Scripture:
Galatians 6:11-15 NKJV
[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.
Observation:
Paul has such a wonderful way with words. He used them a lot. In fact, after his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. The LORD put so many words in his heart that he walked for thousands of miles to spread the gospel. In the letter to the Galatians Paul’s purpose was to keep them from getting misled by a group of men that had crept in and started teaching them they had to be circumcised to be saved. But this just was not true, and Paul wanted them to know it. The Jewish people believed that following the law was the means of salvation. It in and of itself was how you got to heaven. However, that was not a true statement either. The 10 commandments were only put in place to show how truly sinful we are. With the sinful nature still alive, it was nearly impossible to follow this list of rules. Something had to be done, and it was not circumcision it was recreation. Paul had spent most of his life at this point following all these rules which only led him to be so full of self-righteousness that he thought it was necessary to drag people to prison and have them murdered for believing in Jesus Christ. Until that day … that day on the road… when his heart was changed and he began to see the truth in the scripture. He became a new creation…. a different person… his heart was changed… he saw the error of his ways. Salvation had nothing to do with what you do to your body on the outside. It was about an inward change. It was about having a new heart. A heart of love. Filled with the Holy Spirit. Salvation was the gift to all men who would recognize Jesus Christ for who HE is the KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS. There was no reason to boast in the flesh. In fact, the flesh had to be put to death, and the spirit needed to be restricted. Behold a new creation. Full of grace and mercy. A truly new creation. One who has been changed from the inside out.
Application:
Have you ever noticed that once you gave your life to Christ, you started to think differently? Well, I did anyway. I didn’t want to do the things I used to do… now wait, that doesn’t mean I didn’t. But when I did, it just didn’t feel right. I know deep in my spirit that I should not be doing those kinds of things. My heart had changed. But it takes a long time for some of us to change what we do. Over the years of living for Jesus, my life has been made new. I may not be the man I should be, but thank GOD I’m not the man I used to be. I believe that today I am closer to Jesus than I was yesterday, and honestly, I am looking forward to tomorrow being better than today. My point is that my heart has been changed. I don’t want that old life. I have been made new. Perhaps you are a new believer, and you are not sure about how all this works. Let me tell you how it has worked for me. The day I gave Mt life to Jesus, my life was changed forever. The old man inside me was put to death. On occasion, however, he tries to resurrect himself, and I have to put him back in the grave. I can not trust in what I do to get me to heaven. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through HIM. HE did the work, and if we abide in HIM, we will produce fruit for the kingdom. Nothing can stop a spirit-filled believer. I had an encounter with a sweet lady yesterday as I was giving her a bid to put a roof over her porch. I knew right away that she was a blessing. Our conversation started with her husband, who had passed away and quickly turned to the fact that she knew she would see him again. As we wrapped up the meeting, she stopped me in the backyard and asked if she could pray for me. She began to pray one of the most powerful prayers I have ever heard. She was totally spirit-filled because I had told her very little about myself. The Holy Spirit told me to just listen as I went through the gate. So I did just that. I have been struggling with where Christ-like carpentry is right now. I had been speaking a bible verse over it for the past few weeks. A verse she repeated at least 4 or 5 times while we were discussing what she wanted done. Without knowing anything about my struggles as of late. Confirmation Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging bread. This takes me back to my verses this morning. We are not made righteous by what we do. We are made righteous by the blood of Christ. HE gives us a new heart. HE changes our inside and then sanctifies us from the inside out. What a wonderful woman… what a wonderful encounter… what a wonderful way GOD has of reminding us that HE is never done. HE is always moving us forward. To the next level. We just need to abide in HIM. HE is in control. If you are struggling with things right now… I’m going to ask you to return to your first love. Fall on your knees and ask Jesus to lead you to the next right step. Stay connected to HIM. Let HIM change you from the inside out. I’m not sure why I told the story of yesterday except that I believe the Holy Spirit directed my steps to do so. I hope you are encouraged by today’s SOAP.
Prayer:
Father, sometimes I sit here breathless at how truly personal you really are. Tge times when I see you working and the times when I don’t. You are always working all things for the good of those who love you. The ones you have called. You are changing us, shaping us, making us new. Showing us that we can trust in you. Not only that, we can but that without that trust in you our efforts are worthless. It’s never about what we have done it’s always about what you have done for us. We are asking that you sanctify us. Shape us to be more like you. We want to know you more. We want to see your face. We want to do the right thing just because it’s the right thing to do and for no other reason. Help us, lead us, and build us. We know your son paid it all, and our lives are not ours anymore. They belong to you use us. Use this company to do mighty things.in the mighty name, Jesus, I pray these things in his name amen.