TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:7-12
You were running a good race. - Galatians 5:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Anne was out working in her garden when she heard her neighbor Marie screaming at her daughter Madison. Thinking that perhaps she should help calm Marie, she went to see what the fuss was about. Instead of finding Marie angry and distraught, however, she saw her hugging Madison tightly. When Anne asked what was going on, Marie explained that Madison had run into the street, ignoring her command to stay in the yard. Marie had screamed when she heard a car approaching and ran to get Madison. She explained, “My voice and actions have to make it clear to her that it’s dangerous to go in the street, and because I love her I won’t let her do it.”

Paul would understand. He was in the middle of spelling out the relationship between living in freedom and living in love. In our passage for today he deviates from this main issue to exhort his readers again not to fall prey to the dangerous teaching they have heard about submitting to the Law. The issue for Paul is clear: following this teaching equals failing to obey the truth of the gospel message (v. 7). He adds that the notion that Gentiles need both the gospel and the Law in order to be fully rescued from this evil age is to abolish the offense of the cross (v. 11).

Paul uses some very harsh language in reference to those telling the Galatians that they must be circumcised to garner God’s favor. He calls them “agitators” and wishes that they would go so far as to “emasculate themselves” (5:12). This strong, even violent, tone is interesting given that Paul is in the middle of a discussion about love (see vv. 6, 13). Ought not Paul to be more loving toward these unnamed teachers?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
While we should act in love, especially toward other believers, this does not mean that we should tolerate or excuse sin–particularly not our own.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:13-15
Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. - Galatians 5:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many people, even Christians, are confused about what it means to be free. For instance, some believers think they can be more lax on the job if they have a Christian boss, because their employer should not judge them. This notion of freedom is really an excuse to justify sloppy habits. Is this what Galatians means by our freedom in Christ?

By freedom, Paul means release from this evil age (see 1:4), from the power of obsolete authorities, and from the specific practices and principles associated with them, especially as represented in the Jewish Law (see 4:4–5, 8–10). Freedom does not validate a lawless life bent on satisfying sinful desires (5:13). Rather, it entails a new form of service–love for one another. Far from being opposed to the Law, this new service, which is the expression of faith (see 5:6), sums up and fulfills the essential thrust of the Law (5:14). Wise living in light of the gospel brings the freedom to demonstrate faith by serving others in love.

We might be better able to grasp Paul’s point if we imaginatively expand on his illustration of the child growing into an adult (see 4:1–6). Prior to the age of maturity the child must submit to the authorities the father has placed over him. These guardians have a job: to train the child to live well. The rules and regulations of the guardians are intended to instill the right values in the child.

Their goal is to prepare the child for the day when he will become an adult. At that point, the child is free, no longer subject to their commands and rules. Yet, if they have done their job, he will know how to make wise decisions based on their training. The rules of the guardians will have been superseded by the values the young man possesses.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our focus during this study has been on the wisdom of our freedom in Christ. Do you equate that freedom with the ability to “misbehave” and get away with it?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:16-18
If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. - Galatians 5:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
Five-year-old Jason announced that he wanted to grow carrots in a corner of the garden. He dutifully watered his carrot patch, and his mom bought fertilizer. But no carrots emerged. As they puzzled over the absent carrots, his mom asked, “Jason, when did you put the seeds in?” “I forgot about seeds!” he exclaimed. “But–I thought if I watered and fed it right, the carrots could still grow!”

Just as the ground doesn’t spontaneously produce carrots, our hearts cannot spontaneously produce obedience without fundamental change.

Yesterday we saw that faith in Christ as expressed by love does not stand in opposition to the Law. We explored Paul’s image of the child placed under a guardian. Yet Paul would find a fault in our illustration. The fundamental problem we overlooked concerns the child. While the guardian’s job was to train the child for maturity, it could not actually create the inner change necessary to achieve this goal. This failure was not due to a flaw in the guardian, but to one in the child–the sinful nature.

To see this, we need to understand Paul’s claim that the sinful nature opposes the Spirit (v. 17). “Sinful nature” refers to that inward tendency to rebel against God. This universal problem plagued Jews and Gentiles alike (see 4:22). The Law was given as the standard for the Jews to obey. With obedience came blessing; with disobedience came a curse (see Deut. 30:15–20).

