Tag: Faith

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How to Make The Bible YOUR Feed: “Sheep Food:” (1/2)

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Sheep Food: Part 1

© C. O. Bishop 9/9/2016; THCF 9/11/2016 (Revised 2026 Food)

1st Peter 2:2; Jeremiah 15:16;

Introduction:

We read in Acts 20:28 that the elders are to feed the flock. In John 21:15-17, Jesus commanded Peter (three times) to “feed the flock. But God commanded the flock to “feed” itself as well…and that the Sheep food is specifically the Word of God. So, we need to consider how that feeding should happen, and when, and by whom, etc.

Supernatural Hunger

In 1st Peter 2:2, Peter tells the newborn believers to hunger for the “milk” of God’s Word…to feed upon it and so, to Grow thereby. But in Hebrews 5:12-14, the writer complains that the believers to whom he was writing should have graduated from “milk.” They should now be consuming solid food…and it is still referring to the Word of God.

And notice: in 1st Peter 2:2, it says that the result of feeding on God’s word is that we should “grow, thereby.” Are you growing? If not, ask yourself: “Am I feeding on God’s Word?”

In Jeremiah 15:16, the prophet says he ate (fed on) God’s Word, and that God’s Word was the joy and the rejoicing of his heart. Why? Because God had made him part of the family of God…and called him by God’s name.

This sort of passages lay out the normal life for believers: God calls us to feed on His Word. And it should become a joy to our hearts simply because, as believers, we are His children. God Calls us to Grow! He calls us to grow stronger in the Word, so that we move on from baby food. He calls us to joyfully feed on the tougher things of the Bible, while not forgetting the foundation He laid in the simple truths of the Gospel.

What Does “Feed on” God’s Word Mean?

Do we simply read it? Is hearing it on the radio enough? Do we have to attend Bible College? Do we have to memorize the Bible? What does it mean when the Psalmist says he “meditated” on God’s Word? Do you have to sit with your legs contorted, and your eyes closed while you think about the Bible?

I would like to suggest, as a starter, that there are at least five ways the Scripture tells us to feed upon the Word of God:

  1. Hear
  2. Read
  3. Study
  4. Memorize, and
  5. Meditate

Probably that list actually is an ascending order, each attaining a deeper, stronger grasp of the Word.  Let’s look at each of them and see how they apply to us as believers.

Hear the Word

Deuteronomy 6:4 begins with the words, “Hear O Israel…” This passage is well-known to all orthodox Jews…it is called “the Shamaah”, because the word “hear” is translated from the Hebrew word “shamaah”.

Over and over, Jesus said, “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.” The willing reception of the spoken Word of God is what is in view. Hearing it has an impact all by itself, without study, without comment, without further reflection, even: God’s Word does not return to Him void. It always has an effect.

The Effect of Hearing

Bear in mind that the sun, shining on potter’s clay, has the reverse effect of the same sunlight warming wax. One grows harder, while the other grows softer. The difference is in the character of the material. Jesus said, “He that hath an ear to hear” will change in a positive way by receiving God’s Word. One who only receives the Word because of a sense of social responsibility or, worse, to look good among his peers, may find that he gradually inoculated himself against the influence of the Word, because he has privately, habitually rejected its teaching. God gradually gives such a person over to a reprobate mind, so that he becomes blinded to the truth of God’s Word, and deaf to the pleading of God’s Spirit.

Luke 8:18 says, “Take heed therefore how ye hear….” Hearing the word is important, and how we hear it is important. We need to hear it with a willing heart, and look for ways to apply it to our lives…not dismiss it or critique it as if it were the writings of men. It is the Word of God. Take heed how you hear. Apply your heart to the Word as you hear it. Hunger for it. Allow it to cleanse you, and purge you.

Read the Word To Feed

It is interesting and instructive, to see that long before a king sat on a throne in Israel, God commanded (Deuteronomy 17:18-20) that that future king was to write for himself a copy of the Law of God, out of the scrolls possessed by the Levites, and that he was to read that copy all the days of his life! That means every day, as long as he lives!

God calls us, in the Church age, as believers, “kings and priests.” How does that Old Testament command apply to us? I doubt we are called to personally write out our own copy (the printing press and movable type seem to have freed us from that.) But I do think we might be admonished to be in the Word on a “steady-diet” basis, rather than a “once-in-a-while nibble.”  The results God predicted for those kings are interesting, too.

Five results are listed:

  1. That he may learn to fear the LORD his God, and
  2. To keep all the words of this Law, and these statutes, to do them,
  3. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and
  4. That he turn not aside from the commandments, to the right hand or to the left;
  5. To the end (result) that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Now, I am not an earthly king, especially not a king of Israel, but I can see from the rest of the Word of God that those predicted results apply to all who apply God’s Word to their lives. The Psalm 119:105 states that the Word “is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:9 states that a man can only cleanse his way “by taking heed thereto according to God’s Word”.  Simply reading the Word daily, as a steady diet, providing constant contact, will have eternal results.

Study the Word, to Feed

This one is a little harder, but the word “study” in Old English, and in Greek, means to “apply oneself diligently.” So, when Paul says (2nd Timothy 2:15) “study to show thyself approved unto God…”, it means “make this a priority, and apply yourself diligently to that end.” But; the rest of the verse says “…a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” So, “applying oneself diligently” to “learning to rightly divide God’s Word” would be what we call “study,” today, would it not? Paul also exhorted Timothy (1st Timothy 4:13) to give himself to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. This meant not only the public reading of the scriptures, but a constant ministry of encouraging others and teaching them (feed others) to understand and obey God’s Word. That requires study, too.

The Bereans were commended (in Acts 17:11) as being “more noble than those in Thessalonica”, because they “received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” That is study, folks! Searching the scriptures, comparing scripture with scripture, looking for understanding. That is study!

What About Conventional “Study” To Feed?

Could it mean going off to school “to feed” and applying yourself to nothing but study for a period of time? Certainly, it could, but that is by no means necessary. Bear in mind that Paul was trained by one of the most famous educators of his time, but considered that whole experience to be rubbish. Paul did not rest upon his credentials. He rested upon the credentials of Christ. He rested upon the truth of God’s Word.

But we are exhorted to apply ourselves to the goal of understanding the Word of God. As we feed on His Word, the result is to be the collective maturity and stability of the church. The result is that we believers will not be easily swept away by every novel doctrine that comes along. And finally, so that we will be well-equipped ministers of God’s Grace, and so that we are able to build up the body of Christ in the Love of God. (Ephesians 4:12-16) These are all the result of absorbing God’s Word, through hearing, reading and studying. What else can we do?

Next Week we will look at MemorizationLord Jesus, please create in each of us an abiding hunger for Your Word, and Your Person, so that Your Spirit can mature us in Your Grace. Teach us to feed upon Your Word with Joy.

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How to Know Peace: A Walk Through Galatians (Part 4)

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A Walk Through Galatians (What happens in Failure?)

© 2026 by Lee Tankersley

Part 4: Chapter 2 versus 11-21 ( Peter’s Failure!)

The Bible is a historical account of God redeeming his people for his glory. But, it doesn’t leave out the dirtiness of relationships, the hardships of life, or even the failure of God’s people. We do not normally expect to see such transparency: Or at least, I am not used to seeing it. People tend to minimize or hide their flaws and failures. They amplify their strengths and successes, especially when someone is trying to get your vote and mine.

Like, let’s say, the American political system where you have each candidate highlighting each of their successes and accomplishments. They disregard their views or opinions of the past, to win your vote, while completely ignoring their failures and faults. Then they drag each other through the mud, slandering one another much to their enjoyment. The Bible does just the opposite. Today is going to be one of those stories of failure, but keep in mind that we know how the story ends.

Personal Failure

But I won’t act as though I’m any better. I’m not even sure I should be here in front of you all. There is nothing special about me. I can give numerous accounts of my failures. And I could tell of my disappointments, life tragedies, and broken relationships. I can tell of heartaches, distressing situations, betrayals of trust, or poor choices that I have made.

Hang around me long enough, and you will probably hear some of them. And I’m sure just about each and every one of you can do the same, on some account. But do you know what I need to remind myself of, even with all my failure, and the mess that I am? There is Someone out there that loves us despite all our failures. He has a use for us, and wants me and you to spend eternity with him.

Personal Results of Salvation, Despite my Failure

I can’t help but try to tell everyone about him. Romans 10:14-15 says, 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? 15 And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody about Jesus.

I’m reading from the NLT. If you want to turn to Galatians 2:11-21, you can follow along with whatever translation is your preferred choice. I also would like to give my sources credit they deserve. The NLT Life Application Study Bible, A Layman’s Look at the Epistle to the Galatian Churches, and the Bibleref app. Thank you.

(Read Galatians 2: 11-21) Peter’s Failure

            Galatians 2:11-21 11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Confrontation

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? 15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.

19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

(Read Galatians 2:11)

            11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. (It was a serious failure!) After Paul and Barnabas (and Titus, if you remember from last time) went to Jerusalem, they had full support from the apostles. Peter and John and the leader of the church in Jerusalem (James) fully approved of the Good News they preached.

At some point Paul and Barnabas went back to Antioch, and Peter also made his way there. God does not give this sequence in an exact timeline. But we will see that what happened was not out of character for Peter. Especially when he was in a situation of accountability, or extreme pressure. Peter, once known as Simon, experienced failure a couple different times even when He was with Jesus in the Gospels. Probably the most recognized is Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus. Matthew 26: 69-75, Mark 14: 66-72, Luke 22: 54-65, and John 18: 25-27.

Read Galatians 2:12-13 (Failure spread to others)

            12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Peter arrived in Antioch after the Jerusalem council in 48-50 AD as documented in Acts 15.

(We went over that, in part three of “A Walk Through Galatians”.) That was where Paul and Barnabas got full approval from Peter, John, and James for the Good News they preached, that salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ, and it was for everybody, and the original apostles accepted Barnabas and Paul as co-workers. There was no legitimate cause for Peter’s failure.

