Reading: Galatians 1-3
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed(Gal. 1:6-9).
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen. 2:15-17). And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (3:4-6).
The young churches of Galatia were in trouble. Although they had eagerly accepted the Gospel of Christ when it had been initially presented to them, they also were receiving with ‘open minds’ the teachings of men who sought to twist God’s Word for their own gain. These were men who were used to power under Jewish Law and were loath to admit that their ‘elite standing’ had been altered in any way. Cleverly, they didn’t outright contradict the Gospel as the Galatians had first heard it. Instead, they added their own terms and conditions to it. In this way, they sought to draw in the fledgling Christians in much the same manner as the serpent had done to Eve.
From the very first moment that God’s Word entered into this world, it has been challenged by those who seek to twist and corrupt it. God’s Word is meant to sustain us and draw us into His presence, and Satan has proven that he will do anything in his power to see to it that that doesn’t happen. The keywords here are in his power. Satan has no power other than what is allotted to him by God (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6). He can deceive, tempt, and torment; he can whisper and suggest; he can even threaten and extort, but he cannot FORCE us to turn away from God.
Paul's words to the churches at Galatia were blunt and to the point. In listening to the perverted version of the gospel and allowing it to take root in their minds, they were choosing to follow a path other than the one laid out for them by God. Paul assured them they would be lost if they persisted down this path. Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh (Gal. 3:3)? No matter what we hear or what others try to impress upon us, it is our responsibility to remain faithful to God’s Word, and ONLY God’s Word. We know the truth, and we must live the truth. There is no other way.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world(I John 4:1).
Thought for Today: Those with earnest faith allow His Word to direct them; they don’t direct It to benefit themselves.
Cross References: For Gal. 3:6: See Gen. 15:6. Gal. 3:8: See Gen. 12: 3; 22:18. Gal. 3:10: See Deut. 27:26. Gal. 3:11: See Hab. 2:4. Gal. 3:12: See Lev. 18:5. Gal. 3:13: See Deut. 21:23.Word Studies:1:13 conversation = daily behavior, attitude of life; 2:13 dissimulation = insincerity, hypocrisy, and pretense.
Pray for StaffJennifer Palafox, Bible Pathway Ministries, President • Government Officials: Rep. Lance Gooden (TX), Sen. Rick Scott (FL),Sen. Gary Peters (MI) • Country: Kazakhstan (17,948,816) Central Asia • Major Languages: Kazakh, Russian • Restricted Religious Freedom • 70.2% Muslim (largely Sunni); 23.9% Russian Orthodox; 2.3% Other Christian; 0.1% Buddhist; 0.2% Other; 2.8% Atheist; 0.5% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Pray with a heart of righteousness, keeping the truth of God, and know He will hear your prayers (Is. 26:2).