Category: Galatians

Paul wants to end this letter with a summary. He tells us this is super important by what he says is large writing.  We can’t see what this looks like in our Bibles, but you can imagine how this would catch your eyes in a letter. If you send a card to someone and you put, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!” really large at the bottom, the person is immediately going to know what the card is about. That is essentially what Paul is doing. He is letting the reader know the exact point he wants to get across. That point is found in verse 15 where it says, “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”

Paul wants these people to understand that Jesus put to death our old self and made us a new creation. The laws that were once needed have been fulfilled by Jesus (Matthew 5:17). Paul even says that those who would put themselves above others because of these laws are only doing it to avoid persecution. 

What does this mean for us? This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t follow God’s word or that we should be apathetic towards what God says to us. Instead Paul says that we have a new rule to follow! That we are a new creation and we should show the fruits of that spirit like Paul talked about earlier in the letter. Our  new self should be one that has put the desires of the flesh to death and instead is led by the Spirit.

By: Jacob Kerr — West Campus Pastoral Ministry Apprentice – Worship & Students

If you have been around Center Point for a long time or even if you have just started attending, it is pretty clear that one of our main focuses as a church is discipleship. Our mission statement even contains it: Our mission at CPC is to take everyone we meet one step closer to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Well, in our passage today, there is a strong emphasis from Paul concerning discipleship with the Galatians. Starting with verse 1, Paul reminds us that one aspect of discipleship is correcting wrongdoings. Everyone has sinned and we all stumble in different ways, and in a discipleship relationship, the discipler can walk alongside and correct the disciplee. Verse 2 points out that we need to “bear one another’s burdens.” Life gets tough during some seasons, and discipleship allows someone to be there for you during the hard times. Or you get the opportunity to help someone through a rough season. Verse 7 shows us that “whatever one sows, that he will also reap.” In discipleship, it is important to talk about spiritual things.

 If discipleship is only about hanging out and having fun, then the person will never grow in their faith (also, there are times to have fun in discipleship). But if the purpose of discipleship is to make more disciples, then that is what needs to be sown. Verses 9-10 end our passage, and it should encourage all of us to continue doing good works. Discipleship can be a good work because you are investing and caring for someone. If you are meeting with a discipler, your good work is to do the work assigned to you each week. 

Paul reminds us of some important things concerning discipleship. If you are curious about discipling or being discipled, reach out to Graham Withers at graham@cpclex.org and he would love to help you get in that process!

By: Brice Stockton — Student Ministry Apprentice

There are two different ways to live on this earth that oppose each other according to the Scriptures we read today. Walking in the fruit of the Holy Spirit or by the desires of the flesh. One can’t walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit unless they have the Holy Spirit which can only happen when you hear the Gospel and believe it to be true, therefore repenting and having faith in Jesus as your savior. Once that happens, God inhabits your life on earth through the Holy Spirit and what is mentioned in verses 22-23 is the fruit that will come out of your life the more you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Although these are characteristics you can discipline or pursue, a lot of it should come out more naturally as you grow closer to Jesus in sanctification. That’s why Christians should be seen and known for their:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-Control

And when this “fruit” is not as evident in a proclaimed believer’s life, and the works of the flesh mentioned in verses 19-21 are more evident, one must question if they truly have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Only God truly knows one’s true salvation, but Scripture is clear that the church can judge from within based on their fruit, and that’s described in this passage. The works of the flesh includes:

• Sexual Immorality
• Impurity
• Sensuality
• Idolatry
• Sorcery
• Enmity
• Strife
• Jealousy
• Fits of Anger
• Rivalry
• Dissension
• Division
• Envy
• Drunkenness
• Orgies

So this means that if a co-worker, classmate, family member, celebrity, politician or fellow church member proclaims to be a Christian with their mouth but shows more works of the flesh than fruit of the spirit, we must treat them as such, no matter what they or others say. Not out of judgmentalism but out of a burden for the truly lost to be truly found.

By: Erik Koliser — West Campus Pastor

Galatians 5 is one of my favorite chapters in all of the Bible. It begins on a strong note in verse 1: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Paul is once again imploring the churches in Galatia to not rely on works of the law, but the freedom that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

Just read what he says in verses 2-6:

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Paul focuses on circumcision because it was one of the main things Jewish people based their righteousness on. Maybe you are basing your righteousness on your baptism, praying a prayer when you were younger, or church attendance. Hear it loud and clear from Paul: if you are basing your righteousness on works of the law, you are severed from Christ. It is only “through the Spirit, by faith” that we obtain our hope of righteousness in Christ.

In verses 13-15, Paul shows how our lives are to be different once we have placed our faith in Christ and obtained the hope of righteousness.

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

This true relationship with Christ that is obtained through faith, not works of the law, should result in a certain way of treating people. This shows us the principle that one of the best ways to evaluate your vertical relationship with God is through your horizontal relationships with others. This is especially true when you think about how you interact with people on social media platforms, where people can show more keyboard courage because of the distance between screens and reality. Are you primarily loving and serving people, or are you “biting and devouring” people?

Tomorrow we will look at the 2nd half of this chapter, as we read about the key to living this out: walking in the Spirit and displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

By: Graham Withers — Pastoral Ministry Associate