Tag: Galatians

God’s Heart For Us Is To Be Free

Freedom is something we all want.
But what is freedom?

Woman Jumping Freely Wearing Green Backpack

God’s heart for us is to be free. He gave us free will and desires relationship with us in freedom. He’s not looking for “religious robots.”

But here’s the thing… we’re all infected with a “virus” called sin which restricts our freedom.

We’re born with it as a consequence of Adam’s fall. When he used his free will to rebel against the authority of God it was as if he’d been “infected with sin.”

We’re easily imprisoned by sin. It brings destruction, broken relationships and eventually spiritual death. It’s symptoms are evident all around us.

We need to be delivered from our “virus.”

Jesus did just that. He took the consequences of our sin for us on himself… separation from God and spiritual death.

But death could not hold him. Three days later he rose from the dead. The spiritual consequences of sin had been defeated. My part is to sincerely repent and receive God’s forgiveness.

At the point of genuine repentance a miracle happens. The Lord changes our hearts. It’s called being “born again.”

We’re not “sin free”…show me a perfect Christian… there are none… but our the motivations of our hearts change and our lives begin to change.

By the grace of God, through faith in Christ we are restored to the original freedom of relationship that He first intended to have with him and those around us.

Psalm 146:7
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

  • Mark Saunders

We All Need A Point Of Reference To Help Us Not Get Lost… Or Help Us Find Our Way When We Do Get Lost

We all need a point of reference to help us not get lost… or help us find our way when we do get lost.

In God’s spiritual construction of the Church he also gives us a point of reference.

Apostle Paul describes the Church as lives being “built on the foundation” of the Apostles and Prophets with Jesus being the “chief cornerstone”

Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone

That foundation is Jesus Christ and him Crucified. The prophets “saw it” before it happened and the Apostles had revelation of what had happened spiritually after it had happened.

Apostle is not a title given by a man. It’s an anointing given by God – a deep revelation of Christ crucified. It’s not taught to him. It doesn’t come through a certificate. It’s imparted to him from above and enables him to lay the foundation of Christ crucified, in the Church. It’s not just a knowledge of the foundation. Rather a revelation and an authority from God to lay it with profound effect that can’t be imitated.

Everything above the foundation – meaning our lives – is positioned with reference to the cornerstone – Jesus Christ.

The fullness of God’s plan is that he gives us men to help position our lives to line up with Christ …men who have anointing and authority from Him to build us spiritually… the five fold ministry team of Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists.

Together are accountable to Jesus himself for the Church. It’s the only way Jesus has given to effectively build the spiritual Church. Personally I’m so grateful that my life is being “built” in this way.

Ephesians 2:20
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

Ephesians 4:11 -13
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge

Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),

Galatians 1:11-12
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

  • Mark Saunders

Sow To The Spirit And Reap Life

There’s a natural law that says you reap what you sow. A farmer can’t sow corn and hope to harvest wheat.

Our Christian walk is the same. If we sow to the flesh (our fallen carnal nature) we will reap the fruits of the flesh. We need to rather sow to the Spirit and reap life.

But here’s our dilemma, all of us are flesh… just like Apostle Paul wrote… what I want to do, I don’t. But, what I hate I end up doing. Ever been in that place?

He came to the conclusion that sin dwelt in his flesh and wanted to take him a captive. He knew that wages of sin was death – eternal separation from the love and goodness of God.

He understood he needed a deliverer from the eternal consequences of sin and from his own flesh (sinful nature).

His revelation was that Jesus Christ crucified had not only secured our eternal life when He paid the full price for sin but He had also shown us a way to deal with the present, earthly reality our sinful nature.

The cross needs to deal with our flesh too. God didn’t intend for it to be an event 2,000 odd years ago but a daily reality for a Christian. Unless the cross deals daily with our flesh we will struggle to walk in the spirit.

Romans 8:12-13

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Galatians 5:24

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

  • Mark Saunders

The Fruit Of A Changed Heart

Growth happens progressively. We all grew and were shaped by the environment around us.

A sapling is often attached to a support to help it grow straight. A fruit tree is pruned to let the light in and help it bear more fruit.

Spiritual growth is the same.

Evidence of growth for a Christian is bearing the fruit of the Spirit in our every day lives.

The most powerful fruit of our faith here on earth is not material possessions, it’s not even miracles healings and great teachings. It’s the fruit of a changed heart.

The cross becomes the support to our surrendered lives and hand of the Lord at work in our hearts is our pruning.

The result, Christians that begin to stand out by the fruit of our lives.

Galatians 5:22-25 (NKJV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

  • Mark Saunders