When I think of iron sharpening I think of heat & sparks. This involves knowing your friend on the inside, knowing where they struggle, and caring enough to challenge them biblically (with the requirement of doing it in true love) to do something about it. It is interesting, that in scripture, truth & love seem to be inseparable (this is a great study, see Eph 4:14-15, 1 John 3:18-19, 2 John). You can’t have biblical love without truth, and truth without love is not biblical truth.

To have a true friendship you must know the friends heart & passion. Knowing the friends heart will mean you will inevitably see (and most likely experience) some of its shortcomings (Jer. 17:10). To continue biblically one must out of genuine Christ-like love come alongside his brother/sister and encourage them in the truth, being careful to examine ones own heart as well.

To know a friend is to know their heart.

Galatians 3 is a heavy passage…all about faith. So here are my ramblings…

It astounds me how so many “Christian” religions and denomination’s don’t understand the concept of Salvation by FAITH not WORKS or the LAW.

What first comes to mind is the Seventh Day Adventists, who will tell you they believe in Salvation by Grace through Faith, but when it comes down to it they have a Works based Salvation, and rely heavily on following parts of the Old Testament Law for salvation(Worshiping on Saturday, dietary laws, etc…). A great resource to reach out to Adventists is the Proclamation Magazine. It is a great free Magazine written by former Adventists. I have been receiving it for a couple years now.

But there are other denominations who don’t seem to get passed working for salvation. The Holiness/Wesleyan tradition for instance. Though I believe here are many great Christians, and sincere believers in the movement, when it comes down to it, they teach you can lose your salvation if you fall into Sin. I mean it is great that they stress living a Holy Life sold out to God, separate from Sin, but if “works” can cause you to lose Salvation, then essentially you are counting on works to keep your salvation!

Galatians 3:3 says “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Paul is referring specifically to Gentile believers trying to “keep” their salvation by doing the works of the Jewish Law. Is it so different if someone tries to “keep” their salvation by keeping God’s Law?

Now, this is no excuse to sin! Romans 6 in Jon’s paraphrase says “Should we keep sinning so that God’s grace might become greater? Absolutely not! How can we who supposedly “died to sin” still live in it? Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ (Saved), were Baptized into His death?” See Galatians 3:26-27. I am baptized into Christ and am now part of His family!

This passage is a great reminder of how Gracious God is, and how vital Faith is. Challenges me to trust God, and also challenges me to live a holy life free from sin because I belong to Christ (vs 29).

This time I am going to *try*, and by that I mean “try” to post something I am challenged by or am learning each day.

Galatians: Written by Paul in around 49 AD to the Church in Galatia. It is the first epistle of Paul, and its overiding “theme” is Justification by Faith, NOT the Law.

Galatians 1:
The verse that stuck our to me was vs 16. Paul was converted, and then God called him to preach the Gospel to the non-Jews. What challenged me is that Paul did NOT “consult with flesh & blood” to see if it truly was his calling.

When God calls me to do something, or the Holy Spirit convicts me, or I am faced with a decision from scripture, I sometimes find myself seeking the advice of others, or “testing” God to see if He truly wants me to do it. Time is often spent wasted by waiting on a “sign” or “confirmation”, or by asking others their opinion.

If God through scripture commands I do something, or if He convicts me of something, I must act based on Scriptural Truth and Prayer, NOT the opinions or ideas of others. Good advice is good, but nowhere near as reliable or powerful as the Word of God and Prayer.