Community Devotions

Perfected by the Spirit

¹ O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. ² Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? - Galatians 3:1-3

Being called a fool or acting foolishly is a very serious thing in the bible. From the classic, “The fool says in his heart, “‘There is no God.” (Ps. 14:1) to Jesus’ stern warning in Matt. 5:22, “whoever says to his brother, “‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire”. One can even make an argument that the purpose of wisdom literature (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes) is to live in wisdom so that one doesn’t become a fool. Paul a master of the Old Testament understood the biblical severity of being foolish and emphatically describes the Galatian churches as foolish. Why? Because they were deserting the good news of the gospel (1:6). They started in the spirit and were foolishly thinking that they were being perfected by the flesh.

Jesus in the beginning, Jesus in the middle and Jesus in the end. I need to rewind back to my moment of salvation and remember completely being overwhelmed by the free gift of undeserved grace to save a sinner like me—that was grace. I received the spirit by hearing with faith (3:2). Somehow along the way if I don’t default to the gospel my relationship with God can be based on my performance i.e. my obedience, doing my devotion, living for Him in my strength. Navigate to the true north of lavished grace in Christ. Rest in the Christ’s perfect work on the cross on my behalf. Walk in the Spirit and work out with fear and trembling what the Spirit is working in my life (Phil 2:12-13).

Heavenly Father,

Please forgive my foolishness. You are faithful to complete what you started. You saved me by your Spirit and you are perfecting me by your Spirit. Thank you that through your Son at the cross it is indeed finished. May I rest in your work and be obedient to your Spirit’s working. Help me to lead myself, my family and your church to stand strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I love you. Maranatha!

Look to the Cross

Numbers 21:7-9, “7 And the people came to Moses and said, “‘We have sinned, for we have spoken agains the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he will take away the serpent from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” 

Sin costs and it cost severely. This bizarre incident where Israel sinned against God in the wilderness cost death. To symbolize the venomous bite of sin God sent snakes among the people causing many of them to die. God killed two birds with one stone through this bronze serpent: First there’s the immediate object lesson for Israel that sin kills and only by looking at God’s provision for sin can they be saved. It’s interesting that people requested sin i.e. the serpent to be taken away but God’s remedy was his provision for them to look at the symbol of sin. Second, Jesus himself refers to himself as the fulfillment of the bronze serpent in John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”. 

We’ve all been bitten by the poisonous sting of sin. We sin by nature inherited from Adam and we sin by practice through our volition. Resistance is futile when it comes to the enslaving power of sin. It leaves me frustrated and in despair. God’s answer is to look at the cause of sin and His provision for it. Look at the cross. Believe. Have eternal life. Gaze at the cross. Fix my eyes at grace poured and love personified. Point of application:

 - Don’t take sin so lightly. Consider the severity of my sin i.e. it was my disobedience, rebellion, covetousness, etc., that nailed Christ at the cross. It should be me on that cross paying for the penalty of my sin. 

 - Fix my eyes on the cross. After considering the weight of sin, gaze upon God’s provision of mercy and grace at the cross. It’s undeserved. I can’t work or pay for it. It achieved God’s wrath on sin so that I can live a new life. I am justified. God will never count my sin against me. I am free and sinless before him. Live out the benefits of the cross with gratitude and confidence.

Heavenly Father,

I love you so much. Thank you for grace undeserved. Thank you for the cross. May your grace continue to uphold me and your spirit sustain me to fix my eyes on you. Would you continue to transform my heart and change my desire so that loving you and delighting in you would be my portion and strength? Please continue to lead and uphold Renee by your spirit as a Christ follower, wife, mother and worship leader. May you always be the good shepherd and father to Judah, Noah and Ezra. I pray that they grow to be men of God after your heart. I need your grace so that I can lead with your love. I love you. Maranatha.