Going back to what Enslaves Us

Galatians 4:8-11

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.”

It is my belief that at no time in the history of the Church have we gone back to the worship of gods who enslave us, than at this hour in time.  The Christian church does not have a fear of God, not that He will bring curses on us, but a fear that He will withdraw His blessing.  The culture of “I’ll do it my way,” living independently of the authority of God, has filled the heart of many in our churches, even those in leadership.  My prayer is as a reader of the Back Porch, that you will grasp what the Spirit was saying to the Corinthians through the apostle Paul’s pen.  For it was not only for them, but also for you and me: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Some questions that may be of help in your examination: Do I seek God, do I look forward to spending time in the Scripture, do I look forward to seeing God’s answer to my prayers?  Am I becoming dependent on God, is He who I run to in both good times and bad?  Or have good things turned into little gods; gods that require your time, and have you running to so many events, that you find no place in your life for the Lord Jesus?

As one who was in bondage to so many things, I’ve built these major highways in my mind on how to get my needs met outside of Christ, that is called independent living, it is illusive, in that few of us would logically choose those highways.  But God, what excitement fills me when I hear those words, for God loves you and me, we are His kids, but He hates independent living.  That’s why when Jesus left planet earth to return to His Father, Jesus left the Spirit of Truth to guide us away from the major highways of self dependence to the narrow road, of dependence on a big God who wants to free you from the foolishness of those weak and worthless elementary principles of the world.

Many of you are consumed with the moral decline of our nation, the destruction of marriage, the killing of the unborn, the dismantling of the Constitution, and the moral decline of a nation that was founded on the Scriptures.  I am also distressed by these actions, but when I examined myself, it was apparent it had become a little god, it lead me to many voices, but not to the only One who can change our outcome.  So pray in everything, and make sure you are listening and desiring the will of God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

How does it Enslave You and Me?

Galatians 4:1-7

Have you ever given thought to being the heir of an estate, not if you grew-up on Liberty Drive, at the end of the street with the small circle and the big and small Mesquite trees.  A nine hundred foot house with two mortgages is not an estate, so maybe that is why this Gentile boy does not grasp what Paul is teaching to the churches of Galatia.  Shall we eavesdrop on the words of Paul; “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:1-5, ESV)

Now lets forget about vast sums of money and big houses full of all the goodies this world can provide, for we are told that they will not last and you cannot take them with you.  So what is this heir stuff all about; it is about a relationship with God the Father and being a co-heir with Jesus Christ.  But before you go bonkers on me, we need to examine these elementary principles of the world that enslave us and keep us from enjoying what is ours.  The apostle Paul has discussed this subject with most of the churches he has set-up, so what is it and how does it enslave you and me?  We find this in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Now Paul asks this question: “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:20-23, ESV)
What my friend Bill Gillham taught about flesh; “If your self-acceptance is tied to the flesh, it is only a matter of time until you encounter a crisis.  God never intended for you to get your needs met through your own resources.  The flesh is incapable of supplying what God intends to supply Himself.”  Do you recall these words from the apostle Paul, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17)  If you are under the false concept that now you are in Christ, have a personal relationship with Christ and your flesh is better flesh, you are so, so, wrong.  God is not into flesh redo, His only plan for the flesh is death, and that is very clear in Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Now the best of news: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7, ESV)  So act like who you are, anything less is living enslaved.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Our guide

Galatians 3:28-29

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”

In the early church it seems some were acting as if they were Jewish Christians, men in higher positions, than the Gentile or women in the Church.  Now the heart of the gospel is to love God, first and foremost, and to love others as you love your self.  Unity is the condition of being one, and when anyone sees himself or herself as superior to another brother or sister in Christ, it is impossible to have oneness.  That was a problem in the churches at Galatia, could it still be a problem today?

