Walk Away

Ephesians 5:3-7    
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Walking out our new life by faith and yielding in obedience means that we turn from the attitudes and actions that formerly indicated our hurtling to judgement and hell.  We cannot listen to those who would try to justify living in sin when we have been delivered from it at the great price of God’s own innocent Son in our place.  Therefore we do what is fitting instead of what God says is unclean and immoral, from our actions down to our words, with the thoughts of the heart to be dealt with as well.  God’s wrath will be poured out on the disobedient who deny Christ and continue to live in offense to God, so how can we who are saved from sin live a moment longer within it?  As His saints, we are to partake of His holiness in our yielding.  

Imitative Worship

Ephesians 5:1-2    
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Because Christ forgave us and we are commanded to put off ungodly thoughts and actions, as we put on Christlike attitudes and live them out, so we are imitating Christ.  This changing of our hearts by the sanctifying work of God’s Spirit and word with our obedience is what walking (living) in love looks like.  Because He first loved us, we love Him and do those things that are pleasing to Him.  He gave Himself for us, so why is it difficult for us to give ourselves first to the Lord, and then to others?  This is living the two great commands to love God and others.  We are living sacrifices who are being transformed as we gaze into the face of God in Christ each day.  This life is an acceptable living sacrifice of worship which is full of joy for His children.  

Old and New

Ephesians 4:25-32   
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

To put off the old conduct and put on the new, we have these examples to begin with: stop lying, don’t let anger lead to sin (and give the devil a foothold), work instead of take from others, use our words to build up and not tear down, and don’t grieve God’s Spirit who seals and lives in us and is beside us in all we think, say, and do.  We are to be kind from the heart and forgiving as we consider how much God forgave and continues to forgive us so much more!  How then can we continue to be bitter, angry, contentious, and hateful in our hearts that have His Law now living in them?  We must both put off the old and put on the new as He conforms us to the image of Christ in whose face we gaze.  

Live by Every Word

Ephesians 4:20-24    
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Since we have been reborn by God’s call and work in us, we learn from the scriptures not to live for ourselves by continuing in the sin we turned from and were saved out of.  Instead we have learned Christ who is our righteousness and holiness to imitate, and His teachings of truth compel us to live to please God now.  We then must daily die to self and put off the corrupt ways of our sin-driven old man with unholy desires and motives, clothing ourselves as a new regenerated man by a mind renewed by His working through us.  This new man we don our souls with now was created by God in His image to be righteous and holy so we can be in His presence forever.  This is how we have learned Christ and how we follow as disciples, in sincere and genuine character which we walk obediently in, enabled by Him to desire and be able to do these things by Him for His good pleasure.  

Honor and Pleasure

Ephesians 4:17-19    
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

The world lives for futility by seeking its own instead of the things of God.  The understanding and reasoning apart from God is dark and blind from inside the heart out to the eyes and ears that face the world.  Only Christ who is the light of the world, who shone on the first day of creation and now shines in our hearts, can bring understanding and reconciliation with God to draw us near to Him out of this present darkness and into His marvelous light.  Ignorance of God leads to unfeeling immortality and self serving greed, but knowing Him brings morality in a cleansed heart and a spirit of giving in serving each other.  Therefore we who are brought into that light cannot continue to do what we used to, for we have been called out of that fallen world system into the kingdom of righteousness and peace with God.  Let us live to please and honor Him as we conform to His image.  

Gifted for Growth

Ephesians 4:11-16    
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

God by grace gives some gifts for selected people to speak forth His word, speak it out, lead, and teach others within the body of Christ which is His church.  This is to give us all what we need to minister to each other and build us up as a whole, together.  The goal is to all see the truth of who God is and what He does from His word, thus growing up in Him by sound teaching, the resulting discernment, even in the midst of subtle and outright attacks on Christ in us and our message of truth and grace.  Therefore we endeavor to speak this truth in love to mature as a church in loving Christlikeness, bound together in truth and love by this grace in which we stand, as we use the gifts toward His goal for us.  We are to build each other up this way in order to be competent as good servant-ambassadors of reconciliation to the world.  All must do their part by the gifts given to each, whether as servant leaders or other members of His body.  Each must grow up in Christ to serve the other in His truth, love, and grace.  

