Filled With Wonder by A Wonderful God

4 April, 20263 April, 2026Marissa

One of the things I do every week on the Sabbath to help set it apart from other days is play Christian music. My toddler and I both love music, so we have something on every morning and a good part of the rest of the day. For the Sabbath, we have a playlist of contemporary Christian, Messianic music, and traditional hymns. We were listening to this playlist on the drive to church services a couple weeks ago, and Jean Watson’s version of a song called “Wonder” came on (here’s a YouTube link). Her music often strikes a cord with me; it feels so worshipful and the lyrics and style help me feel connected to the Lord. This particular song is one of my favorites, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot since that day.

Here’s a link to the full lyrics (which I won’t quote here for copyright reasons). The song is a sort of prayer/blessing expressing the desire that God’s people “never lose” their “wonder” at Him. It’s a call to sit and stare at “the King” and appreciate His beauty. It’s using the word “wonder” in a sense that I don’t think we often consider. In this context, “wonder” means “the quality of exciting amazed admiration” and “rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience” (Merriam-Webster, “wonder,” noun, meanings 2 and 3).

When was the last time you thought about God with “amazed admiration” and focused on Him “with rapt attention or astonishment” simply because He is awesome?

I think it’s easy for us to avoid feeling wonder. We’re busy people living in a busy world, and wonder requires time to rest, to meditate on God’s nature, and to marvel at all He is and does. We also live in a scientific, logical world where we expect things to be explainable by normal means, and wonder involves recognizing there’s something higher, inexplicable, and marvelous than all that. We also tend to be self-focused and self-reliant, and wonder involves looking outside ourselves and standing in awe of the glorious God.

Image of a man pushing open doors to go outside overlaid with text from Exodus 15:11, NET version: "Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders?" — Image by Pearl from Lightstock

The Wonders of God

Interestingly, while expressions of wonder and amazement directed at God are a big part of the Bible (particularly in the psalms), most of the time the word is used it’s talking about the “wonders” that God does. This happens a lot when Biblical writers talk about God doing wonders among the Egyptians and delivering Israel (Ex. 3:20; 11:9-10; Deut. 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 26:8; 1 Sam. 6:6; Ps. 105. 26; 106:7; 135:9; Neh. 9:10; Jer. 32:20-21; Acts 7:36) as well as wonders He worked or promised to work for them as they inherited the Promised Land (Ex. 34:9-10; Josh. 3:5).

Oh give thanks to Yahweh.
Call on his name.
Make what he has done known among the peoples.
Sing to him.
Sing praises to him.
Tell of all his marvelous works.
Glory in his holy name.
Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice.
Seek Yahweh and his strength.
Seek his face forever more.
Remember his marvelous works that he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
you offspring of Israel his servant,
you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
1 Chronicles 16:8-13, WEB

We are meant to remember the wonderous things God has done and express our amazement and appreciation, as King Nebuchadnezzar, did (Daniel 4:2-4; 6:26-28) and as Bible writers did in Job, Psalms, and Isaiah (Job 9:10; 37:4; 42:3; Ps. 40:5; 65:8; 77:11; 89:5; 107:8; 111:3-4; 136:3-5; 139:13-14; Isaiah 25:1; 29:14). The first verse I thought of when I decided to write about this topic is one of those Psalms:

I will remember Yah’s deeds;
    for I will remember your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all your work,
    and consider your doings.
Your way, God, is in the sanctuary.
    What god is great like God?
You are the God who does wonders.
    You have made your strength known among the peoples.
You have redeemed your people with your arm,
    the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
Psalm 77:11-15, WEB

In a world where so many people don’t believe in miracles or think they were only something for Bible times, not our modern age, we might not often think of the Lord as “the God who does wonders.” It’s something I think we ought to consider, though. We can, like the Psalmists, remember God’s “wonders of old” and “meditate on all” the work He is doing. Perhaps that will also help us open our eyes to notice the wonders He is doing today.

Reacting With Wonder

Image of a woman with her hand raised in prayer, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "A sense of wonder can be hard to come by in today's world, but it is one of the things that we should feel for our amazing, wonderful God." — Image by Pearl from Lightstock

God works amazing wonders, in the past and today. He is, by His very nature, wonderful. And when Jesus came–God in the flesh–people noticed. One of the things we see people in the Bible wondering at are the wonderful works and words of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:22; 13:17; 24:41).

Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.
Matthew 15:23031, WEB

Contrast this reaction with those of the Jewish leaders who refused to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Before Jesus’s final Passover and crucifixion, “when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did … they became indignant” (Matt. 21:15, NET). The wonders that Jesus did confirmed that He was truly the Messiah (Acts 2:22) and the wonders that His followers did after His death and resurrection proved the truth of the gospel (Acts 2:43; 4:29-30; 5:12; 6:8; 14:3; 15:12; Rom. 15:19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:1-4).

The contrast in how new believers and stubborn, resistant religious leaders reacted to God’s wonders continued after Jesus’s death. When God healed a lame man through Peter and John in Acts 3, the people “were filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10, WEB) and “many of those who had listened to the message believed” (Acts 4:4, NET). But the religious leaders angrily confronted the apostles and put them in jail (Acts 4:1-22). The next day, “After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened” (Acts 4:21, NET). Instead of believing when they saw wonders, they threatened the men God chose to work through.

Holding on to wonder is important to faith. We need to make sure we recognize the awesome majesty of the God Who Does Wonders. Now, that doesn’t mean we just believe whatever we see; we are warned about “lying wonders” that could lead people astray at the end times (2 Thes. 2:9; Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22). We must exercise discernment to avoid being taken in by counterfeit Messiahs, but at the same time we should not let our vigilance make us blind to true wonders nor dull our sense of wonder (Acts 2:16-21; 13:38-41). A sense of wonder can be hard to come by in today’s world, but it is one of the things that we should feel for our amazing, wonderful God.

Featured image by Pearl from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “Wonder” by Amanda Cook

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All of the Good Fruit, None of the Bad

6 July, 20245 July, 2024Marissa

I’m guessing you all know about the fruit of the spirit. You might have them memorized: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23, NET). You might even have done in-depth studies on them, such as spending a month writing scriptures about each trait with my free 30-day scripture writing plans.

There’s another list in Galatians, though. It comes right before the fruit of the spirit passage and details the works of the flesh. We’re meant to read both and notice a contrast between the two because Paul is making a point about how Christians live. When he says you’re “not under the law,” he doesn’t mean God gives you freedom to go out and live a hedonistic, sinful life. Quite the opposite, in fact. We’re given freedom so we can fully follow God from the heart, with all the fruit of the spirit in our lives and none of the works of the flesh.

The Works of the Flesh

There’s a lot going on in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. He wrote to correct errors in the Galatian believers’ theology. They were confused, even following what Paul described as other gospels. It seems their main issue involved a too-strict reliance on Old Covenant law and Jewish additions to the law. Paul reinforces the good news he originally preached to them: the Old Covenant ended with Jesus’s death and a New Covenant took its place. Jesus’s faithfulness is what brings us righteousness and justification, not our own efforts. That doesn’t mean we break God’s law (Christ does not encourage sin nor did He do away with God’s law [Matt. 5:17-20; Rom. 3:28-31]), but Jesus didn’t redeem us and give us the Spirit so that we could then try to save ourselves by our own efforts. He saved us, and we’re to reciprocate with faith that involves active, relational loyalty.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Galatians 5:13-18, NET (bold italics mark a quotation from Lev. 19:18)

When we’re baptized into Jesus Christ, we symbolically die to our “old man” and we’re reborn as children of God (Paul covers this extensively in Romans). That transformation has (or should have) a profound effect on our lives. We’re to change, becoming less and less like fleshy, selfish humans and more and more like spirit beings in God’s family. That involves putting off things associated with fallen humanity living in a world influenced by Satan.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
Galatians 5:19-21, NET

This isn’t a complete list (Paul has similar ones in other letters, like 1 Cor 6:9-11; Eph. 5:1-6; Col. 3:1-10), but the message is clear. If we continue to do things that God defines as sinful or unrighteous we will not inherit as His children or be in His kingdom. That’s one of the reasons it’s still important for us to know about God’s law; His law defines sin and acts as a tutor or guardian pointing to Christ (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:24).

