You Know That’s Wrong!

"You know that's wrong!"

Oh, Really?

What do we really know is wrong? Look at the people around you as you read this. Two out of three of the people you see do not believe that moral truth is absolute. Are you one of them? Someone might respond, "Of course I believe in absolute truth. I'm a Christian." Yet, fewer than half of Christians believe in absolute moral truth.

Are the days where we can say, "You know that's wrong" and expect that people will agree, in the past? More practically, will you conform your thinking to the current world views instead of to the view of God? Paul wrote to the Galatians regarding some things that are obviously wrong. He said the works of the flesh or sinful nature are plain, "Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (unbridled lust and shamelessness); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like" (Galatians 5:19-21).

These sins that spring from the wickedness inside the human heart will always be wrong. Christians are called to remember the shame and death that actions and attitudes like these brought to our lives and remain committed to resist the temptations to return to old ways of living. That's Life at Work!

Too Many Words, Too Little Understanding, To the Wrong People

I wish that I always fully appreciated the proverb of Qohelet: "As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words" (Eccl 5:3). The number of bad dreams you have is directly proportional to the number of worries you've got. Like that, the number of boneheaded comments you'll make is directly proportional to the number of words you say.

Some of the most foolish comments I've ever made, I made to people about other people when I didn't really understand what the other people had done. I had failed to remember the significance of two other proverbs, "He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame" (Prov. 18:13); and "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him" (Prov 18:17). When I have talked first, and have talked without listening, I've said some pretty dumb things. Sorry about that.

Most often in my life, this happens when I talk with someone among my friends, my family, my co-workers, and my church about someone else instead of talking to the person about whom I am talking. In other words, I'm telling Jimmy what Sally did instead of talking to Sally about what I'd heard she did. That's foolish according to the proverbs and the more I do it only increases the number of foolish words I say. It also flies in the face of what Jesus commanded, "…go to him privately and show him his fault" (Matthew 18:15).

Let's all do a better job of talking with each other, confronting each other in love, understanding each other, forgiving each other where we need to, but dwelling together in unity. That's such a beautiful thing – and the first thing that happens to turn our relationship ugly often is too many words with too little understanding, spoken to the wrong people. That's Life at Work!

Grace Like Paul Taught It

My Dad told me a many years ago that if I preach grace like Paul taught it, I'll always have to warn people that grace is not a license to sin. Some people from conservative churches say they didn't hear much about grace growing up. I knew about grace. I experienced it more than I heard it, I believe; but I did hear it.

It's critical to me that those who hear me preach regularly hear a lot about grace; and since I love to preach through books, sermons on salvation by grace through faith come around pretty often. Paul is desperate for the Galatians to turn back to reality. Many of the Galatians had spent their lives worship idols. Idols aren't real. Many had spent their lives trying to be justified by law keeping. Justification on the basis of human effort isn't real. These idol worship and "law keepers" had heard clearly that Christ was crucified for them and that what's real is justification through faith in him!

Since they were no longer under the condemnation that comes with transgression of the law, some might have believed that sinning was not a problem. So Paul admonished them. He called them to live lives of service to each other. He warned them not to return to what had brought them disaster before: First, he warned them not to follow the system of salvation that emphasized their own righteousness above faith in Christ. Second, he told them not to return to those ways that were obviously part of the sinful nature. The way of the Spirit is in conflict with the works of the flesh. Spirit led people don't go there.

And he called them to love each other. If you miss that in Galatians 5 and 6, you aren't paying attention. The most obvious evidence that you follow Jesus is that you love your neighbor.

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Gal 5:6).

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal 5:14).

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).

"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation" (Gal 6:15).

Being a new person, particularly seen in your love for others, is the essence of the Christian walk. How are you doing with that? That's Life at Work!

The Greatest Command

What is the greatest command regarding your life with Jesus? I don't mean "What should it be?" I mean "What is it?" What is your focus? Where do you find yourself taking your personal stand most often? Ask a friend who will tell you the truth what teaching from Jesus they see lived out in your life most.

In the final two chapters of Galatians, Paul wrote these lines to emphasize to them the command of Jesus to which their focus had to return:

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Gal 5:6).

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal 5:14).

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).

"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation" (Gal 6:15).

Being a new person, particularly seen in your love for others, is the essence of the Christian walk. How are you doing with that? That's Life at Work!

Slave or Free?

Who would think that Paul would compare the child of the slave-woman Hagar to the "Mount Sinai" crowd? Mount Sinai was major! Mount Sinai was about power, heritage, and pride! "We are the chosen ones" could be the theme-chant for the people at Sinai!

Paul's words for Sinai have more to do with isolation and slavery than power and pride. It wasn't as if Paul was embarrassed of his heritage. He told the Philippians that if anybody had reason to boast in the flesh, it was him. Paul realized, however, that Sinai was about commands he couldn't keep. When he was reminded of the demands of the law, he came face to face with his failures. When Paul considered Sinai, his reaction was the same as the Hebrews at ground zero – he was fearful! Sinai was awesome, but Sinai lead straight through Jerusalem and on to slavery to the consequences of sin.

"But the Jerusalem that is above is free!" (Galatians 4:26) This Jerusalem began with a woman who was unable to have children until God gave her a promise. She is our mother. She is our heritage. The child born because of the promise is the real child of power, and the inheritance that was promised regarding him leads straight to us and to our justification by faith. That's freedom! That's Life at Work!

Faith and Joy

Paul had developed an illness, most likely involving his eyes. If he hadn't gotten sick, he probably wouldn't have preached to these people. He needed healing and they needed the gospel. They welcomed him as if he had been Jesus. They were so joyful and filled with love for the one who brought them the gospel; Paul knew that they would have torn their eyes out and given them to him. They were believers because of Paul's message. They were sons of God because of their faith. They had been given the Spirit because they were sons. The Spirit in them cries "Daddy! Father!" and they know they are no longer slaves, but they are not just free. They are children of God and heirs of his promises! Of course they were joyful! Joy is fruit of the Spirit!

Now, however, they have rejected the message of faith! They turned from justification by faith to justification by circumcision! They are trying to attain their goal by observing law. They have put their faith in human effort rather than trusting in the power of the message that had been clearly preached to them: Christ was crucified for you!

When they turned from their faith, they lost their joy. Turning back to an emphasis on human effort turned them from people who would have torn their eyes out into people who wanted to tear his eyes out. Paul knew that their hostility was a result of their change. "Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" Paul asked.

Nobody hates the messenger of grace more than the person whose focus is on his own effort instead of the justifying nature of faith in Jesus. When you turn to slavery, joy is gone. Stick with faith and joy remains! That's Life at Work!