Wednesday February 18, 2015

Read Galatians 2:11-21

Far too many churches today are burdened by rules and regulations. These are often unwritten but kept strictly among adherents. Four hymns must be sung in a church service. Church has to start at 9am. You have to sing a three fold ‘amen’ at the end of the service. You must pray for at least x minutes each day and read so many verses in your Bible. You must wear your best clothes to church and you can only talk about nice things at church. The Jews in Paul’s day had rules and regulations for every conceivable situation. One such example that comes to light in today’s reading is that they would not eat and socialise with Gentiles (non Jews) because all Gentiles were looked down upon.

But when a person comes to faith in Christ Jesus by the grace of God, such rules and regulations are annulled. As a Christian church we can sing 100 hymns if we want to. We can sing 50 hymns, 20 choruses and have a few items as well. We are free in Christ. As believers in Christ, Church can start at 10am or 5:30pm. We are free in Christ. As believers we can eat with Jews or Gentiles, even Africans and Bidalonians if you can find any! As a Christian you can end a church service with a three fold Amen or even a seven fold Amen. You could end with a benediction, a prayer or even a Scripture verse. We are free in Christ.

The Apostle Peter, a Jew, shows his freedom in Christ by eating with Gentiles. But when some of the Judaizers turn up in Antioch, Peter stopped eating with Gentiles and returned to the annulled rules and regulations. Paul confronted Peter and outlined the freedom we have in Christ. Paul’s argument is very simple and clear – we are saved by faith and not by works of the law. Indeed Paul states very clearly that the law cannot and will not save us.

15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

He goes onto elaborate that as a believer, Christ actually dwells in us. See John 14:15ff. If Christ lives in us then we no longer live in and of ourselves. The old person has died. The new has come. Our lives are now lived by faith in Christ not by observance of rules and regulations. Christ lives in us and shines out of us.

We do not set aside the grace of God by taking up rules and regulations because if our right standing with God could be attained by keeping the law then Christ died for nothing.

Such insistence on, and faith in, rules and regulations was driven home by a dear old church member when she professed, in relation to dying. ‘I hope I get into heaven. I’ve been a good Christian.’ Let me reiterate with the Apostle Paul’s words

Galatians 2:21 (NIV84)

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

A true believer does not ‘hope’ to get into heaven but rather lives in the light of the certainty of being in heaven with Christ. That certainty comes not from law keeping but from believing in Christ Jesus.  Are you free in Christ?

Prayer:

Use the day’s reading notes and Bible passage to pray meaningfully:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Continue to pray that the Lord would use the MOPS and Playpals ministry to reach many families with the gospel of grace.

· Pray that your church would grow through conversions.

 Discussion & Reflection

1. Even though law keeping does not and can not save us, we still need rules and guidelines to function effectively as a church. Explain how these rules and guidelines can sit together with faith.

2. What are some of the burdensome rules and regulations you have personally experienced in a church?

3. At what point do rules and regulations become burdensome and anti-gospel?