The Holy Spirit was sent to guide us in our daily lives to live in a manner that those in and outside of the Church would awake to the love of God the Father, and the redemption of the cross, by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Listen to this request of Jesus to His Father: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:20-23, ESV)
We find the Holy Spirit giving the apostle Paul the understanding to guide the church to unity, this oneness we have in Christ; first, Paul addressed the error of putting faith in being a Jew and living by your works, in Romans 3:27-30.  “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
But you will see that the Holy Spirit knew that the Church would need to be reminded over and over of the fact it was grace through faith, and nothing else.  That the ground at the cross is level, there is no such thing as a super Christian, there is only obedience or disobedience.  That is made very clear in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit wanted you and I to understand that our faith in Christ has made us one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and with those who are in Christ.  It makes us Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.  It is so important to grasp the faith of Abraham, for it is saving faith, it is faith God honors.  Go to Hebrews 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”  Each of us must daily be reminded that our flesh cannot be trusted, our flesh wants to be first, it wants to look good, and we have this word from Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

My life in Prison

Galatians 3:19-29

I’ve not shared the first 27 years of my life in detail with many people, because I was in prison for many of those years.  Now it was not the kind with bars, I was not restricted to one area; in fact, I was free to make choices, to some degree.  But the Warden of my prison was a hard master, he had laws and rules, some days he was very religious and other days he was the vilest demon of all.  He would come to me with the nastiest of thoughts and after I had acted on them, would shatter me with the law of God, and accuse me of being the worst of sinners.

As I look back on those days, what has become clear is the shrewdness of my master, he was very good at mind games, he loved to paint pictures in my mind of what I could become by acting on his suggestion.  After I escaped from prison, I began to ponder on why I was so blind to the Warden, and I discovered I was not the only prisoner of his tactics.  As a child my parents gave us rules to live by, and it was always our choice to obey or disobey, one brought blessing, and the other brought punishment.  But both parents told us there is a much higher law, a law that if followed will bring blessing but if not, will bring curses, it was the Ten Commandments from God Himself. 

But remember most of my early life was in prison, and the Warden was cunning and would ask me questions in my mind, questions like “Would a loving God really blame you for taking a peach from your neighbors tree?  The Warden’s voice sounded much like my voice; in fact, it was a voice I became very comfortable with.  Later that same voice would tell me I deserved, or it would tell me I was of little worth to anyone.  It seemed the harder I tried to follow those Commandments; the more the voice of the Warden exposed my inability to do so.

When I was a prisoner, I never saw myself in that light, in fact, I believed just the opposite I believed the followers of Christ were the prisoners.  The Galatian Christians were enjoying the freedom only found in a personal relationship with Christ, and some false brothers, acting under the authority of the Warden who held me captive for much of my life, began to tell them they needed Jesus plus.  And the Warden knows how to pile on the plus, take it from one whom he influenced for a long time.

So the apostle Paul poses these questions with answers: Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring (Jesus) should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3:19-26, ESV)
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

By Faith alone

Galatians 3: 15-18

“To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” (Galatians 3:15-18, ESV)
In the churches of Galatia some Jewish teachers had come in with this teaching, faith in Christ is not enough.  They were teaching that in order to attain eternal life the Galatians must be circumcised and follow the dietary law in the Old Testament.  Paul was teaching that the law that came 430 years after the promise does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God.  If we look back to the promise made to Abram you need to grasp the setting, he is living in Ur of the Chaldeans, a modern city that had many gods, and it was in this pagan setting that God spoke to Abram.  This was the conversation: “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3, ESV)  Hundreds of years later in the “Letter to the Hebrews” we grasp the faith that was required by Abram, who became Abraham.  “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10, ESV)
Abraham and all who came after him were saved by faith in the promise God made to Abram or Abraham.  We find in one of his largest trials of faith, no heir and his wife of old age, and God showed him the stars in the heavens and said, “So shall your offspring be.”   And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5b-6)  Both Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abram to now are declared righteous by faith alone.  The apostle Paul gave us this in Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice

The Good New Is

Galatians 3:11-14

Yesterday we explored verse 10, that proclaims; “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse.”  We discovered that we are all lawbreakers, we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s requirement to have a personal relationship with Him, much less to enter His heaven.  That should be bad news if your plan was to live better than most an escape the judgment that a righteous and Holy God must give to lawbreakers.  But the good news is found in verse 11; “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”  If you are a member of the Do and Don’t Church and are having a problem with verse 11, please refer back to Galatians 2:16.

