Christ Directed
Passage: Galatians 2:12-14
Point
1. When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, Paul confronted him.
2. Peter was eating with the Gentiles but when men came from James he withdrew as not to be seen eating with the Gentiles and because he feared the "circumcision party".
3. Paul points out that Peter, Barnabas and others were being hypocritical because they had been living like Gentiles but when Jews came they acted differently. These actions were not in step with the truth of the gospel.
Personalize
The gospel reveals there is neither "Jew nor Greek, male nor female". Our salvation and our value solely comes from our relationship to Jesus Christ. Salvation and sanctification is not found in the religious practices of the law or in the absence of them. Jesus Christ's surrender of his life on the cross is the message of the gospel. It is in Christ alone that we receive salvation. Paul was concerned that Peter and others were acting as hypocrites because they change their "song" when others are around. They had been living and eating with the Gentiles but now when the Jewish Christians show up they change. They were pressured not to live as free men but as men directed by the expectations of others.
As I reflect on this situation with Peter and Paul I wander what directs my life? Am I truly free in Christ that I am solely under the leadership of the Holy Spirit or am I driven and controlled by the cultural expectations of the country, city, or church I find mind self? Can I say that Christ has set me free and I walk by faith in the one who loved me and gave Himself for me? I would have to be honest and say that I find myself often directed by the "heart idol" of wanting to please others. Like Peter, I find myself being shaped by the expectations of others rather than walking in the freedom of Christ. Peter denied Jesus three times so that he would not be seen by others as being a disciple of Christ. Now he was denying his freedom in Christ so that he would not be seen as one of the Gentiles.
The expectations of others can be a strong influence in our lives. As children there were always those kids who were "in the group" and others who were not. For many they were always an outsider and never found themselves as "one of them". As adults and Christians we are influenced by the expectations of others and our culture. We truly desire to be free in Christ, but the pressure to be "one of them" influences us, even into adulthood. To live in freedom we must be willing to destroy the "heart idol" of pleasing others. Our only significance will be found in pleasing our heavenly Father, who is not a task master but He wants us to walk with joy and freedom. Today, may we choose to not be hypocritical and may we walk in freedom no matter what pressure and expectations we face.
Prayer
Father we want to be guided by Your Holy Spirit and not the expectations of our culture or others. We surrender our reputation to you. May we walk in the freedom we have received through Christ and may He be the Lord of our life. Break down the "heart idols" that so easily control us. Be the master of our lives and direct our path.
Created 6 months ago