Peter’s Failure: Hypocrisy

Peter had no problem when he arrived in Antioch. He even shared meals and sat with the other Gentile believers at first. But some Jewish men from Jerusalem (connected to James) who still promoted circumcision and the law, came to Antioch. Peter then separated himself from the Gentile believers for whatever reason. Paul said it was due to fear. Some speculate that it was also to protect James’s prominent position he held in Jerusalem. But, Paul went and confronted Peter for his actions. Peter was implicitly supporting their claim that Christ alone was not sufficient for salvation. His failures had even caused Barnabas and others to question things and to separate themselves from the Gentiles.

Peter had to know that what he was doing wrong. James 4:17 says, 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

            This confrontation with Peter, that Paul is describing, reminded me of something I have heard of: A passage I find comfort in, during my walk with Jesus, and the war that rages inside me. It comforts me to know that Paul also struggled with failure, and the exact war that’s going on inside me.

The two Natures

Romans 7:14-25 14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.    24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Other Interpretation

While I was studying this confrontation between Paul and Peter, it reminded me that I have heard that some people believe Paul was only talking about himself before he believed and accepted Christ in these verses. I don’t believe that is what Paul is describing here. Hearing that this is what some believe Paul is describing, it would lead me to assume they think that after Paul had trusted in Christ, he didn’t sin anymore. I guess they call it “sinless perfectionism”.

People seem to believe this view because of the chapter breaks added later. They fail to see the letter of Romans as a whole. The chapters and verse numbers we have in our bibles today are there to help us with locating and memorization of passages, They didn’t exist before. If Paul really was just describing who he was before salvation, then I’m done for. But as I said, through my studies and the understanding that God has given me, that is not the case. I think, “How can those people go and put that burden on anyone by teaching that? Much less themselves?” I pray every day that the struggle with my old nature would just end, but the more I pray for it to end, the more I see my need for Jesus!

What God Says

We know the truth about anyone who says they have no sin, or that they don’t sin. They are claiming they have no failure! We can look to 1 John 1:8 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. I have yet to personally meet one person that holds this view, so I don’t know how prominent this position is, but I guess they are out there. But I do wonder what they think of Peter during this confrontation in Galatians 2:11-21 in regards to James 4:17?

All I can tell you is this fact, Romans 8:1 1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And when I do fall, (and I inevitably will) I know that Jesus is there defending me in my failure, for in 1 John 2:1 says 1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

(Read Galatians 2: 14)

            14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

Paul, Peter, and Barnabas were all Jews. (I say “were,” because for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, there is no distinction, and to hold on to those labels does nothing to benefit us.) Colossians 3:11 says, 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. And it’s also in Galatians 3:28, but we will get there eventually.

Historical Context

But for context of the confrontation between Paul and Peter, we should know that there was a culture barrier between Jews and Gentiles, and of Jewish customs at the time. Peter lets us in on this detail on the customs of the time, after God sent him a vision and had him go to Cornelius’s place, in Acts 10:28.  28 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.

So, Paul publicly confronted Peter. Peter being a leader of the church, was acting like a hypocrite, and not being true to the Good News. Paul knew he had to put a stop to it before his actions damaged the church, so he opposed him to his face. Any one of us is prone to make a mistake, even the best of leaders, and we should rely on each other to get us back on track.

(Read Galatians 2: 15-16)

            15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

Both Paul and Peter were all too well aware of the Old Testament law and the sacrificial system, but that Jesus had changed everything. Paul is not saying the law is bad, for in Romans 7:12 Paul says, 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. Paul is instead saying the law can never make us right with God, and for it to make us right with God we would have to follow it perfectly, and not one of us is perfect, except for Jesus. He is the human that came to be the kind of human that none of us could ever be.

And through trust in His finished work at the Cross, in His death and resurrection, he offers us forgiveness and eternal life by his grace. John 3:16-18 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

(Read Galatians 2: 17-19)

            17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.

I want to recommend for anyone who is listening, that you read Romans 5:12-21. We will just be highlighting a few verses here. Paul studied the Old Testament scriptures, and he understood that the law can’t save us. Sin has infected us all, as shown in Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. And in this way Sin has separated us from God. We are unable to keep God’s laws perfectly: Fortunately, God made a way to deliver us through an act of love by Jesus Christ and not by our own efforts.

Romans 5:18 18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Knowing this truth, we must guard against the temptation of thinking that acts of service, good deeds, or any other effort that you can think of can be a substitute for faith.

(Read Galatians 2:20-21)

            20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

When we are crucified with Christ, it means we surrender to Jesus every aspect of our sinful lives–our goals, plans, desires, ideas, and even relationships. We treat these things as though they died with Jesus at the cross. Then we live a life of surrender to the Author of life. Because Jesus came back to life, and He now lives in us by the Holy Spirit, filling up all the empty places that we have given to Him, which all our old pursuits could never really fill. Our self-centered way of life ends, and our new Christ-centered way of life begins. It does not mean we will be free from failure.

To be honest, letting go of these desires, goals, plans, and relationships is hard, and failure is common. But I know that whatever God has in store for me will be far greater than I can even understand or imagine right now, or maybe even ever will on this side of life. But I can continue to trust God, who loves us and has a greater understanding than I can ever see myself having.

            How have our old selves been crucified with Christ? It was when Christ was crucified for our sin. Through faith, we trust that His death paid for our own personal sin. In this way, we are crucified with Him.

How God Sees Us, Regardless of Our Failure

Legally, God sees us as if we died with Christ, because Jesus took the penalty for all our sins when he died. Paul says in Colossians 2:13-15 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Relationally, we have become one with Christ, and His experiences are ours. Our Christian lives begin when we are joined with him: We die to our old life and begin a new life. Romans 6:5 says 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. The focus of Christianity is not on death but on life. Because we have been crucified with Christ we have also been raised with Him, receiving a new resurrection life as He did, we have a new power, a new vision, and a new community, and we have been reconciled with God, despite our failures. We are no longer alone, because Christ lives in us. He is our power for living and our hope for the future.

The Danger of False Teachers

            False believers today can still be a danger for us, and they are a danger to anyone not in Christ. They act as if Jesus did not have to die, by replacing Jewish legalism with their own form of Christian legalism, by believing they can earn God’s favor by what they do. Such teaching denies our own continuing failure. They do not trust completely in Christ’s work on the cross. By struggling to believe in God’s power to change them, they do not rest in God’s power to save them.

It is only because of Him that anything good comes from me. It is only because of Him, that the things that need to be changed can change. And it is only because of Him that I am saved. If we could be saved by “being good,” then Christ did not have to die. The Cross is the only way to salvation.

Please follow me to Acts 4:11-12 as this comes to an end 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Did you find it?  Your name, is it there? Yeah, I didn’t see mine either. Praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

                                                                                                                        Amen.

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Continue With Us In A Walk Through Galatians (Part 3)

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A Walk Through Galatians (Part 3)

(Part 3: Chapter 2 verses 1-10)

© 2026 by Lee Tankersley

Introduction:

            Last time we were here, Paul had been defending his authority as an apostle against Judaizers. They had been going behind Paul and his companions on his first mission. They had tried to undermine what he had originally taught the Galatian believers. Now, in the next 10 verses he is going to close the book on this part of his story.

            Paul reminded the Galatian believers of who he was and what he was doing before he met Jesus. He told how he encountered Jesus, and believed who Jesus said he was and the Gospel (Good News.) Then he explained who he became afterward, and the training he had received. Paul fervently defended his apostleship, for the sake of the believers in Galatia and anyone else who might hear the Good News. The Good News that Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for sins: theirs, yours, and mine. He took the hit for us: He rescued them and us from being led by the false teaching and misguiding of whatever faith we had believed before.

The legalism that was being pushed was not from God, and those who preach legalism also are not from God. I will be blunt because I guess someone has to be, if you are trusting in anything other than what Jesus has done at the Cross then you are not a Christian. I’m not trying to be mean, it just needs to be said. I’m stoked that you are here and hope if you have not fully trusted in Christ that you will allow yourself to set aside your own understanding and open up yourself to humility and realize what is at stake. As we are told in Romans 3:23, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

 In Romans 3:22, Paul tells us 22We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. And, Paul says, in Romans 5:6, “6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.“

            Romans 5:8 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Remember to remind yourself if you are ever uncertain of the love God has for you, that he loved you before you ever turned to him.

Let’s Look at Galatians 2:1-10

            I’m reading from the NLT, if you want to grab your Bible and turn to Galatians 2:1-10 you can follow along with whatever translation is your preferred choice. I also would like to give my sources credit they deserve, The NLT Life Application Study bible, A Layman’s Look at the Epistle to the Galatian Churches, and Bibleref app. Thank you.

(Read Galatians 2:1-10)

Galatians 2:1-10 1 Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing.

3 And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile. 4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations.  5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.

6 And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.)  7 Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. 8 For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.

9 In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. 10 Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.

(Reading Galatians 2:1)

            1 Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. Fourteen years have gone by since he was last in Jerusalem which we see in Acts 9:26-30 where he was seen by Barnabas and introduced to Peter, and James. He was only there for 15 days before he was sent away due to an attempt to murder him.

We can see that in Acts 11:25-26 that Barnabas went to look for Paul (at the time still called Saul) in Tarsus and then he brought him to Antioch where he was serving. Barnabas didn’t try leading by himself, but found a coworker in Paul. Those in ministry can look at Barnabas as an example, he found someone to work alongside him, their partnership brought accountability, fellowship, support, and encouragement. In all honesty we are all in this together. Each one of us brings something to the table and are just as important as any other.

We can see in 1 Corinthians 12:7 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. And we are all part of the same body united in Christ. We can see this and some of the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:27-28

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

This also can be seen in Romans 12:4-8 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,  5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.  8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

I will recommend a book, if you’ll allow me. If you already haven’t read it, or even if you think you are not in such a position and it doesn’t apply to you and it’s not needed, you probably should read it: It’s A Layman’s Look at The Work of the Shepherd by C. O. Bishop.
(Yes, that is Chet.)

