Hey Galatians aka you idjits

StriperAddict

Senior Member
Hope some can unravel a bit of humor with this study by David Moss. Truth for freedom, always available. Enjoy.
_____________________
“DEAR IDIOTS”

The favorite word of the religious is the word “but.”

The simplicity of the gospel is Christ. Anything added to Christ is not the gospel.

If you hear anyone add the word “but” after mentioning the cross of Christ, everything after that word “but” will be a deception.

That is the world so many believers live in. They measure themselves as a Christian by their activity. The more they do, the better a Christian they think they are! I was that way.

I pursued closeness to God, holiness, even my identity as a believer was based on what I was doing or not doing.

If someone told me of all Christ had done for me, I would respond with “Yes but” most of the time…

Christ forgave ALL of your sins! “Yes but I still need to confess to get forgiven.”

Christ made you perfectly righteous! “Yes but I have to maintain it by my holy living.”

Christ made you holy. “Yes but I have to pursue being holy.”

Christ made you perfect/ complete. “Yes but I need to practice the spiritual disciplines to be pleasing to Him.”

THIS IS WHAT THE GALATIAN BELIEVERS DID

The apostle Paul tore into the Galatian church for trying to perfect themselves by their performance like so many still do today.

In Galatians 3:1, Paul calls them out on it. The Phillips translation of the Bible says that Paul calls them “dear idiots.” See the verses below.

What was the problem?

The problem was Paul had taught them the clear gospel of grace and they had received it joyfully. Then after Paul left Galatia, the Judaizers had snuck in and convinced the believers in the church at Galatia to put themselves back under the Law of Moses in order to “perfect themselves.”

That’s what the majority of believers do today.

Think about it. Anything we do, say, believe, practice that we think helps us to become a “better Christian” or become “closer to God” HAS to mean that we think we are lacking, right? . So we work to obtain, and we don’t work to obtain what we know we already possess.

*****It implies that we believe the work of Christ was deficient. We subconsciously live in denial of Christ’s finished work*****

HOW THEN SHOULD WE VIEW OUR ACTIVITIES THEN?

If what we do is not to obtain, would we not become “spiritual couch potatoes?” After all, there is nothing to obtain!

No, it’s not inactivity, but it’s Christ’s activity working through us both to “will and to do of His good pleasure.” Phil 2:13.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Eph 2:10

When we try to perfect ourselves by self effort, we become “dear idiots”; loved by God, but not very bright; for human effort cannot compare to the “incomparable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:7

Instead, let’s realize the perfection that we already have in Christ and live from the unlimited resources of who He is us and who He has made us in Him. Heb 10:14.

Let’s not be like the Galatians. Let’s not be “dear idiots.”
 

gemcgrew

Senior Member
Christ made you perfectly righteous! “Yes but I have to maintain it by my holy living.”

Christ made you holy. “Yes but I have to pursue being holy.”

Christ made you perfect/ complete. “Yes but I need to practice the spiritual disciplines to be pleasing to Him.”
“A man doesn't become more holy. He is either holy or unholy.” ~ Rolfe Barnard
 

hummerpoo

Gone but not forgotten
Hope some can unravel a bit of humor with this study by David Moss. Truth for freedom, always available. Enjoy.
_____________________
“DEAR IDIOTS”

The favorite word of the religious is the word “but.”

The simplicity of the gospel is Christ. Anything added to Christ is not the gospel.

If you hear anyone add the word “but” after mentioning the cross of Christ, everything after that word “but” will be a deception.

That is the world so many believers live in. They measure themselves as a Christian by their activity. The more they do, the better a Christian they think they are! I was that way.

I pursued closeness to God, holiness, even my identity as a believer was based on what I was doing or not doing.

If someone told me of all Christ had done for me, I would respond with “Yes but” most of the time…

Christ forgave ALL of your sins! “Yes but I still need to confess to get forgiven.”

Christ made you perfectly righteous! “Yes but I have to maintain it by my holy living.”

Christ made you holy. “Yes but I have to pursue being holy.”

Christ made you perfect/ complete. “Yes but I need to practice the spiritual disciplines to be pleasing to Him.”

THIS IS WHAT THE GALATIAN BELIEVERS DID

The apostle Paul tore into the Galatian church for trying to perfect themselves by their performance like so many still do today.

