Sunday I will continue looking at the passage Doug started
for us last week, Galatians 4:8-20. Doug
walked us through the theological and personal issues of the Galatians denying
grace and seeking to secure salvation through our own efforts. This week we are going to focus less on the
hearts of the Galatians and look at the heart and desires of Paul for them.
In his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller
says that God, as our Shepherd, “literally lays Himself out for us
continually. He is ever interceding for
us; He is ever guiding us by His gracious Spirit; He is ever working on our
behalf to ensure that we will benefit from His care.” I’m not sure that anyone (except perhaps for
David) has ever experienced or understood that reality more that Paul. Paul understood the depth of his sin; and
just not his past sin! His continuing
struggle with sin causes him, in Romans 7, to lament, “For I have the desire to
do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want
to do – this I keep on doing.” Yet,
Paul’s whole life and ministry was based on his knowledge that because of the
grace of his Shepherd, there was “therefore now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life
set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
Paul also understood that the grace shown and the
shepherding given to him was not simply for his benefit and enjoyment. It was his calling to take the love that God
had shown him and share it with others. He was compelled by love. The passage
we will look at Sunday fully exposes his shepherd’s heart for the
Galatians. It is a joy to watch it
unfold in these verses. But the
challenge before us is that, like Paul, we are not called to simply receive
grace either. We are all called to share
it, and to reflect the shepherding love of God to those around us. Read through the passage carefully before
Sunday. Spend some time asking God to
give you His view of your heart and life. Then ask Him to give you His shepherding
heart. See you Sunday.
Scott