(Galatians 2:2-3)

2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. 3 And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.

We saw that Barnabas went and found Paul in Tarsus and somewhere during that fourteen years, Paul was joined by Titus, too. It is not exactly mentioned when they joined together. He must have been a part of the “local believers” that accompanied them, as mentioned in Acts 15: 2, but Titus’ role was no less important. God revealed to Paul that he should return to Jerusalem and he finally met with the Leaders there. This encounter is shown in Acts 15.

This important meeting acknowledged the apostles’ approval of Paul’s preaching. Paul sought to make sure he was in agreement with the leaders in Jerusalem after a confrontation with the Judaizers in Antioch, who were teaching that “unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” He wanted to be sure that his teaching aligned with what they also had been taught.

Sometimes we can avoid the hard conversations for fear of disagreement or fearing that arguments may take place. Instead, we should openly share our plans and actions with one another. Good communication will help us understand each other, reduce gossip and create unity within the church. Paul preached what Jesus gave to him to say: His account of this showed that what he was taught was the same message the other apostles preached.

Paul’s message to both Jews and Gentiles was that God offered salvation to all people regardless of race, sex, education, background or whatever else, and that Jesus already did it all at the Cross. Anyone who puts their trust in Christ will be saved. In Romans 10:8-11 we see this truth:

“8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

(Galatians 2:4-5)

4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.

We see that when Paul, Barnabas, and the accompanying believers arrived in Jerusalem they were met by the whole church including the apostles and elders, along with (as Paul puts it) some “so-called believers”, who were insisting that Gentile converts must be circumcised and follow the law of Moses. I imagine this is referring to Titus since we know he was a Gentile. So, who are the False believers, the “spies,” as Paul calls them, in the church today?

It’s anyone who introduces extra rules or practices as being required for salvation. They twist scripture to validate their opinions. Paul mentions this about Israel in Romans 10:3-4 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Paul and Barnabas didn’t back down to these demands, and they had the approval of the apostles in Jerusalem.

What are some marks of a false gospel being preached? Anyone who treats Christ’s death as meaningless, or who says that people must obey the law in order to be saved, or who includes trying to find favor with God by obeying certain rituals, and counts on keeping laws to be right with God.

(Galatians 2:6-9)

6 And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.)  7 Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews.

8 For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles. 9 In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews.

Titus, a Gentile believer, who was with Paul and Barnabas became a “test case.” Would the apostles and leaders insist that Titus be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses to be saved, or was Titus’ faith in Jesus’ death on the Cross enough? We received the answer back in Galatians 2:3 “ 3 And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.”

This is God’s will, and what Jesus himself taught, we can see in John 6:40 “40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” Remember God does not accept human religion as a substitute for faith in Christ. We are saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone. It is easy for us to rate people based on their status and be intimidated, but Paul was not intimidated, because all believers are equal in Christ and our ultimate allegiance, and the One to whom we are accountable, must be Jesus. We are to serve Him with all that we are.

He alone knows our hearts, 1 Samuel 16:7 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Peter, John, and James had nothing but support for what Paul and Barnabas were preaching, in fact they realized that God was using Paul and Barnabas to reach the rest of the known world, just as God used Peter to reach the Jews, and they gave their approval for them to continue to work among the Gentiles.

The important fact here is that Paul and Peter preached the exact same message: “All must come to salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ.” Acts 15:11 says, 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

(Galatians 2:10)

10 Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do. Paul has written in this letter that the other apostles, Jesus’ own disciples during His time here, have given full approval for both his role as an apostle and the message he preached for salvation.

This was the opportunity to correct Paul, or rebuke his message, if there ever was one. But Peter, John, and James recognized it as truth. The only thing that was asked of Paul is that they keep remembering the poor. At the time, the Jerusalem church was struggling financially, being impacted by a severe famine referenced in Acts 11: 28-30.

We must stand firm against anyone who tries to twist scripture or add to the Good News. We must put on the whole armor of God as it is given to us in Ephesians 6:14-17 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And we know we can have rest because of what Jesus told us in Matthew 11:28-30
“28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Thank you Jesus!

                                                                                                                        Amen!

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Understand That the New Birth Comes With a New Job!

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The New Birth Comes With a New Job

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

2nd Corinthians 5:17-21

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Introduction:

Last week we finished on 2nd Corinthians 5:17… “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Here we see that, though we still possess our old Sin Nature, God no longer defines us by it. The Holy God who deliberately became a Man, died as the full sacrifice for the sins of the human race. Now, still as the Holy God who hates sin, He provides a new birth. Thereby, He provides a new nature. He gives eternal life to all who place their faith in His completed work at the Cross. John 10:27-30.

He also chose to indwell all those who believe in Him, in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Further, He chooses to know and relate to those who believe in Him. But He only does so as to those who are His new Creation in Christ. He says Sin has contaminated our old nature. It cannot become agreeable to the Spirit of God. Romans 8:7 says “it is not subject to the Law of God, neither can it be.”

God Himself cannot repair the damage done to our old selves when Adam fell. But, what He did do was even more miraculous. He provided a new Birth. As a believer, you are a New Creation.

So, the last five verses of 2nd Corinthians 5 tell us the result of that New Creation, and what our new job entails.

What Is The Result Of That New Creation?

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

That verse sums up our New Life! Everything in our existence as those alive from the dead, and members of the Body of Christ, is here, in brief form.

  • It is all from God…our existence, our Hope, our sustenance, and our defense against the enemies of our souls.
  • He has (past tense) reconciled us by Jesus Christ, to Himself.
  • And, we have a new purpose in life: we are representatives of God, with an eye to the reconciliation of other lost souls. They are to be part of His New Creation.

So, What If We Don’t See Things That Way?

I have jokingly commented in the past that “You’ll notice that, if you try to look out through your nose instead of your eyes, it seriously limits your field of view.” Of course that is just a joke, at the silly notion that we might have more than one choiceas to “how to physically see the world.”

But the truth is that we often look “through the eyes” of our old sin nature, and we see hopeless chaos all around us. That makes sense! There are eight billion souls in the world. And all of us want to go our own way and to express our own individual wills. And Romans 1:18-32 allows us to see the result, from God’s perspective.

As believers, God tells us to see through the eyes of faith. We do not deny the evil in the world, but we can clearly recognize the source. We also see the incredible beauty and order in the creation, despite the ruin and corruption caused by sin.

God’s Call to See things His Way

So, God calls us to look beyond the things of the World, and the inclinations of our old nature. He calls us to confess with Him that the things of the New Creation are indeed all new.

2nd Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

Ephesian 1:18 lists Paul’s prayer, “that the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened.”

Philippians 3:20 says “Our citizenship is in Heaven…” (KJV translates the Greek word, politeumo as “conversation”: but it means “citizenship!”)

None of these ideas are even approachable in the flesh. Our old sin nature is not only blind to these concepts, but it angrily denies that they are real at all. This is because of what Psalm 14:1 says: “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no god!’”

And Romans 1:21-28 confirms it: (“When they knew God they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imagination…Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image, made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beast, and creeping things…  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind…” )

So, yes, God says we now have a choice. We can look through the eyes of faith, and see things from God’s perspective. (That is part of reconciliation to God.) Or we can go back to seeing things the way the world sees them, and live outside His direction and care.

Does He Continue to Love us?

Yes, your Heavenly Father still loves you and will stay with you forever. (By the way, this is not just a title: He is your real Father, through the New Birth!)

But you will not be conscious of His Love and Care as clearly as when you were in fellowship with Him and seeing things His way. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” It is a rhetorical question, with the implied answer being, “NO!”

1st John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”

If you actually belong to Jesus, as a New Creation, through the New Birth, then He will continually work to persuade you to “see things His way.” (And to DO things His way!)

What Is “Reconciliation?”

In terms of finances, and bookkeeping, when there is a discrepancy between two sets of records, it becomes critically important to discover which account is correct, and to “reconcile” the incorrect record to match the correct record. In terms of world view, God’s account is correct! Every other view is in error at one level or another.

God reconciled us to Himself: Not the other way around. I recently read an article wherein the financial records of a particular organization had consistently been at odds with the records of their bank. It turned out that the company bookkeeper had somehow been altering the bank reports to match her records, instead of re-checking her own arithmetic and reconciling her own books to those of the bank. You can imagine what a mess that was making.

God HAS Reconciled Us to Himself!

But God says that He “Has (past tense) reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.”

That is our new position in Christ. God “corrected” us, through the New Birth, so that it is possible for us to agree with God. Our old sin nature can never agree with God. Only our new self: Only the New Creation can be in agreement with God, and so, be qualified to walk with Him. And when we choose to follow our own ideas, we become temporarily “separated” from the mind of God, and we behave (to one degree or another) as though we were never reborn.

Years ago, I knew a woman who declared that it would be “immoral” for her to attempt to share her faith with another person. She claimed she was a believer, but she declared that Jesus’s “marching orders” were wrong…immoral!

That was a very disturbing thing to hear coming from a woman I had known and respected as an older sister in Christ. It left me wondering whether she was even a believer. As far as I know, she never changed that viewpoint. But…who needed to change? Who needed “reconciliation?” Did Jesus need to change His orders? Or did she need to confess that the world had heavily influenced her mind, and that she was wrong?

What is the Ministry of Reconciliation?

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Paul goes on to explain The Ministry (service) of Reconciliation: He says it began with God, acting through Christ (God the Son…Jesus, the Messiah. The word “Christ” is just the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah.” Both mean the “anointed One.”) He concludes that the immediate result of reconciliation is that God no longer imputes (“credits”) the sins of the reconciled individuals to them, even though they were the guilty parties. He no longer treats us as sinners. He treats us as His offspring…His dear, young children, because, through the New Birth, that is what we are!

God Passed On That Ministry To Us!