In Galatians 3:1, Paul calls them out on it. The Phillips translation of the Bible says that Paul calls them “dear idiots.” See the verses below.

What was the problem?

The problem was Paul had taught them the clear gospel of grace and they had received it joyfully. Then after Paul left Galatia, the Judaizers had snuck in and convinced the believers in the church at Galatia to put themselves back under the Law of Moses in order to “perfect themselves.”

That’s what the majority of believers do today.

Think about it. Anything we do, say, believe, practice that we think helps us to become a “better Christian” or become “closer to God” HAS to mean that we think we are lacking, right? . So we work to obtain, and we don’t work to obtain what we know we already possess.

*****It implies that we believe the work of Christ was deficient. We subconsciously live in denial of Christ’s finished work*****

HOW THEN SHOULD WE VIEW OUR ACTIVITIES THEN?

If what we do is not to obtain, would we not become “spiritual couch potatoes?” After all, there is nothing to obtain!

No, it’s not inactivity, but it’s Christ’s activity working through us both to “will and to do of His good pleasure.” Phil 2:13.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Eph 2:10

When we try to perfect ourselves by self effort, we become “dear idiots”; loved by God, but not very bright; for human effort cannot compare to the “incomparable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:7

Instead, let’s realize the perfection that we already have in Christ and live from the unlimited resources of who He is us and who He has made us in Him. Heb 10:14.

Let’s not be like the Galatians. Let’s not be “dear idiots.”

Does the Author use the same argument structure for predestination. It fits like a glove, from the accusation by the opponent to the spiritual and temporal actuality.

Just a few examples:

If what we do is not to obtain, would we not become “spiritual couch potatoes?” After all, there is nothing to obtain!
If we have no choice, anything we do us worthless?

No, it’s not inactivity, but it’s Christ’s activity working through us both to “will and to do of His good pleasure.” Phil 2:13.
No, it's not worthless because it is Christ working through us both to "will and to do His good pleasure." (Phil 2:13)

*****It implies that we believe the work of Christ was deficient. We subconsciously live in denial of Christ’s finished work*****

It implies that we that we are not responsible for our actions, we are just robots. We subconsciously hold God responsible for our transgressions.

>>>
If you hear anyone add the word “but” after mentioning the cross of Christ, everything after that word “but” will be a deception.
If you hear anyone add the word "but" after mentioning God's Sovereignty, everything after that word "but" will be deception.<<<
 
Last edited:

gordon 2

Senior Member
Thankfully I have been in the habit of using "however" instead of "but" for some time now. Been doing it for yrs now really. I use to use "but" alot when I was on milk, however since I have the odd solid now... I don't use "but" anymore. It makes me "feel" more mature to use "however". I'm not saying this is very bright... however I feel good about it. A benefit of the fringe, perhaps.
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
The author uses Paul's testimony in Galatians as a means to challenge us about grace, shown in the Galatians erroneous new Judised beliefs prompted by peer pressure.
Robots and predestination got nothing to do with challenging errors for the sake of the truth of the gospel, otherwise we'd be well to say, hey Paul, stop arguing with these idjits, they're either plucked or not.
The preaching of the cross is ... ?
 

gordon 2

Senior Member
“When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”

Personally I would rather minister on Christ rather than on Grace...if I had a calling to minister to a people, a group, a mob who knew to be religious and so many winds of doctrine.

Yet I must hope that the leaven of Grace is in fact the ingredient missing to rise the man to an earnest faith and to the fullness of the body of Christ in your target group.
 

hummerpoo

Gone but not forgotten
The gospel is about Christ, not men.

The law serves three purposes:
1. To reveal God to His People.
2. To reveal Gods People to themselves.
3. To reveal God to the Gentiles through His People.

None of which is salvific (v21).

As to the third purpose, the Judaizes wanted to maintain that purpose through the Ceremonial Law, even though Christ had taught that it was love, for brother and enemy alike, that would fulfil that purpose. Just as the Law further revealed the Promise (v. 19), Christ further revealed the Law (v.24).

Those Jews who had not fully understood the evangelistic intent of the law had not said in their hearts, and thereby, through their lives, to the Gentiles and Pagans, "May they see God through me", but had instead pridefully said, "I'm a Jew; look at what God has done for me." The author has substituted "I'm a christian, look at what Christ has done for me."

"Read on" is never bad policy, nor is "read back".
 
Top