Are You In a Right Relationship with God?

Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersbe illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him.   -Our Daily Bread, February 20, 1994

In spite of having disobeyed God, believers can “be justified” by God; which means, “Declared and prepared to be in a right relationship with God.” Paul, and the other apostles, taught that in order to come into a right relationship with God people only need to place their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

When people understand that they have sinned and deserve to spend eternity separated from God, and when they also learn that because of Jesus’ sacrificial death God can justly and mercifully forgive them and welcome them into His family, they often bow before God with loving and thankful hearts. Born into a new life by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, they long to live right with God forever; therefore, Jesus comes to help them by living within them (Galatians 2:20).

Sadly, in Paul’s day, some “false teachers” taught a “different gospel” (see Galatians 1:6-7). They taught that to be justified people needed to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and in addition perform “the works of the law.” After Paul moved to begin a new church, these teachers often went into the churches Paul left behind, and they began “to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Their teaching was not good news, for they taught that Paul’s gospel was defective and that to be saved believers needed to circumcise their males, abstain from certain foods, stop eating with Gentiles, celebrate special feast days, and perform other religious rituals. In his letters, Paul opposed these “false believers.”

Paul chose to "live to God." He chose to "live by faith in the Son of God." He chose to put his focus on God and Jesus Christ and trust his future to Jesus Christ and living according to His teachings. He found true joy of living in his relationship with, and service to, God in Jesus Christ and with his fellow believers.

Scripture: Galatians 2:16b; 1 Chronicles 16:4; Nehemiah 11:17; Psalm 18:49; Psalm 50:14; Psalm 69:30; Psalm 107:1; John 6:11; Ephesians 1:16

Prayer: Holy Father, although we all are sinners, I ask you to forgive me every day for what I might have done wrong, that I might not have noticed. Even though we all come short of the glory of God, I thank you for the sacrifice of your only son Jesus Christ for all our sins. Amen  -Special thanks to L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

God bless you,

Priscilla