Verse: Galatians 5:2-6 ESV
“Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”
Devotion
Here, Paul reiterates the importance of recognizing that your salvation is not reliant on your efforts. If we were justified by the law, we would have to live a flawless life, and unfortunately I think we all have missed the mark there. We are saved by Christ, and Christ alone. The thought that works are necessary for justification minimizes what Jesus endured on that cross for us.
Faith stands in contrast to works because it entails directing our dependence away from our actions to rest in the completed work of Christ. When you are saved by grace, all of your ways will exemplify the God we serve. This is not something that is short lived. Saving grace involves a total transformation of ones self.
We should be able to find peace in the fact that we are not required to follow the law for justification. What a huge burden that is taken off of our shoulders! However, with saving grace also comes other spiritual disciplines. These disciplines are a result of our salvation (and not something that earns our salvation), and something that we as believers engage in to continue to grow our faith. This wisdom continues to develop throughout our life, and directly impacts those we come in contact with. As soon as someone finds out I am a follower of Jesus— everything I do is automatically under a magnifying glass. This is why we need to ensure we are letting God into all aspects of our life, so that everything we do and say directly reflects and glorifies him.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help us remember that you died on that cross and bared our sins while there. You did that, to take that burden of following the Old Testament law off of our shoulders. Please continue to walk with us as we navigate our spiritual disciplines. And for those who have not yet started that personal relationship with you, Lord please continue to soften their hearts so that they may turn to you. Thank you for everything you’ve done; please help us to continue to seek you out and to glorify you in all we do. Please help us to continue to be a vessel for your message. And in those challenging circumstances, please allow the Holy Spirit to continue to guide us as we navigate conversations with others. In your heavenly name I pray, Amen.
Author: Justin Artymenko
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