Galatians 2:17-18 | Prideful Warnings
But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.
-Galatians 2:17-18 BSB
-Galatians 2:17-18 BSB
What sense does it make for us to claim the name of Christ and walk in opposition to Him? If you are in sincere in your pursuit of Christ, what sense does it make to run back to the old way of doing things? Yesterday, we talked about the "Good Enough" Deception. We highlighted what foolishness it is to believe that we could simply be good enough and outweigh our mistakes. Indeed, we need Jesus. We need to walk by faith in Him. But now that we know that, what follows?
This is the very issue Paul is getting at. If it was not works that could save us, but faith alone, why then do we believe it will be works that will continue the path of salvation? It is as though in accepting Jesus we believe that was the secret sauce to us now being able to be good enough. Do we not realize that we in our flesh are still not good enough? It is only Christ in us that is sufficient for any good work or any good thing.
The Christian must not say of himself, "Look at how good I have become!" As though he may boast in himself. Let him instead say, "Look at how good Christ is!" Let the boast be of Jesus and Him alone. Those who have drawn near to Christ in faith must by faith continue. It is by this that we will find Christ in all and through all.
The attitude that this requires is an attitude of humility. We want to think well of ourselves and feel as though we have accomplished something. Do not be deceived by your own pride! See that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. It is the lowest valley that fills up first. Do not puff yourself up or exalt yourself. Make it the highest practice to lower yourself more before Christ Jesus. Your works are not good enough. Praise be to God that Jesus is. Amen.
How can you humble yourself before Christ today?
This is the very issue Paul is getting at. If it was not works that could save us, but faith alone, why then do we believe it will be works that will continue the path of salvation? It is as though in accepting Jesus we believe that was the secret sauce to us now being able to be good enough. Do we not realize that we in our flesh are still not good enough? It is only Christ in us that is sufficient for any good work or any good thing.
The Christian must not say of himself, "Look at how good I have become!" As though he may boast in himself. Let him instead say, "Look at how good Christ is!" Let the boast be of Jesus and Him alone. Those who have drawn near to Christ in faith must by faith continue. It is by this that we will find Christ in all and through all.
The attitude that this requires is an attitude of humility. We want to think well of ourselves and feel as though we have accomplished something. Do not be deceived by your own pride! See that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. It is the lowest valley that fills up first. Do not puff yourself up or exalt yourself. Make it the highest practice to lower yourself more before Christ Jesus. Your works are not good enough. Praise be to God that Jesus is. Amen.
How can you humble yourself before Christ today?
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January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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