In verse 12, we are told that if our goal is to live by the law and not by faith, then it requires us to live under the law and not to break any of them, but to do so would mean that you are without sin, and if that were true then Christ died for nothing.  The Spirit speaking through the lips of Paul the apostle stated; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith,”  (Romans 3:23-25)

If the Holy Spirit has allowed you to understand this truth of being a lawbreaker, maybe for the first time, up to now you have been as good as most and better than those whom you work and live around, verse 13 has wonderful news.  For in verses 13-14, God has proclaimed your redemption; "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

Religion comes with dos and don’ts and as we examine this story of the leper in Matthew 8:2-3, it seems very similar to most of the encounters Jesus had in the Scripture with people who came to Him with what was considered an unfixable need.  Do you recall this leper was breaking all the laws of man by coming to Jesus, and yes, he needed fixed, and do you recall what he asked of Jesus?  “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  Sin is much more severe than being a leper, for sin pays out in death.  You may need to read Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  If you come by an act of faith in what Jesus has done on the Cross and you will come as the leper did, Jesus’ answer will be to you the same as it was to the leper; “I will; be clean.”  Let us close today with this quote from Timothy Keller, “The gospel says you are more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, but more accepted and loved than you ever dared hope.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Flawed but accepted and Loved

Galatians 3:10

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

Are you a law keeper?  That is an interesting question, and let me be quick to respond, I am not, not close, and I must say some are better than I at keeping the law, but I’ve yet to meet a person who is not a law breaker.  Maybe we should begin with #1  “You shall have no other gods before me.”  Have you ever put anything before God, your sports, church, family, girlfriend, golf, your business, your possessions, yourself and your desires, if so, you are a law breaker?  #2   “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”  We are the Rice’s and have never carved an image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or the earth, or in the water, wow #2 is a pass.  But those other gods, you know the list above, where the majority of your time, money, worry, stress, focus and attention is addressed, they are not carved with your hands, but with your mind.  Maybe #2 is not a pass?  #3  “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”  Now I know people, who do this, but #3 is not something I’ve done, or have I?  God is pure and holy and His name is above all names.  “In ancient times misusing the name of the Lord could have meant failing to fulfill a sworn oath or making and oath with the intention of deceiving someone.  The misusing of the Lord’s name misrepresented His character, purposes, and actions revealed to the people of Israel and amounted to lying about who God is.”  (HCSB page 133)  Maybe I need to put #3 back on my failed list, how are you doing so far?

Shall we keep going, #4  “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”  If you read the requirements for keeping a day holy to the Lord, no work, not your servant, or anyone in the family, not even a visitor or an employee.  #5  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”  Once more I must confess, I did not always honor my dad, or my mother, and that makes me once more a breaker of God’s law.  Now these are the easy ones of the ten, you recall #6   “You shall not murder.” A wise person would read Jesus’ words on the subject in Matthew 5:21-22 #7  “You shall not commit adultery.”  Remember what Jesus said, if you just think it in your heart your guilty.  #8   “You shall not steal.”  I’ve already told you I was a thief at a very young age when I stole the neighbor’s roses, and I’m not going to confess about the peaches, or some other items, but God has kept records on even our thoughts.  #9  “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  I’m sure I’ve never intended to do so, but I’ve been too quick to state my opinion, so once more I’m not doing so well, and if you look at your neighbor as anyone you meet, I’m guilty, how are you doing?  #10  “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”  I’m a lawbreaker, and I would bet the farm you are also, and the reason for saying this is found in James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” 

Has it become apparent that we need mercy, and not judgment, and in James 2:13 we find that “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”  In that God has stated all who try to earn life now or eternal life with God by keeping the Law is under a curse, we need plan B, and tomorrow we will explore plan B.  Let us close today with this quote from Timothy Keller, “The gospel says you are more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, but more accepted and loved than you ever dared hope.” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

What is required to be a son of Abraham?