Gifts of Grace

Ephesians 4:7-10    
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”   9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

We each are given grace in Christ, and also are given spiritual gifts measured out by that same gift of grace as He sees fit.  The reference to Psalm 68:18 on how He would free us as He rose from death to life is followed by Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!”  He gives gifts both of salvation and more.  Jesus descended into death, only to be resurrected to life, just as He lowered Himself to descend to earth from heaven first as a man, then ascend back to heaven, showing us He has been and is everywhere we could go.  This shows also that He is willing and able to give gifts, grace, to us in addition to the gift of salvation.  These gifts are then discussed in the next verses Eph.4:11-16). 

Walk Accordingly

Ephesians 4:1-6    
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

How are we urged to live in Christ our Lord and Master?  In a worthy (to Him) way that aligns to what and Who we are called to.  These things here are foremost: in humility and gentleness, in patience for the long haul, and with love in the bearing.  We are also called to one body in Christ, which we are to work hard at by His Spirit’s enabling and strength to maintain.  We have the essential unifying truths uniting us, namely: the calling as the church, the Spirit of God in each regenerated one, the gospel hope which cannot be lost or abrogated,  the same Lord Jesus Christ who is divine, the same immersion into Him and sealing of His Spirit, and the same Father (not man) God who is who He is, not made by our imagination.  This is the same God in each of His children of whom we are in Christ who rules over and leads us in this walk of life into eternity.  Let us walk accordingly.  

To Him be the Glory!

Ephesians 3:20-21    
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

God works in us far beyond what we can ever imagine, even after reading of the wonderful words and works to this point in this letter to the Ephesians.  These works of sovereign grace and glory go far above and beyond what we could ever ask for, let alone think of.  All these things are accomplished by His infinite power working in Christ to us by the gospel, bringing life and hope to hopeless and desperately weak sinners destined only for wrath, yet finding an over abundance of grace in the dynamic working by His Spirit in us by faith!  This is why we give all glory, honor, and praise to the King of kings and Lord of lords, to Jesus Christ who is the Author and finisher of this faith in us and in all He calls to the end of the age.  Amen and amen!  It is and shall be so.  

For This Reason ... Pray

Ephesians 3:14-19    
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The wisdom of God revealed in His plan for our salvation should make us bow before our Lord, reveling in the fact that we are His children and the family of God in Christ!  We should pray for each other as Paul did here that we would each know these endless riches in Christ and find strength by His Spirit in us, that we realize Christ in our hearts by the faith granted to us, and that we are planted firmly in His love for us and so towards each other also.  Oh, that we may all grasp more fully the endless dimensions of the barely comprehensible love of Christ (the mere edges of His ways) so that we find ourselves filled up with God’s full measure of Himself and His merciful grace!  These things we must pray for each other in Christ.  

Brothers, We Are Not Entitled

Ephesians 3:8-13    
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Paul did not think himself as special or deserving, but as a sinner given grace, called out to call others to Christ through the gospel’s words of life.  He wanted others to see these great eternal riches and participate in God’s mystery of Christ’s working from the beginning of time and creation (and before).  God planned these things to show His wisdom in this grace in the time He designated, that we who He chose and called out might call out as a witness in heaven and to those on earth.  His purpose of our salvation in Christ gives us the right to stand before Him eternally based on Christ’s righteousness alone by God’s plan and choosing, so we can come to Him without holding back, confidently coming by the faith given and promises made to us.  This is why we don’t grow weary or want to give up in troubles or even facing death - because God is glorified. 

Stewards

Ephesians 3:1-7   
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Paul was given a stewardship of God’s grace to give to others.  Though a prisoner, he was free in Christ and used that calling to labor in the good news with words of life by grace.  He was shown deep things of God hidden in Christ and the scriptures in order to preach and teach, as well as to finish the scriptures through his hand.  These hidden things about Christ and salvation by teachings of grace began in Genesis, but were hidden before Jesus revealed them and the Spirit of God began living in His people to give understanding through apostles like Paul, Peter, James, and the others.  We are now all one chosen people in Christ, heirs of His promise through this gospel, and the effectually powerful working of His word in it to us.  Thanks be to God for such an indescribable and wonderful gift of grace!  

