One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 317
Galatians 5
5So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.G4739G3767G1657G3739G5547G1659G2248G1659G2532G1758G3361G1758G3825G2218G13972Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.G2396G1473G3972G3004G5213G3754G1437G4059G5547G5623G5209G37623I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses.G1161G3143G3825G3956G444G4059G3754G2076G3781G4160G3650G35514For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.G5547G575G2673G3748G1344G1722G3551G1601G54855But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.G1063G2249G4151G553G1680G1343G1537G41026For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.G1063G1722G2424G5547G3777G4061G2480G5100G3777G203G235G4102G1754G1223G267You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?G5143G2573G5101G348G1465G5209G3982G3361G3982G2258It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom.G3988G3756G1537G2564G52099This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!G3398G2219G2220G3650G544510I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.G1473G3982G1519G5209G1722G2962G3754G5426G3762G243G5426G1161G5015G5209G941G2917G3748G302G560011Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.G1161G1473G80G1487G2784G2089G2784G4061G5101G1377G2089G1377G686G2673G4625G4716G267312I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.G3785G609G2532G609G387G520913For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.G1063G80G5210G2564G1909G1657G3440G3361G1657G1519G874G4561G235G1223G26G1398G24014For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”G1063G3956G3551G4137G1722G1520G3056G1722G25G4675G4139G5613G143815But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.G1161G1487G1143G2532G2719G240G991G335G3361G355G240G5259G24016So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.G3004G1161G4043G4151G2532G5055G3364G5055G1939G456117The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.G1063G4561G1937G2596G4151G1161G4151G2596G4561G1161G5023G480G240G2443G3363G4160G5023G3739G302G230918But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.G1161G1487G71G4151G2075G3756G5259G355119When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,G1161G2041G4561G2076G5318G3748G2076G3430G4202G167G76620idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,G1495G5331G2189G2054G2205G2372G2052G1370G13921envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.G5355G5408G3178G2970G2532G5125G3664G3739G4302G5213G4302G2531G4277G2532G4277G3754G4238G5108G2816G3756G2816G932G231622But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,G1161G2590G4151G2076G26G5479G1515G3115G5544G19G410223gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!G4236G1466G2596G5108G2076G3756G355124Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.G1161G3588G5547G4717G4561G4862G3804G2532G193925Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.G1487G2198G4151G4748G2532G4748G415126Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.G1096G3361G1096G2755G4292G240G5354G240
Galatians 6
6Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.G80G1437G2532G444G4301G1722G5100G3900G5210G3588G4152G2675G5108G1722G4151G4236G4648G4572G3361G4771G2532G3985 2Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.G941G240G922G2532G3779G378G3551G5547 3If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.G1063G1536G1380G1511G5100G5607G3367G5422G1438 4Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.G1161G1381G1538G1381G1438G2041G2532G5119G2192G2745G1519G1438G3441G2532G3756G1519G2087 5For we are each responsible for our own conduct.G1063G1538G941G2398G5413 6Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.G1161G2727G3056G2841G2727G1722G3956G18 7Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.G4105G3361G4105G2316G3456G3756G3456G1063G3739G1437G444G4687G5124G2325G2532G2325 8Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.G3754G4687G1519G1438G4561G2325G1537G4561G2325G5356G1161G4687G1519G4151G2325G1537G4151G2325G2222G166 9So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.G1161G1573G3361G1573G2570G4160G1063G2398G2540G2325G1590G3361 10Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.G5613G2192G686G3767G2540G2038G18G4314G3956G1161G3122G4314G3609G4102 11Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.G1492G4080G1121G1125G5213G1699G5495 12Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save.G3745G2309G2146G1722G4561G3778G315G5209G4059G3440G3363G1377G4716G5547 13And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.G1063G3761G846G4059G5442G3551G235G2309G4059G5209G4059G2443G2744G1722G5212G4561 14As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.G1161G3361G1096G1698G2744G1508G1722G4716G2257G2962G2424G5547G1223G3739G2889G4717G1698G2504G2889 15It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.G1063G1722G5547G2424G3777G4061G2480G5100G3777G203G235G2537G2937 16May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.G2532G3745G4748G2583G5129G2583G1515G1909G846G2532G1656G2532G1909G2474G2316 17From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.G3064G3930G3367G3930G2873G3427G1063G1473G941G1722G3450G4983G4742G2962G2424 18Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.G80G5485G2257G2962G2424G5547G3326G5216G4151G281
Psalms 7
7[A psalm of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin.] I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!H7692H1732H7891H3068H1697H3568H1121H1145H3068H430H2620H3467H7291H5337 2If you don't, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.H2963H5315H738H6561H5337 3O LORD my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice,H3068H430H6213H3426H5766H3709 4if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,H1580H7451H7999H2502H7387H6887 5then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. InterludeH341H7291H5315H5381H7429H2416H776H7931H3519H6083H5542 6Arise, O LORD, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice!H6965H3068H639H5375H5678H6887H5782H4941H6680 7Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high.H5712H3816H5437H7725H4791 8The LORD judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High!H3068H1777H5971H8199H3068H6664H8537 9End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.H7451H7563H1584H3559H6662H6662H430H974H3826H3629 10God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.H4043H430H3467H3477H3820 11God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.H430H8199H6662H410H2194H3117 12If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.H7725H3913H2719H1869H7198H3559 13He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.H3559H3627H4194H6466H2671H1814 14The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies.H2254H205H2029H5999H3205H8267 15They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves.H3738H953H2658H5307H7845H6466 16The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.H5999H7725H7218H2555H3381H6936 17I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.H3034H3068H6664H2167H8034H3068H5945
Dublin, OH
, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.G1161
