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7 Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God! - 8 harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. 9 So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. 10 Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. 11 Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. 12 These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ's suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. 13 They themselves don't keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible! 14 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. 15 Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do - submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! 16 All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God - his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! (Galatians 6:7-16 NRSV)
A blessed and tremendous Tuesday to you, dear One! May the blessings of God be with you and yours is my prayer. May this devotional bless your life, especially your walk with the Lord Jesus. I thank you all for your prayers for those who asked prayers from us.
This letter comes as the Apostle Paul is under house arrest. From what little we know about his time as a prisoner, we do know that most of his letters were dictated by him and written down for him by someone else. We get a hint of that in verse 11 where Paul says, "Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you." Each letter of the apostle included personal greetings and admonishions but he also included theological teachings and/or clarifications about relevant issues confronting each church or community. This passage shows Paul wants every believer to take seriously how important each day and all it offers for us to impact the kingdom. Paul reminds us that we cannot make a fool of God. Whatever we sow, we will reap. And as an illustration, Paul says, "The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God! - harvests a crop of weeds!" Not a good offering for God is it? We should, Paul continues stressing that if we let the Spirit guide us, our crop and thus, our offering before the Lord, will be a crop of real life, eternal life. We should not tire of doing good for others in our lives.
The theological issue is the circumcision one. You will remember that some Jews who became Christians wanted all men who converted to Christianity needed to become Jews first, thus the men getting circumcised. The idea was not appealing for Gentile men who had become Christians and Paul, though Jewish himself, did not side with the circumcision party; calling their attitude and approach, "gas." He further says he would go on boasting about the Cross of Jesus, our Lord and Master. Through the Cross, he has been crucified in relation to the world, and has been set free from the stifiling atmosphere of pleasing others and trying to fit into the pattern that others dictate for him/us. This whole matter can be summed up as Paul does; this is about what God is doing, and God is creating something totally new, a free life. All who follow his example are the true people of God.
PRAYER: Loving God, lift us from the bonds others have tried to enslave us and trap us. Help us to live as Paul, boasting about what You have done through Jesus for us; and may we in our lives, lift high the Cross of Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show high the Cross of Jesus in your examples, and your speech to someone today.
Receive my blessings of freedom and joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
