When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:14-16)
Kinesiology is the study of how the body moves through space with or without injuries and deformities. It was the course I almost failed in the first semester of PT school. I didn’t ask God for help until after I failed my first test. I thought I could save myself.
God sent Jim, a classmate who recorded and transcribed the lectures and gave them to me for free. Since I had to get A+’s on the last two tests, I wouldn’t have passed without his help.
Peter continued the Jewish tradition of keeping Jewish laws. He knew it was wrong to abandon his Gentile friends and lead Barnabas and others astray, so he wouldn’t have consulted God—didn’t let Jesus save him from the fear that the Jews James had sent caused him. These church leaders preached that both belief in Jesus and following the Jewish laws were necessary for salvation. What would they think if Peter ate pork in front of them?
We want to save ourselves, perhaps by the works of our laws or by not taking our fears and problems to God so Jesus can help us.
If it weren’t for Paul, we’d still be practicing Jewish laws. It’s so much easier to let go and let Jesus save us—to be in the comfort of his refuge and love.
Father, I praise You for working through Paul to write Galatians—for helping me see I’m in a position of comfort and strength when I let Jesus save me. I give you my fear of ________. Let me depend on you for salvation. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
You are so right, it is so much easier to just let go and let Jesus save us. I think by nature we want to solve problems on our own and not be dependent but independent. When I think of how often I said, “I can handle this on my own”. Because of you, Jody, I realized I don’t have to handle problems, and fears on my own. I can give them to God and let Jesus save me. Thank you!
I have prayed for you and me, and our families this morning.
Thanks for your encouragement. I write this blog to let people know how much God loves them. Since this blog has helped you, I will keep on writing! Love you, Sis. I’ve prayed for you and our other sister and her family this morning and for our family to be restored. Love you, Sis.