# 38. 2017 Dev. Gal.1:3. “Grace and Peace.” Read verses 1-10. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Galatians 1:3
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
We just finished Jesus’ Sermon Mt.5-7 laying out for us the blessings and the tenants of the Kingdom of God. Now we move to areas where the Kingdom of God is in action. Paul writes to the Roman province of Galatia, an area he visited on his first missionary journey (46-48 AD). Galatians was probably written before the Council of Jerusalem Acts 15. There are differing options on the date but what is clear is that Paul wrote to them about “Judaizers” trying to put Jewish legal restrictions on the Gentile converts, the very issue discussed at the Jerusalem Council. Paul visited this area on three of his four missionary journeys.
First, in Paul’s introduction he validates his call as an apostle given him by God, the Father and by God, Jesus Christ. Further, he validates the brothers and sisters who are with him; those who understand the true gospel of Jesus. This is an important issue for all who desire to follow Jesus today. It is God who calls us, not man; Jesus calls, Jesus forgives, Jesus redeems, Jesus empowers us, and Jesus sends us to those He chooses to impact. Amen!
Paul continues by defining grace and peace: Grace is Jesus’ love, giving His life according to God the Father’s will in order to negate our sins and rescue us from the evil around us. That is how it was then and how it is now! Glorifying God in our salvation. Wow!
Second, Paul is clear about what he sees as the adulterated view of the free Gospel of Jesus Christ. “I am astonished” Paul says that you traded your free grace for enslavement of legalism. Paul is talking about Jews demanding from Gentiles legal rituals of Jewish practice, like circumcision, the Law and ceremonial practices. What does that have to do with today? I am astonished as well that in our work as Church Planters accusations such as, “you are minimizing sin and cheapening God’s gift of grace” came to us on a regular basis. As well as converts being told that their sins will limits their reward in heaven. Really???? We are all in the same boot! Free grace does not get any cheaper because there is nothing anyone can do to earn it. Grace not only minimizes sin; it eliminates it all together for those in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:1). Praise be to God!
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