A YEAR WITH JESUS=> Gods New Creation Counts for Everything: Note from Jesus Dear Faithful Friend, As I told My disciples in the last few hours of My earthly ministry, you are My friend because you know Me and I AM revealing the will of the Father to you (John 15:15). To some, however, I revealed deeper things in special revelation to give them authority to teach the good news about Me in all of its simple truth. The apostle Paul was one of these special people. The Father revealed Me to Paul so that he could proclaim My story, grace, and salvation to the outsider nations. Paul didnt learn this message from anyone else. He didnt get the details of the gospel from the apostles or any other witnesses. Paul was battling to preserve this authoritative message about the Fathers grace in his letter to the Galatians. They were trying to add Jewish practices to the gospel — practices established in the Law given to Moses and other practices added by tradition. Paul was right in adamantly declaring that any gospel that added requirements to the gospel of grace received through faith is really no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-9). New life, becoming a new creation, comes only from being in Me, as Paul told the Corinthians:Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)Paul made clear to the Galatians that this new creation happened through faith and it was experienced in baptism — not through any law or any kind of law-keeping or doings works of the Law of Moses:So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29 NIV) During our journey through the New Testament over the next few months, you will see time and again that people will try to add some additional requirement to My simple gospel. Thankfully, Paul never backed off what I had revealed in him: I AM the good news the world needs — no more, no less. I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT) So Paul reminded his Galatian brothers and sisters at both the beginning and the end of his letter that there is one gospel, the one delivered to him from God about Me. Paul also reminded the Galatians that there is only one thing that ultimately matters: Gods new creation is what counts, and it counts for everything. Verses to Live As you read these seemingly unconnected passages from the beginning and the end of Galatians, remember what I said about one, simple, and transformational message. There is only one. That message finds its focus in Me. When I come into a persons life, I make everything new. This is what matters! Surely you are familiar with my personal history, with my dedication to the teachings and traditions of Judaism. I persecuted the church of God — in fact, I meant to destroy it. I excelled in the teachings of Judaism far above other Jewish leaders, and I was zealous to practice the ways of our ancestors. But God — who set me apart even before birth and called me by His grace — chose, to His great delight, to reveal His Son in me so I could tell His story among the outsider nations. I didnt confer with anyone right away, nor did I go to those who were already emissaries in Jerusalem. I went straight to Arabia and later returned to Damascus. After living this adventurous mission for three years, I made my way to Jerusalem and spent 15 days with Cephas, whom you know as Peter. But I didnt see any emissary other than James, our Lords brother. (You can be certain that what I am offering you is an authentic account. Before God, its the whole truth — I wouldnt lie.) Later I journeyed to Syria and Cilicia; and since I had spent so little time in Judea among the churches of the Anointed One, no one there could pick me out of a crowd. But stories of my call and mission preceded me: The very man who wanted to kill us all is now preaching the faith he once labored to destroy. And so they praised God for the miracle He did in my life. (Galatians 1:13-24) The troublemakers who are putting pressure on you to be circumcised are trying to impress the flesh. They want to avoid the persecution that comes from preaching the cross of the Anointed One, the Liberating King. But even those who receive circumcision cant keep the law — although they think they can — and they hope to influence which way you go with your own skin so they can have bragging rights over your flesh. May I never put anything above the cross of our Lord Jesus the Anointed. Through Him, the world has been crucified to me and I to this world. Let me be clear: circumcision wont save you — uncircumcision wont either for that matter — for both amount to nothing. Gods new creation is what counts, and it counts for everything. May peace and mercy come to all of you who live by this rule and to the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:12-16) Response in Prayer Father, forgive me for the times Ive added requirements to the simple, pure, and powerful gospel about Jesus. Thank you that Your gospel is so simple, clear, and focused. Thank You for Jesus who makes this message Your powerful and simple truth that brings new life. I thank You in Jesus name. Amen. A Year with Jesus is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2014, Heartlight, Inc. A Year with Jesus is part of the Heartlight Network. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 05:07:14 +0000
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