About 9 months after Andrew went to Heaven, I accepted an invitation to speak at the church of some dear friends in Maryland. I spoke at a women’s event on Saturday afternoon and the following morning the pastor invited me to sing and partner with him in his message from Galatians 5. Below is a 5 minute excerpt of my singing the Brooklyn Tabernacle song, “He’s Been Faithful” followed by an excerpt of my teaching from Galatians 5. This was the first time singing again after losing Andrew.
(If you’re viewing this in an email, click on the link to view the video.)
More from my message in Galatians 5 ~
When Pastor Steve asked me to partner with him in the service today and then emailed the message was from Galatians chapter 5, I responded, “No problem.”
Later that day, I grabbed my Bible and thought I should probably see what the 5th chapter of Galatians is about. I read the chapter and my first thought was, “He wants me to talk about circumcision? Oy vey.”
My second thought was how the desire to require a return to the law mirrors what we as modern day Christians are often tempted to do.
You see just as circumcision was an outward sign of a relationship with God, we often desire and look for outward signs in navigating our Christian walk.
A Little More ~
I began to think about how we so often are afraid to make a move lest we move outside the will of God. I know that I have said to God, “If you will just tell me exactly what to do, I’ll do it.”
Give me a sign. Should I go or should I stay? Should I pursue this or should I wait?
Tell me in plain English. Black and white so I don’t make any mistakes…so I don’t really have to live by…faith.
Oops. Is that what we are looking for? A return to living under the law in which every single aspect of our lives is spelled out? Where obedience garners blessing and disobedience results in swift punishment?
That is not the way of grace. Grace says, “Do what you do for me out of love for me not out of a desire to manipulate or control your life.”
Sometimes even our spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, giving, Bible study can take on a “works” quality. When you are exhausting yourself physically, mentally or spiritually in an effort to secure a desired outcome, check yourself. In your desperation, despair or doubt, are you inching away from a place of Grace? Are you fearful that if you don’t do it all and do it all just right, things won’t work out?
Well…let me free you up! You will NEVER do it all just right. If your efforts could right all of the wrong, then Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered.
Fast forward to the end of my message ~
No longer is our relationship with our God defined by a cutting away of the flesh…by living under the law.
No. It is a cutting away in matters of the heart. We live by faith. We walk in Grace. We are led by Love.
And that’s an inside job.
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