Scripture: Genesis 12:3 and 22:18; Psalm 72:17; Gal 3:6-16 / SOAP: Gal 3:8-9
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nationswill be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.
Genesis 3:8-9
Have you ever heard or sung the song “Father Abraham”? It’s an interactive song that teaches children, and in my case adults, that as believers we are part of the family of Abraham. Which, as Paul points out in Galatians chapter three is a vital part of our heritage in the family of God. Knowing this part of our heritage does not change who we are in Christ but it does give us a broader understanding of who and how we are in Christ, much like the popular ancestry studies of today help us understand our physical heritage.
Father Abrham had many sons, many sons had father Abrham I am one of them and so are you – so let’s just praise the Lord…
I was saved when I was a very young girl, five or six years of age, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I began to understand the depth of the grace of God. Until then it was a word relegated to a verse that proclaimed the means of my salvation, “For it is by grace you are saved through faith, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.”
My heritage by blood is gentile but by the grace of God I have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ! By faith I am now numbered among the sons and daughters of Abraham.
MefromtheINsideout!
What does it mean to you to be part of the family of God? Do you remember a time when you weren’t part of the family?
So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
As believers we are called by God to do good. We have been shown by Christ what that looks like. Part of the fruit of the Spirit that all believers are endowed with is ‘goodness’. The question is – what exactly is this goodness? It’s good deeds, loving others as Christ loves us, it is being kind and gentle in Spirit, it is putting others above ourselves, and treating others as we would want to be treated, it is helping those in need and comforting those who are hurting … Goodness is all of these things and more and it is not only an important part of the believer’s life, it is an important witness to the world, for as Jesus taught His disciples, good deeds that are seen by others bring glory to God in heaven. So in the words of Paul, let us not grow weary in doing good. In-fact, whenever we are able let us us do good to everyone, particularly to other believers.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
Why does Paul say “Don’t grow weary in doing good.”? If we’re honest in answering this question we will have to admit the answer is simply – because it isn’t always easy, desirable, or appreciated by others. We will be tempted to pay more attention to our own needs and desires and time schedules or whatever/whoever is vying for our attention; not to mention, we will literally be tired and not want to take the time to “do good.” It is in these times – we must remember – the promised reward, which is eternal life, is worth it. – Not sure about that? Check out verses seven and eight, where the Galatians are told that if they live for themselves they will reap corruption, but if they live in/by the Spirit they will gain eternal life from the Spirit.
A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8
Make it Personal – Reflection
What work has God given you to do? How are you stewarding and guarding what He has given you, even if it is, for the moment, just in your own heart?
Going Further
For more insight on what it means for believers to do good visit gotquestions.org
For more insight on what Galatians 6:9 means visit Bibleref.com
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:7-9
Observation:
The sequence of events…
Jacob dupes Esau, deceives his father, and because his life is in danger he leaves home to find a wife among his mother’s people. On the way he has an encounter with God in a dream – which leads him to both worship and commit himself to God, following the encounter he finds his mother’s brother,Laban… falls in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel … offers to work for Laban for seven years in order to marry her … works the seven years – but wakes up the morning after the wedding only to find out he had married her sister, Leah. Apparently, Laban had done to Jacob what Jacob had done to his brother and father. [Of course now we have an ‘elephant in the room’ – because the question begs to be asked, how in the world do you not know which sister you married until the morning after? While the answer isn’t given in Scripture the possibilities could be anything from “too much wine for Jacob, elaborate veils, cultural modesty, or Jacob’s wedding night nervousness caused him to miss this key fact, but we don’t really know1“.]
Just as Jacob’s deceitfulness had lasting consequences on his father, mother, and brother – as well as untold others – so it was with Laban’s trickery. The trick not only affected Jacob but Rachel and Leah and generations to come.
The Lesson
As we learn from Paul in Galatians 6:6-10, God’s grace does not negate the consequences of our choices and actions.
Application: How Then Should We Live?
According to the passage in Galatians, where Paul warns, “a person will reap what he sows”, and in light of Jacob’s experience, both as the one who deceived and the one who was deceived it is clear by God’s Word that we are to be careful with our choices – neither deceiving nor allowing ourselves to be deceived. This being true we must walk by the Spirit and not the flesh, and we would be wise to remember that while we may not aways see that what we do matters – it does. Therefore we must keep living in a way that agrees with our profession of faith. Or as Paul said to Timothy,
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
1 Timothy 6:12 ESV
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father – discipline is never easy and Your discipline is even harder to bear – in part because of the consequences we face but also because it grieves my spirit to know I’ve disappointed You. Thank You for the reminder to make good choices, to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh, and to consciously live in a way that reflects my profession of faith. – In His Name and Power – AMEN!
Your Turn:
What’s your take away from today’s reading?
Have you experienced times when God has clearly disciplined you?
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
My Observations:
I love zeroing in on one Scripture verse, however, sometimes – if not often – we risk missing the beauty of the message. While today’s verse can definitely stand alone and packs a wonderful, life altering message – I believe the beauty is in knowing the truth it preaches wasn’t always the way that it was.
So let’s look back to the first four verses of the passage, where we read about what guarded the people before faith came into the picture. That guardian was the ‘law’, a captor. more-or-less, that made sure we knew our sin and offered a way to purge ourselves only to then reveal another sin and another. It was a hopeless cycle that kept the people fully aware that there was truly no way to escape. Until out Champion was born made a way for us to escape our captivity and the burden that the law placed upon us! No longer did we serve a law of rituals and requirements but rather a Savior who paid our penalty and set us free!
Understanding this freedom is vital to understanding and appreciating the truth that “we are all one in Christ Jesus”. No longer are we governed by our race, status in life, or gender but simply and purely by placing our faith in Christ alone. When we do this, Paul told the Corinthians, “we are a new creation, the old has gone , the new has come”, 2 Corinthians 5:17.
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
Galatians 3:26-27
We are now identified as “belonging to Christ”, and this identity changes everything. Why? Because – now that we belong to Christ we are made His heirs, sharing in God’s promise to Abraham. Why? Because, as Paul explains:
The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
Galatians 3:7-9
How Then Should We Live?
First and foremost we should put our faith in Christ and be saved, Rom. 10:13a
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."
We are to measure ourselves, not by who we are or were but by the faith God has given us, Rom. 12:3
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
We are not to think of ourselves as greater or better or even lesser than others – regardless of our “station” in life.
We are to live as one with our brothers and sisters in Christ – through the Spirit
We should live praising God for the Savior who fulfilled the law thereby releasing us from captivity to it.
My Prayer Response:
Father – thank You for the work You have done in us through Christ. Help us as Your children, belonging to Christ, to always measure ourselves only by our faith in Christ – not by works or possessions or status. Help us, by Your Spirit’s power to live as one body for one Lord and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6 and then have committed apostasy,[a] to renew them again to repentance, since[b] they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again[c] and holding him up to contempt. 7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on[d] it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed;[e] its fate is to be burned. 9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish,[f] but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.
9 So we must not grow weary[a] in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.[b] Galatians 6:9
Me From the Inside Out 