Image of green grapes overlaid with text from Gal. 5:22-23 version: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. " — Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Live In The Spirit

Cleaning things God hates out of our lives is an important part of our relationship with Him. It’s not the most important part, though. First, Jesus is the one who initially washes us clean; only believing in Him, repenting of our sins, and accepting His sacrifice can make us clean. Then, we’re called to participate in His ongoing work in us. We’re supposed to keep examining ourselves, putting away bad things, and putting in good things as we become more and more like Him. If we don’t take any action, then we’re like the person Jesus warned about in this analogy:

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order.Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
Matthew 12:43-45, NET

If you remove something evil from your life and don’t replace it with something good, then there’s a chance something worse is going to move in. It’s like if you give up eating candy so you can be healthier, but don’t add any good eating habits, then take up smoking on top of going back to eating tons of sugar. Except in this case, we’re taking out works of the flesh and we’re supposed to replace them with fruit of the spirit. If we try to take out something like “outbursts of anger” without putting in things like love, peace, and patience then the anger isn’t going to stay gone and might get worse.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25, NET

We need to have all of the fruit of the spirit AND none of the works of the flesh. It’ll be a life-long process, but that’s the goal. We can’t be content with getting rid of most of the works of the flesh or having just some of the fruit of the spirit. God’s people shouldn’t look at themselves, shrug their shoulders and think, “Eh, guess I’m good enough now” (Rom. 11:18-21; 1 Cor. 8:2; 10:12). We need to stay faithful, keep learning, humble ourselves and repent as needed, and ask God to guide our growth.

Helping Each Other

Image of good and bad apples on the ground overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "We can't be content with getting rid of most of the works of the flesh or having just some of the fruit of the spirit. We need all of the fruit of the spirit AND none of the works of the flesh." — Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

If we just stopped at the end of chapter 5, we might think that removing the works of the flesh and putting on the fruit of the spirit is just an individual, private thing. In some ways it is: we’re each responsible for ourselves and we’re the ones who will answer to God for what we did with the gifts He gives us and the work He does in us. But at the same time, we’re also responsible for how we interact with other people. Christians are not called to isolated, individual walks. God calls us into a family, a collective body of believers who are meant to support each other.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. For each one will carry his own load.
Galatians 6:1-5, NET

We’re supposed to help each other put away the works of the flesh and cultivate the fruit of the spirit. Notice that Paul doesn’t say “judge,” “condemn,” or even “correct.” He says to “restore” this person. The Greek word is katartizo, and it means to mend something that’s broken or “to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be” (Thayer’s Dictionary entry G2675). Sometimes, we’ll be the one in need of mending who needs help from other believers. Other times, we’ll be “carrying our own load” well enough that we can be the one who helps another.

Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it. Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.
Galatians 6:6-10, NET

The sowing and reaping analogy fits so well with calling godly characteristics “fruit of the spirit.” Right before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that He chose them to bear fruit, that their fruitfulness honors the Father, and that it shows they are genuine followers of God (John 15:8, 16). Our connection with Jesus should be a fruitful one. If we invest or “sow” into the life of the spirit–our life following Jesus and becoming like Him and Our Father–then we’ll produce good fruit to replace the works of the flesh that He’s working with us to remove from our lives.

Featured image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “I Am New” by Jason Gray

Paul’s Focus in Ministry: A Study of Titus

1 July, 202330 June, 2023Marissa

Sometimes, reading familiar verses in a new translation can give you just enough of a perspective shift that they hit you a different way than before. I’ve been using the New English Translation for a few years now, but there are still some books I haven’t spent as much time in and the wording really makes me sit up and take notice. That happened this week when I was reading Titus 3:8 for my ladies’ group’s 30-day scripture writing program this month.

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.
Titus 3:8, NET

The phrase “I want you to insist on such truths” was translated “concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently” in the WEB, which is more literal. However, I like the way the NET calls attention to Paul’s emphasis on affirming truthful, trustworthy things. It made me want to meditate and study more deeply on Paul’s goal in writing this letter.

To Further The Faith

In a letter to the Corinthians, Paul called Titus a “brother,” partner, and “fellow worker,” and described his presence as a joy and comfort (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6, 13-14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18). We also know from Galatians that Titus was a Greek, which caused some contention among Jewish believers who wanted to insist non-Jewish male converts be circumcized (Gal. 2:1-10). We don’t know much else about him from the Bible, but we know he traveled with Paul on ministerial work and that Paul left him in Crete “to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town” ( Titus 1:5, NET). That’s where Titus was when Paul wrote him the letter that we have in our New Testaments today.

From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before time began.But now in his own time he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior. To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!
Titus 1:1-4, NET

Look at how Paul describes his role in the opening salutation of this letter. He is a slave or bondservant (i.e. one who sells himself in service to another) belonging to God; in other words, he doesn’t see himself as free to leave but his service is voluntary. And the purpose of being “a slave of God and apostle of Jesus” is “to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness.” We’ve been studying faith a lot on this blog recently, particularly in connection with covenant faithfulness. We can think of faith in the first-century Biblical context as “active loyalty, trust, hope, knowledge, and persuasion … within the new covenant brought about through Christ’s Atonement” (Brent Schmidt, Relational Faith, p. 11). That’s what Paul wanted to “further” among God’s chosen ones as he shared knowledge of Truth “in hope of eternal life.”