Paul notes that because of sin, the Law could not be obeyed and always brought a curse (see Gal. 5:10). The Law was good. The child was bad. No amount of correcting by the Law could change the fundamental problem. The situation seemed hopeless. How would the child ever become the adult heir?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Though we are well into the season of the church calendar called Pentecost, today is a good day to think back to Easter and our celebration of what Christ did for us through His death and resurrection. He redeemed us! He made it possible for us to be free from sin! He brought hope to hearts that could never become children of God on their own.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:19-21
Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
A young couple bought their first home last winter. As spring came, they discovered that they had half a dozen beautiful flowering trees on their property. Guessing that they were fruit trees, they began to plan what they might do with all the fruit they could gather that summer. There was one problem: they couldn’t tell what kind of fruit trees they had. Were they cherry, crabapple, or pear? Until the fruit actually arrived, they weren’t sure.

Scripture uses this principle from nature to describe the difference between believers and unbelievers. Those who are led by the Spirit are not under the Law (5:18). Paul makes the same point in v. 23–Law can pronounce no judgment against nor levy any curse upon those whose lives are characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. However, those living under the power of the sinful nature show by their deeds that they have not believed the gospel message. They remain enslaved to the authorities of this evil age and will not receive a share in the inheritance of God’s kingdom.

Is it possible to distinguish between the heirs of the kingdom and the slaves of this evil age? Paul answers, “Yes.” He says, in effect, exactly what Jesus said–“By their fruit you will recognize them” (see Matt. 7:15–23). He lays out a pattern by which we might discern the reign of the sinful nature. Paul’s litany of sins shows us what this rule looks like. It can be seen

in sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, jealousy, rage, and selfishness. We see it wherever people delight in stirring up trouble and causing factions. Envy, drunkenness, and orgies signify the presence of this power of this sinful rule.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As you examine your own life today, how would you describe your fruit? If anger, selfishness, and envy are high on the list, this indicates that you need the work of the Holy Spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:22-23; John 15:1-17
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. -
TODAY IN THE WORD
To see just how much popular culture talks about love, take this quick test: see how many popular songs you can name in the next ten seconds that have “love” in the title. Even if popular music has never been your favorite genre, you can still probably name at least half a dozen songs with this theme.

Over the next few days we are going to focus on the qualities known as the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22–23 is frequently memorized and quoted, and we want to go through each of these attributes to discover what this fruit really looks like. We want to be able to know what this fruit is so that we can recognize it in our own lives and in the lives of others.

We begin today with love. This quality so celebrated in popular culture is also frequently misunderstood. Love is not just warm feelings, or sexual attraction, or even selfless motives. In our passage today, Jesus is speaking to His disciples about love, and we are able to see how He describes this fruit of the Spirit.

First, we see that this love has a divine origin (v. 9). This isn’t something we manufacture ourselves. Second, love has an inseparable connection to obedience (v. 10). Jesus demonstrated divine love by His obedience to the Father; we demonstrate love the same way. Third, love sacrifices for the good of others (v. 13). Again, Jesus is the ultimate example of this, as He gave His own life so that we might be saved. We are to love each other in the same way–without thought to our own gain, pleasure, or advancement.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In John 15:7 Jesus says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 1:1-26
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! - Philippians 4:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
For almost four decades, Joni Eareckson Tada has been confined to a wheelchair. Despite the pain and challenges that come from paralysis, Joni has become known around the world as an incredibly joyful and inspirational woman. In an interview in the January 2004, issue of Christianity Today Joni reveals that she still struggles with loneliness, pain, and understanding the affliction of disability. The source of her joy is not a naive happiness, but belief that God remains in control of His creation and that heaven awaits believers. This keeps her pressing on in her ministry.

That’s the point of Philippians. We often think of Philippians as the “joy” book, but sometimes we aren’t as eager to see that this joy is the result of suffering. In verses 18–19 Paul notes that he continues to rejoice because of God’s work as a result of his imprisonment. And Paul’s frequent exhortations to the Philippians to rejoice are given in the context of the persecution and poverty facing this church (3:1; 4:4).

It’s difficult to make sense of the pain and suffering in our lives. On the one hand we know that it is the result of sin and the fall; on the other hand we know that God is sovereign over all events (Rom. 8:28). How do we reconcile these two? Philippians gives us a peek at the answer. God allows the effects of sin and the curse to play out on earth. But He can redeem the resulting pain and suffering. He can transform it into something beautiful–and most beautiful of all is providing opportunities for the gospel to be heard (v. 14).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
None of us seek out pain and suffering in our lives. But almost all of us have experienced heartache of some sort, and some of us may endure extremely difficult trials.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 2:11-22
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1962, Don and Carol Richardson risked their lives to go as missionaries to the Sawi people of New Guinea. This tribe still lived as if they were in the Stone Age; they were headhunting cannibals known for using their victims’ skulls as pillows. Don and Carol struggled to find a way to communicate the truth of Jesus to this tribe known for their treachery, vengeance, and brutality.

