Omc: Family Chapel

In order to thrive with physical health, we need a biblical theology of our bodies. In looking at what the Bible has to say about our bodies, we see that God has created us as embodied creatures, sin has impacted our bodies, Christ has redeemed not just our souls but also our bodies, and that we have the hope of a bodily resurrection. In seeing these truths, we recognize that our bodies are not outer shells that we eventually throw away when we get to heaven, but our bodies are very valuable and important gifts that God has given us to steward well for His Kingdom purposes.

When it comes to our emotions, we tend to fall into one of two errors: we either ignore our emotions or we idolize our emotions. But as we see throughout Scripture, we are called to rightly engage with our emotions in order to more deeply worship God. We do so by identifying, examining, evaluating, and rightly responding to our emotions. And in doing so, the goal of emotional health is not to avoid "feeling bad", but rather it is to bring ourselves as whole people, in both our positive and negative emotions, before God in deeper love and worship.

This week, we begin a 7-part series on Thriving Health in the different arenas of human life (spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, relational, vocational, and financial). If we want to obey the call to thrive, it is important that we strive to be healthy holistically in each of these seven categories. We start this series by first exploring how to thrive with spiritual health. Spiritual health is ultimately achieved when we are rooted in the Spirit. By His grace and strength, He has provided us the means of grace to remain rooted in Him.

As the Apostle Paul closes out his letter to the Galatians, he ends with a call to live the cross-centered life. Rather than living in fear of human rejection or living in love of human praise, we can live the cross-centered life by boasting in the cross and by walking by the Spirit. This cross-centered life will be especially lived out in the context of suffering. But in living the cross-centered life, we walk in fullness of joy with the One who has gone to the cross on our behalf.

I want to include the last verse of chapter 5 (v.26) because I think it fits with the overall message of chapter 6:1-10. Here Paul is explaining the practical outworkings and evidence of a Spirit filled life, and that is to love one another. Walking in the Spirit means the freedom to truly love one another through mutual accountability. This means to look out for one another. But in order to do this with true love, there needs to be personal accountability. This means to check yourself before you wreck yourself (examine your own faith, pride or envy). And lastly, a genuine fruit of the Spirit will produce a persevering accountability. Let us not grow weary in doing good, a very much needed reminder in the season that we are in.

In this letter, the Apostle Paul has graciously reminded us of the freedom we have in Christ and he has exhorted us to live in that freedom. But as we have all experienced, we struggle to live like we’re free. And the reason for this struggle is because we face an internal battle between our flesh and the Holy Spirit - between who we were born as and who we were born again to be. But we can rightly live in the freedom that Jesus provides by crucifying the flesh and by walking by the Spirit.

After defending the doctrine of justification by faith, the Apostle Paul now shows how justification by faith secures freedom in Christ. Freedom in Christ is received by faith in Christ to live as children of God through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. As Paul has already shown in his letter, freedom in Christ is not legalism, which seeks to earn God's favor. But on the flip side, freedom Christ is also not libertinism, which seeks to abuse God's favor. Rather, freedom in Christ seeks to live in God's favor and primarily expresses itself in love for others.

Through His resurrection, Jesus secures for us the hope of Heaven. And the hope of Heaven brings us the hope of restoration. We can look forward to the presence of God and the absence of sin. And by doing so, we can move forward with confidence in our present circumstances by holding on to our future hope. This is our unshakable hope in Christ!

What was once a dreadful symbol of torture and death, the cross is instead embraced by Christians as a proof of hope, victory, and love. If there's ever a need to remind ourselves that God is with us, for us, and loves us, we only have to look to the cross. There is victory in and through the cross, the finished work of Jesus Christ. And as we celebrate and reflect on this day of victory that Jesus purchased for us through his blood, let us walk in victory. Even in the midst of our trials and circumstances, we can thrive.

Wrapping up his theological argument, Paul concludes this section with one final thrust to bring the Galatians back to the truth of the Gospel. In using the picture of Sarah and Hagar, Paul turns a common attack used by the Judaizers on its head, and declares that only those who rest upon faith alone are the true children of God, the children of promise. While life on this side of eternity may and often will be difficult, we have a hope and promise that allows us to live in true freedom.

