Thursday, July 30, 2015

Gratitude in Action: A Galatians 6:6-10 Devotional

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:6-10 [ESV]

Throughout the earlier parts of Galatians, Paul spoke to the Galatian Christians about the only necessity needed for salvation – faith in Jesus Christ. He taught against what the Judaizers told them they must do to be true Christians. They said the Galatian Christians had to become Jews before they could be Christians. In essence, the Judaizers told them they had to undergo circumcision.
With chapter six, Paul arrived at his concluding words to the Galatians. He wanted to give them a few other practical bits of advice, too. The first two verses told the Galatian Christians to address their sinning brothers and sisters and bring them back to the way of the Lord, but to do it with love, walking with them to help carry their burden and make temptation powerless. Verse two is where Paul told them to bear each other’s burdens.
Paul offered a second piece of practical advice with verse six. He told them to share all good things with their teachers. Those who God appointed to teach other people of His Word and Gospel are to focus on that ministry. God expects His children to share of every the good thing He gave them with the teachers so they receive God’s provisions, too.
Verses seven through ten bring us to the thematic statement of this part of Galatians. Paul summarizes it in verse ten when he said, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Doing good is taking care of, providing for, walking with a burdened brother or sister, and loving other people. Jesus Christ lived this life style.
Paul reminded the Christians in Galatia whatever one does for God’s purposes would bring them blessings in eternal life. Yet if they live only to meet their own human desires, they would receive in return only things that affect them in this life. Their rewards would be corrupted and not carry on into eternity. Because of that, Paul encouraged the Galatian Christians not to grow weary in doing good, for it would pay off for them throughout eternity with God’s blessings for their good deeds.
Unlike the Judaizers, who sought to increase their fame while on earth by converting people to their way of faith, Paul taught Christians to “sow to the Spirit.” That means doing those things that are holy, right, honorable, pure, loving, true, and worthy of praise. These things are from the Lord through the Holy Spirit residing within each believer. Paul wrote about them in Philippians 4:8. Notice Paul did not say doing any of these good deeds gave Christians salvation.
They are just actions, like circumcision. Doing good things cannot save a person from the judgment due because of his or her sins. Only belief in Jesus Christ, the son of God, as the Savior who bore the judgment by crucifixion for every person can give salvation and eternal life with God. Actions are not required for salvation, but they show the love of God within a person to others and show love to God as gratitude lived out.
The challenge today for Christians is live out your love and gratitude to God in acts of goodness to other people. Show the world the love of God put in you through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling when you became a believer in Jesus Christ.
The challenge today for non-Christians is to ask God to make Himself real to you. He will answer your call and show Himself to you. Then you have to make a decision: will you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior?
God leaves decisions up to each of us.

Will you rise to the challenge?