Galatians 6 - Wednesday 3rd July

Today’s chapter is Galatians 6

Tom writes:

We get to the end of the letter and find the punch and stroke of Paul’s conclusion. We are a new creation, we’ve started again at Calvary and have already received the most sublime and powerful promises. We live in freedom and love and deep communion with our God. Oh, that feels good. It’s like a soothing shoulder stroke while I’m sniffing smelling salts. I can never get tired of those truths. Then comes the punch. We should not be deceived; we will reap what we sow. If we want to grow we must sow. We must sow towards carrying our own burdens and helping others carry theirs. We must sow towards doing good to all people. Even the annoying ones. We must not grow weary of doing what is good.

Why? Well there are two reasons here; firstly it is because we ourselves grow in God and towards God when we begin to act like God. God wants us to learn to act like his heirs and co-regents. God wants us to practise what we will practise for all of eternity. We live out now the loving rule of the New Creation that has already been born in us. If you want to grow you must sow. You can’t just read the bible and listen to a bit of worship and think you will grow in God. You must roll up your sleeves and really love the others at church. And the second reason is that God cares for the people we are loving. God loves dysfunctional, troubled people and he wants to use us to lift the burdens off their backs. God wants to see grumpy people become more joyful and lazy people become more productive. And the way that happens is through people loving them and helping them and showing them the way to sow to the Spirit and to put to death the deeds of the flesh. The freedom we have is a freedom to help the oppressed and the constrained become fully human again... And yet we (figuratively speaking) all know that we write with large letters; we are like newly born children playing at being kings. And so we know that if people don’t listen to us we don’t have to feel guilty or think we’ve done wrong. We will do as much good as we are able, but we won’t boast about ourselves, or try to control others, nor make this about us at all. Instead we walk out of this book rejoicing in our freedom and praying grace upon one another as we all boast in Jesus Christ.

Question for reflection

What really struck you about the gospel that Paul preached in this letter to the Galatians?