Citizens

Ephesians 2:19-22   
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Being brought together from all nations in Christ, we who are called as His are members of the family of God who live in His house, the church that is His body.  The church’s foundation has a cornerstone which holds up the entire structure (who is Christ), the prophets and apostles who were used to bring us the knowledge of God and the grace of His salvation, and on top of this grows His temple of worship of which every brick is each believer.  This is a holy temple where God no longer comes and goes as in the old temple between the angels on the mercy seat, but now He comes to permanently dwell in each of us and as a whole.  We are the temple, individually and as a whole.  This mystery of the gospel is the reality of who we are as a reconciled and regenerated people, a spiritual new nation of sorts and its temple.  

Peace as One People

Ephesians 2:14-18    
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Though the temple court had a wall to keep out the Gentiles and the Law was seen as excluding them, God in Christ brought all together as one chosen people whom He called to bring peace with Himself.  Christ fulfilled the Law that we could never do, making it possible to make one people, a body that is the church, reconciling all who He calls from every nation, people, and language to Himself.  He did this through the cross, and so brought peace instead of certain judgment as He called us to Him through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Now both Jew and Gentile come together by grace to our Father in the heavenlies, one people of God as promised to Abraham.  

Brought Near

Ephesians 2:11-13    
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

We who were not born physically of Israel’s stock but spiritually of Abraham’s by the promise of faith, are not God’s children by the outward cleansing sign of circumcision.  No, rather we are spiritually circumcised in our hearts made clean and acceptable in Christ.  Therefore, we are no longer aliens to the covenants of His promises, but now have hope in Christ as God’s chosen children as well.  He brought us to Himself, calling and drawing us out and into fellowship with Himself.  He did this by dying for us and covering our sin by His blood.  God’s children include all by faith in Christ who are cleansed in the heart by Christ’s righteousness, and are now all brought near to Him by the promise and covenant of grace.  

Rich in Mercy

Ephesians 2:4-10    
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God’s great love and untold storehouse of mercy shed grace on us who are hopeless sinners.  We were born dead in sin, and He gave us undeserved life with Christ in His death to pay our debt.  He then raised us to life as He raised Himself from the grave, resurrecting us spiritually to a new life that has an inheritance in heaven with Christ.  This grace put on display for all time saves us from wrath and the hell prepared for the disobedient, both angel and man, and is not something that can be earned by doing good.  This free and unobtainable gift was given by God’s mercy and love so that we can never say any of it was our accomplishment or choice.  He made us as an intimate expression, in His image, that we might then do good not even as a result, but as we were planned to be by His good design.  This then is how we must live.  

Death to Life

Ephesians 2:1-3    
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

We who are now alive in Christ were once as every son of Adam born, dead in sin and opposed to God and all righteousness defined by His standards.  We used to live for our lust for pleasure and set our minds opposed to and even with hate and disdain toward God, children of God’s wrath and facing His just and fair punishment for it.  We followed the serpent’s lies as the rest of the world in an attempt to be autonomous instead of obedient and reliant on the Father who alone knows best.  This temporary prince of this present darkness enslaves all of the first Adam’s offspring who can only be set free from sin’s tyranny of the soul by the second Adam, Jesus the Christ.  We now and forever live in Him, justified and forgiven by grace! 

Underfoot

Ephesians 1:22-23    
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

All that is made is under the authority and power of Jesus Christ the Lord.  He is the sovereign king who bought the church at the price of His own sacrifice of suffering to death.  He rose from death to life to prove who He is and give us the hope of resurrecting to be with Him forever.  This One is the head of the church, of all true believers who know and follow Him after being justified and regenerated.  We who are these reborn people of God are therefore His body of whom He is that head of authority and rule as Lord, and are in Him who is everywhere and in everything, for God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.  God the Gather did this in and as His Son, and we serve this mighty God as His chosen people. 

