Did you receive the Spirit …?
Summary: Receiving a gift requires an act of acceptance. Accepting Jesus is the first step to receiving the Spirit.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:2b – Open House”Galatians 2:20d – Hand and Glove
The life I now live in the body …
Summary: Paul is acutely aware of how his life has changed after encountering Jesus. In today’s passage he begins to describe the difference.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:20d – Hand and Glove”Galatians 2:19b – Living for God
… so that I might live for God.
Summary: It turns out that dying to the law and living for God are related. We also discover an interesting relationship between self-interest and the law.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:19b – Living for God”Galatians 2:7 – Validity
On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.
Summary: Paul’s assignment from God wasn’t a figment of his imagination. It was real. We know this because the apostles in Jerusalem affirmed Paul’s gospel.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:7 – Validity”Galatians 1:20 – The Line
I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
Summary: Paul’s affirmation of truth is a statement that triggers a lot of questions. How do we know Paul is telling the truth?
Continue reading “Galatians 1:20 – The Line”Galatians 1:15b – Trusting Jesus
… and called me by his grace,
Summary: Sometimes, a thought experiment can help us understand what the Bible is saying. This passage inspires us to consider what it means to be “called” by God.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:15b – Trusting Jesus”Ephesians 6:18c – Request Granted
… with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Summary: All who believe are called to be part of the body of Christ. As Paul reminds us, there are many different parts in the body. All of us need the armor of God, and all of us have questions.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:18c – Request Granted”Ephesians 6:18a – The Inner Voice
And pray in the Spirit …
Summary: The voice of God is a still, quiet voice that comes to us in the night or the quiet of our prayers. Discerning the voice of God is a personal challenge that confronts every Christian who has the Spirit of God in them.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:18a – The Inner Voice”Ephesians 6:18a – Doing What Is Right
And pray in the Spirit …
Summary: If we are to pray in the Holy Spirit, we need to have the Holy Spirit in us. How that happens is a simple process, but “simple” is not always easy.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:18a – Doing What Is Right”Ephesians 6:4 – The Curse of Free Will
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Summary: Being a father is a tall order. As humans, we are beset with many hurdles and distractions. Meanwhile, God is our spiritual Father. He is never too busy for you or me.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:4 – The Curse of Free Will”