Galatians 1-2
11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ…
2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
6 As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
Everyone has a story. Paul had a story and he shares it with us in Galatians 1-2. Paul’s story shows us that God has a plan for our lives. God wants to save us, grow us up spiritually and use us to serve Him and share the gospel. God wants to take disconnected, broken, sinful people and turn them into world-changers for the gospel. The gospel changes everything!
Where are you in the unfolding story of God’s plan for your life? Do you need to receive God’s grace and the salvation available in Christ? Do you need to take steps of faith and follow Christ in discipleship? Do you need to use your gifts and serve the Body of Christ? Do you need to boldly share the gospel of grace with others? What is your story?
To discover more, listen to my message on oneplace.com, “What is your story-part 2”. https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/truth-that-changes-lives/?ref=sc Make sure you listen to the very end to hear my summary and application comments. You can download the oneplace app to your smartphone or podcast Truth that Changes Lives so that you can listen anytime. Right now I am teaching through the book of Galatians and a new message is available every Monday-Friday.
May God reveal His plans and show you His grace,
Pastor JP