Again, it is past tense. He “… has committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation.” That is our new job! The result is clear:

“20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

One might protest that this was only true of the apostles: That the “we,” here, is the apostles, and the “ye,” here, includes the readers. But the Great Commission also included us by implication!

“18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

On the basis of the Full Authority of Jesus, He commanded the Apostles to go and make disciples, and to teach those disciples to do ALL that He had (just) commanded them. So, He included us in that plan! There was a Spiritual Chain reaction begun at the Cross, and we are part of the result.

If we fail to do what He commands, it results in the “shutting down” of that chain reaction. We stop the Divine Flow of redemption and reconciliation and revival. We quench the Holy Spirit, and there are long-range consequences of that choice. Ultimately, people die because of that choice.

A Harsh Reality

We think that sounds harsh, but God explains it in Ezekiel 3:17-19 “17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

We realize that this warning was given specifically to Ezekiel, who was sent as a prophet to Israel, during the captivity. But the concept is clear: People are condemned as sinners…it is true of the whole human race, not just Israel! And if they hear the call to repent and receive the gift of eternal life, they have a choice: they can believe, and be saved, or reject it and stay condemned.

Our Choice

But if we choose to ignore the ministry of reconciliation, not only do they stay condemned: we are partially responsible. (Remember James 4:17 “Therefore if a man knoweth to do Good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”)

Our choice, day by day, is whether to do (or not to do)what God has called us to do! Jesus made His choice: He chose to take our place at the Cross, becoming SIN on our behalf. God judged our sins at the Cross, along with those of the whole world, according to 1st John 2:2.

The result, to all who choose to believe, is a New birth, a New position in Christ, a New Citizenship in Heaven, a New Nature, and a New Job.

We simply have to choose, day by day and moment by moment, how to respond to Our New Relationship with God.

Lord Jesus, Please awaken us to our New Relationship and New responsibility as the Ministers of Reconciliation. Fill us with Your supernatural Love and care for the souls around us. Lead us to Walk with You in the Light of Your Word.

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How to Understand the Motivation of Apostles and Ambassadors

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Understanding the Motivation of the Apostles and Ambassadors

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

2nd Corinthians 5:11-17

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.  13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Introduction:

Last week we studied how to set priorities as believers. Today we will see what motivated the Apostles, and how that motivation should set an example for our own lives.

The Fear of the Lord:

Five Judgments

Last week we ended on verse eleven, “11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

We saw five of the main judgments that a human can face. And all five are a source of fear for us.

We know that we were born sinners and that we faced God’s eternal judgment.

Next, we know that Jesus offered the only way to escape that judgment. He took the sins of the entire world upon Himself at the Cross. Thereby God judged our sins, at the Cross, instead of us bearing that judgment ourselves. That is God’s Grace: We respond in Faith and He saved us.

God tells us, here in chapter 5, about the Judgment seat of Christ. There we either receive (or fail to receive) reward, based on how we responded to Jesus during our life. And He explains how it works, in 1st Corinthians 3:11-15.

Also, He tells us about the Judgment of the Living Nations. It will occur right here on planet earth, just after the end of the Tribulation. That judgment will be a terrible, fearsome thing. People either enter the Millennial Kingdom in their natural body after surviving the Great Tribulation, as believers. Or they will enter Hell, having survived the Great Tribulation as an unbeliever and still an enemy of God.

Finally, we saw the final Great White Throne Judgment. There, those who rejected the Lord’s Grace will face God’s irrevocable judgment.

Godly Fear Moved The Apostles

God says that “knowing the terror of the Lord” is part of what motivated the Apostles to serve faithfully. They did not have to fear punishment: God judged their sins at the Cross. But they were fully persuaded that the whole world does face the wages of sin. And they did not wish that judgment upon anyone at all. So, they committed themselves to Being Ambassadors. They lived to persuade their fellow humans to be reconciled to the Holy God whose Judgment they otherwise will face.

Judgment is Already Here, But it is Also Yet To Come

That judgment is already in place, and has been since Genesis chapter three. That is where Adam fell into sin and dragged all of us with him. Jesus said “He who believes is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he does not believe.” It does not say, “he will be condemned IF he does not believe.”

I was already under God’s judgment as a rebellious sinner and as an enemy of God. I’m grateful that God had many believers praying for me. I’m grateful that someone finally shared the portion of God’s Word that broke through my defense. God poured out His full Judgment upon Jesus at the Cross.

However, I know that I will face the Lord Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I fear feeling ashamed at His appearance, because I have wasted so much time in my life. I know he has made us each an ambassador for Him. But I feel that I have spent far too much time distracted by the “urgencies” of daily life, instead of realizing the eternal cost of dealing with a slack hand.

What is the Alternative?

Paul said, along with that fear of the coming judgment, He has given us a desire for transparency, so that the Light of Christ can shine through us to the dark World.

Others, those who only wanted to “look good” were deliberately cloaking their motives with false piety and claims of great spiritual gifts. Paul says (v. 12) that was not his motive at all. He had no desire to boast, or make false claims. He wanted to provide the believers with a cause for thanksgiving, as they saw God at work in him, and in their own lives.

The false teachers claimed that they were the “real thing” because they “looked better” than Paul. They were an on-going problem . (And, after continuous hardships, savage beatings, and stonings: No, Paul didn’t look too good!)

Someone once told my wife, that initially, they assumed I could not be a valuable teacher. Why? I failed to dress well enough to impress them. But their heart was open, and within a few classes, they decided that “how I looked” was not a reasonable predictor of the value of the teaching. (Glad to hear it!)

Also, some (Acts 26:24) accused Paul of “going mad,” due to excessive study and learning. His reply was that if he really was “beside himself,” he was accountable to God for whatever excess he demonstrated. (v.13) But, if he was actually “sober” (seeing things clearly: preaching reality: Compare Romans 12:3) then it was for their benefit, and, ultimately, they would be accountable to God for their response.

The Love Of Christ Constrains Us: WHY?

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Paul says everything has changed for him and the other Apostles, (and, in fact, for all believers!)

The Love of Christ Constrains Us… Why?

Because the apostles understood (and were teaching others to understand) that when Jesus died as our representative, we died with Him! God addresses this concept over and over. Romans 6:8 says we are dead with Christ so that we can Live with Him…living inHim, and forHim!

 In Galatians 2:19-21, Paul states it as a personal reality for him: “19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

The Law did not constrain Paul’s behavior. The Love of Christ did. He knew the Law had demanded his death. He also knew that Jesus had died as his representative. Therefore, according to God’s Law, he, Paul, was dead to the Law, and the life he now lived was not his own.

He openly confessed that no works of his did anything to qualify him for God’s gift of eternal life: Rather, he boldly stated that if it is possible to gain righteous standing before a holy God on the strength of one’s own works under the Law, then Jesus had died for nothing!

The Conclusion?

Paul and the other Apostles (and the lesson is for us, too!) no longer looked at other humans the way they did before. We must not allow our old flesh…our old sin nature…to control how we see others. We need to see them as precious souls for whom Jesus gave His life.

And even for those who once knew Jesus during his life on earth, (and for those of us who tend to remember him from during that time,) He says, we are not to see Him that way anymore. We now see Him as the Savior, and as the Incarnate Creator, God, and as the Eternal Judge of all the Earth, and as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

We see (at least we should see) Him in His exalted, present state, as our Intercessor and as our Lord and Master, as well as our loving Heavenly Father. Of course, we should be looking to Him as our Great Shepherd, to guide us and to provide for us, and to defend us from all enemies.

And, we should be looking for His return as the Conqueror of all nations, and the King of the Millennial Kingdom. God says for us to no longer see Him only as “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild.” That is not what He now is offering to the World, nor, even to the Church!

We Are New Creations in Christ!

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Compare Ephesians 4:24…the new nature is a new creation, created in the likeness of God, in righteousness and true Holiness. We have a difficult time grasping this truth, because we daily experience the reality that we also still have our old Sin nature.

From God’s perspective, the Old Sin Nature is a dead thing, and He makes no effort to correct it or give it life. Romans 8:7 says that it is not subject to the Law of God and it cannot become subject to God’s Law. So, God recognizes only our new nature and desires to bless, teach and encourage our new nature. He addresses the New Creature, and says that everything about it is new!

How Can God Love A Sinner Like Me?

Sometimes we wonder. “How can God Love me, when I continually fail Him?” But that is not how He sees you! He sees you as His precious child. He leads you along through the hard times, and encourages you to learn to walk with Him.

Does He still hate sin? YES! But He has separated you from your sin, “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12) He recognizes that the real culprit is the sin that still dwells in us, according to Romans 7:17. He works to cleanse us and correct us, and to love us into a stable walk with Him. But He will never condemn us again. Jesus said so! (John 5:24)

If any of you have questions about these things, please call me or text me. We can address your questions personally.

Lord Jesus, please work Your Love so deeply into our consciousness that we no longer fear Your Judgment, but rather, we will anxiously desire to please You as Our true Heavenly Father. Bring us to understand that we died  with You and that we now liv in You. Teach us the reality of walking with You by faith.

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Do You Know How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer?

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How To Establish Your Priorities as a Believer

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

2nd Corinthians 5:8-11

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, (whether we live or die) we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Introduction:

Last week we talked about what happens to believers when they die: (What happens when we leave these bodies?) We saw that God created us as eternal creatures, created as three-part beings: Body, Soul and Spirit. When our non-physical parts (Soul and Spirit) leave our bodies, we call it “death.” Our Soul and Spirit have separated from our body. And every time scripture addresses “death,” it has to do with some sort of separation. Physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body.

In Genesis 2:17, when God warned Adam “…in the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die,” He meant it! But there was an instantaneous result, (Genesis 3:7) when Adam ate that fruit. God separated both Adam and Eve from spiritual fellowship with Him. Adam died physically, 930 years later. But he and everyone who proceeded from him (including Eve, and the entire human race) died spiritually at that very moment.

So, How Does God Save Sinners?