Faith, truth, and hope are also something Paul wants others to share. As I mentioned, he left Titus in Crete to appoint elders, and the next thing Paul focuses on in his letter is qualifications for those elders. Some of those qualifications have to do with the elder’s family, others with his character, and finally with his commitment to teaching God’s word correctly (Titus 1:5-9).

He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it.

For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.
Titus 1:9-11, NET

Here’s where the NET translators made what I think is a misstep. They translated “those of the circumcision” as “those with Jewish connections,” which implies that anyone with Jewish links was an issue when in reality Paul was addressing a specific faction that taught circumcision was necessary for salvation and wanted to enforce extra-Biblical Jewish teachings on top of God’s laws.

For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who reject the truth. All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed. But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching.
Titus 1:13-2:1, NET

One of the responsibilities of ministers like Paul, Titus, and the elders Titus was entrusted to pick out is to help other believers stay healthy in their faith. Here, Paul indicates that we can stay healthy in the faith by holding fast to truth (rather than rejecting it), acknowledging God by doing good deeds, and making sure our behavior aligns with sound teaching.

Image of four people studying the Bible together overlaid with text from Titus 3:1, 8, NET version: “Remind them ... to be ready for every good work. ... This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.” — Image by Ben White from Lightstock

To Behave As God Intends

There’s a big focus here in Paul’s letter to Titus on good behavior and works. Paul instructs Titus to “communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching” (NET) or “say the things which fit sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1, WEB). He then goes on to give instructions specifically for older men and women, for younger women, for young men like Titus, and for servants (Titus 2:1-10). Then, Paul shares instructions that apply to all groups.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.
Titus 2:11-15, NET

Here’s another spot where the phrasing in this translation really grabs my attention. It is “the grace of God” that “trains us to reject godless ways ” and to live in a way that honors God. This really highlights that grace is a gift that carries covenant obligations rather than some sort of carte blanche to live however we like. Jesus died to “set us free from every kind of lawlessness” and turn us into a people “who are eager to do good works” (NET footnote on 2:15 and other, more literal, translations add “works”).

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. …

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people. …

Here is another way that our people can learn to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.
Titus 3:1, 8, 14, NET

It might seem surprising how much Paul focuses on works in this letter since he’s so often cited as the one who talks about dying to the law and not being saved by works. Reading his letter to Titus really hammers home how often Paul is misinterpreted. Here, as in all his letters, he teaches that New Covenant Christians are supposed to keep the spirit of the law; this actually carries a higher expectation than simply keeping the letter. And though we’re certainly not saved by our own works, we are saved with the expectation that we will then do good works.

To Maintain a Godly Perspective

Image of a man reading the Bible with the blog's title text and the words "Paul's letter to Titus focuses on furthering each believer's faith, behaving as God intends, and maintaining a Godly perspective on the self, fellow believers, and those outside the faith." — Image by Anggie from Lightstock

The last of the three main themes that I see Paul focusing on in Titus has to do with how to view other people and your own calling. Remember, he has already reminded Titus that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people” (Tit. 2:11, NET). All, not just some. That doesn’t mean Paul thinks every human being is automatically saved as a result of Jesus’s death, but it does mean that He didn’t die for only one group of people. God loves the whole world and offers salvation to everyone. We must never forget that.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”
Titus 3:1-7, NET

The same mercy that saved us is available to even the most irritating people we meet. And as people who were just like that before our relationship with God (and could be just as “foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved, … evil and … hateful” again if we reject God’s guidance), we should have compassion toward those who have not (yet) accepted the gift of God’s powerful grace. It is “this saying” which is “trustworthy” and that Paul calls Titus to insist upon so that Christians might focus intently on “engaging in good works.”

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, because they are useless and empty. Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings. You know that such a person is twisted by sin and is conscious of it himself.
Titus 3:8-11, NET

As I mentioned in my last two posts (“Do Not Forsake” and “The Necessity of Godly Conflict Resolution and Forgiveness“), there are times when we need to reject fellowship with someone who is sinful and toxic. One of the few times we’re told to do this is when someone is purposefully, unrepentantly causing divisions and quarrels. Spreading discord is one of the seven abominable things that God hates (Prov. 6:16-19). This means that we also need to vigilantly watch ourselves and make sure we avoid such useless, empty fights.