They learned of a New Guinea tradition called the Peace Child. When warring tribes of headhunters made peace, they exchanged a child who would grow up in the other tribe. If conflict threatened the tribes again, these children would be sent to negotiate. The Richardsons used this tradition to point the Sawi to the true “Peace Child,” Jesus Christ.

Peace is not some warm fuzzy feeling of goodwill towards others. It is also not simply an absence of war. According to our passage today, true spiritual peace is found through the work of Jesus Christ to unite people who were once enemies (v. 14). Jesus has made a way for people who could not coexist to be united together. Where there used to be disunity and antagonism, there are now people living together in harmony.

We see echoes of Paul’s letter to the Galatians in this passage as well. Paul repeats that the Law used to create a wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles (vv. 11–12, 14). But the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus have destroyed that barrier. Neither group can impose a claim of special privileges, for both needed the work of the cross to bring peace (v. 17).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Is there someone in your church that you have difficulty getting along with? Perhaps she has a personality that grates on your nerves, or maybe you have a conflict with him over how things should be managed.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 6:9-15
After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. - Hebrews 6:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
The old saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” But this waiting is more than a matter of sitting around on our hands, expecting blessings to fall from the sky. One such example is Walt Disney, who was turned down 302 times before he got financing for his dream of creating Disneyland. Rather than sit passively and assume someone would call him offering money, he persisted in seeking the funds he needed.

Today we turn our attention to the fruit of the Spirit called patience. For many of us, patience has a passive connotation, a “wait and see” attitude. But Hebrews clarifies for us just what it means to exercise this fruit of patience.

Our key example is Abraham, who waited patiently for God to fulfill His promises (v. 15). He is set forth as an illustration of someone we should imitate, because through his faith and patience he did see the faithfulness of God (v. 12). This link between faith and patience is critical, because the primary motivation behind our willingness to wait on God is our faith that He will do what He has promised to do.

We see both positive and negative examples of patience in Abraham’s life. God had promised him a son, but as the years passed and no son materialized, Abraham decided to take matters into his own hands. He had a son with Hagar, the maid of his wife Sarah. Abraham’s lack of patience here is tied to his doubt that God would indeed do what He said: give him a son with his wife Sarah, who was barren.

God did fulfill His promise, and Abraham and Sarah had their son, Isaac. Then God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed, and we see an example of active patience. Even though he thought he would lose his son Isaac, he patiently believed that God would make a way to fulfill His word (see Gen. 22).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
To encourage you to persevere, to practice active patience, we recommend that you keep a spiritual journal.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 6:27-36
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. - 2 Corinthians 1:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
Justice appeared to be served, and Nathan “Boo” Herring got what he deserved. The 19-year-old man from Steubenville, Ohio, received a sentence of two life terms without parole for his role in the murders of two college students, Aaron Land and Brian Muha. At the sentencing, Brian’s mother Rachel spoke.

“If you hadn’t done this, I would have my Brian and you would have your freedom,” she said calmly. “But losing your freedom is not as bad as losing your soul.” She then asked Herring to devote the rest of his years on earth to good before blessing him and assuring him she would pray for him.

When Jesus spoke of loving your enemies, could He possibly have meant forgiving and praying for the murderer of your child? This sounds impossible–and it is, without the power of the Holy Spirit. But because the Spirit bears fruit in us, Jesus could indeed expect such a supernatural response of kindness and goodness. This is the fruit of the Spirit we are considering today.

Our society associates kindness and goodness with sweet little old ladies and children who play nicely with others. While good behavior and graciousness are certainly admirable traits, the fruit of the Spirit goes well beyond courtesy. Jesus is talking about exercising kindness and goodness to people who hate you, curse you, mistreat you (vv. 27–28). As anyone who has experienced a slight from someone else knows, we naturally want to respond to others in the same way that they’ve treated us. What gives Jesus the right to ask us to behave differently?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Responding with kindness and goodness isn’t easy–if it were, it wouldn’t be a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hebrews 11:1-16; 39-12:3
These were all commended for their faith. - Hebrews 11:39
TODAY IN THE WORD
Faith and spirituality seem to be on the rise in the United States. If fact, a March 19, 2004 survey by the Barna Group found that nearly nine out of ten adults (87%) claim that their religious faith is very important in their daily life. Given the accompanying statistics on divorce rates, pornography addiction, and materialism, we might well ask about the nature of that faith, and whether it does in fact have any power to affect our lives.

