Jesus & the Culture

 

Jesus & the Culture

 

We, as Paul did, live in a culture that is not open or even friendly to the gospel of Jesus. Paul shows us ways that we can show the truth of the gospel to our culture in Galatians 6:11-18.

 

Verses 11-12: Overcoming Political Correctness

Paul writes with his own hand to those who are trying to force the believers to be circumcised. He knows they are doing it so that they will not be persecuted because of the cross of Christ. It wasn’t because they sincerely thought that circumcision was necessary for salvation, but so they would not be persecuted.

 

It is easy in our culture today to go with the secular culture & not be fully surrendered to the will of God & just privately practice religion. It is also easy to go with a church culture that attacks & demonizes those who are not followers of Jesus by calling them evil or of the devil. What Jesus calls us to do is neither. Jesus calls us to speak the truth in love living out the gospel in our everyday lives & see those who reject Jesus as victims & love them as Jesus does.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about not compromising the truth but living out the truth of the gospel with the love of Jesus for others.

 

Verse 13: Overcoming Hypocrisy

Paul says that those who were being circumcised to avoid persecution were not doing so to follow the law but to pridefully boast about themselves.

 

Following Jesus is not about just an outward display of piety. Following Jesus is about denying selfish ambitions, dying to the old sinful nature, following Jesus by being a servant to others. That is not just outward action but an inner surrender to Jesus as Lord.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about outwardly & inwardly being surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.

 

Verses 14-15: Exalting the Cross of Jesus above Everything

Paul says that he will boast only in the cross of Jesus because it is through the cross that the world has been crucified to him & him to the world. Paul was fully surrendered to Jesus as his Lord. Then he says that it is not about religious traditions or rituals or rules. It is about becoming a new creation.

We become a new creation only in Jesus, not by being religious. It is only by Jesus’ death & resurrection & our surrendering our lives to Jesus as Savior & Lord that we become a new creation.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about becoming a new creation in Jesus.

 

Verses 16-18: Praying for Others

Paul prays that the Galatian believers will walk in peace, showing mercy to others. Paul mentions that he bears the marks of persecution on his body. He then prays for the grace of Jesus to be on the believers.

 

Prayer is not hard. It is talking to Jesus as our all-power, all-loving Lord. It is sharing our lives with Him & interceding for the needs of others. Communication is the key in any intimate loving relationship & so prayer is the key to our relationship with Jesus.

 

Revelation 12:11 says that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb & by the word of their testimony because they did not love life even unto death. We overcome cultural pressure & hypocrisy by exalting the cross, living out in love the truth of the gospel, & serving others in Jesus’ name.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls,

                         Joe