Today’s chapter is Galatians 1

Tom writes:

It says Jesus rescues us from the present evil age. Up front we must acknowledge that our world is still defined by evil. This doesn’t mean that there is no good in the world or that the people around us are altogether wicked. In fact the world is utterly stunning and many non Christians behave rather better than many of us. Rather this “evil” word alerts us to the ongoing influence of abusive spiritual powers who prowl around humanity, sowing destruction. These powers trick us into bad priorities, divisive behaviours and demoralising ambitions. When we lie awake at night or mull over the murkier parts of the news, we know this in our hearts and we long for an escape. Paul serenades us with the gospel of Jesus. While lots of voices lament loudly about the terrible nature of things and other voices urge us to adopt their great new method for doing well in this life, Paul repeatedly and relentlessly reminds us of Jesus. Jesus who loves us. Jesus who knows what we are going through and who came to set us free. Jesus who rescues us from the present evil age.

Most of us reading the New Testament will already have given ourselves to Jesus. So do we need to keep reading? Well, much to Paul’s frustration, one of the biggest issues with this present evil age is how Christians continue to be tricked by the cunning of evil. A bit like the tricksy ring in the Lord of the Rings, evil keeps on finding a way back into our hands so that it can have its way in our unsuspecting minds. Like lemmings following one another off a cliff, good and faithful people still find themselves following the influence of these Powers, to the damage of so many. The Galatian Christians were doing well and then evil cut in on them. They started off in grace but then slowly, slowly started to submit to voices that divided the church, that set some people above others, that embraced other solutions. The Galatians were Christians but they adopted a Way of life that elevated the words of others above the words of God. I wonder if I am doing the same? I wonder if you are? The beauty of our gospel is that even if we are, grace is still available to us. Jesus came not to condemn us but to rescue us. He woos us into trusting him, into following his ways. He died so that we can know the freedom of entrusting ourselves to his every word and his everyday way. We find that freedom through constantly reminding ourselves of the beauty of our gospel of our God.

Question for reflection

What is it about the gospel of Jesus that is most beautiful to you?

Galatians 1 - Wednesday 26th June