Foolish Christians

Daily Reading: Galatians 3

Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3.3)

Devotional Thought: Paul called the Galatians foolish!  I’ve never tried that before.  I wonder how many people would listen to my sermons if I started out by calling them foolish Christians?  Well, I’m not Paul and you’re not the Galatians! So, I better not try it!

The entire book of Galatians is Paul’s response to legalistic Jews who insisted that non-Jewish Christians become Jews in order to become full Christians.  In particular, the men needed to be circumcised.  That is what Paul is alluding to when he mentions “the flesh” in Galatians 3.3: “Are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Though we don’t have an issue with circumcision as did the early church, are there other ways we attempt to be “perfected by the flesh?”  Having been born again by the Spirit of Christ, do we attempt to justify ourselves through religious actions and observances?  What is our motive in church attendance?  In tithing?  In moral living?  Do we do those things in hopes that God will look upon us and say we are good enough?  I want to set you free from that burden. You will never be good enough on your own.  Don’t even try.  It is only the grace of Jesus and the righteousness that comes by faith that make us good enough.  That doesn’t mean we don’t live good clean lives or that we don’t attend church and give our tithes.  But, instead of doing those things to receive God’s favor, we do them in response to God’s favor. 

Don't be a foolish Christian.  Let the Spirit perfect you.  He is the one who saved you, now turn to him to sanctify you - to make you holy. 

Prayer: Jesus, I don't want to be a foolish Christian, trying to perfect myself by the flesh.  May you perfect me by the sanctifying work of the Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 104.1-9

1 Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 2 The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent. 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. 4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. 5 He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. 6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; 8 they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. 9 You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.