God offered a coming Savior, in Genesis 3:15…the “Seed of the Woman.” Adam believed that promise, (Genesis 3:20) and God re-established the relationship (Genesis 3:21) through the first blood-sacrifice, looking forward to the Cross. God offered Grace in the form of a Savior. Adam responded in Faith, and God accepted him on the basis of faith. I hope that sounds familiar to you all. God saved Abraham, in the same manner, though there was less detail about the promise. God offered Grace in the form of a Promise. Abraham believed God, instead of believing his own eyes, his own experience, or the evidence in nature. And (Genesis 15:6) God declared Abraham righteous on the basis of that faith.

That is the only way God has ever saved anyone in the history of the World. As someone famously said, long ago, “God saves us by Grace, through faith, plus nothing!” In fact, I tried to find out the source of that quote, using Google, and it took me straight to Ephesians 2:8, 9! (“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”)

Anyone who confesses he or she is a lost Sinner, and throws himself or herself upon the Mercy of God, provided by Grace, through the Blood of Jesus, is restored to fellowship with God, and permanently joined to Him by the New Birth.

But, What About The Future?

Can I lose that “Fellowship” with God? Well… temporarily, Yes! But not the Relationship.

As believers, though we are eternally saved, we can be separated from fellowship with God, through sin. In that condition, we are behaving as though we were spiritually dead. God offers to restore us to fellowship through a second promise: 1st John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That is the future of believers, in this life: We desire to walk with God in holiness, but we often fail. We admit our failure is sin, and we approach the throne of God with nothing to offer but confession. He then restores the fellowship so that we can go on walking with Him.

But, an unbeliever, who rejects God’s warning and promise, and thereby maintains their original separation from God, has never been born again. They have never become God’s child. If they persist, and physically die, as an unbeliever, they face eternal separation from God, in the Lake of Fire. God calls that Eternal loss the “second death.”

So, As Believers, How Does the Rebirth Change Our Priorities? (v. 8, 9)

2nd Corinthians 5:8, 9 speaks only to believers. As a believer, I can honestly say that I look forward to being eternally free from the struggles of this life: The constant struggle of trying to walk with God as a saved sinner. That is why verse 8 says, we would rather be with Jesus!

I have two natures: the one is a deadly enemy, and I long to be free of it. The other is the new person, created in the likeness of God in righteousness and true Holiness. (God says so, in Ephesians 4:24.) Do I feel righteous or holy? No! I am keenly aware of my old nature which is still attempting to regain dominance.

But as a believer, yes: I look forward to “going home!” And because I am aware of His presence, and I’m aware that His righteousness is perfect, I am anxious to live in such a way that, whether I live or die, I will not be ashamed, before Him.

What About the Judgment Seat of Christ? (v. 10)

Hebrews 9:27 says “…it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment.”

If that were the only teaching on the coming judgment, it would sound as though all people face the same judgment. But there are at least five judgments listed in scripture, that can affect people. Not all apply to everyone.

  1. The General Judgment (condemnation) of the World. (John 3:18, 19; Romans 1:18, etc. This one affected all of us!)
  2. The Judgment of Sin at the Cross. (Colossians 2:14; 1st John 2:2 Jesus died for all the sins of the entire Human race, though not all respond in faith.)
  3. The Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:10; 1st Corinthians 3:10-16 This one affects believers only, and it is an awards judgment, giving reward to believers who allowed Jesus to work through them. He rewards us as if “we” were the ones who accomplished the work, when, by necessity, only He could do it!)
  4. The Judgment of Living Nations (Matthew 25:31-46 This one affects the living believers and unbelievers, after the Great Tribulation, when Jesus Returns to Earth.)
  5. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15 This one affects only theunrighteous dead, and it is final.

All the Judgments are Fearful to Consider:

Original Judgment

As we look back and consider the Judgment in the Garden of Eden, we are sobered and chilled to see the permanent consequences of Adam’s sin. In fact, reading through the rest of Genesis, we see that very often, sin had permanent results. All the sons of Abraham that were produced in the flesh (by his own ability and choices) ended up being bitter enemies of his promised son, Isaac, later on. There are many other such examples. But Romans 5:12 says all the sin and death in the world was ultimately because of that one sin!

Judgment of Sin at the Cross

When we see the suffering of Jesus at the Cross, and His torments leading to the Cross, we are grieved to see the awful results of Sin, as it affected Jesus, our Savior.

2nd Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Jesus literally “Became Sin” for us, so that God could pour all His wrath upon Jesus at the Cross, thus allowing us to become the righteousness of God in Him.

But it also explains why Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken Me?” Yes, He was quoting Psalm 22, which is a prophetic Psalm, clearly predicting the Cross. But it was also a fact that God turned His face away from the monstrosity of our sin, completely personified in Jesus at that moment!

Judgement Seat of Christ (Judgment of Believers’ Works.)

The Judgement Seat of Christ is an awards ceremony of sorts. But we feel anxiety about it, knowing that everything I do (or fail to do) in this life will be considered and judged in that day. All the time I have wasted. The many wrong notions I have entertained, contrary to God’s Word. All of them will be exposed for what they are. How?

1st Corinthians 3:11-15 tells us that the things we have built into our lives, as believers, are either of eternal value, or are eternally non-valuable. And it says that the determination will be made “by fire.” The things that I found attractive, but were eternally worthless, will go up in a cloud of smoke. The things that originated in Jesus, and which He did, using me as a tool, will survive that test, and will be the cause for eternal reward.

Abraham’s nephew, Lot, stands as an example of one who lost everything because of his life choices, but who still was saved. We can’t see it very clearly, but God says he was saved. It’s possible for a believer to be just like him. They have gone their own way their whole life, and done things that felt religious and pious, but have not submitted themselves to Jesus as a tool in His hand.

1st Corinthians 3:15 tells us that we can lose our rewards through self-will and sin. We do not lose our position in Christ, but we escape God’s judgment as one escaping through the flames. I fear the results of this judgment. I know I am not a very consistent servant of Christ.

Judgement of the Living Nations

At the end of the Great Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return (Revelation 19) and will set up His throne in Jerusalem. (Zechariah 14, among others.) But His first order of business, before the promised Kingdom Age can begin, is to sort out the survivors of the Great Tribulation. (Remember: According to Revelation 6:8 and 9:18, more than half of the world’s population will have died during that terrible seven years!)

The Lord Jesus will sort the survivors, according to Matthew 25:31-46, by how the people demonstrated faith in the way they cared for God’s people (or failed to do so.) It is a fearful thing to consider the judgment happening right there for everyone to see. Yes, if you are born again today, you will be absent during the Tribulation. But you will be present to see the Judgment of the Living Nations! How do I know? Jesus said that where He is, there we will be also! And Ephesians 2:6 says God has already seated us in the throne with Jesus.) I am not looking forward to witnessing these final two judgments!

The Great White Throne Judgment

In Revelation 20:11-15 we see the final judgment of Sin and sinners. All the unrighteous dead of all time will stand before that Throne for final Judgment. Who is the Judge? It is Jesus, again. John 5:22 says, “the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”

But, we will be there, sitting in the throne with Jesus! I really am not looking forward to this experience. All the unsaved folks I knew will be there! It will include those to whom I had the chance to share the Gospel, but who never received His forgiveness. It also includes the ones with whom I failed to share. And I will watch their judgment, and it will be too late to intervene!

Therefore, Knowing the Terror of the Lord, We Persuade Men

This is one of our motives for Evangelism! All of the Judgments mentioned in scripture are worthy of our dread! Yes, Jesus took away our sins, at the Cross! But even if we no longer have to fear God’s eternal judgment, others still face that judgment!

We are made manifest unto God; and also made manifest in your consciences.

We also seek to be transparent to one another. Paul said he was “made manifest” to God, and sought to be “also made manifest” in the minds of the believers in Corinth.

Ephesians 5:13 says, “whatsoever maketh manifest is light.” God’s light is shining in our lives. We want to be “transparent,” so His light can shine through us to one another, and to the people in the world around us.

God does not want us “putting on a show” of piety or religiosity. We are sinners saved by Grace, and we offer that Grace to one another, and to the people all around us. That is why we enthusiastically support missions, and we look for opportunities to share with those nearby.

Lord Jesus, please cause Your Words to soak into our consciences and to soften our hearts toward those around us who still face the Judgment of God. Give us Your tender Heart of Compassion toward all around us, in Jesus’ Name.

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How to Know Where a Deceased Loved-One Has Gone

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How to Know Where a Loved-One Has Gone

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

2nd Corinthians 5:1-9

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight🙂 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Introduction:

We have touched upon this passage repeatedly, over the years. Why? Because it is a universal concern and a frequent question, regarding a loved-one who has died. “Where is (name)?”

When people who have been believers for many years still have to ask this question, I am sad. They are fearful for their husband, wife, or other person they have lost. God wants us to know this truth, and to comfort one another with this knowledge.

So, How CAN we Know?

We read the twin passages with which we opened. We see that our confidence in the eternal life God has given is not based upon supposition or human reasoning. God gave it to us “By the Word of the Lord!”

Also, we immediately see that God commands us to comfort one another with these words. Why? Because it is something He wants us to KNOW. As individual believers, we begin by learning how we were saved. Then we try to understand why, and how permanent that positional change truly is. We are now His literal offspring, through the new birth, and we cannot become UN-Born-again!

Personal Assurance: What Should YOU Know?

If we read 1st John 5:11-16, we gain a personal assurance of our own eternal life. God clearly says He wants us to KNOW that we have eternal life.

1st John 5:11-13 says, “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Our initial, timid faith can grow strong as we consider the evidence binding us to The Eternal Savior, Jesus, the Messiah…the Christ.

The Beginning

Jesus promised in John 5:24, “He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath eternal life, and shall not come unto condemnation, but has passed from death unto life.”

If you have heard the Good News that Jesus died in your place at the Cross, and have placed your trust in Him, trusting His finished work at the Cross for your salvation, God says it’s a done deal!

