Galatians 1
Rebecca Lightfoot
The most significant peril to a vibrant relationship w The Lord is anything coming into our hearts/minds/lives that n any way dilutes &/or pollutes The Gospel of Christ!Galatians 1:6-9 says,”I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”These are pretty strong words that Paul uses....strong enough to say that Paul probably saw this challenge as one of the most significant in the Church!After describing these challenges,Paul exposes the primary motive for diluting &/or polluting The Gospel->Galatians 1:10,”For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”Paul sets up the contrast of pleasing man, or being a servant of Christ...,as a litmus test for our hearts/minds/lives,saying that if we are succumbing to ideas/beliefs for the purpose of pleasing anyone by Christ, we are n danger of having our relationship w Christ diluted &/or polluted by a “gospel contrary to” The One that we first trusted when we trusted Christ Alone to save us.Paul is saying that establishing a“True North” for our hearts/minds/lives is imperative,just as establishing a true north is imperative to a compass being trustworthy.And just as there are interferences that can throw off an accurate reading of a compass we trust to get us through the woods and back to safety,there are “interferences” that throw off our hearts/minds/lives in a right relationship w The Lord...& the intimacy that God desires for us to have as HE expresses HIS HOPE/MERCY/GRACE/LOVE to us/for us!Paul says here that one of the more significant “interferences” is a desire to please man that interferes with our being faithful seekers&followers of Christ.When we allow our hearts/minds/lives to be influenced by any Extra Biblical ideas/thoughts/beliefs,our spiritual compass will suffer interferences that can lead us astray from a vibrant relationship w Christ....and away from His Promises of Hope & Blessings that surpass all understanding(“Philippians 4:4-7,”Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.Let your reasonableness(sound judgement for belief/thought based on The Gospel/Scripture)be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”).SO- when our faith is challenged in any way,we need to turn back to True North->The Gospel according to All Scripture->and depend on nothing else to provide us solid confidence & trust n The Lord....,& beware of submitting our hearts/minds/lives to anything less!Being Especially Aware of a tendency to accept a “more friendly Gospel”,or convey a gospel that is anything less than The Gospel.Our Shield of Faith must be “dipped into” the Word of God and Prayer regularly in order to keep our Faith capable of defending our hearts/minds/lives from the flaming arrows of a gospel other than The Gospel.We protect ourselves/our Faith from Extra Biblical perils by regularly “dipping our lives/our Faith into God’s Word and Prayer.Dear Lord,I have allowed so much of my life to be influenced more by thoughts/ideas/plans/desires motivated by a desire to please either myself or others,instead of directing my thoughts/ideas/plans/desires toward “True North”...and away from what Your Great Mercy&Grace desires for me to enjoy.Help me to change this...and open my eyes to see & know the calling in these verses for my life.