2-4 Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!
5-6 Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.
I find a lot of things about today and this reading interesting. Take a look at what we are doing in our life to try to live right for God, or to try to please Him. We try to please Him all the time, like He was some sort of abusive or absentee Father that we are trying to get his attention. After awhile of not getting anywhere, being good enough or trying hard enough, we find we are spinning our wheels and at this point, many people fall away and give up because no matter what they do they can't please God with their busy actions.
Take my writing, for example, it is my ministry, the only way I know how to reach people for Christ. If it fails, am I a failure? Well, if I'm doing it for the purpose of trying to please God, I am.
I know that sounds crazy, and a little off track. Don't take my entire post out of context, just bare with me.
Remember when Jesus told Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water. Do you suppose he did it because he wanted Peter to see how great he was so that he could boast. Or do you suppose that there was an element there for him to be able to walk on water. Peter just simply had to trust God and the action followed. The moment He looked at himself and his circumstances, he sunk.
Have you ever sunk? Was it because you had the cart before the horse. Were you trying to please God to get his love? What would have happened if you knew God loved and called you to something and you simply did it, knowing that, instead of worrying about the outcome? Would you continue to follow through even if you didn't see any results?
23-24 Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for.
25-27 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.
From Galatians Chapter 3 (The Message) 2-6 & 23-27
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