Loving Concern

I am Facebook friends with many people who were part of my student ministry in the past. I find that, as I read their posts on Facebook, I have begun to pray for them again. It was not something I planned. It was almost spontaneous. What I found was that I still had a great connection with their lives even though it had been years since I have been a part of their daily lives. I still loved them and was concerned for them.

Paul had that kind of love and concern for the believers in Galatia.

Galatians 4:8

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

These Galatian believers at one time had worshiped other gods.

Notice how Paul describes these god that they are worshiped: They “are not gods”.

When we worship anything other than Jesus, we are in reality worshiping nothing. There is only one God. We don’t have the biggest or most powerful or best god. We have the only God.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is acknowledging and worshiping Jesus as the only God.

So, the fact that these Galatians had been transformed from worshiping false gods to worshiping the one true God was great.

Galatians 4:9

But now that you know God – or rather are known by God – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Paul asks a question in this verse. Paul wants to know, since they now have a relationship with God (know God and are known by God), why do they want to go back to worshiping false gods?

He describes worshiping these false gods as weak and miserable.

He describes the state a person is in as he worships these false gods as enslaved.

When we worship false gods, we find out that:

They are weak

We are miserable

We are enslaved by the lies associated with the false gods

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is worshiping the one true God and rejecting the false gods and their lies.

Galatians 4:10-11

You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow, I have wasted my efforts on you.

These Galatian believers were rejecting the grace of God and reverting to trying to please God by rules, rituals, and traditions.

Paul was fearful for these Galatian believers. He also was broken hearted that what he had shared with these believers was not being believed and effectively applied in their lives.

Paul was fearful and broken hearted because he knew that only by grace would these believers really experience the fullness of God’s presence, power, and love.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is depending on grace, not works.

Galatians 4:12a

Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles – free from those laws.

Paul pleads with the Galatian believers to live in the freedom of God’s grace as he does.

Living based on rules, rituals, and traditions brings enslavement.

Living based on God’s grace brings freedom.

Paul wanted these believers to live in freedom.

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

Galatians 4:12b-14

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. But even through my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus Himself.

Paul reminds the Galatian believers of the attitude they had toward him and their actions toward him when he first came and preached to them. He was ill, but that didn’t affect how they viewed him. They cared for him and treated him just as they would have treated Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving others like Jesus loves them.

Galatians 4:15-16

Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. Have I now become your enemy because I am telling the truth?

Paul asked two questions.

#1: Where is that joyful and grateful spirit?

#2: How has he become their enemy by telling the truth?

Fear can move us from joy to anger.

Fear can make friends into enemies.

The enemy wants to cause us to be fearful.

According to 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us a spirit of timidity or fear, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in faith and hope, not fear.

Paul contrasts his feelings for the Galatian believers and how the false teachers feel about them.

Galatians 4:17-18

Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. If anyone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

Paul makes the point that if anyone wants to do good for others, he is to do it all the time and with the right motives.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is doing good with a clear conscience and doing it on a consistent basis.

Paul then shares his heart about how he feels toward the Galatian believers.

Galatians 4:19-20

Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance, I don’t know how else to help you.

Paul sees these believers as his dear children.

Paul hurts for these believers to experience the fullness of Jesus.

Paul wants Jesus fully developed in their lives.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving and even hurting with other believers as they grow to fullness in Jesus.

Loving and Walking with Other Believers as We Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls,

                                                    Joe