A New Creation

“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 Jesus” Galatians 6:12

Paul had already addressed the matter of allowing false teachers to seduce Christians into falsely representing Christ and the Gospel. There were Jews who tried to compel Gentile Christians to be circumcised and live under the Mosaic Law. Even Peter had been persuaded to compromise under pressure from the Jews (2:11-14). Peter’s compromise led to Barnabas and other believing Jews also playing the hypocrite with him (2:13).

In the verse quoted above we note that the reason for their compromise was to avoid some degree of persecution. Peter, Barnabas and other Christians had buckled under the pressure of those who wanted to bring them under the bondage of the law and thus they falsely represented Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Much of this letter of Paul addresses this false teaching (i.e. 2:16-17; 3:24-25).

In the closing words of his letter Paul exhorts Christians to resist being drawn or seduced into coming under the bondage of the law. The enemies of Christ and the Gospel will employ the threat of or actual persecution in an attempt to persuade us to revert to their carnal way of thinking. The ways that Satan uses to achieve this have not changed. He will undermine the validity of key parts of the Bible or try and discredit those who proclaim the Gospel. This he had achieved with Peter and Barnabas until Paul rebuked them. Trying to appease those who proclaim a bondage type of gospel is not an act of Christian love because it communicates a false gospel that cannot save. Many who profess to be Christians are still deceived into believing that belonging to a particular religious order or living a humanly imposed moral standard or ritualised life will give them entrance to heaven. Paul puts those notions to death by saying that none of these have any bearing on where we spend eternity. In Adam we inherit sin and death. What we need is a new heredity. That is only possible in Christ and Paul writes that it will take an act of the Creator (6:15).

In Christ Christians are free from the requirements of the law because Jesus Christ fulfilled those requirements on our behalf. However that does not mean we should indulge the carnal nature. Having been created new in the likeness of Christ we will want to live as He lived expressing the new nature we have in Him.

The Idol of my Heart

“He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth” Zephaniah 2:11

One thing that mankind cannot deny is that he will worship something. Ultimately if that something is not God it will be himself albeit disguised in some religious or moral garb. All the false religions and objects of worship have man at the pinnacle. This is very clear in those who worship the theory of evolution. They believe it in spite of the evidence being contrary because it puts mankind in the place of God as Creator. In essence the theory of evolution has man responsible for creating himself and this includes moral values; hence our current national moral corruption and bankruptcy. Paul put it this way, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:24-25). What is “the lie?” I believe the lie is the one from Satan in Genesis 3:5, “You will be like God.”

God created man in His image but ever since the Garden of Eden people have been creating gods in their own image. We do this because it feeds pride. King Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogance in creating a golden image of himself and demanding all bow down and worship his image is a good example. Daniel had informed him that it was the Lord who had given him the empire and that He would also take it and pass it on to another. The image of the statue of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay represented the passing of the kingdoms. In defiance of the Lord Nebuchadnezzar had a statue created that was made all of gold. In doing so his statement of defiance against God was that he built the empire and that he would cause it to endure forever. He then demanded worship as if he were God.

The idols we worship today may not always be statues or physical images but they always put oneself in the place of God. We may worship our work or our sporting heroes, our moral uprightness or we may worship some person. The one with a spirit of criticism worships himself. The way to ascertain what we worship is to discover what it is we will not surrender if Jesus asks us to. It is not a matter of whether it is good or bad but whether we prefer it to Jesus Christ. If we do, that is an idol. We may even have an erroneous view of Jesus that we worship. An example of this is one who is legalistic in their walk with Jesus. Ultimately, they worship themselves.

When Jesus returns, “He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth.” However, if we truly are disciples of Jesus Christ, we have done so and maintain a watch over our hearts to ensure we do not allow anyone or anything to usurp God’s rightful place of worship, especially not ourselves.

Free to Serve

“Let My people go that they may serve Me” Exodus 8:1

The Lord commanded Moses to speak this to Pharaoh on several occasions until Pharaoh eventually capitulated. While the events in Exodus were specific to Israel these same words of the Lord may be spoken to those who, like Pharaoh, enslave God’s people by false teaching.

Jesus said. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The truth here is the truth of the Gospel of Christ not merely a person telling the truth. The world has high-jacked this phrase and applied it incorrectly. When a person knows the truth about Jesus Christ and the Bible they will be less likely to be captivated by false teaching.

Any religion that holds people in captivity is false by Jesus’ definition. Religions that say a person must belong to their organisation, obey their rules and perform in accordance with their traditions or rituals in order to gain God’s favour or heaven are liars and deceivers.

Unfortunately many Christians become enslaved to false teaching because they do not know or have not believed the truth revealed in God’s word. It appeals to our fallen nature to have a set of rules and a religious format or program to follow because that lends itself to pride. It gives us something to boast about. Instead of relying on Jesus Christ’s finished redemption we are inclined to want to take some credit for ourselves. When we do, we are in bondage whether we realise it or not. Pride says, “Look what I have done for Christ.” Humility says, “Look what Christ has done.”

It is a delight to reveal the truth to people who are tired of being enslaved in religious and legalistic bondage and see them set at liberty by God’s word. The legalist will hate this because it hurts his self image and he will have nothing of which to boast. He gives only lip-service to the words of Paul in Galatians 6:14; “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.”

When people are set free from bondage the control the legalist loved to have over them to his set of rules will be lost. The adoration and affirmation of his followers that he craves will also be lost.

The truth of the Gospel makes people free of this form of slavery so they may enter the place of trusting Jesus Christ only. The Lord is still seeking people who will follow Moses example and be His messengers to deliver others who are in bondage to false teaching so that they can worship and serve Christ freely.