Have you ever considered how often our feelings can obstruct our path to following God’s daily intention for us? I have numerous times. There are moments when we
don’t feel like attending Church, joining a Bible study at a friend’s home, or
even stopping by and spending time with loved ones. It’s too easy to let
our emotions steer us away from honoring our commitments to God or others during our day. While not every hesitation is a
blatant sin, as Paul outlines in his letter to the Galatians, we risk missing
out on God’s everyday purpose for us when we allow our feelings to dictate our actions. Recognizing that anything that is not rooted in faith can ultimately lead
us astray. It is crucial to trust the Lord with our participation concerning others, fully
trusting that our commitment to the Lord’s plan for us can be a source of great strength and
growth for us and others.
I have thought for many years that faith was my personal
response to God, but faith is actually an ability that is imparted to men by God
to believe in Him. I thought that if somehow I could create enough faith, I
could become a mature and deeply formed Christian. But Paul makes it abundantly
clear that we have died to our old self, our old nature, also known as our old
man. So, it begs the question, how can a dead man have faith? The obvious
answer is he can’t. We have died, and we are a new creation in Christ, and that
new man or new creation reflects the glory of God. But that old man (old
nature) does not want to stay dead. This is where the King James version gets
it right; it uses the word “reckon” to describe how we keep the old nature
buried or dead. This old word “reckon” means to conclude or presume. We are
dead to sin, for sin is what corrupts us; we must conclude that we are dead to
sin because of the death of our sinful nature.
Paul’s comparison of “rules, laws, and ordinances”
to grace highlights a fundamental truth of our faith: grace is born from God’s
love. In the early chapters of Galatians, we see Paul instructing the Church to
move away from the law of Aaron and embrace faith in Jesus instead of clinging
to the performance-driven laws of the Old Testament. This resonates deeply with
our experience; we often find ourselves trapped in a cycle of rules and
unrealistic expectations, focusing more on religious obligations than on developing a genuine relationship with Christ.
Reflecting on my personal journey, I remember how, in my early
years as a believer, I thought I had to earn my love with jesus through Bible reading, prayer, and study. I struggled to finally see that trusting in the finished work of Jesus is
what was the only thing that truly invited me into His freedom. I have come to understand that at the heart of the Lord’s desire for all
of us is the call to place our full faith and confidence in Him through all the He completed on the cross. When we do
this, He transforms us, prompting our behavior and responses to mirror His own, exhibiting the fruit of the spirit.
Embracing this truth can radically shift our relationship with God and lead us into the freedom we truly seek.
I am captivated by how Paul draws a stark contrast between
the actions of the flesh and the actions of the spirit. It feels like he is
clearly defining the significant physical differences between the two. These negative descriptions are pulled from worldly perspectives that reveal our natural
human responses. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in shaping our new paradigm and our worldview,
initiating a lifelong journey that enables us to see both the world and others
through His eyes. This transformation brings forth the incredible, supernatural
power of God’s love for us and those around us.
The fruit of the Spirit thrives on what God has sown within us.
When we genuinely encounter God’s love, a good seed takes root in our
hearts. This seed flourishes with the encouragement and teachings of others who
have also received it, as God nurtures the fruit in their lives.
Our Christian journey is a beautiful tapestry woven from
shared hearts and a collective vision of Christ’s love, demonstrated through
the lives of fellow believers in the Church. This community, the Church, is
vital for connection and support, enriching each of us deeply.
It’s essential to distinguish between the organization and
the organism of the Church. The Church I’m speaking of consists of individual
believers with whom we interact regularly, Jesus didn’t come to save an
organization; He came to save people. The organization is a means to
gather and foster a community of believers. Let’s ensure we prioritize building
healthy, thriving relationships among each other, and not get caught up in the politics of the institutional
structures, as this is where true growth occurs.
I am not criticizing church organizations; they undeniably
serve a vital purpose. However, as highlighted in Hebrews 6:1-3, it is time for
us to move beyond the infancy of our faith. We must progress toward maturity in
Christ, leaving behind the continuous cycle of laying the same foundations repeatedly.
This cycle, known as ‘Puer Aeternus,’ or ‘eternal boy’ in Latin, is what traps
us and blindsides us to growth in Christ.
We are called to deepen our relationship with Christ Jesus to demonstrate the fruit of the spirit and be transformed into faithful men and women who truly grasp and live out our
identity in Him. It’s essential that we establish healthy emotional, physical,
and spiritual boundaries with one another, guided by Jesus as our Captain. Our ultimate
desire could be to embody the Church or ecclesia, as portrayed in the Book of
Acts if we would allow it—a vibrant community of faith that actively serves God’s people as a
catalyst for change rather than simply as another organization that settles
for diluted mediocracy because it seems easier and reaches the masses.
Authentic change demands unwavering commitment and
transparency, deeply impacting our hearts and revealing the gifts God has
bestowed upon us. Our primary commitment is to God, and we fulfill this by
serving our brothers and sisters in Christ. So, who are these brothers and
sisters? They are everyone!
Stephen Barnett
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