In Galatians, Paul answers the question, “Why did Christ set us free?” For freedom Christ has set us free. That is an indicative, a settled truth. We have been set free by Christ. It is followed by an imperative, a command. “Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” You are free in Christ. And in Christ, … Continue reading Stand Fast in Freedom!
In Luke’s gospel account, the women at the empty tomb were asked a question they could not answer. The angels said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” It’s a great question! But the truth is, they didn’t seek the living among the dead. They sought the dead. They were looking for a dead body. The angels asked a question that strikes … Continue reading He is Risen!
Remember that great old gospel song that started, “Would you be free from the burden of sin, there’s power in the blood, power in the blood, Would you o’er evil a victory win, there’s wonderful power in the blood!” Paul starts off this section with an even older hit. “There’s Power in the Law.” Have … Continue reading Would You Be Free?
“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” Paul wrote that in his first letter to the church in Corinth. Notice that this is NOT a command but a statement, a fact: every man is the head of … Continue reading Step Up, Brothers!
The same people whom Paul says would once have given their eyes to him now treated his message with disdain. The one who was their father in the faith was now their enemy. The Galatians had been courted by the Judaizers. The works-righteousness legalists showered them with affection, made much of them, and won them over. Some cults today use this technique and call it “love bombing.” They find the … Continue reading Beware the Super-Spiritual Clubs
Paul tells us, “you are all sons of God,” in Galatians. Paul uses sons, not “sons and daughters,” simply because with sonship in ancient cultures came the right to inherit. Are all people sons of God? Find the important qualifiers in this verse: “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” They serve as bookends for sonship: “in Christ Jesus” and “through … Continue reading We Are Sons
J. Mark Fox 