Original Entry: March 17, 2008
McMinnville, OR
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1: 6-10
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. Galatians 4:17
I love shooting. If it weren’t for the price of ammunition, I would shoot more often. Several times a year we try to shoot trap with my family. We will literally shoot until our arms are bruised in anticipation of breaking another clay target.
For Shanna, who is a good shot gunner, it is an adventure trying to throw the gun up, aim, swing, and shoot because my guns fit me and are too long for her. With a shotgun that does not fit the longer the gun the larger the bruise!
Paul has the Church of Galatia loaded on his doctrinal trap thrower and is about to step on the release switch. After his introductory statements in verses 1-5 Paul loads up and is about ready to yell, “Pull!” Paul is ticked off and believers throughout all of eternity will soon know why!
The great apostle was dealing with cowards, man pleasers, and religious politicians. He was dealing with men that were too gutless to stand up for what is right. Like a liar, cowards and religious politicians (we call them pastors) have so many layers that it takes time to peel away the layers. To uncover cowardice is often difficult as it is hidden between the lines of Christian clichés such as, “God is in control,” political mantras such as, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” and philosophical mumbo jumbo such as, “I don’t want to offend anyone.”
When I a man is tempted towards cowardice those men closest to him need to call out, “Pull!” They must blast away at his façades, clichés and politicizing until utterly destroyed. Cowardice must be confronted head on in order to cure the man pleaser; the coward.
Paul wanted to know point blank if these men were, “now trying to win the approval of men or God?” The New American Standard translates this section as, “Am I striving to please men?” Those who “strive” to win approval of men will struggle with winning men to Christ and subsequently wining the approval of Christ. If our striving is to “win” approval the result will be that men will “win” us. The moment a man tries to win approval is the moment he loses.
The man who wins for Christ is the man who wins others to Christ. Be that man.
