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by Mike Cleveland of Setting Captives Free Ministries (online at http://settingcaptivesfree.com)
We are studying our “Emancipation Proclamation” in the book of Galatians, and have now come to this section:
11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:11-16
A Christian’s method of correcting another Christian is through speaking the truth in love, rebuking when needed, and calling for correction and change. What Paul said to Peter in the above passage contained all three of these elements and was designed to get Peter to wake up and repent, because Peter had begun to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles for fear of the Jews.
It now becomes clear that Peter has a besetting sin in his life. Do you remember another time when Peter drew back and separated himself in a sinful way, for fear of the Jews? It is recorded here:
53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. Mark 14:53-54
Peter’s “following at a distance,” and his “warming himself at the fire” of the world led to his outright denial of Jesus Christ – three times. Jesus granted Peter repentance, and John records, in chapter 21, that Peter was restored to useful service. However, here in Galatians chapter 2 we see that, once again, Peter is separating himself and withdrawing from Gentile Christians. In essence, he is once again separating Himself from Christ, Who lives in His people. Peter is “not acting in line with the truth of the gospel” (verse 14), but rather is acting in deceit and hypocrisy.
This is called a “besetting sin” or a “sin that easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1), as Peter has become enmeshed twice in the same sin. The first time Jesus rebuked him and restored him; this time Paul does so.
Christians can and do have sins that easily entangle us. For me, it was gluttony and laziness, pornography and sexual impurity, drinking and lying. I lived like this, in bondage to these soul-destroying sins for 15 years of my life (some of them much longer than that), even while having a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Each of us have a sin, or sins, which easily entangle us, that we have real trouble overcoming, and that greatly discourage us when we fall.
And yet, the good news is that, in the life of the Christian, weaknesses are eventually turned into strengths (Hebrews 11:34) as God gives us grace and we experience the power of the Holy Spirit. This passage in Galatians (when Peter drew back and separated himself from other Christians) is the last time we see him acting hypocritically in all of Scripture. When we read the epistles he penned, we find a man who is strong in the Lord, walking in victory, whose weakness was turned into strength and whose faith is strong. Simon the “sinking sand” had indeed become Peter “the rock.” He may have his own past in mind as he tells others to “rid yourselves of all malice, and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind” (1 Peter 2:1—emphasis mine).
The good news is this: whatever your past or present weakness, whatever sins you struggle with that easily beset you, whatever sins are entangling you, you can have the victory over them in Jesus Christ. By repenting of your sin and focusing your attention squarely on Christ, by learning to love His gospel with your whole heart, you will find that you will escape the trap of sinful bondage and begin to walk in the glorious freedom of God’s sons.
Yes, it is focusing on the gospel that will indeed free you and change you. As you kneel and look up to the cross, what do you see? You see one who was wounded for your transgressions, who was bruised for your iniquities, and you recall the verse that says, “By His stripes you are healed.” As you see His blood-covered face and body, you realize that by shedding His blood He is making atonement for your sins, reconciling you to God, forgiving your debt, cleansing your conscience and removing your guilt. And then, are you mistaken? You think you see Him look your way as He says, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
And with tear-stained eyes and a heart of love and gratitude you stand, now in awe of this Lamb led to the slaughter for you. You now have a holy impulse of love beating in your heart and you feel the sanctifying power of grace within you. You have heard Him say, “Neither do I condemn you” and now you feel the power of the Holy Spirit Who will enable you to “go and sin no more” (John 8).
Peter failed Christ, played the part of the hypocrite over and over, and we can imagine that every time he heard a rooster crow he was reminded of his failure. Possibly you have reminders of your falls, too. Maybe when you see someone, or pass by a certain place, or hear a song on the radio you are reminded of how you failed Christ, fell to sin, and possibly hurt others that you love. Well, take heart, dear Christian. Not only did Peter have roosters in his life, but he also had fish. You can imagine every time he ate a fish he heard the words of grace, “If you love me, feed my sheep” and recalled the tender warmth with which Jesus restored him three times, once for each of his denials of Christ (John 21:17).
Paul absolutely loved the gospel of Jesus Christ. He felt compelled to rebuke Peter because Peter’s actions denied the power of the gospel. In his rebuke, Paul evidenced that he loved Peter, and that he did not want to share in his guilt:
Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Leviticus 19:17
Now you probably don’t know me personally, and I probably don’t know you. If you are not falling to sin habitually, you may disregard the rest of this letter. But, if you are trapped in sin, may I lovingly rebuke you, even through this newsletter? If you continue to fall to sin, out of love for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and your eternal soul, I say to you with compassion, “You are not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,” are abusing the grace that God has given you and, worse yet, you are mocking the cross on which Jesus died and the atonement He made for you. I do not at all wish to be harsh with you and, if we were sitting down over coffee, I think you would sense my love and concern for you. Please know that in my heart I only want the best for you. It would be “hate” in my heart to fail to speak the truth in love to you, to not rebuke you; and this I do not want to do.
So, my heart is to encourage you to repent, and to help you to gospel freedom. We have designed Bible studies to help you leave your sin and fall in love with your Savior. We invite you to come to Setting Captives Free.com if you would like help in finding freedom through gospel truth.
