Overcoming Confusion

Introduction

This world is a confusing world. We see this played out in politics. One side says they have the answer and the other side says “no this won’t work, we need to do it this way.” Even churches have mixed opinions how to do things . The Galatians had certainly run into this from the Judaizers. It seems that salvation by grace was not a valid teaching according to the Judaizers who insisted that one had to keep the law in order to earn salvation. Paul opens this set of scripture from Galatians 5:7-10 with an analogy from running a race, a thought that was relevant to the activity of the day.

Galatians 5:7–10 NIV84

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Look at what this confusion does. It causes stumbling. A source has to be realized. A sickness comes out of it. However, even in the midst of all that, Paul still has a solution that we can apply today for the confusion that comes to us.

The Stumbling From Confusion (vs. 7)

First, notice the stumbling that takes place. Imagine if you are one that runs a race and all of the sudden, someone or some thing cuts in front of you and causes you to stumble. It can be devastating to all involved. You would think that one who runs a race would be highly trained as to what to do in case there is ever something to cause a stumble. We see in this passage that there are some specific things that come about in the stumbling from confusion. It is interesting to me that we should be aware of what makes us stumble by understanding a few characteristics of stumbling.

Proverbs 4:19 NIV84

19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

First, we need to recognize that it is unusual.

Unusual

The cutting in on the runner that Paul speaks about is out of the norm. Especially if you are in full stride and have been running the race well. I see this a lot when something happens to shake up one’s faith. You are running along in life and then all the sudden something happens, and a stumbling block is thrown out in front of you. It could be a crisis or even a crisis of belief. Something has caused you mess up your stride. It is unusual and it causes you to stumble. I think the counsel here is to watch out for the unusual. Isaiah 26:7

Isaiah 26:7 NIV84

7 The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.

If we are running on a smooth path, we need to watch out for the unusual. We also need to watch out for the unexpected.

Unexpected

Some of the best advice I have received is to always expect the unexpected. It goes along with the Boy Scout Motto, “Be Prepared.” The runner in Galatians that Paul is referencing apparently was not expecting the unexpected. It caused them to stumble, not being able to finish the race. I think there is two lessons that show up here for me. First, we should expect the unexpected as I have already mentioned. Secondly, I am reminded that I need keep my path the Lord’s path. We will talk more about that in a few more minutes. The unexpected will happen. There will be no rhyme or reason when it does. In fact, it will be totally uncalled for!

Uncalled-for

Paul asks in verse 7, “Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”

The word for the phrase “cut in on you” is egkopto. It means to hinder or obstruct. The one that hinders or obstructs acts primarily out of selfishness. The tripping up is intentional and totally uncalled for. Todd Wilson wrote about such an example. At the 1938 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Louie Zamperini was the man to beat. Coaches from rival schools had even ordered their runners to sharpen the spikes on their shoes and to slash Louie. “Halfway through the race, just as Louie was about to move ahead for the lead, several runners shouldered around him, boxing him in. Louie tried repeatedly to break loose, but he couldn’t get around the other men. Suddenly, the man beside him swerved in and stomped on his foot, impaling Louie’s toe with his spike. A moment later, the man ahead began kicking backward, cutting both of Louie’s shins. A third man elbowed Louie’s chest so hard that he cracked Louie’s rib.” Despite all that, he went on to set national collegiate mile record in that race of 4 minutes 8.3 seconds.

The tripping up and cutting in is no doubt uncalled-for. So let’s look a bit closer to the source of this confusion.

The Source of Confusion

The initial source of confusion comes from the Judaizers that were adamant that the law was the way to salvation. Paul uses the word “persuasion” in this passage. The original Greek word means treacherous or deceptive. Why would someone do that?

Against the Calling

First, they were against the calling. The apostles, including Paul, had called them to repent, call on the name of the Lord to be saved and be baptized. This was and still is the calling of God. The Judaizers were totally against this. Why? Because they believed that the law was the answer. The believed that religion and ritual were the answer. Paul wanted the Galatians to know and understand that the calling came from God Himself. He is the One who calls. It is present tense because He is the One that continues to call you!

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NIV84

12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV84

24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

The Judaizers did not like this and they were against the call. They might have not fully understood, or they may have been adversely connected.

Adversely Connected

The adversary is mentioned through out the Bible as the devil himself. In this case, the adversary is in human form but used to put obstacles in the way and hinder the people of the Galatian church. They refused to be connected to Christ. They were apart from Christ.

Apart from Christ

Have you ever thought about what it is like to be apart from Christ? Jesus said in John 15:5

John 15:5 NIV84

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

This persuasion mentioned in Galatians 5:8 does not come from God the Father or God the Son. In fact, it is not connected to the vine as mentioned in John 15:5 at all. The word persuasion in this context means to draw away from the truth. We need to be very careful of being drawn away from the truth of Jesus. In fact, when we are drawn away from the truth of Jesus, we will be consumed a little at a time. I have even gone so far to say that this confusion will lead to a sickness.

The Sickness Because of Confusion

Paul uses a proverb from the day to illustrate this.

Galatians 5:9 NIV84

9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

This is a proverb used to stress the persuasive effect of Judaism. Except for the parable of the yeasto Jesus told concerning heaven, yeasty mostly is used in the Bible as a symbol of evil or corrupting influence of false teaching.

Mark 8:15 NIV84

15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

Starts with a little

The idea of yeast is that it only takes a little to spread into lots. Yeast is a single-celled organism that is the original party animal, because it is a FUNGI. In the context of these verses, it speaks of how something can start very small and then go throughout the entire organism. It has the ability to influence and persuade. In another passage, Paul gives more clarity.

1 Corinthians 5:6–7 NIV84

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Because the influence of the Judaizers started with a little, it seemed to be fueled and spread throughout.

Spreads Throughout

As it spreads throughout, it seems to replace the truth with a lie.

Spoils the Truth

The problem that Paul was dealing with came down to the Judaizers spoiling the truth. We already have seen Paul’s stance on this:

Galatians 4:16 NIV84

16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

The yeast that Paul speaks of here is spoiling the truth that “Jesus is the way the truth and the life, and no one can come to the Father but through Him!”

So what is the solution for the confusion?

The Solution for Confusion

Galatians 5:10 NIV84

10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Continuing the Path

First and foremost, Paul urges the Galatians to continue with the path they have already been taught by him, that they will take no other view. What happens when we take the Lord’s path?

The Isaiah passage I shared a few minutes ago is very relevant. Isaiah echoes this idea later on in Isaiah 42:16

Isaiah 42:16 NIV84

16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Oh the promises we have in this passage!

Correcting the Persuasion

Another thing we can do is to correct the persuasion. Often, we cannot deal with the persuasion by any other means than to remove ourselves from it. I have often said that one cannot talk with a drunk person. I don’t mean intoxicated from alcohol, but rather intoxicated in their belief system. We certainly can pray for them to have their minds open to the truth, but we do not need to be pulled down because of their poor influence. 1 Corinthians 15:33

1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV84

33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Paul places his confidence in the Lord!

Confidence in the Power

When you place your confidence in the Lord, you are placing your confidence in His Power.

1 John 5:14 NIV84

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Philippians 1:6 NIV84

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

There will be a price paid for the one that causes confusion. Again, there is a similar passage that Paul speaks of this:

2 Corinthians 11:15 NIV84

15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.