Just because you go to church does not mean you are a Christian. Just because you are a Christian does not mean you are demonstrating a Gospel-empowered life. Thank goodness that God gave us one another- SO THAT WHEN any of us would need to be reminded of what Jesus did and what that means would be readily available. An enemy of the gospel would do everything in their power to persuade us back into the notion that the burden rests on our shoulders to prove, qualify or receive the reward based on our merit rather than the scandalous reality of grace. Grace really is amazing. It is so overwhelmingly incredible that it can be easy to fall into old mindsets of performance based identity rather than the perfect love and completeness of identity reborn in Jesus. Think about it....and be honest.....how many times have any of us pondered our Christianity and qualified it by the number of Sundays we attend church, the teams we serve on, the meals we've distributed, the volunteer work in our cities, lifestyle choices, etc, etc. How many of us have looked at a neighbor or friend and felt superior because of the "Christian list" we've created to support our validity as Christ-followers. How many times has Christianity become a moral label rather than a relationship with God? Friends, we've all done it and I find it really amazing that this time around studying Galations, I see Paul show us a healthy way not only of getting a people group back on track, but a friend in the process. We see this take place with quite possibly one of the most important church founders in history- Peter.
To quickly summarize where we've just come from, Paul has spent the first part of this letter reminding the Galatians of who he is, where he has come from, why he has his ministry, how the Gospel cannot be compromised and how he has dealt with circumstances that compromise has attempted to find a way in...
Galatians 2:11
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
Ok. Remember....In the beginning of Paul's letter he makes it a point to say that if you compromise the Gospel or edit it in any way- you would find yourself cursed. Paul put himself in this exact same boat and said that even he would be acursed should he preach a different message than that of the Gospel. I believe that this is why he opposed Peter to his face, out of love and genuine awareness that his friend had started to move from grace to justification by works and, consequently, putting himself underneath the very curse Jesus broke us free from on the cross. Paul demonstrates to us that confronting a friend or confronting someone in leadership, for that matter, should be done face-to-face AND within the context of relationship. God had given Paul the influence in this leader's life and Paul was able to challenge what Peter was doing because of the relational equity he had in Peter's life.
Galatians 2:12-14
For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hyprocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
It's interesting that Paul gives us the back story to how compromise set in to Peter's life. Apparently, James (who was incredibly influential in the church) brought in some men that triggered something in Peter causing him to back away from the people that were not apart of the circumcised group. I wonder, did he have residual "fear of man" in that these teachers of the law actually made him feel inadequate as a leader in the church and because of his upbringing, he started to listen to the lies of the enemy and disqualify himself as a leader. As he did this, to justify his "religiousness", he started to fall back into old patterns that qualified him as a good Jew. The fall-out from this than Paul also brings to light is that because of Peter's influence and status in the church, his actions were actually having an incredibly negative impact on the very people that God was reaching. Which leads me to an important takeaway- My actions from my own processes have impact on those that I have influence over. Influence is powerful and something to be stewarded well knowing this.
Now, I'd also like to suggest that this isn't a scenario of punishment playing out. Paul isn't reprimanding Peter, he is suggesting correction....I think that's important to point out ESPECIALLY in our current culture where anyone in process (ALL OF US) are in need of mercy and grace as we maneuver and grow and get it wrong on the way. Peter was still the rock which Christ chose to build the church, he was also human and needed a friend to bring him back on course.....who in your life have you chosen to lovingly bring back on course rather than cancel- who should you reconsider and give grace and mercy to?
Detours and errors don't cancel a person OR their calling- detours and errors can become opportunities for conversations to bring people back on board.
I can't stop thinking about how many people in my own life and experience I've casually written off because of their lifestyle, religion, intelligence, or even just the way they look. I'm being honest! There was a time just a few days ago while on vacation that a group of Satanists were walking in front of my family. They were blatantly displaying satanic symbols, wore flamboyant black, witch-like clothing and had used make-up to whiten their skin and black liner to accentuate facial features and structures. I'm painting a picture for you. You know where I saw these people? Disney World. I had to choose not to go with my initial reaction and choose to respond to what God was saying about this group. You know what I heard? These people were not the lifestyle they had chosen, they were HIS and He loved them. I heard the plans and purposes and destinies over each one of them. I saw pain and I saw pursuit of anything to ease pain and create belonging. These people weren't off God's radar because of the lives they were leading- they were the exact ones that God was honed in on, looking on with loving eyes- continuing to CHOOSE each of them even as they walked a different path for the time being. He wasn't mad, He wasn't disappointed, He was patiently waiting.....just like He did for me.
Not one of us is better than the other. We all need Jesus- no matter what life you have led. God is willing to wait and find loving processes for each of us for eternity.
You know what God isn't waiting on us to do as He's waiting on one of His kids to recognize Him? He isn't waiting on you or I to tell them all the things they're doing wrong. He's waiting on us to love them.
So, what did I do? I trailed the group about 10 feet away and blessed with the abundance of heaven and encounters with Jesus. I commissioned angels to protect, guide and reveal truth to each of them and I spoke out the things God said about each one.
God doesn't need any of us to step into a situation. He will provide grace when that is needed, but if there is no grace to confront- if there is no love to confront, He will find the right person at the right time to do exactly what is needed......so, in light of this, how many of us need to put down agendas to get people saved in our lives and pick up God's agenda to love?
Galatians 2:14
If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?
If you would permit me to change some of the wording in this to follow what we've been getting at, If you, though a Christian, live like a non-Christian and not like a Christian, how can you force non-Christians to live like Christians?
It is quite convicting to me to read this passage in the context of how I EXPECT the world around me, the friends I have, the relationships in my life to be in response to how I lead my own life. Am I demonstrating the Gospel? How does my life invite people into grace, into relationship with Jesus? Have I stewarded influence well, are there are areas that I've slipped into old patterns of work-based merit rather than living in the freedom of Grace? I think it's wise to take inventory of our behaviors and thoughts to make sure we aren't becoming persuaded back into a curse- at least, that seems important to me, what do you think?
I am so passionate about getting to know people these days, not getting them saved or to church or correcting their theology or persuading them to think one way or the other...I truly care and choose to get to know people- even if for a moment- to challenge myself to see them, hear them as God sees and hears them, and then, IF, there is grace, IF, there is love- having the opportunity to introduce them to who has changed my life..........and yet, if not me, knowing that each of us has influence in every single interaction that God has ultimately woven to bring us ALL back to Him. Now that is quite wondrous.
If you, though a Christian, live like a non-Christian (keep record of wrong, are bitter, unforgiving, swear, get drunk from time to time, lie, talk behind your friend's backs once in awhile, take home that extra office supplies.....) how can you force non-Christians to live like Christians? Why would they want to be Christians? Are you a Christian because you do the right things and you're a pretty good person, or have you met Jesus, have you experience grace firsthand?
Final thought- we can't force anyone to live one way or the other...but we can pursue God in relationship with Jesus and that very thing becomes a beacon and invitation for the world around us to take notice....and maybe, just maybe, step into the same incredible freedom of the Gospel.
Lyns
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can possibly ask for or imagine according to the power at work within us"
Ephesians 3:20
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