"Tell them that it's human nature"--A Study of Galatians (Day 4 question 3)

 

"Are you so foolish?  After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?" Galatians 3:3

Are you familiar with the meme/reel trend:

"How it started---How it's going?"

People share how a relationship, remodel, growth, loss, etc changes over time.  It's often pokes at some kind of mid-process fail.  A few examples I saw were "How it started--'A man, woman, and a dog in a family picture'.  How it's going--'A woman and a dog.'" Or "How it started--'Newborn Twins'.  How it's going--'Grown twins'.  (I just googled the pictures, you may have other examples.)

This question reminded me of this trend so I made a meme about the Galatians from Paul's perspective. 

{That's not a typo, it's meant to be a play on "foolishness".  My humor may not be for everyone. 😆)

In Galatians 5, Paul goes in to great detail about the works of the flesh--"sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar." These are "human nature" activities that are a hallmark of the worldly, unsaved earth dwellers.  For those who follow the calling of the Spirit--citizens of the Kingdom of God--these things ought not to be.  However, I don't think that's what Paul is referring to in our question today.  He's saying what the meme is saying "Is there something YOU think that YOU can add to your salvation????" 

Human nature varies from person to person in this aspect.  We can do something for someone, and they are able to say thank you and mean it.  But others are always wanting to "return the favor".  Often out of true gratitude. There's a place for both responses, but motive and order matters.  Anything we "do" should be motivated by gratefulness that He saved us, not to earn our salvation. 

 

Paul has just shared his testimony with church.  He was very advanced in Judaism, far beyond his peers.  He was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors.  He saw this "New Way", started by Jesus and continued by the disciples, as a threat to his beloved traditions, so he actively, intensely persecuted them.  His resume would have been very impressive to his crowd.  But God....Paul was chosen from conception and called by His grace to KNOW Him and then to PREACH Him.  Paul put aside his own ambitions, and answered the call of Christ. He heard the call, he KNEW Him, he BREATHED it all in, he took Jesus at His Word at a HEART level, and then Paul WORKED for Him.  He sums it up best in Galatians 2:18-21 

"If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.  For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God.  I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."  

  Our salvation begins with the call of the Spirit.  By the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  If we try to follow rules to try to "hold on" to that salvation, we are saying that Christ died for nothing.  We are called to walk with Him, all of our desires reversed, to honor Him.  There will be work to do as a follower of Christ, but your salvation does not depend on it. We are not finishing the work Jesus started.  HEAR Him say it, BREATHE it in, take it to HEART.  It is finished.  Praise Him.