Galatians 3: 5-9

“Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?  Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

Neither you nor I will ever grasp this faith of Abraham unless we put ourselves in the story.  I live in a very nice part of the world, the Texas hill country; let’s pretend that I live in an area where there is no Bible, no mention of God, but one day as if from nowhere, God speaks to me and tells me go out from the land I live on, land where I’m known, a land where my family and relatives live, and to leave and go to a place that He will show me. 

When God spoke to Abram he was living in Mesopotamia, and your mind goes to ignorant people living in huts or maybe tents, am I correct?  But how wrong you would be, the following comes from the “Ancient Encyclopedia History” by Joshua J. Mark.  “Unlike the more unified civilizations of Egypt or Greece, Mesopotamia was a collection of varied cultures whose only real bond were their script, their gods and their attitude toward women.”  Even so, Mesopotamia is known as the “cradle of civilization” primarily because the rise of the city as we recognize that entity today, and the invention of writing.  Mesopotamia was known in antiquity as a seat of learning, and intellectual pursuits were highly valued across the region and the schools (devoted primarily to the priestly class) were said to be as numerous as temples and taught reading, writing, religion, law, medicine and astrology. There were over 1,000 deities in the pantheon of the gods of the Mesopotamian cultures and many stories concerning the gods.   Women enjoyed nearly equal rights and could own land, file for divorce, own their own businesses, and make contracts in trade. The early brewers of beer and wine, as well as the healers in the community, were initially women.”  (This writer has modified this article by cutting and pasting)  Note: Mesopotamia sounds similar to Western civilization.

Abram heard God speak and obeyed, and we know that he left Ur and stayed an uncertain amount of time in Haran, and we also know that he was 75 years of age when he left Haran and that he had flocks and servants that he took with him, so he must have been a man of means.  The book of Hebrews gives this account, in chapter 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”

Did you join the story?  If so, you now grasp the magnitude of faith it required of Abram to hear God and obey.   Hebrews 11 begins with God’s definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen.”  And in the sixth verse we are told, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Have you checked your ladder lately?

Galatians 3:1-3

If you received this letter from someone you value, as the churches of Galatia did the apostle Paul, it would be a wake up call.  My prayer is that no matter where you live in the world, the Spirit will address this letter to your heart.  This was not a one-time thing, I grew-up in small Baptist churches and heard and saw the hypocrisy of religious people who saw faults in other denominations, trying to earn righteousness, but missed living by faith and were looking to self.  Often, our walk was not according to God’s Word, but rather by our feelings.

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?”  That is a great question and it is worth asking, how did I receive the Spirit by my goodness or by hearing with faith?  And then Paul ask this question of us; “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”  It is later in the letter to us that Paul makes this statement; “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.”  It has been many years for me since I ask Jesus to take over management of my life, and I wish that I could say I’ve never returned to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, but I have and yet the Holy Spirit has always confronted me.  Why do we choose to live outside of the Spirit’s control, it is our desires and the culture, or looking to others or self, and not to Jesus?

How do we get so messed up?  Could it be living the Christian life is hard?  We live in a culture that has little regard for Christ, and the Christian life is a single lane road going the right way, but the culture is the eighteen lane highway going the opposite direction and we are in the middle of those eighteen lanes.  It is easy to stop at a rest stop, and the next thing we know we have entered the eighteen lane flow of life.  How can we stop doing this?  Os Hillman is a man of faith and I try to read his thoughts each day, and today these were a small part of his thoughts; “Godly success involves a partnership between you and God. Success in God's economy means achieving the purpose for which God made you. That purpose can never be discovered without seeking Him with a whole heart. You may achieve great things without seeking God, but you will never achieve the things God set out for you to achieve without seeking Him. Unless you seek Him, you may find yourself one day climbing to the top of the ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.”  Way too many times my ladder been on the wrong wall, have you checked your ladder lately?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Learing not to trust in Yourself

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The above proclamation should be the heart and breath of every follower of Christ, for it is not a declaration of what is to come, but what has happen in you.  It is Christ living in you and me.  What the apostle Paul writes about in Roman 7, is a Christian living not in Christ, but in defeat, living outside of the victory and below your calling.  Do not be fooled, not even for one moment; it is the norm in the Church, not the exception.  But also take heart that the apostle Paul, the apostle Peter, John Mark and many others could proclaim these words of Paul; “I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  Why should we take heart, not that these men got captured by the flesh, but that they learn to not trust in themselves, not to put any confidence in their flesh? 

