Bewitched

Introduction

Once upon a time, and it wasn’t that long ago, reporters and news outlets viewed themselves as impartial investigators whose role was to find out what happened and share that with their consumers. In more recent years, news outlets have come to view themselves as partial commentators who mention what happened and then tell their consumers what to think about what happened. As they have become more honest about that role, it has devolved to their place where they actively suppress and mock information that counters their narrative and focus solely on ensuring that what little information they do provide correlates with what they want their consumers to think and how they want their consumers to act.

It’s a shame, really, that those with a platform treat their consumers with such disdain and those same consumers are ok with it. Gone are the days when common people where encouraged to make up their own minds using the best information available.

I’d like to tell you this problem is a 21st century problem or only a secular problem. But it was a problem that plagued the 1st century church…and centuries 2-21 have been no better. Remember the word’s of Jesus’ little brother Jude?

Jude 3–4 NKJV

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude was abundantly clear that their were those within the early church who practiced deceit at a level that would make CNN envious.

Transition

The Apostle Paul was just as clearly dealing with similar issues in his letter to the churches and believers in Galatia. The deceit they faced may have been different, but the tactics and goals were not.

Illumination

Read Galatians 3:1-5

Critical Challenge, 1

Remember Paul’s audience. The Galatians were transplanted Gaelic people who history remembers as being arrogant and hot-tempered.

Reflect on Paul’s words

foolish

signifies not understanding due to a failure to think

signifies senseless due to an inability to perceive

signifies a moral reproach due to an inability to govern their lusts

part of us wants to be free to do as we please

part of us wants the trappings and austerity of religion that contrasts our want of freedom

bewitched

the goal is to mislead someone to believe what you want them to believe

the process is by slandering those who oppose and praising those who agree

Reiterate Paul’s message

The message of the Gospel had been clearly communicated to the Galatians

The power of the Gospel had been clearly demonstrated among the Galatians Acts 14.1-3 “1 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

Paul goes so far as to ask them just how foolish they are in verse 3 (of Galatians 3), “Are you so foolish?”

Critical Questions, 2-5

Focused around two contrasting ideas, 2

the works of the law. Specifically here the law of Moses. By extension any rule that is added as a necessary ingredient to salvation

the hearing of faith. Implies hearing, receiving, and believing

law and faith are contrasted but so is the nature of the two: one requires doing (active), one requires receiving (passive)

in the contrast, Paul demonstrates that the two ideas are completely opposite of each other

Focused through three questions, 3-5

Having begun in the spirit, are you being made perfect by the flesh?, 3

Have you suffered so many things in vain?, 4

Does God (He who supplies the Spirit) work His miracles through His message or our effort?, 5

Conclusion

Paul presses the Galatians in the areas of their own experience and their own ability to reason. The conclusion he wants them to reach is clear: we receive salvation, we do not achieve it. We receive sanctification, we do not achieve it. As soon as either salvation or sanctification becomes about what we must do, it loses its power because we don’t have enough power to accomplish either thing. God does.

Application

It may sound strange to say go do less this week. So we should hear, go do differently. Rather than trying harder, try trusting more. Do the hard work of getting out of the way and allowing God to work in you according to His purpose.