Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

As we start the book of Galatians, I want to point out two things. First, Paul planted this church in Galatia during his first missionary journey and from that church, others grew out of it. That’s important to know as we are reading and hearing the way Paul wrote to them. Second, it’s interesting to note that there are no words of thanksgiving in the opening verses. In most, if not all, of Paul’s other letters, he opens with praise or thanksgiving when addressing the church, but because this encouragement is missing, it’s important to note that there is something going on. Paul gets right to his point of who he is (an Apostle), who God is (the one who gave His Son to rescue us), and why he is writing this letter (they were believing a different gospel). I love that Paul starts this letter with: “Paul, an apostle…”. An apostle is one sent by the risen Christ with the authority to preach the Gospel to others. So, according to the way he starts this letter, he has the authority to speak to the churches of Galatia.

Paul is ASTONISHED! The churches of Galatia were quickly deserting God - the same God who called them by the grace of Jesus for a different gospel. This “different gospel” they were choosing to follow was one that focused on salvation by works and not grace alone. Now we can understand the lack of thanksgiving in the beginning! This is a serious problem, and he wants them to understand there is no other Gospel! The one true Gospel is that we are all sinners separated from God. BUT GOD! He loved us enough to send His Son to pay our debt by dying on the cross. He was buried and rose three days later defeating sin and death. Now, all those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved! God made a way for us to have a relationship with Him through His Son. And those who are preaching a different gospel should be cursed. Whoa! Not only does Paul leave out the blessing in the beginning but he starts talking about the accursed!

Why is Paul so serious in this chapter? Because eternity is at stake! The churches were quickly deserting the true Gospel and following a “gospel” that taught them that they can earn their salvation. We know from this chapter, but also what we’ve been reading these last few weeks, that it is by grace alone through faith that we are saved. So, yes, Paul is serious! If you choose to believe another gospel, you will spend eternity separated from God!

Then, as if they needed a reminder, Paul tells the churches his testimony and how he was a zealous Jew persecuting Christians before God saved him. I love the way he words his salvation in Galatians 1:15-16:

“But when He who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood”  

God set Paul apart even from his mother’s womb. His salvation had nothing to do with his works. It was through God’s grace that Jesus was revealed in Paul so that he might preach among the Gentiles. Again, Paul was a Jew and he hated Gentiles, yet God saved him and he spends the rest of his life preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. This is the Gospel we believe. We are brought from darkness to light, from being dead in our sins to being alive in Christ! May we never turn to a different Gospel. It is by grace we are saved through faith, not by works.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Who in your life needs to hear the Gospel today? Who can you share with? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your conversations towards this Good News today.
• Prayer: God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for seeing us in our sin and redeeming us. May we continually keep Your words on our lips and share this Good News with others. Guide us as we rub shoulders with our colleagues, classmates, family members, and others we encounter today. Amen.

Family Devo: Galatians 1

By: Selena Rosetti

Have you ever played the game “Telephone”? Take a few minutes to play a round of this game with your family. Here’s how you play: One person whispers a message to the person next to them. Then, that person whispers the message they heard to the next person until all have heard the message. By the time the message gets to the last person, it’s usually completely different from the original message.

The people of Galatia had been listening to false teachers and were getting the message of the gospel wrong. Paul knew that this was not the true gospel, so he wrote a letter to them to help get them back on track. Paul reminds them that there is only one true gospel, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The true gospel of Jesus Christ is simple: we are all sinners who need a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ. We cannot save ourselves by following rules or doing good deeds, but we can be saved by putting our faith in Jesus and accepting the gift of salvation He offers.  

Sometimes, we listen to other people’s opinions, and it only brings us confusion. That is why it is so important that we always read the Word of God to make sure we are getting the right message. 

Prayer: God, thank You for giving us Your word so that we can know You and love You. And thank You for Your free gift of salvation. Help us not to believe any message we hear from others that does not line up with the truths of Your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.