After putting forth tightly weaved arguments to defend the truth of justification by faith, Paul takes a little pause in his letter and he makes a direct appeal to his friends who have turned their backs on Christ. And by setting an example, Paul encourages us to minister to our backsliding friends by leaning into the relationship, speaking the truth in love, and holding on to joyful hope.

Justification has two implications: one legal (we are not guilty but declared righteous) and the other relational. Here in Galatians 4:25-4:7 we are looking at the relational aspect that comes with justification by faith. To the Jews, their distinctive identity and justification surrounded the Law (Torah) and their heritage (that they were Abraham’s offspring by circumcision). In response, after dealing with the true purpose of the Law, Paul is now arguing that being a true offspring of Abraham is not based on ethnicity or works (circumcision), but rather faith in Christ. Therefore, justification by faith leads to a whole new relational identity with God and with one another as adopted sons and daughters of God. In addition, we become heirs through Christ to all the promised blessings to enjoy for all eternity. We will explore this glorious truth of adoption given by grace and promise.

After making it very clear that we are not saved by works of the Law, Paul now addresses the question: Then what's the purpose the Law? Far from being a contradiction to the promise made to Abraham (justification by grace alone through faith alone), the Law serves very important subordinate and complementary purposes: to point out our sin and to point to our Savior. The Law reveals the depths of our sinfulness and the Law reveals our desperate need for our Savior. In doing these important functions, the Law fulfills its role in God's plan of salvation.

After the Apostle Paul argues that justification is by faith alone, he addresses the issue of justification through the works of the Law. Paul makes clear that all those who seek to live by the Law will need to perfectly do all of the Law. If not, they will die by the Law. The Law is inflexible and uncompromising. The Law demands perfection. And all those who don't measure up fall under its curse. But the good news of the Gospel is that Christ has taken on the curse of the Law on our behalf. And so instead of being cursed, all those who put their faith in Christ, are blessed and receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.

In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul hammers home the heart of the Gospel: justification by faith. We are justified not by means of our works, but by means of faith in Christ. However, we can find ourselves functionally living out of justification by works. Paul points to our experience of conversion and the example of Abraham to encourage us to hold on to justification by faith alone.

Previously, we saw Paul presenting the issue at hand regarding a false gospel. Then he defends his position for the true gospel and also confirms that it is in accordance with the Jewish leaders. And so this week, we get to the heart of what that true gospel is. The true gospel says that we are justified by faith and faith alone. It is not Christ + something else. It is Christ alone. To the Galatians, they were tempted to make the gospel about Christ + circumcision (law). To us, we are tempted to make the gospel about Christ + our own efforts (good works, self-justification). But justification is by faith alone. This does not lead into loose sinning, rather it leads to a life of power and freedom through our union with Christ. The world thinks good works precedes justification, but the true gospel says justification precedes good works. And we discover this to be true because love is the greatest motivator and "Christ in me" the ultimate power.

Having persuasively defended the authenticity of his gospel and his apostleship, the question that now lingers in the heads of the Galatians is: “Okay, Paul, if you’re right, then does that mean the Jerusalem leaders are wrong? Is there division in the Church?” Paul responds by showing how he and the Jerusalem leaders share unity in the Gospel. They are in fundamental agreement that it is faith in Christ alone, and not obedience to the Law, that is needed for salvation. And maintaining this unity in the Gospel is of the utmost importance for Paul because if we want to get the Gospel out, we need to first get the Gospel right.

After calling out the false teachers for their false gospel, the question that naturally comes up is: "Okay, Paul, but what makes your gospel the true Gospel? How can we trust that what you're saying is true?" Paul anticipates that question and he responds by sharing about how he came to receive the Gospel. And he makes it very clear that he received the Gospel, not through any man, but through God Himself, who chose him, saved him, and commissioned him to preach that Gospel. We too can rest assured that the true Gospel about God has come from God!

Paul addresses the problem of a false gospel. And he shows us that a false gospel is not just fake news, it's bad news. Unlike the true Gospel, which comes from God, centers on the person and work of Jesus Christ, and provides new life, a false gospel only leads to destruction. We have to faithfully hold on to the Good News in a fake news world because there is no other Gospel.