Hello Fellow Saints,
This is Jillian and I am excited to dive into the second half of Galatians with you. As I read chapters 4-6, I couldn’t help but view them with my teacher's brain. I’m not sure if I have previously explained that I am an elementary school teacher and am currently wrapping up my 15th year of teaching. I love my profession, especially understanding theory, design and best practices in lesson development and delivery. One specific practice which is the bedrock of my teaching is to, “plan with the end in mind.” Before I ever start teaching, I have to determine what the ending assessment of knowledge and mastery will even look like. What do I need my students to understand, how do they need to grow, where do I need to take them, or even what do they need to master? With designing and implementing lessons with the end objectives as the main target, the lessons will be thoughtful and meaningful. The delivery and heart will be more intentional and the mastery of concepts will come with more ease. So, for this podcast, we’re going to start with the end in mind. We’re going to see what Paul’s closing target is in chapter 6 and how he skillfully and thoughtfully taught each in chapters 5 and 4.
“What matters instead is a new creation.” This is how Paul closes out his letter to the Galatians in verse 15. Here’s Paul’s ending objective: Being made a new creation is what matters. We see Paul write this objective multiple times to the church in Corinth, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul’s main lesson, his big idea, his ending goal to those who are spiritually in his care is: Your relationship with Christ is the most important thing about you. So, as we look backwards through the book of Galatians, let’s see what lessons he has for us in understanding what “being made a new creation” is all about.
Lesson 1 in Chapter 6: Carry One Another’s Burdens and Do Good
Verses 9-10: “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially those who belong to the household of faith.”
Verses 1-2: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another's burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Pauls stresses being made new means being involved in each others’ lives so no one will slip and fall away from Christ. We are called to show all people love, but we are to have a special love for the people of God. With gentleness, may we care for each other with patience, care and kindness. Have in mind restoration of your fellow believer in order to build up Christ’s kingdom. Serve each other when the weight of life gets too heavy to hold. Dr. Tony Evans states, “Carrying the burden of another can take an unlimited number of forms, including prayer, making time for a person, providing practical assistance, giving financial assistance and providing a listening ear. Such burden bearing will fulfill the law of Christ, the law of His love.”
Lesson 2 in Chapter 5: Walk by the Spirit
Verses 16-18: “I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Verses 22-24: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, you, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desire.”
Paul’s second lesson is to warn us to let go of the former ways of thinking, believing, acting and behaving. All of our past failures, faults, lusts, sins and desires were crucified on the cross and therefore we have been made new. Dr. Tony Evans states, “To walk by the Spirit is to discover God’s view on a matter, decide to act on that divine perspective and depend on the Holy Spirit to empower your obedience.” Your mindset is now that of Christ’s and it’s a life of faith that produces the fruit of the Spirit. While the flesh destroys, the fruit of the spirit provides life and refreshment in your newly made life with Christ.
Lesson 3 in Chapter 5: You’re Called to Be Free
Verses 13-15: “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Verse 1: “For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
You have been set free and spiritual freedom looks like a life that wants to be in a relationship with and seeks to please Christ because of the yoke of sin He has taken off our shoulders.
Lesson 4 in Chapter 4: You are an Heir
Verses 3-7: “In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world. When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son in our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.”
Friend, are you seeing and hearing the lessons and understanding how Paul has layered them to help you gain mastery of the ultimate objective? You’re new, help each other get through life, walk in the spirit toward obedience, don’t go back to your former self and ways, instead stand firm and stay out of the obedience of sin. You are God’s heir because He placed His Holy Spirit in you on the day you accepted and acknowledged Him as your Savior. You sing a new song, “Abba, Father!” because now you know in your head and heart, being made new is what matters the most. I encourage you with Paul’s parting words to the Galatians, “May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy even to the Israel of God.”
