Sunday we considered the danger of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the play acting we do to establish our own righteousness. We haven't kept the rules, so we play the role of "rule keeper" as a display of righteousness. This display distorts the gospel and corrupts the community of faith. Peter could have split the Galatian churches, but Paul confronted him, and the gospel held the day, keeping the church united.

Paul moves immediately from his interaction with Peter to the central issue of how we can be right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. His argument is simple, even though he (and many in his audience) were born in covenant with God as Jews, no one is acquitted because of their obedience to God. He says, "By works of the law no one will be justified.” Both Jews and Gentiles needed to hear this. The pious, religious community needed to hear that their obedience didn’t satisfy God; and the pagan, immoral community needed to know that their sins were truly forgiven in Christ.

The only way to be right with God is by faith in Jesus. He says, "We also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified." Jew and Gentile alike needed this message. You and I need this message. Jesus satisfies the Father’s requirements for us. Whether you grew up in church and live a moral, pious life or you just came to faith, Jesus is the path to God’s acquittal.

So, come Sunday, and consider what it means to be justified by faith.

~Pastor Tim

“The church is full of hypocrites!" You may or not agree with that statement but it's one I've heard for years. I don't have a problem confessing that, and you shouldn't either. The truth is that the world is full of hypocrites, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the church has them too. After all, the church is full of sinners. I know that people expect better (and perhaps they should) but we are who we are. If we worry about our performance based on outside criticism, aren't we being hypocrites?

Our text this week reveals a confrontation between Paul and Peter over the issue of hypocrisy. Peter withdrew from eating with Gentiles when Jewish churchmen showed up. This seems like a minor thing, but it caused a stir within the church. The Gentile Christians felt it, because Peter was a leader. Paul saw it and couldn't let it go, so he confronted Peter in front of the church. Yikes. But what a lesson for the church.

It's a difficult text to read because no one likes to be exposed or have their dirty laundry aired, but what a great text for the church. So, come Sunday, and let's confess our hypocrisy!

~Pastor Tim

“Remember the poor.” These are the words of the apostles to Paul as they give him the right hand of fellowship and send him on his way. This might seem out of place; after all they are talking about the gospel. How do the poor fit in? Are the apostles simply philanthropists?

Obviously, it’s more than that. When John the Baptist asked Jesus if he was the Messiah, he responded, “Go and tell John what you hear and see…the poor have good news preached to them.” (Matthew 11:4-6) Jesus is quoting Isaiah’s prophecy proclaiming the “year of the LORD’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1,2) While the world champions the rich, God champions the poor, offering them His Kingdom. Through Christ, the poor inherit the earth!

For those who follow Jesus, we are the poor! Paul says that Jesus became poor, “so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) The gospel humbles us, exposing our dependence and poverty of righteousness, but it also gives us hope in our great Benefactor, Jesus Christ. To “remember the poor” is natural for those who live in the grace of God. So come Sunday, and let’s consider the poor!

~Pastor Tim

Sunday we'll continue to study Paul's defense of the gospel. He began by sharing what happened to him personally when God revealed Jesus to him. In our text this week, Paul explains what happened when "false brothers" covertly tried to undermine the freedom believers enjoyed from Jewish traditions.

This is the first time he uses the word "freedom," and it's important. For Paul, the defining moment occurred when Titus, a Gentile, wasn't forced by the other apostles to follow Jewish practices. Titus was "free" to choose, because Jewish traditions didn't add or take away from the work of Jesus on his behalf.

Because God has made us right with him through Jesus, nothing we do can add or take away. This creates a situation Paul calls "freedom." Freedom is the ability to live out of love not obligation.

So join us Sunday, and invite someone who needs to be set free!

~Pastor Tim

Paul opens his letter with a clear message that the Gentiles who don’t follow Jewish customs are brothers and sisters because of their faith in Christ. The people whom the Judaizers were excluding, Paul emphatically includes. His attack on this unlawful exclusion continues in verses 3-5. He calls God “our Father” and Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is not just Father and Lord of the Jews but of all who believe. The pronouns in this text are critical. Paul continues to speak of Jesus who gave himself for “our” sins, to rescue “us” from the evil age that is present. All who look to Jesus are included in the church and part of God’s family. This is peace!

Another key thought is that Jesus gave himself for our sins. This is an important statement of the gospel, that his sacrifice secures our rescue, as opposed to our works. This is God’s will, to glorify his Son by making him the sole source of deliverance. This will of God opposes humankind’s will to secure their own salvation on their own terms. We are in no position to set the terms of our rescue, and when we try, we betray our self-distortion. This is grace!

So join us Sunday, to hear about God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

~Pastor Tim

The gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the global church. The resurrection of Christ is essential to our salvation. Without it there is no hope for God’s forgiveness, we are still in our sins, and the wrath of God hangs over us. In addition, if the message of the gospel comes to us through random, unauthenticated sources, then the message can’t be trusted. But, if the message comes through a direct line of witnesses and disciples, then it carries the weight of being Jesus’ teaching. Finally, if the gospel message comes from God, through appointed and verified messengers, than its implications for our community are important.

This is how the Apostle Paul begins the letter to the Galatians churches. The message of salvation through the resurrected Christ comes to us not through man, but from God himself through appointed messengers. This message gives us assurance that we are all brothers and sisters in the family of God through faith alone, regardless of our ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or progress in obedience.

So come Sunday, and let’s begin our study!

~Pastor Tim

On Sunday we will begin a new series through the book of Galatians: “Faith Working Through Love.” We’ll spend much of the year in this book with the exceptions of Advent and Easter. The series theme comes from Galatians 5:6 where Paul says:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only

faith working through love.”

Did you catch that? In Christ, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Gentile or Jew, because if you’ve trusted in Jesus, you’ve been justified and adopted into God’s family. That’s what counts! That is what matters!

But it doesn’t stop there. Faith works through love. I like the NIV’s translation—“faith expressing itself through love.” Faith isn’t static but active finding its expression in love for God and others. When believers are rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the freedom of grace produces love, joy, peace, and all the fruit of the Spirit who gave them life.

So come Sunday, and let’s dive into Galatians!

~Pastor Tim