It's About Jesus

Paul writes his letter to the Galatians to say that it is about God and His grace, not about living based on the law. In the first five verses Paul shares five truths that will help us relate to God as our Father based on the grace given to us through Jesus.

Galatians 1:1

Paul, an apostle – sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.

Truth #1: Our calling is from God, not man.

Paul was not made an apostle because people said he was or because any group of people made him one. Paul was an apostle because God had called him to be and made him an apostle.

Your calling as a follower of Jesus is from Jesus.

Your calling to exercise your spiritual gift is from Jesus.

Your calling to minister in the way you are ministering is from Jesus.

If it is from man, it will fail.

If it is from God, it will stand.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is about living based on God’s authority, not man’s.

Galatians 1:2

And all the brothers with me.

Truth #2: Christianity is about community.

Paul is not doing this thing by himself. He has others with him.

In the American church, we have made Christianity an individual endeavor. We have made it about us, or, at best, us and God.

God makes being a follower of Jesus about:

Jesus

Others

You

When you do it that way, God’s way, it leads to JOY.

I need my Faith Family to effectively follow and serve Jesus. Paul understood that and brought others along with him in following and serving Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is seeing our need for each other and following Jesus within a faith community.

Galatians 1:3

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth #3: God’s grace brings peace.

The order is always the same, grace and then peace.

We cannot experience God’s peace until we have experienced God’s grace.

We are saved by grace.

We are declared righteous by grace.

We experience peace by grace.

If we try to find peace without experiencing God’s grace, it will be a human- based peace, and that kind of peace will not last.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing God’s grace and peace.

Galatians 1:4

Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

Truth #4: Jesus rescues or delivers us from sin.

You and I cannot save ourselves.

You and I cannot forgive our sins.

You and I cannot cleanse ourselves from the stain of sin.

Jesus can and does.

Jesus rescues us from the present evil age because that is what God the Father wanted and why Jesus came.

Apart from Jesus, we have no hope of forgiveness of our sin. Without Jesus, we are still dead in our sin.

God the Father desired to forgive us of our sin, but as a holy God, He couldn’t just overlook it, so Jesus came and took our sin on Himself and paid the price. When we submit our lives to Jesus’ authority and trust His death to pay for our sin, then we are rescued from this present evil age.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing deliverance from sin.

Galatians 1:5

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Truth #5: Our lives are to glorify God.

When we live based on God’s calling and will -

When we live in community with other believers -

When we live based on God’s grace and experience His peace -

When we live knowing that Jesus’ death and resurrection delivers us from sin -

Then we will glorify God with how we live.

When we understand who God is and what He has done as opposed to who we are and what we have done, then we will glorify Him out of our gratitude for all He has done for us.

These five truths have one thing in common. They are based in and are all about Jesus.

It is Jesus who calls us.

It is Jesus who connects us in community.

It is Jesus who gives us grace and peace.

It is Jesus who rescues us.

It is Jesus we are to glorify.

One of the best things that anyone ever told me was that life was not about me.

So, in love, I tell you that life is not about you.

Life is about Jesus. In fact, everything is about Jesus.

In Jesus, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

Joe