I am fearful that many a person who has entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ was not taught that a thief, that old serpent, the devil and his demons have targeted them.  Most of the time it is not a frontal assault, it’s deceptive, and these thoughts enter your mind, “well I do deserve, or I’m of no value, or the many other mind attacks by this thief that has one goal, to kill, steal, and destroy your witness of Christ living in you.  But as my friend Bill Gillham often said, our flesh was trained like a bird dog to get its needs met outside of Christ.  Bill often reminded us that Christians have two choices to walk in this world: “According to the flesh, and in the Spirit.” When living according to the flesh, it is not just doing bad things, but depending on yourself and your abilities to get your needs met apart from Christ.  Letting Christ live in you or walking by the Spirit, is not doing religious activity, but allowing Jesus to live His life through you.

Bill would always give us “Key Concepts;” this is one we should allow to be key in our minds and heart as we go about life on planet earth.  First, “Walking in the Spirit most often requires you to choose to walk by what God’s Word says rather than by what you feel.”  Maybe no one has shared with you, your true identity in Christ, but look these up Galatians 3:28, (We are all one body, no one is inferior) Galatians 4:7, (We are sons and daughters, heirs of God) Ephesian 1:7, (We are redeemed and forgiven) Romans 6:7, (You are free from sin’s power, you now can choose to sin or not to sin) and one last one but the list is much longer; 2 Corinthians 5:17, (A new creation, not a make over.)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Did Christ die for Nothing?

Galatians 2:15-21

Did Christ die for nothing, or has His life and death changed the history of the world?  For many years what we call time was divided by B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (after His death).  Paul confronted Peter for sending a false message; by acting one way with Gentiles and then withdrawing from them when “certain men” came from Jerusalem teaching Gentile believers that they must hold to the Old Testament dietary laws and be circumcised in order to be a Christian. 

Paul is not putting down the Gentiles calling them sinners, but confronting Jews who have always looked at Gentiles as sub-human and not the chosen.  Here are Paul’s words; “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:15-16)   Jesus tells us that He is the completion of the law, but no man but Christ was able to keep the law given to Moses, they all came short, so what is one to do if keeping all the commandments of God is not possible?  The New Testament tells us over and over to be justified before God; it will not come from any action by you but through faith in Christ.

Paul addressed a problem that is common in the church now and then, and it is called being a lawbreaker, or as my friend Carroll B. would say, it is acting as if Jesus does not tell the truth.  We find Paul’s own account of walking by feeling and not by faith in Romans 7, and in Galatians 2:17-21, “But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”

It matters not who is the lawbreaker, it was Peter and yes, Paul testifies that he often does what he does not want to do, and he makes this statement and asks this question:  “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”  Our flesh does not stop being flesh when we enter into Christ, and what does flesh like to be, number one, running the show, and looking better to others than both you and God know to be true?  If your foolish enough to believe that anything, any action on your part other than grace and faith in Christ will put you in right standing with God, your ladder is on the wrong wall.  Please listen to these words: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Standing up for a Belief

Galatians 2:11-14

Standing up to someone who is over you, especially in your business life can be risky, and yet there are times when no matter the risk a person must take a stance.  Our division had a national sales meeting and both the marketers and the lab and upper management were present.  Our Human Resource person, we will call him A.J., was speaking and his theme was “nothing is black and white,” for in all things there is a lot of gray.  One of our salesmen, Greg Stoval who is a Christian stood and asked the question, sir, are you telling us there is no such thing as good and evil?  The speaker made light of Greg’s question and went on with his talk, and that is when I stood and ask this question: “A.J. when I was hired by 3M I was told there are two reasons we will fire you, one is for lying and the other is for stealing, are you now telling us that it is ok to lie a little bit and to steal a little bid, and if so, who determines how much?  I must testify the man was not able to answer my questions, and I am sure that it did not endear me to the Human Resource group. 

