Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,209
“As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!” (Galatians 4:13-20 NIV)
In context, the Judaizers were trying to convince the Gentile Christians that they needed to be more like Jews and that they had to obey some of the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws such as circumcision, dietary restrictions and the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath. Particularly Paul was concerned about them being pressured into being circumcised when that was not required of them by God, because they were already circumcised in the Spirit with a spiritual circumcision, which is not of the flesh.
But some of the Gentile Christians were being convinced that they had to add some of these Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws on to their salvation, and some of the Jews were also holding on to some of those Old Covenant laws. His main concern was in the area of physical circumcision and them feeling as though they needed to add things on to their faith that God does not require, feeling as though that was going to make them better Christians or enhance their Christianity in some way, which was a lie.
And Paul was trying to correct the lies and to teach the people the truth, but it appears that some of them were not listening to him and that they may have been rejecting him in favor of the Judaizers who were teaching them something different. And so he was appealing to them here to follow after the truth that they had first received and to not be swayed to do something different by those who were trying to win them over to a different gospel. For Paul was dedicated to helping them to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we have a parallel situation to this today with so many Judaizers and false teachers who are either adding on to the gospel of Christ what is not of God, or who are removing from the gospel what they do not want to accept, and then who are teaching the Scriptures out of context, and are making them say what they do not say if taught in the right context. And so many of them are teaching that all we need to do is make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven, and heaven is our eternal destiny, but regardless of how we live in lifestyle and in practice.
And these false teachers are very zealous to win people over to their point of view, and not for a good purpose, for they are leading them to continue in their sinful practices and to not obey God and his New Covenant commands. And they will use such passages as Galatians 3-4 out of context to try to say that we do not have to obey God’s commands at all, and that we do not have to die to sin, for they call that “works salvation” or “legalism,” and so they are convincing the masses to accept their false gospel of salvation.
But faith in Jesus Christ, which is of God, is not lip service only, but it is about change of heart and mind and behavior, away from living in sin to now following our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. We do none of this in our own flesh, but only by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, in the power and wisdom of God, and by the Spirit. For by faith in Christ we are to now turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that we may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (made holy) by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18).
Gospel:[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Faith in Christ is Change
An Original Work / August 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Video Talk on the same subject
Caution: This link may contain ads
“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!” (Galatians 4:13-20 NIV)
In context, the Judaizers were trying to convince the Gentile Christians that they needed to be more like Jews and that they had to obey some of the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws such as circumcision, dietary restrictions and the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath. Particularly Paul was concerned about them being pressured into being circumcised when that was not required of them by God, because they were already circumcised in the Spirit with a spiritual circumcision, which is not of the flesh.
But some of the Gentile Christians were being convinced that they had to add some of these Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws on to their salvation, and some of the Jews were also holding on to some of those Old Covenant laws. His main concern was in the area of physical circumcision and them feeling as though they needed to add things on to their faith that God does not require, feeling as though that was going to make them better Christians or enhance their Christianity in some way, which was a lie.
And Paul was trying to correct the lies and to teach the people the truth, but it appears that some of them were not listening to him and that they may have been rejecting him in favor of the Judaizers who were teaching them something different. And so he was appealing to them here to follow after the truth that they had first received and to not be swayed to do something different by those who were trying to win them over to a different gospel. For Paul was dedicated to helping them to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we have a parallel situation to this today with so many Judaizers and false teachers who are either adding on to the gospel of Christ what is not of God, or who are removing from the gospel what they do not want to accept, and then who are teaching the Scriptures out of context, and are making them say what they do not say if taught in the right context. And so many of them are teaching that all we need to do is make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven, and heaven is our eternal destiny, but regardless of how we live in lifestyle and in practice.
And these false teachers are very zealous to win people over to their point of view, and not for a good purpose, for they are leading them to continue in their sinful practices and to not obey God and his New Covenant commands. And they will use such passages as Galatians 3-4 out of context to try to say that we do not have to obey God’s commands at all, and that we do not have to die to sin, for they call that “works salvation” or “legalism,” and so they are convincing the masses to accept their false gospel of salvation.
But faith in Jesus Christ, which is of God, is not lip service only, but it is about change of heart and mind and behavior, away from living in sin to now following our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. We do none of this in our own flesh, but only by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, in the power and wisdom of God, and by the Spirit. For by faith in Christ we are to now turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that we may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (made holy) by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18).
Gospel:[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Faith in Christ is Change
An Original Work / August 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Video Talk on the same subject
Caution: This link may contain ads
