Galatians Five

God has laid on my heart a clear message for this coming year. It’s based on Galatians chapter 5. In this chapter Paul was addressing the religiosity of his day, and the Pharisaic legalism that was creeping into the church in Galatia. The strife that this was causing was destroying the unity of the church and the working of God’s Holy Spirit.

Paul begins this chapter with the bold assertion that Christ has set us free, has liberated us to live in the ever-unfolding wonder of the workings of His Holy Spirit. Later in the chapter he describes the contrasting works of the human, fallen flesh as opposed to the manifestations of the Spirit.

There is so much to meditate on in this chapter. Over the past two years I’ve done a lot of reading in the area of church conflict and hurt and there is much in this chapter to remind us of the contentions that can arise within the body of Christ as well as in the wider world. If I feel led by God into writing more in that area I will do so as the year unfolds.

I love verse 13. We are called to freedom; but freedom has its price and its fulfilment of obligations to the One who set us free. We use our freedom to serve. In a Christian framework which in the western world seems besotted with “leadership” we are told to serve one another with love.

The Holy Spirit is not frequently mentioned in some churches. In others the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seem to take centre stage in every service. Again I will further develop some thoughts about this as God directs. It’s a joy to read the Bible and learn more and more of what it contains and it’s also a joy to know the presence of God in His three forms – Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to experience a vibrant and sometimes astonishing relationship with Him on an ongoing daily basis.

Towards the end of last year I changed churches, not without some great sadness over leaving a church and ministries and people that I love. It’s a joy, however to be excited about new areas of ministry which will be opening up in this coming year and I look forward very much to what God will be doing and how He will reveal more of Himself and His purposes in my life and that of my family and church community.

“If we live by the (Holy) Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.- If by the (Holy) Spirit we have our life [in God], let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25