It is not always what we want to hear, but sometimes a harsh word of truth has the greatest impact. Please don’t hear that as permission to go be mean to the people around you. I am not talking about the word you give, but rather, the one you receive. You may be like me, and sometimes you get so deep into your own thoughts and own ways that you become hard-hearted to any word of counsel.
I remember many times growing up on the football field where an outsider might have observed an interaction between a coach and a player and assumed the coach was just a mean spirited man who enjoyed making life miserable for teenagers. But this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Some of the most meaningful lessons I learned in football came through sharply spoken words.
Paul has some sharp words for the Galatian church. “O Foolish Galatians!” Ouch. Why is Paul being so critical? Because the the Galatians have forgotten something so foundational to deep growing faith…the primacy of Jesus Christ. They have taken their eyes off the most important thing and because of this have allowed competing false ideas to invade their thoughts and actions. They have allowed the thought that our works have an important role in our own salvation to erode their deep faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Believer, remember the words from chapter two, it is no longer us who live but Christ who lives in us. IF we forget this, or if we add something to this faith, like our own works, Paul has nothing but harsh words for us. Remember Christ today. Think on the sufficiency of his death, burial, and resurrection for you salvation and sanctification today. It’s all about Christ. Let’s know him and make him known.
VC Devotionals 