who ignore what the Lord says. Only by turning to the Lord can we be saved from the coming calamity, but too many will turn to human agents for salvation. Many today see the coming calamity, but, instead of turning to God, they rely on politicians, or gold, or some other hedge against what they see is coming. Isaiah says that God will direct us like a voice from right behind us telling us, “Turn right here. Turn left there.” If we listen to that voice and follow its directions, we will destroy all of the idols we have relied on and God will bless us.
     God is bringing a day of judgement on the nations of this earth. He will come with a judgement that will consume those who oppress the poor. But those who serve Him will sing for joy. On the other hand those who rely on human help to survive the coming judgement will fall along with those on whom they rely. God has sent a righteous King so that those who wish to see the Truth may do so and those willing to hear it, will do so. This is a truth to remember. God has promised us that those willing to see will be able to see the Truth and those willing to hear will be able to hear the Truth. As I attempt to witness to those around me, I need to remember that not everyone is willing to hear the Truth of God’s Word. I, also, need to remember to pray for the Spirit to move upon myself to give me the correct words and upon those who are listening so that they might actually respond to those words. I will never convince anyone to come to the Lord, only God’s Holy Spirit can accomplish that task.

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Galatians 5:1-12

     Paul tells the Galatians that getting circumcised has no spiritual benefit. That if one wishes to gain any spiritual benefit from the ritual of circumcision one must follow every one of the regulations in the law of Moses. No one can do that. Everyone will fall short in one way or another. If we attempt to obtain righteousness through following the law, we are rejecting God’s grace. What is valuable to bring us God’s salvation is faith in Him expressed through love. Paul tells us that teaches that following a particular set of rules is necessary for salvation is confusing people as to what salvation is and will be judged by God. This is not to be confused with “cheap” grace, Paul is not contradicting James, who said that if we have faith it will show in our actions. Paul and James are in agreement that our actions will not save us. They are also in agreement that our faith will result in actions.

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Psalm 63:1-11

     I strive to follow the psalmist’s example and search for God with my whole being. I have seen those who soak up God’s word like dry, parched ground soaks up water. I want to be like that. All too often, I let it roll off of me like rain on rocks. I do not want to be like that. I want to soak it up so that spiritual nourishment can spring forth from my soul. I will trust in God and praise Him. I strive to pray whenever I lie awake at night.

Barony Wars, more fencing

Proverbs 23:22

     Make time for your parents. No matter what you think, there is wisdom to be learned from them. One can learn many valuable lessons just by spending time with them. I need to make greater effort to spend time with my mother and my mother-in-law.