Prayer to Know

Ephesians 1:15-21   
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Faith and love for Jesus Christ bring thankfulness to those who minister the gospel, as well as other believers.  We can pray these things for all believers as Paul did for those in Ephesus here.  We ask God to give wisdom and reveal Himself in knowing about Him from the scriptures after knowing Him intimately, then building on that knowing to be growing in Him.  We pray for understanding the hope we have as the called, the elect, of the church who are His bride.  We ask for understanding of the value we have to God as His inheritance in us and the glory that brings to Him.  Let us not forget to pray for grasping His infinite power working in us by the resurrection of Christ (and so of us as well in Him), and of the Son sitting in authority in heaven as Lord, reminding them He rules over all as omnipotent Sovereign of all things forever.  We pray, therefore, for spiritual and intellectual understanding of who Christ is and all He has done for us, building the faith and love of and for our Lord in each other. 

Predestined on Purpose

Ephesians 1:11-14    
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.   13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

What is our inheritance in Christ?  We have been chosen by His will for His purpose, not our own self determination or goodness.  This is to give Him praise, much like the angels around the throne singing praises to the one who alone is worthy.  We inherited the ability as adopted children to one day stand and bow before the sovereign one with praise continually on our lips in thankful adoration.  How did we get here?  We heard the words of life and truth, the gospel, and trusted Him for who He is and all He has done to save us and make us new.  He then sealed us as eternally His by living in us as His Spirit, marking us as His adopted children forever as He planned from the beginning.  We are guaranteed our inheritance until He returns or we meet after death, bought back fully to glorify and praise Him who has done all this to we who deserve nothing.  By such grace we inherit eternity as His to be in His presence!  

Mystery of His Will

Ephesians 1:7-10    
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

We have been bought back from our alienation from God caused by disobedience in Eden by Adam and Eve.  The price was a blood sacrifice, a life for a life, Christ Jesus taking our punishment of justice and dying where we should have.  Therefore we find forgiveness in His boundless grace that demonstrates God’s great wisdom and sensible understanding revealed to us as His will in calling us out and saving us.  He not only planned this, He finds great pleasure in this purpose to set a time to send His Son to redeem His chosen people as He did with Israel.  God now brings us together in Christ as promised to Abraham, of Israel and all other nations, adding from this creation us to all that is good in heaven.  He died so we can live with Him.  

Blessed by the Blessed

Ephesians 1:3-6    
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

God who is blessed has so blessed us in Jesus Christ the Lord who is ours.  He has given blessings in the place of His dwelling in heaven, come down to earth as He came down and became a man.  He chose us before creating the world, not waiting for us to choose Him, and that was to make us like Him as set apart and righteous by His love.  In this predestination, this setting events in order before they were to happen, He knew us intimately before we were in Christ and did not merely see our choice ahead of time (Ps.139:16).  He chose us before time to be adopted in His time as His children through His Son, His very word manifested as a man with us.  This was solely by His pleasure and grace, not our deserving or earning.  These things all bring God glory and His grace to us as He has made us acceptable to stand in His presence in Christ’s work and righteousness! 

Ephesians - Called

Ephesians 1:1-2    
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:   2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul begins the letter to the church at Ephesus by identifying who he is, a messenger of Jesus Christ (apostle).  Then he adds that this calling is ultimately by God’s will, not his own choice or even the choosing of him by others in the church.  He addresses the Christ followers as holy and set apart ones, saints whom God also called out by His choosing.  They are called faithful, assuming that they are following Christ sincerely and with desire to do so.  Therefore, after setting the stage of who he is and they are, all chosen by God’s will in Christ, he passes blessings and prays they know their peace with God in Jesus Christ, their Lord and master, and the grace of God who chooses to give these gifts willingly to them.   

Walk by the Rule

Galatians 6:16-18    
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.  17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.   18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Paul sums up the call to sound teaching and the freedom of the grace in Christ alone with a reminder of God’s blessings of His mercy and peace for those who follow Christ in spirit and in truth.  He then reminds them of the suffering he endured for the cross and gospel’s sake for them as the answer to detractors and false teachers, ending with a prayer for the Lord’s grace to work alongside them in these things.  We also have His Spirit of truth and the sound truth of the Scriptures to lead us safely through all attacks, both from without and within.  Grace and peace as you keep in step with these. 