I would love to see a letter from you someday, possibly thinking of your own past, as you write to exhort others, as Peter did, “11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11-12
“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25
Sincerely,
Mike Cleveland
Would you please consider helping us at Setting Captives Free to continue to reach more people with the liberating message of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Please pray for us when you think of it. And, if you are able to help us financially, we would be very grateful, especially if you could become one of our partners and contribute a small (or large) monthly donation. As able, please click here to donate. Thank you.
This song glorifies Christ. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I AM God!” Enjoy it as you lift Jesus up!
What DID Jesus Do?
by Alan Melton
A popular saying has been “What Would Jesus Do?” We have seen “WWJD?” on bumper stickers, t-shirts, bracelets and billboards. However, an even more relevant question is “What DID Jesus Do?” Below is a look at what Jesus actually did, and the implications that these actions have on making disciples.
The Great Commission: As Simple As the ABC’s
- Jesus showed us how to make disciples.
- Then Jesus commanded us to “make disciples.”
- We should make disciples like Jesus did!
Four Components to Jesus’ Personal Discipleship
There are at least four major components to what Jesus did when He was showing us how to make disciples. He did not just command us to disciple. In addition to the command, He paved the way in showing His followers how to make disciples themselves. Here are the four components:
1) Jesus Told His Disciples to Follow Him, While He Showed Them How to Follow God
2) Jesus Was With His Disciples All Day Long, and He Took Them Into the World
3) Jesus Taught Scripture, Glorified God and Demonstrated Biblical Principles Constantly
4) Jesus Sent His Disciples Out in Twos (because of wolves)
Read the entire article here.
The Preeminence of Christ
Colossians Chapter 1 Verses 15-23
15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21) And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22) he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23) if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Jesus Christ: Is He your sustainer? Whether you realize it or not. The answer is undeniably: YES. Stop fighting against the things of God. Stop rejecting Christ and surrender to His draw. His grace is more powerful than anything in your past or present and His grace can and will dramatically and radically change your future. What’s the next step? Click here to learn more about surrendering to Christ and begin following Him for your joy and His glory! I challenge you and I beg you. Not for me, but for Him.
by Josh Jensen of Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency
You probably hear testimonies from adoptive parents, and maybe even a few from adults who were adopted as children. But how often do you hear the stories of women who placed a child for adoption?
This week, Carolina Hope is posting the five-part testimony of a woman who placed her daughter for adoption more than 15 years ago, and is now a wife — and mother of two boys and a girl. To hear her testimony (which has a couple of surprising twists), go to Carolina Hope’s blog, From Hope to Reality: http://www.CarolinaHopeAdoption.org/blog/. Each part of the interview is 3 minutes or shorter.
(Next week we’ll be posting a five-part interview with Sarah, a Christian woman who, as a senior in college, placed her baby for adoption. Sarah is now married and has a son. She talks about open adoptions and how she feels looking back on the adoption now, 6 years later.)
by Alan Melton and Isaac Fineman
Did you know that over 2 million teens, youth, and young adults from Christian families are leaving the church each year, never to return? Learn why this problem exists, and what parents, grandparents and pastors can do about it. Please join the Disciple Like Jesus group at Facebook.com.
You can also go to http://www.CommunityImpactOnline.org and click on Partner Spotlight for more information about the new Disciple Like Jesus ministry.
Unfortunately, some people have had a bad experience in church. Perhaps your experience was like these. Here it is: “The Top Ten Signs You’re in a Bad Church.”
10. The church bus has gun racks.
9. Church staff: senior pastor, associate pastor, socio-pastor.
8. Bible version they use: “Dr. Seuss Version.”
7. ATM in the lobby.
6. Choir wears leather robes.
5. During greeting time, people take turns staring at you.
4. Karaoke worship time.
3. Ushers ask, “Smoking or non-smoking?”
2. Only song the organist knows: “We Shall Not Be Moved.”
1. Services are B.Y.O.S.: “Bring Your Own Snakes.”
If you church has two or three of the above qualities, you might want to look for another church. But before you give up on churches completely, remember this: Christ gave Himself up for the church. “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25, ESV). If Jesus considered the church worth dying for, then we ought to consider the church living for. If a church believes the Bible, preaches Jesus as Lord and loves people, then check it out. The church may not be perfect, but then neither are you. Who knows? You might fit right in.
Copyright 2008 by Bob Rogers. http://www.holyhumor.blogspot.com
by Isaac M. Fineman
Today was a tough day. I will admit it. The easy thing to do when someone asked me how I was doing would be to lie and say “I’m good.” But the truth is, I am not. Romans 3:10-12 tells me that. Have you ever read those verses in the Bible. They say: “as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Pretty deep, huh?
But praise be to Jesus Christ that no matter what has happened, is happening, or will happen, I am free to rest in His wonderful grace. He is in charge. He is the King. He is the one who gives and takes away. No matter what…my Jesus is the one who is on the throne in Heaven interceding on my behalf. He is the protector of my soul and the lifter of my head. He is the Lion and the Lamb.
So whether I have 10 picture perfect days in a row or even if I have 10 horrible days in a row, I am not going to look to my circumstances. I am going to look to the One that really matters…Christ Jesus.
Who are you looking to today?
I reside in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in the Upstate of South Carolina. I am interested in connecting with others who want to make a difference in their community and ultimately their world. If this fits your description and you'd like to say hello, please click the Connect With Me link and let's talk!