My account is not even close to what the apostle Paul is doing in encountering the apostle Peter, for Peter was highly esteemed in the Church.  This is Paul’s account of the encounter: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

When I stood up in that meeting, I did it to support a man I respected, a brother who was being made light of by the speaker, but the apostle Paul stood for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You made be wondering who these men were who came from James, and I am not sure, but we have this account in Acts 15:1, “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”  This was the reason Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem and this false gospel proclaimed by these Jews was not the gospel of Peter or James, but it seemed that these Jews intimidated Peter.  What added to Peter’s hypocrisy was that in a dream from God, Peter was told to go to Cornelius’ home and share the gospel with him and his household.  He did so and broke Jewish law by entering a Gentile’s house and by eating with them.  So Peter has been eating with the Gentiles at Syrian Antioch, until these Jews arrived and guess what, he cowered and withdrew from the Gentiles and so did the other Jews that had come with him, and also Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Now listen to the apostle Paul’s words; “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”  My precious wife reminded me this morning the Holy Spirit is peace, He is the Peace Jesus left for us, and fear is when we abandon peace.  We are told in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trust in the Lord is kept safe.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Poor - has it been removed from the Christians vocabulary

Galatians 2:10

“Only they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”

Poor is not a word we use much in our Christian culture, for calling someone poor seems to be somewhat demeaning, so they are referred to as the under resourced.  If we look at the root cause of the poor or the under resourced, you will find much that contributes to why so many end up in this group; and it seems that one of the main causes is greed, power, and control of this group of people.  And where are these three elements found most in our culture, it is in government?  Governments all over the world from the beginning have used greed, power, and control to keep a large group of people as the underclass or the poor.

One of the best examples of how one breaks the system is Rafael Cruz, born in Cuba under a dictator, and he arrived in Texas with the clothes on his back and one hundred dollars, and got a job as a dishwasher at 50 cents an hour.  Worked his way through the University of Texas while learning English.  He not only built a small business, but also is the proud father of Ted Cruz a United States Senator from the great state of Texas.  Yes, government under the control of evil men will steal, kill, and destroy, but government cannot kill the spirit of anyone who is willing to look to God as their provider, and desires to work hard and smart to change their circumstances.

But there are other reasons people stay poor, and one is a lack of zeal; many who once had a dream of rising above the status of under resourced, have allowed apathy and ignorance to control them, they look for handouts from mankind, it may come in the form of government aid, or from some other group that is open to giving aid. 

As followers of Christ, our goal should be to give aid to widows and orphans, and to the under resourced, but not so they become dependent, but always with the goal of showing them how to look to Jesus as their source.  I believe that many who go by the name Christian have a distain for the poor, and have put them in the category of freeloaders or worse, and are not willing to invest in them.  And then the Church blames government for the many programs that have the effect of bringing such people into and under the control of government.  And we have seen the end game of government programs; they rob the one receiving such programs of their dignity, the desire of being a provider, and give them an entitlement mentality that leads to looking to government and not to God.

I have great distain for anyone who robs a man or women of their dignity, who uses handouts to control or manipulate another person, and I do believe the government of the United States is doing that at this time.  With that said, where is the Church?  Have we forgotten the fundamentals of Scripture; to give is better than to receive?  Do we believe God is faithful to His written Word, and that He will always keep His promises?  If so, my brother and sister in Christ, listen to Proverbs 19:17, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.”  Do you recall the fine, and upstanding young rich man who came to Jesus and wanted to know what he needed to do to be perfect?  Then you will recall this Scripture in Matthew 19:21& 22, “Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”  Could it be that the Church, and let me remind you that is you and me, may have the same problem as the young man in the story, our possessions have become little gods that are keeping us from receiving what the Lord desires to give us?

Form the Back Porch,

Bob Rice