Well, I have begun my journaling goal to hand copy some portions of Scripture. I started with the book of Galatians and will continue on through both letters to the Thessalonians. I wanted to take a moment and share some of my thoughts while I was writing today.
There are some people who are looking for you. They want to teach you lies. They come with the name of Jesus, but that is just to trick you. They will tell you things like the faith you have in Jesus Christ is not good enough... There is still yet more required of you. They will be persistent, even visiting you in your home trying desperately to take away your simple faith in Christ and place on your some burden that God never intended for you to bear. Paul says, let these people be accursed with no hope of redemption. Let these false teachers be cast furthest away from God's grace to suffer an eternal condemnation of suffering.
Paul gives the purpose for writing to the churches of Galatia in the first eight verses. He points out in vv. 6-7 that there were some who were removing themselves from the grace of Jesus Christ to follow after another 'gospel'.
The word gospel literally means good news. But the point Paul makes is that the good news of Jesus Christ is remarkably different from any other good news you can possibly receive. In the Galatians case, there were deceivers sneaking into the assembly of believing Christians with the intention of perverting the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They wanted to confuse and destroy their simple faith in the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
But Paul isn't going to allow that on his watch. He even reminds them of that true gospel which they had heard from the beginning:
The Gospel truly is as simple as the statement Paul gives above. Don't let anyone deceive you or take away the joy you have in Jesus Christ. If you began in faith, you will end in faith. There is nothing you need to do or add to your faith to be accepted by God. He has done everything that was required. To those who seek to lead God's people astray, Paul says, "Let him be anathema!"
"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:" (vv. 3-4)
The Gospel truly is as simple as the statement Paul gives above. Don't let anyone deceive you or take away the joy you have in Jesus Christ. If you began in faith, you will end in faith. There is nothing you need to do or add to your faith to be accepted by God. He has done everything that was required. To those who seek to lead God's people astray, Paul says, "Let him be anathema!"
There are some people who are looking for you. They want to teach you lies. They come with the name of Jesus, but that is just to trick you. They will tell you things like the faith you have in Jesus Christ is not good enough... There is still yet more required of you. They will be persistent, even visiting you in your home trying desperately to take away your simple faith in Christ and place on your some burden that God never intended for you to bear. Paul says, let these people be accursed with no hope of redemption. Let these false teachers be cast furthest away from God's grace to suffer an eternal condemnation of suffering.
But to you who believe in Jesus Christ, enjoy your life of freedom in him! Be at peace and have joy in the God of your salvation!
Jay
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