Paul’s letter to Titus is encouraging and instructive. He wants Titus and others who, like him, are entrusted with teaching and leading roles, to help further other believer’s faith, to behave as God intends, and to maintain a Godly perspective on themselves, their fellow believers, and those outside the faith. Those who aren’t elders or in other leadership roles can also learn from this, because the things Paul focuses on teaching and encouraging are the things we’re supposed to work on as well. We need to commit to growing in the faith, to making sure our deeds align with God’s ways, and to having a humble, godly perspective.

Featured image by Creative Clicks Photography from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “With Every Act of Love” By Jason Gray

Click here for Jason Gray’s explanation of the lyrics and inspiration for this song

Crash Course In Galatians (Part Two)

27 May, 201924 May, 2019Marissa

A couple days ago, I shared Part One of a two-part post about Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. In this letter, he combats a destructive heresy spread by Jewish legalists in the early church. If you haven’t read that post yet, you’ll want to start there before you continue reading.

I like writing these “Crash Course In …” posts because it’s so important to look at context when figuring out what passages of scripture really mean. With Galatians, it’s easy to misinterpret if you don’t look at the whole of Paul’s purpose for the argument he makes in this letter. It also helps to look at some of Paul’s other letters, like we did last week by comparing Romans to Galatians.

Truly Fulfilling The Law

Now that he’s laid the ground work for his argument, Paul starts to clarify what it means to walk by faith as people who are no longer under the law. It’s kind of a weird balance to wrap our minds around. Much of Galatians 5 parallels Romans 12-13 in showing how walking in the Spirit means we’re fulfilling the true meaning of the law. However, Paul also makes it quite clear that we should not seek “to be justified by the Law” (Gal. 5:1-6). To say that we could earn salvation by our own works introduces a harmful doctrine that spreads like leaven and corrupts the truth (5:7-12).

For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” … But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. (Gal. 5:13-14, 16-17)

Being free from the law doesn’t mean we’re free to break it (i.e. does not grant us license to sin). Rather, we’re released from the curse of being under the law. Now the law is written inside our hearts. Being filled with God’s Spirit and transformed to be like Him will turn us into a person who naturally does the things we’re told to in God’s law. The law’s not our schoolmaster anymore, though. We’re taught directly by God through His spirit inside us. Read more →

Crash Course In Galatians (Part One)

25 May, 201924 May, 2019Marissa

When Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians, he did so to combat a destructive heresy. From his comments in this letter, it appears that a group of people came through Galatia teaching the Christians there that they had to be circumcised and follow Jewish law in order to receive salvation. Paul refutes this, along with the false teachers’ claim that he wasn’t really an apostle.

I like writing “Crash Course In …” posts because it’s important to look at context when interpreting passages of scripture. Ecclesiastes, for example, doesn’t make much sense unless you follow Solomon’s whole trail of thought from beginning to end. Similarly, Galatians is easy to misinterpret if you don’t look at the whole of Paul’s purpose for the argument he makes in this letter (and put it alongside some of his other writings as well).

Another Gospel? Really?

Paul opens this letter by introducing himself as an apostle who was made so by “Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1, all scripture references from WEB). He also reminds his readers of the message he preached to them before — that our Lord Jesus Christ “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (1:4). With those facts established, Paul immediately jumps into his purpose for writing this letter. Read more →

Animating Your Faith

14 January, 201723 January, 2017Marissa

There’s a statement in James that we’re all familiar with: “faith without works is dead.” While we can all agree James makes this statement, we don’t always agree on what it means. Citing other scriptures that say we’re justified by faith without works, some argue that a faithful Christian isn’t obligated to do things like obey God’s law or perform good deeds.

But “faith without works is dead” isn’t a statement James makes casually. It’s part of a larger teaching he’s sharing and it’s also part of an analogy that goes like this: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead“ (James 2:26, LEB).

In this analogy, faith is like our bodies and works are like our spirits. James is telling us that works give life to our faith in the same way the spirit in man gives life to our bodies. This is in response to a rhetorical question he asked earlier in the epistle: “Can we be saved by faith without works?” The answer he gives is “no.”

Believing Isn’t Enough

Faith is essential. It’s impossible to please God without faith, “for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6, KJV). But it’s not the only thing God is looking for in His people. Read more →