  1. You have eternal life! (Present tense! You do NOT have to wait until you die to find out!)
  2. God will never again Condemn You!. (Future tense…it will never happen!)
  3. You have permanently crossed over from death into Life! (Past perfect tense! It is a “done deal,” and you can’t go back to being lost!)

That specific promise of Jesus is the basis for our confidence before Him. We lay claim to that Promise by Faith. When we share that mutual confidence with one another, we gain confidence about others as well. Can I actually see inside someone else’s heart, and know for sure about their faith? No: But Their responses to God and to other believers, and to the ordinary trials and stresses of life can pretty well tell me where their heart really is.

Collective Assurance: What should “WE” Know?

In 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, we read what is coming for all believers, living and dead. We see that Jesus will return to the Air, and collect all the church-age believer’s bodies.

How do we know the bodies are in view and not the souls…the Spirits…the non-physical portions of our three-part humanity? Because 2nd Corinthians 5:8 states that when we leave these bodies, we will instantly be present with the Lord. And 2nd Corinthians 5:2-4 states that we will simultaneously be “clothed upon” with an immortal body of some sort. It evidently is not our own physical body resurrected, but something temporary.

1st Corinthians 15:50-54 says that we will all get our own resurrected bodies at the same time.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible (body) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (body) must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

So, we seem to have found a paradox!

Is There Truly A Paradox?

One passage says we get an immortal body the moment we leave these mortal bodies. The other says “…we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.”

Let’s go back and read the 1st Thessalonians 4:14 passage again: It says that Jesus will bring the dead in Christ “with Him.” Yes, we could read it as merely saying that they will “follow Him in resurrection.” But the point of this passage, when combined with 1st Corinthians 15, is that all the dead bodies of dead believers will be resurrected immortal. That means regardless of where they are, or what has happened to them during the centuries in which they have undergone decay, or have been digested by scavengers, or even burned to ashes, and scattered who-knows-where.

And then (in the next moment, according to both 1st Thessalonians 4 and 1st Corinthians 15,) the living bodies of those who are still alive at that time will be transformed into the eternal, immortal state “in the twinkling of an eye!”

But, When?

It is also important to read 1st Thessalonians 5, understanding that originally, there were no chapter divisions. Chapter five developed directly out of chapter four. If chapter four describes the rapture of the church, then we see that the tribulation begins at that moment!

The “Rapture of the Church” is the portion of the “Day of the Lord” that “Comes as a thief in the night.” It is the only portion of all the grief that is to come and the joy and peace that follows, that can (and will) come as a “surprise.”

All the rest of it is literally “laid out” just as tightly “choreographed” as a play! The Book of the Revelation of Jesus gives us the script, and the world will see those events unfold exactly as written. And all of it follows the removal of the Church, simply because we are not a part of the Coming Judgment on Earth and Israel. (If you have questions about that, read Daniel 9:23-27.)

Nor are we part of the Millennial Kingdom, in the strictest sense: We will all have resurrected, glorified bodies, whereas the Tribulation Saints will enter the Kingdom in their mortal bodies, marrying, bearing children, and living for the full age of the Kingdom in most cases.

So, Where IS Grandma? (Grandpa? Dad? Mom? Wife? Husband?)

It ultimately depends on one thing. Jesus died for their sins, because He died for the Sins of the Whole World. (1st John 2:2 states it undeniably! “And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”)

But…did they believe His promise, and so receive Him as their Savior?

Each of us has the choice: we can choose the way of life or the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8 says, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.”

Hebrews 9:27 says, “…it is given unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Two Possible Destinations

To an unbeliever, that judgment is the “Great White Throne Judgment” in Revelation 20:11-15.

To a believer, that Judgment is the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” in 2nd Corinthians 5:9-13, but explained in 1st Corinthians 3:11-15.

If your loved-one was a believer, having placed his or her trust in Jesus’s shed blood as their only hope for salvation from the final judgment of Sin, then I can say with full assurance, that they are with Jesus right now. (And they are looking at Him, by the way, not watching over you!)

If they died still rejecting His offer of eternal life, then, sadly, all I can say is what Jesus said. “They died in their sins.” Can I know whether they, in fact, rejected Him to the end? No! But I can say that Jesus said most of the human race will do just that, and be lost forever!

In Matthew 7:13, 14 Jesus says, “13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

That is just Reality. Hard truth, but honest.

Now: Do I Like That Judgment?

No! But I see the justice in it: God hates sin, and He judges sin! He has offered one escape from the destruction that His Judgment is bringing. We can either accept it or reject it, but the Judgment is already in place.

I spent my first eighteen years on God’s “Death Row.” Had I died during that time I would be in hell today. But Jesus stepped in and died in my place, just as he did in your place and in the place of the entire human race. But it took me over eighteen years to realize and to confess that I was a lost sinner, and that I needed a Savior.

That was in 1973. Since that time, the Lord has worked to teach me to walk with Him, and to believe His Word. I certainly have not “arrived.” I am increasingly aware of the fact that I can literally do nothing without Him. I’m sure that the majority of the people here would fervently agree with that conclusion.

But we want our lives to count for eternity. Some friends we have watched pass out of this life and we were sad, because we don’t know for sure where they are. But when those died, whose lives had been transformed by His Grace and His Power, we knew that they had simply “graduated early.” So, we comfort one another in our losses and in our hard times, and we support one another in our striving to walk with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, teach us to love Your Word, and desire Your constant presence and oversight in our lives. Let us rejoice to press on to the mark of that high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

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Please Join Us In “A Walk through Galatians, Part 2.”

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A Walk Through Galatians, Part 2

© 2026 Lee Tankersley

(Part 2: Galatians 1:11-24)

Introduction:

In the beginning of this epistle, Paul’s introduction gave us a bold stance on where it was going. He combated the false teachers who were speaking against Paul. They were causing confusion with the churches in Galatia and turning believers from faith to legalism. Obviously, legalism is still a relevant issue today. Many groups would try to have us earn God’s favor or even salvation by following rituals and obeying certain rules.

As Christians, God has not boxed us in but has set us free. To uphold our freedom we must stay close to Christ. We stand firm against anyone who promotes subtle or obvious, blatant lies: Ways for us to earn our salvation. Jesus saved us from God’s judgment and the penalty for sin by God’s gift of grace to us. We cannot earn it. (See Ephesians 2:8-9.)

How Does God Save Sinners?

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

We obtain salvation by Grace, through faith (trusting in him) and not by anything else. Being a Christian is in no part based on our own initiative, wise choices, or good character.

Now we will see a little of Paul’s background and how he came to Christ. We don’t know every detail, but he gives us some insight. So if you want to grab your bible we can open up to the book of Galatians 1:11-24. I am reading from the NLT. You can follow along with the translation of your choice. I want to give my sources credit. The NLT Life Application Study Bible, A Layman’s Look at the Epistle to the Galatian Churches, and the BibleRef app.. Thank you.

(Read Galatians 1: 11-24)

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. 21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.

How the Epistle Began

At the beginning of Paul’s letter, he spoke harshly to the churches of Galatia. They were in serious danger. He did not apologize for his direct words. He knew he could not serve Christ faithfully if he allowed them to stay on the wrong track.

Now he explains his own background to provide insight on his coming to faith.

First Argument

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.

Paul begins this section to the Galatians by proving that he is a real apostle. Some of the Judaizers of that time were spreading rumors that he was not. Paul knew people needed to trust his authority as a genuine apostle, one sent out by Christ himself. So, Paul presented his evidence. Humans never dreamed up the gospel he preached: It’s not “man’s gospel.” Paul is not just passing along some religious teaching he picked up from other people.

We Need Humility to Seek God’s Wisdom

Not relying on our own understanding or reasoning seems to be a foreign idea to us. We actually think too highly of our own ability and think we actually know how everything works. Then we try to push this thought process onto the gospel. Coming to the good news takes humility. It means the willingness to humble oneself and to say, “I don’t have it all figured out: I need help.”

Now I can look at myself and truthfully say I don’t understand my own motivations or desires. I certainly don’t understand yours, much less those of the world we live in. So I take these motivations and desires to the Cross. And I thank God that he has provided a permanent solution. God’s solution does not rely on me. It only requires faith in what Jesus has done on the Cross, and not on myself. (I can be honest: I would have no chance, if it did.)

Now God has given us a new nature, one that looks, understands, loves, and hopes differently. We can have confidence that he will continue this good work in us through a promise, in Philippians 1:6. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

According to Philippians 2:13, we can know God is working in us! “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

Paul Explains the Source of His Information

12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

The message Paul preaches along with the other apostles comes from Jesus himself. We see that Jesus revealed himself to Paul in Acts 9: 3-6. Jesus revealed his true identity that confirmed the gospel message that Paul was looking to destroy. God provided the revelation to Paul. It was not the apostles, nor the believers whom Paul was tracking down and persecuting at that time.

13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

Paul reminds the Galatians that he was not a friend of the apostles or the good news. He had been on a path to try to destroy it at all cost. In Acts 7:54-8:3 we see that Paul, (then known as Saul,) fully approved of the stoning and death of Stephen. Paul frequently talks about the zeal he had for the law. Also, that he had surpassed his peers in religious knowledge and practice. He was far more zealous than the Judiazers were, for the law.

The Gospel Is For the World

Many Jews had a hard time understanding that God gave his message of salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. But God has always planned to offer salvation to all people. He had revealed this plan clearly and repeatedly through the Old Testament prophets and had fulfilled it through Jesus Christ. Now He announced it through Paul.

Jesus fulfilled somewhere around 300+ prophecies of the Old Testament. God gave many of these prophecies hundreds of years before the birth of Christ: They cover various aspects of his life including his birth at Bethlehem, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Mathematician Peter W. Stoner calculated that the probability of one person fulfilling just eight of these prophecies is 1 in 1017 . That’s 1 in one hundred quadrillion, that’s 17 zeros… The chances of that are like taking a silver dollar and marking it in some way, then filling Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, and having a blindfolded person pick out that single marked coin on the first try.

Paul’s Calling

15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.