Hebrews 11 is known as the “Hall of Faith” in Scripture. Yet interestingly, we don’t see a list of items to believe in. Instead, we see a list of people who demonstrated their faith through their obedience to God. This passage reveals that faith is not just a matter of mentally agreeing to certain propositions. Faith is the willingness to stake our entire lives on God’s promises. Faith means living a certain way–as if what God has said is true.

Note that these Old Testament saints lived in faith, and yet still didn’t receive the fullness of the promise in their lifetimes (v. 39). What was this promise that we have but they didn’t? We now have the Holy Spirit. We have His work in us to produce the fruit of faithfulness, so that our lives can reflect what we say that we believe.

After giving us a dramatic presentation of biblical heroes who exhibited faith, the author of Hebrews urges us to continue to press forward in our Christian lives. We are called to “run with perseverance,” and are encouraged not “to grow weary and lose heart” (12:1, 3). This implies that our Christian race will not always be easy. Living in faith will require us to make sacrifices and face challenges. To further encourage us, though, the author presents the greatest model of faith: Jesus Himself. He has endured more than we will ever face, and He accomplished His work (v. 2).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We are called as Christians to share our faith with others. This includes both being able to describe our belief in Jesus and living in a way that demonstrates that what we believe is true.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 11:25-30
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:30
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the beloved Charles Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol, the miser Ebeneezer Scrooge worked his longsuffering employee Bob Cratchit to the breaking point. He provided only minimal heat, expected Cratchit to work on holidays, and constantly exuded an air of criticism and suspicion. No one would want to work for a a boss like Scrooge!

In our passage today, we see a portrait of a very different sort. Jesus, the Son of God and Lord of all, promises rest and ease. He is gentle and humble. He cares about our situation.

In the early verses of our reading, Jesus is praying to the Father. The context of this passage revolves around revealing heavenly wisdom to those who are like children (v. 25). The description of Jesus that follows runs contrary to the way the world views power and leadership--you don’t often hear moguls, dictators, or superstars described as gentle.

First, Jesus’ gentleness is connected to His invitation to come to Him (v. 28). He invites those who are weary and burdened, not only those who are powerful and strong. Then He promises rest to the heavy-hearted. Our gentle Savior is not like Scrooge, trying to squeeze every drop of our potential for His own gain. He cares deeply about our well-being.

Second, we should not confuse Jesus’ gentleness with being soft or wishy-washy. Jesus is still our Master and Lord. He still provides a yoke for us (v. 30). But unlike any other master we could follow, only He cares for our souls and provides a burden we can manage. He is our Master, but Jesus will never treat us with abuse.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Every day we are surrounded by weary, burdened, and hurting people. How can you demonstrate gentleness to people around you?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“Everything is permissible”--but not everything is beneficial. - 1 Corinthians 10:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, this year gathers the elite athletes of the world in one place to compete for the most prestigious prize in sports–the coveted gold medal. Most of these men and women have focused their entire lives on reaching this goal. They have been willing to eat certain foods and avoid others, schedule their lifestyle to ensure enough sleep, and undergo intense physical training. They exercise this amount of discipline because they want their bodies to be able to respond perfectly during competition.

Few of us could ever be described as elite athletes. But we are still called to exercise self-control over our bodies and minds. We are running a spiritual race, and every part of our lives needs to be in conformity with this goal (Rom. 12:1–2).

In our passage today, Paul explicitly uses this athletic metaphor to discuss self-control. To begin, he stresses that our finish line brings greater rewards than a gold medal. Our eternal future is in view here (v. 25). Paul continues to emphasize the high stakes of self-control: if we fail in this way, we are discredited and our potential for ministry compromised.

Sadly, we can think of numerous examples of high-profile Christians whose ministries were ruined through sexual or financial misconduct. Paul uses strong language here to describe his approach toward self-control: “I beat my body and make it my slave” (v. 27). Paul is not recommending self-flagellation, the practice of literally flogging oneself. He uses these intense images of beating and slavery to make sure that his readers understand what is at stake. We discipline our bodies, not in order to look good or win athletic glory, but so that we can serve God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Christian life isn’t just about our souls and spirits–it includes our bodies and minds, too. Is there an area where you need to exercise more self-control?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 5:24-26
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:25
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the most familiar images of boot camp to most Americans includes rows of soldiers marching in perfect unison to the orders barked out by a drill sergeant. This may seem like rather a pointless exercise–when in real combat will soldiers ever march together in straight rows? But this misses the point of the practice. Marching teaches soldiers to work together, coordinate their efforts, and follow instructions. And these are indispensable aspects of success in true combat scenarios.