Compelled

Galatians 6:11-15    
11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! 12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Paul personally addressed the Galatians, not to show how good he was as those who tried to mix Judaism with gospel truth and freedom, but that they would imitate Christ and follow Him as Paul spoke and walked it out for them.  He made it clear that persecution and suffering were part of Identification with Christ, and keeping the Law in the ritualistic sense to avoid trouble was trouble with God.  Boasting should only be in Christ and what He has done for us, not in what we do as an attempt to gain God’s grace.  Paul clarified by identifying with the cross of crucifixion as death to the world and Identification with Christ’s suffering - and new life.  We are made new, forgiven and free with the Law now written by God’s finger on our hearts (not on stone tablets) to move our hands, not by us moving hands to make our own righteousness.  Christ compels us now, not the words and commands of men.

Pass it On!

Galatians 6:6-10    
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.   7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

We are to pass on what God teaches us by those He has called and gifted to teach, as well as each one of us who have followed and grown in the word.  Knowing must result in growing in ourselves, and then to others by discipleship.  But what we plant in our souls must not be things that feed our fallen nature and corrupt us out of His image we are being conformed to; instead we should be sowing to the new by yielding to His Spirit of holiness and good fruit by righteous choices.  When we so live, it is easy to become tired of doing good and to give up trying in a world opposed to good, but patience brings good crops.  We are to do what is right for God’s glory and others’ good.  This is vital within the church body between Christ followers.  We are therefore to do good and share the word and deeds, not losing heart even when few do this.  

Burdens and Loads

Galatians 6:1-5    
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.

Church discipline begins between individuals settling wrongs with forgiveness, but extends to the church leadership as well.  We are to aim to restore, not punish.  We are to use gentleness, not force or threats, which only lead us into sin as well.  This is how we help others carry burdens that are too heavy for them to bear, keeping in mind hat there are also loads of responsibilities they must bear and be responsible for as well.  It is not about who is more spiritual or deserving (or undeserving), but doing as Christ would do and each being accountable to Him for what we do personally and for each other in the body.

Fruit of Change

Galatians 5:22-26    
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Contrary to the works of the flesh of the fallen natural man in the previous verses, here the outworking of the Spirit in us shows as qualities of God.  He is conforming us to His image which was seemingly hopelessly marred by sin, and these come as we do not try to do them as works of the Law, but realize His working of them is how He puts His Law in our hearts by His Spirit and a new heart.  We must count ourselves dead to sin, as if we were nailed to a cross also, then choose to yield to His leading to keep in step with His Spirit as we follow.  That is what disciples do.  When we are then changed, this must not lead us to think it is our accomplishments or badger others to mature as we do, nor be jealous of others who God has sanctified further.  Our contentment is in Him and His work in each of us.  

Nature of the Fall

Galatians 5:19-21   
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The nature of fallen man, the flesh, is seen in this long list of sinful outworkings.  All these violate the commands to love our neighbors as ourselves, and so also violate the command to love God with all we are.  If these are our lifestyle, then we have no eternal inheritance, and are most likely unregenerate.  When we follow God’s Spirit in us, these fade away. This is why the previous verses told us to keep in step with His Spirit to not give in to the fallen nature’s tug on our souls to pull us back.

Spirit or Flesh?

Galatians 5:16-18    
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The Spirit or flesh?  Which do we allow to lead us and control us?  If we choose to yield to God’s Spirit living in us, then we find ourselves not choosing to live for our own self serving desires. We become God-pleasers.  The struggle is very real of the fleshly desires of our Adamic fallen nature as it rails against the Spirit in continued rebellion, even after being set free from the Law of sin and death!  This struggle within is not the little devil and angel on our shoulders as some want us to believe, but the new against the old, and we often end up doing what we know we don’t want to.  But the answer is in yielding to the Spirit to lead us, not our own wants.  It is a daily choice and direction adjustment of our souls.  

Freed to be a Slave

Galatians 5:13-15    
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

We who are called out in Christ are called into freedom in Him from the Law of sin and death.  This does not give us the right or reason or excuse to serve ourselves because we no longer face eternal judgement to condemnation, but instead gives us the call into love and good works as a thankful response and a driving desire to be holy as He is.  This is the Law now written on our hearts and ministered by His Spirit in us as led by His word that instructs and guides us.  After love for God, love for our neighbors is essential to this freedom as to what we have been bought.  As he says here, beware that we don’t get caught up again in hate, or it will consume us.