Discerning

Galatians 1:6-10

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

Examine / Explain

In this letter to the church in Galatia, Paul is raising and emphasizing the question to the church of how quickly false teaching and legalism have infiltrated them. It appears in the span of three to five years, the believers in the church at Galatia deserted grace for works. Paul makes a hypothetical point that even if he or angels from heaven preach something contrary to the gospel they already received, those who preach it should be removed from them. And why listen to men who say different from what was preached, which was grace through faith? If the goal is to work to earn salvation, then the goal is to please men, not God. If the goal is to please men, Paul would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

How do I apply this in my life?

What am I listening to? Is there a tickling of my ears that tempts me to earn the favor of men more than pleasing God? Are there false teaching of the good news of Christ falling on me? Am I able to discern the difference? The only way I am able to discern is with the fact of being in my bible. What is the measuring stick by which I judge anything? We are to use discernment and search the scriptures to see what aligns with God’s word and what doesn’t.  Those who take what is in the bible and twist and contort it to fit their own agenda are false teachers. I don’t think Galatians could pick up a copy of the New Testament at their local Christian bookstore. My understanding is that at that time, they were more of an auditory communication culture. There were scribes and scrolls, but I’m pretty sure not everyone had a copy. And the fact that this letter is in our New Testament means that these things were not collected together yet. So, I would think they had to have accountability from other believers to challenge what was happening in the church. Today, we are fortunate enough to pick up a bible almost anywhere. The issue is that we don’t want to study it. We would rather dream up our own interpretations of what we think is in it. So that we can think we are pleasing God and be comfortable with our sins. The issue is that a bond-servant is willing to forfeit all their rights to their master. They don’t get to decide what is right and wrong. They are required to use the measuring stick that the master provides. Who’s measuring stick, am I using? Am I studying my bible enough to discern what is truth? Do other believers in my life study their bible enough to call me out when I am living wrongly? My job is not to call out false teachers but to put what they want and tell right next to what God says and see how it lines up. If it doesn’t line up, I don’t listen to them anymore. Why would I keep listening to half-truths that will eventually bring out what it takes to please God?

What is my response?

Father, help my discernment. Let me hear the Holy Spirit when things don’t align with Your word. Give me the desire to study Your word and spend time with You. Please place the people in my life who want to know You more and place the people who aren’t close by. They need to see what it means to follow You. We need to live our lives the way You want us to. We are to be a peculiar people. Our peace should confound the lost and what to know why. I tongues should confuse them because they don’t match culture. I can understand we need to keep our ability to speak the language, but our words are powerful. Life and death are found in the power of the tongue. You spoke and the universe was created. You breathed and man was alive. We are to be careful with our word so that we are in the world but not of it. Draw me in closer to you. Let me know You better. Let my light shine for You in the darkness. Amen