Paul continues to defend his authority by telling of his extraordinary conversion to show that his message came directly from God. God commissioned Paul to preach the good news to the Gentiles when (See Acts 9: 3-6) he revealed Jesus to him on the road to Damascus.

When Did God Choose Paul?

Paul says, “even before I was born, God chose me” Now I’m not going to pretend that I fully comprehend this, because I don’t. It really baffles me, but we see proof of it happening before, in the Old Testament, when God was talking to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5  “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

And in Ephesians 1:4, Paul says the same truth is for us also: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”

God chose us to make the point that salvation depends totally on God. He saved us, not because we deserve it, but because God graciously and freely gives us salvation. Our wisdom or good behavior does not have any impact on God’s decision, in his Mercy he has saved us according to his plan and has set us apart.

I guess that is the reality of having a God who is omniscient and is outside of our space and time. He knows the end before the start. He is the only being able to know all things because he has created all things.

Paul’s Response to Conversion

17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

So Paul didn’t “rush out” to go find Peter, John, or any of the other twelve, or head over to Jerusalem to consult with them or with anyone who was a believer before he was: He went away! What was he doing?

I don’t have all the answers for you: My time in my studies and just talking to people about Jesus or trying to share the good news has taught me that I’m not an apologist.

But I will ask, if you had an enemy who was hunting you down, and he “disappeared,” and then showed back up on your team (as we will see in the next verse) how would you respond?

(Compare Acts 9:22-26) We should remind ourselves that The book of Acts is a historical document with a continuous narrative that spans roughly 30 years. Jesus commissioned Paul in Acts 9:15-16. That leads me to the conclusion that during that three years, he also was trained by Jesus as the other apostles were, through whatever means God chose to use.

Paul’s encounter with Jesus showed that he believed who Jesus said He was. If we look at the bible “with blinders on” we can easily be deceived and fooled by our own understanding or “human wisdom.”

Paul Gives Credit to God

Paul speaks on these things, saying in 1 Corinthians 1:19-22, “19As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.”

Some Demand Signs and Miracles

Trying to share the good news, I have encountered people who say things like “Where are all the miracles?” or “I would believe it if I saw a miracle because they happen all the time in the Bible”, and I think that’s a scary place to want to be. Having to try and explain that the bible timeline is compressed, and was written roughly over 1,500-1,600 years spanning roughly about 6,000 years of history, with many things still to come, and God’s preferred method of working is through people, he seldom does what the world describes as miracles.

Trying to explain this to someone and have them view the Bible with a wider lens is disheartening, and I have come to understand that if someone is seeking a miracle or is only interested in worldly wisdom, it won’t matter what is put in front of them, they will reject it. But we need to continue as Chet has taught us through and from the Bible, that we are to stand, shine a light, and sound an alarm.

This is Not a New Problem

(Remember Proverbs 3:5 “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.)

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

We can see this in Acts 9: 26-30, when he arrived he was met with fear from the believers there: They remembered who he was and the reputation he had. But after Barnabas found him, he became a bridge to the apostles. Barnabas came alongside Paul, putting behind himself the fear and reputation he had known him for: Barnabas saw Paul’s change.

Can God Change You and Me?

Some people claim to be Christian but don’t intend to allow Jesus to produce any change in their life, heart, and mind. That is something to think about as James, (the one Paul meets in verse 19,) says, in James 2:14-16  14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

If Paul had not allowed Jesus to change his heart, then Barnabas may have never seen the light that allowed the barrier of fear to be broken down.

We know we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone: Then and only then are we made holy: We are set apart to do the good things he planned for us long ago. Paul finally returned from his three years away: Barnabas brought him to Peter, and James, who at the time was serving as a leader of the church of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was and still is where the first church is. People gathered in house churches for worship, prayer, and fellowship.

Paul spent the two weeks not in training or commissioning with Peter for he already had received that from the Lord, but preaching boldly with them before a few of the Jews there tried to kill him, he was then sent away to Tarsus which was his hometown.

21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia.

Why Did Paul Leave?

Paul must not have planned to stay there long: Even though he already had people who were looking to kill him, he shares with us this understanding in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Paul didn’t shrink or shy away from his call and the attempts on his life: He realized his life did not belong to him, Paul expresses this in one of my favorite verses and one beloved by many: Galatians 2:20 “20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

We will dive deeper into this verse another time. His new reputation was seen by both sides. When we have put our trust in Christ we are no longer who we were and Paul shares this understanding also in Philippians 3:13  “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”

(So, no matter who you were, you don’t have to be like that person now.)

God Calls us to Change

22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.”

The churches of Galatia knew Paul and believed the good news he shared, only to turn and doubt him, the Judean churches only knew what people were saying about him: They knew his change could have only come from God, and so instead of doubting Paul’s credibility the Judean churches believed and glorified God.

Now, you and I may or may not have had as dramatic a change as Paul had, but our lives should still change in ways to honor God. When people look at me, do they recognize that change? If not, what might be getting in the way of the Holy Spirit’s work in my life? What are ways that I could better show others the work God is doing in my new life? These are some questions we should ask ourselves.

Jesus is the One Who Changes Us

I was reading the gospel of Mark recently and something stuck out that I want to share. Jesus said in Mark 2:17 “When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Realizing that I am in need, that I don’t have it all figured out, and knowing that Jesus isn’t afraid of all my failures and brokenness, or whatever I think about myself or what I may have done; I take all my passions and desires to the Cross and allow Him to change me: To change the way I see and think about things.

Whether it be fast or slow, I know He will not fail me or abandon me, and it is all for His glory. The biggest step is to allow Him to mold me into the person He created me to be.

Amen.

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How to See Why Discipleship is a Matter of Life and Death

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Discipleship is a Matter of Life and Death

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

Philippians 1:29

“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”

2nd Corinthians 4:7-18

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Introduction:

It is easy for us to get caught up in the pronouns “we, us, and you.” In so doing, we can miss the point of this passage. The pronouns are important. They make it clear “who” was suffering at that time, and “who” was being encouraged by those who suffered.

Philippians 1:29 says suffering is a God-given part of the Christian life, as a whole. (Yes, that includes us!) And, in 2nd Corinthians 1:3-11, we saw some of the reasons for suffering as believers.

But, here, we see the apostles’ perspective regarding their own suffering, as it related to their progeny in Christ. We see how it affected those whom they taught and encouraged. Paul knew that how he responded to suffering would have a direct impact on the lives of the other disciples. His example, and that of the other apostles, would give those who came after them (including present-day believers…us!) a template upon which to model their own lives and deaths.

So, we see that “we,” here. includes Paul and his associates, but we also see that it may apply directly to us. Some may not suffer much, by comparison. Others are under constant attack, or under threat of persecution or death.

But all believers have this as part of our heritage in Christ. (…unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ…) Notice it is “given”…not dumped on us as the act of a capricious deity, but as the gift of a sovereign God who encourages us to respond well to hard times.

Earthen Vessels

The apostles did not see themselves as something special. Notice, in 1st Corinthians 3:5-9, that Paul made the disclaimer that neither he nor Apollos were anything. He reminded the readers that it is God who causes growth, and who quickens people’s hearts to hear the Gospel.

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

Jesus said, in John 15:5, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing.” And, He meant exactly that!

Why Earthen Vessels?

As we taught last week, it is the treasure inside the earthen vessels that makes them priceless before God.

We are not “shiny objects,” attractive to the world. We only reflect God’s light, which simultaneously exposes sin in the world and offers life to all who receive it. (Birds, squirrels and other critters frequently grab shiny objects, just because they are shiny. They get no practical use out of your earring, or car key. It was just shiny, so they grabbed it and took it away to their nest.

The world does not see God’s light as something glittering and attractive. Jesus said, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

So, when people of the world see a common clay pot, glowing with something “out of the ordinary,” they may reject the light they see leaking out of the common clay vessel. But some may be drawn to the light, seeing that the person they are observing is nobody special, but whatever it is they appear to have, is special!

Neither Paul nor Apollos claimed to be anything special: They just allowed God to freely use them as tools in His hand.

Trouble on Every Side!

The apostles did not have easy lives. They did not get treated like royalty, but rather were frequently derided or attacked by those who despised the message. Paul said,

“ 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

The reason God allowed the apostles to suffer, was to demonstrate His own sufficiency. It did not take a “super-saint” to live the Christian life. It took men and women with the humility and courage to present themselves as saved sinners, with nothing of value to offer, except the Person of Christ: Paul said “We preach Christ Crucified!” He went on to point out that to the Jews, (and other religious individuals who think they are too good to need a Savior) it is an offensive message. To Gentiles (or to anyone who thinks they are too smart to need a God,) it is a foolish message. They laugh at it as a story for the ignorant masses.

God’s Chosen Example

But the example God has chosen to use is the persecuted church. Historically, under persecution, the church grows strong and vital. It becomes a more vibrant, joyous organism. It attracts people who see the reality of the risen Christ in those who endure suffering, persecution, and general hardship, and who respond well to the test. They are drawn to them, because they recognize that it is a supernatural relationship, bearing supernatural fruit in a normal, common, human being.

Some of the apostles were imprisoned before the end of the book of Acts. At least one (James) was executed, quite early. The others, one by one, were all eventually slaughtered for their faith, according to extra-biblical traditions and history. John may be the sole counterexample. But some historians claim that he, too, eventually was taken from exile and killed.

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Death was demonstrated in the apostles, for the benefit of the church which saw their example of faith and followed that example, pursuing a similar lifestyle. The deaths of the apostles drew others to live for Jesus, as they saw the reality of the life of Christ lived out in the apostles.

The Spirit of Faith

13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

That Spirit of Faith is what keeps us going in the face of distress. He motivates us to speak when it is uncomfortable to speak.

Two Examples

When Pat James told the young fellow that the only One with the authority to declare where his dad was, after Death, was God. And therefore, it simply did not matter what Pat thought. What mattered was what God said! Was that a “pleasant thing” to have to tell a neighbor? No. it truly was not! But Pat was faithful to go ahead and tell the truth. Why? Because he believed it! He spoke and it was not very well received. But it was the truth, and Pat was faithful to speak.