Having spent some time exploring biblical examples of the characteristics or “fruit” that indicate the Spirit’s presence in one’s life, we can now return to Paul’s argument in Galatians. Previously we saw that the real problem with humanity is that all people are enslaved to the sinful nature. The Law was and is powerless to fix this problem. Jesus, by dying for our sins and rising again, did what the Law cannot do. He rescued us from this evil age, for his crucifixion also brings about the crucifixion of the sinful nature (v. 24, see also 2:20).

The Spirit is the means by which this rescue operation is carried out. That is, those empowered by the Spirit live not as enslaved children, but as free, mature heirs of the inheritance God had promised to Abraham. They live lives characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit entails actually being a more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled person. The Law does not stand against or condemn those who live in this manner (v. 23). This is why Jews and Gentiles who are united in Jesus ought not to provoke or envy one another (v. 26).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Some of the ancient practices of spiritual discipline seem quaint or even useless to us today. In our busy society with constant interaction with others, what is the point of disciplines like silence or solitude?

Actually, it is because we lead such busy lives that we need to cultivate these spiritual habits so we can hear God or exercise self-control. You may want to check out several good books that describe the spiritual benefits to Christians today of practicing these disciplines, including Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 6:1-5
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
The winner of the beauty pageant is supposed to be the most attractive of the contestants. When selecting someone for a promotion, the boss chooses the employee who is the best fit for the new job. The gold medal is awarded to the athlete who ran that race the fastest. We are accustomed to measuring our success relative to the accomplishments of others–which we learn today is not exactly how the community of believers should operate.

As Paul nears the conclusion of this letter, he takes the opportunity to present us with some concrete examples of what it means to live in a community of Spirit-filled people. He recognizes that Christians will continue to wrestle with sin in spite of the Spirit’s presence. Yet he also realizes that sin creates divisions in the church. Sin is never an individual matter. Paul notes that those who sin are spiritually distanced from the rest of the community and in need of restoration (v. 1).

He exhorts other members of the community to restore sinners gently. The entire process requires great humility so that those who restore their brothers or sisters don’t become proud and fall into sin themselves (vv. 1, 3). There is no place in the church for self-righteousness--for celebrating one’s own relative goodness in comparison to the sins of others (v. 4). Paul implicitly reminds us that we are responsible before God for how we live, not for the way our lives stack up to those of others. Each of us must carry our own load (v. 5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Are you comparing yourself with others in your church? God’s Word in Galatians instructs us that this is not the stance that believers should take with each other.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 6:6-10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest. - Galatians 6:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1986, a teenager named Eli Yoder left his Amish background and embraced a modern lifestyle and technology. Yet this wasn’t by his own choice–he had been put out of his Amish community for calling local law enforcement to deal with squatters on his family property, a move not sanctioned by his Amish elders. Asked why he didn’t choose to remain Amish on his own, he replied, “It’s impossible to be Amish without your community. There are no 'solo Amish.’ ” To those of us accustomed to messages like “you can be anything you want,” this seems strange indeed. Paul, though, may have understood what Eli meant.

Although we may lose sight of Jesus’ return, this fact is never far from Paul’s mind. It is this hope that underlies the message of our reading for today. Paul exhorts us to live always with a view toward pleasing the Spirit because if we do, one day we will reap an eternal harvest. In other words, Paul is calling us to orient our lives around the coming of Jesus and the day when He will reward His people for their faithfulness. Eternity will commence, and at that point it will matter whether or not we have lived by the power of the sinful nature or by the power of the Spirit (v. .

It is sometimes tempting to think that as long as we have our own spiritual houses in order that we are okay as Christians. This individualistic approach to Christianity fails to grasp the importance of how our relationship to the faith community is key for living out our faith.

Paul has already said the way to please God is “faith expressing itself through love” (see 5:6). Here he takes it a step further. As Christians we ought to be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that come along to do good to all people (v. 10). We need to be looking for those moments and to act upon them when they come along.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The challenge from our reading today is that we act on this word, not simply read it and forget it. With that in mind, how can you do good to people in your church?