Episode 424: Galatians 2:1-10

04/07/21 • 5 min

Everyone knows “that” crowd in high school, the one we let intimidate us by their status or influence. They were cooler, more popular, had the best of everything.

But no matter how far removed the in crowd seemed, they are people just like the rest of us. They face the same struggles, hopes and fears. And while we might be intimidated, God sees us all the same. He does not show favoritism. We are all sinners in need of a Savior.

In Galatians 2:6, Paul writes, “Those men who seemed to be important did not change the Good News that I preach. (It doesn’t matter to me if they were “important” or not. To God all men are the same.)

The Gospel is the same no matter whom it is presented to. It takes the same amount of grace and mercy to be forgiven by Jesus no matter how much we make, what car we drive or where our kids go to school. Just because we are given status by the world’s standards does not mean we have special status in God’s eyes.

Maybe middle and high school are decades behind you. Maybe you're scared to talk to your neighbor about Jesus because you're not a pastor. Maybe you're afraid to speak up about changes at work because you're "just a shift worker."

In God’s economy, there is no such thing as “just a ...” God doesn't rate us according to our status; He looks at the attitude of our hearts. If God is prompting you to have a tough conversation, do it and remember that the person sitting across from you is also just a sinner in need of a Savior.

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Everyone knows “that” crowd in high school, the one we let intimidate us by their status or influence. They were cooler, more popular, had the best of everything.

Support the show

Previous Episode

Episode 423: Galatians 1

Pleasing dad is something most of us strive for throughout our lives. No matter how complicated our relationship with our parents might be, something in us desires to please our father. But in Galatians 1, Paul, a leader in the church, addresses this need to win our earthly fathers’ approval over our heavenly Father’s approval.

Paul was zealous for the religious traditions of his family. But after an encounter with Jesus, Paul realized there was much more to his faith than what his family passed down. Seeking his family and community’s approval by following their traditions would never give Paul salvation or a right relationship with God. Only faith in Jesus could change Paul’s eternity.

That recognition changed the chain of command in Paul’s life. In Galatians 1:10, Paul writes, "Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No! God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please men? If I wanted to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Serving God — even when it goes against the traditions of our friends and family — is hard. Jesus knows this better than anyone. Wrestling with His impending crucifixion, Jesus prays, “... My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

Jesus asks God to spare Him the pain that was to come, but ultimately Jesus places His faith in God the Father. At a time when Jesus could have pleased others and made His life less painful by denying God, Jesus’ trust in His Father produced obedience that resulted in our salvation.

We, like Jesus, are God’s children. Every day we face the hard choice about where to put our trust. In those moments, we have to stop and ask the same question Paul did: Am I trying to please God or men?

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Episode 425: Galatians 2:11-21

From the time we are babies, we are rewarded for hard work. We are promised a toy if we don’t scream during the shopping trip. When we are brave at the doctor’s office, we get a sucker. Teachers reward good behavior with stickers. As we get older, we work hard for good grades to get into a great college. We bust it at work to earn the promotion. Our whole lives teach us that success is the result of following the rules and putting forth the effort.

Maybe that’s why grace is a hard concept to understand. If I’m messed up and sinful, I’m not deserving. There must be something I need to do for Jesus to accept me. And once I am His, there must be a good behavior chart. There must be a list of things I have to do to be a successful Christian.

This isn’t a new struggle. Galatians 2 describes Paul’s reaction to Peter falling into the performance trap. Peter had begun doing what was right in other’s eyes, shutting out a whole group of people in the process. In Galatians 2:21, Paul reminds us that following a list of rules or checking off a to-do list is not necessary: “... if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

We are made right with God through Jesus’ sacrifice. Period. Galatians 2:16 says, "Yet we know that a person is not made right with God by following the law. No! It is trusting in Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God."

Peter was trying to follow man-made rules instead of the law God wrote on his heart. Focusing on a list of do’s and don’ts removes our focus from Jesus. When we decide to follow Jesus, He changes our heart. If we keep our focus on Him, He will guide our steps.

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