On another occasion, a person who once attended church here, and who had always acted completely cheerful and friendly, met Pat on the street, here in Forest Grove. The man was confined to a motorized wheelchair, but he always seemed completely sunny and cheerful.

However, when they met on the street, that day, it was the morning after a particular president had been elected. Pat, along with most conservatives, was feeling pretty glum. The man in the wheelchair joyfully asked, “Aren’t you happy about the election results?”

Pat quietly replied, “No, not really.” The man then demanded, “Don’t you want [that candidate] for president??” Pat again answered, quietly, “No, not really!” And the man was instantly furious; incensed, cursing at Pat, and threatening to get out of his wheelchair and attack him!

Pat backed out of his reach, saying, “No, I am not going to be in the news tomorrow, as ‘the pastor who attacked a crippled guy’!” Then he simply walked away. And, unsurprisingly, the man never came back to church.

Is it Easy?

Was that exchange happy for Pat? No, it was sad and shocking, and depressing. Did he tell the truth? Yes! Did he say anything wrong? No. He gave a simple direct answer to an aggressively direct question, without adding any explanation or political posturing. And he was reviled, rejected, and threatened with bodily harm.

Under the circumstances, Pat set the best example he could have: He had already spoken the truth of the Gospel in church, in his attacker’s hearing. He had no reason to expect that kind of abuse. But the man demonstrated the “bad news” of sin and hatred, in the face of someone who had consistently demonstrated the Good News of Grace and Forgiveness.

Pat knew that he was serving Jesus, and he knew that his words and actions would have a long-tern effect. I can look back and realize that many of Pat’s experiences were ultimately for our benefit. He was not discouraged to the point of collapse. He just pressed on to do the will of His Master. And, as Paul said, his inner man was renewed day by day!

Conclusion: Our “Light Affliction…”

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our light affliction works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. The way for us to see life from that perspective is laid out right here in verse 18: We are not to focus on visible, temporal things, but to remember and rejoice in the invisible, eternal things God has in store for us.

We struggle with that, because we have a lifetime of experience, focusing on the visible and temporal. It takes effort and practice, to learn to consistently focus on the things of God.

And that is what we are advocating here at church. We are not entertaining one another: we are encouraging one another to turn our eyes upon Jesus and to learn to walk with Him.

Lord Jesus, we ask that You would do just that: Encourage our hearts, and lead us to faithfully serve and consistently walk with you.

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How to Understand What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry

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What is The Focus of Faithful Ministry?

© 2026 by C. O. Bishop

1st Corinthians 4:2

Moreover, brethren, it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful.

2nd Corinthians 4:1-7

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Introduction:

Recently, we saw, in 2nd Corinthians 3:6, that we are “ministers of the New Testament.” The idea is that we serve the New Covenant. We deal in the Good News of the Sacrificial Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But we are Not promoting a list of rules by which one may try (and fail) to please a Holy God.

We preach the Gospel of Christ, which God says is His power to save all those who believe it. He receives all those who come to Him by faith.

So, we ought to consider, “God has made me an Ambassador of Christ, and a minister of the New Testament. How does He want me to act upon that responsibility?

The word “minister” simply means “servant.” In western culture, we have elevated that word to mean a high office. Minister of the interior, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, etc. But it literally means a servant.

Each of us has been given a stewardship of some sort: There are people within your sphere of influence or even just social contacts, to whom you may be the only source of God’s light in their world. The question then becomes, how are you shining that light for them?

We talked last week about how Moses’s face glowed when he “had been with Jesus.” Also, we saw that the disciples’ lives and speech radiated the fact that they “had been with Jesus.” We talked about the New Testament “shine” that is our task in the world. And, a long time ago, we remembered how God gave Gideon’s Army three tasks:

  1. Stand
  2. Shine a light
  3. Sound an alarm…sound the warning.

We see that God has given us the same three tasks. We have a stewardship to fulfil.

Stewardship Requires Faithfulness

1st Corinthians 4:2

“Moreover, brethren, it is required among stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

What is Faithfulness?

In some contexts, the word “faithful” just means the believers: it is describing those who have placed their faith in Jesus as their Savior. But, in the context of behavior, it means “reliability:” It means that you can be counted on to actually do what your job entails. It means that you do not just “talk a good fight.”

If the job assigned to a steward is to “walk through a factory and count all their inventory,” then, regardless of how boring and pointless it may seem, an accurate, complete count of everything on the list is absolutely essential to faithfulness. Estimates are not acceptable. (How many gallons of what color of paint? How many cases of toilet paper? Etc.)

If the job to which we are assigned is to “walk worthy of the calling to which you are called,” it means day-by-day walking with Jesus, and responding to the people around you with the Love of Christ. It means fulfilling whatever physical responsibilities you have accepted or have been assigned. We can read about that part of the assignment in Ephesians 4:1-3.

But, if the job is the Great Commission, (and it is) then we need to think about how we can further that task. I may or may not be able to do certain jobs. I will never be a bush pilot, so I will not be taking missionaries into jungle airstrips. However, I can support those missionaries, though, and look for ways to further the job of the Great Commission. Also, I can encourage those around me and help them to focus on the job, too. That is all part of faithfulness.

So, Then, What IS Faithful Ministry?

Paul introduced the idea in 2nd Corinthians 4:1-2

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Notice that the first thing Paul says, is that because we have received this ministry (and we have) then, as we have also received the mercy of God that goes along with the job, we do not “faint.” We do not succumb to discouragement.

Yes, we experience discouragement; from the World, from our own sin nature (the Flesh) and from our immortal enemy, the Devil. But we press on, regardless. That is the first element of what we call faithfulness: Don’t quit! Choose to keep on doing what God has assigned to you!

But Look At What Else God Says: (verse 2)

  1. Renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty
  2. Not walking in Craftiness
  3. Not handling the Word of God deceitfully
  4. Manifesting (“making known”) the Truth

The result is that we (as faithful ministers of the Grace of God) find ourselves commended unto the conscience of other people, and before God.

We seek to handle God’s Word faithfully, not feeling that we have to make everything easily understandable in natural terms: We are dealing specifically with the Supernatural, by definition. Time, space, and physical “laws” do not limit God. He is the Author of all things. He can “change the Game” when He chooses to do so. And, only the limits of His own perfect character bind Him in any way.

We are required to say, “I don’t know,” when we don’t know, rather than struggle to come up with an acceptable, palatable explanation. Any other behavior is dishonest. If we try to show that we know it all, and are conscious that we are deliberately giving an answer contrary to the Spirit of God, it is Craftiness, as the actions of Satan are described. None of us wants to be guilty of that! We devote ourselves to Not handling the Word of God deceitfully, by using “out-of-context proof-texts.” We allow God’s Word to comment on itself, as the most accurate commentary.

In all things, we strive to make known the Truth. (Manifesting the Truth) Not only the general truths of what God’s Word actually says, but also the TRUTH. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” Are we seeking to make Him known? That is the central issue in faithfulness as His servants, His Stewards, His Ambassadors.

What is the Result, and Why?

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

There will be those for whom the Gospel remains hidden, even when we attempt to explain it to them. All the world is lost, but some are more open to the truth of God. Some, by choice, are not. They reject all accountability to a Sovereign, Holy God. They insist that they, themselves, are the standard of truth and righteousness. Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” As a result, they have allowed themselves to be blinded to the truth of God’s Word.

Not Just Israel

God specifically addressed the nation of Israel (Romans 11:25) as having become blind to His truth, and says that the day will come when the few who are left will universally see Him as their Savior and Messiah.

But the principle applies to Gentiles, as well: If I had continued to reject the Gospel, there would have come a time when I was blind to it and could no longer make a reasonable decision. I have encountered more than one person who clearly stated that, even if they could absolutely prove that all of the Bible was true, they still would reject it. They do not want to know the God of the Bible, and resent the implication that they need a Savior.

Verse 4 makes it clear that “the god of this world (implying Satan) has blinded their eyes.” And that his underlying purpose is that they will not receive the “light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan’s goal is to prevent the light of the Gospel fromshining for them.

How Do We Pursue the Good Result of the Gospel?

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake

The first point Paul makes is that the Gospel is “not about us:” We do not advance our cause, or our message, but rather the cause and message and Person of Christ… Jesus… The Lord!

We do not present ourselves as anything special: Only as servants…both to the Lord Himself and to the people to whom we are reaching with His message. Paul says, “we are your servants for Jesus’s sake.”

Why Do We Present Ourselves In That Way?

Because the light of God has already shined in our own hearts, and it compels us to reach to others with that same offer.

 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

His light begins our living relationship with Jesus. It opens our hearts to the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus.

We are living in a world full of deceit, and trickery, and broken promises. But, we offer a God of truth, and honesty: The One Who keeps His Promises to Eternity.

We have to allow Him to live in us in such a way that others see His character in us, and begin to hope that they, too, can know that God. Our lives are supposed to be a living example of His Love and Faithfulness.

Finally, What kind of People qualify as Servants?

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are just ordinary people: Clay pots, not fine china. But the key is our focus on the task, and our faithfulness toward completing that task.

The earthen vessels serve to accentuate the Holiness of the God who indwells us. The Excellence we want people to see is not our own, but that of Jesus, Himself.

Who qualifies? Those who have placed their faith in Jesus, and who choose to allow Him to live through them. Jesus said, “Apart from me ye can do nothing.” So, if I keep trying to please Him in my own strength, I am just spinning my wheels, and I am probably getting in the way of what He wants to accomplish.

The humility required to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding” is the backbone of Faithfulness. Embrace the Cross, and the Humility of servanthood. God will bless faithfulness and provide opportunities for service.

Lord Jesus, help Your Servants to focus on Your priorities, and to leave behind our old, selfish lives. Develop faithfulness in each of us, and draw us to follow as Your Disciples.

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