Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19-20 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Any need that we have, we can make known to God, and thank Him for His promised intervention. In prayer and supplication we give our needs to Him and rest in the peace that only He can give us. Our faith in Jesus reconciles us to Him. God cares for us!
Matthew 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Acts 11:19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.
Jesus came in fulfillment to God’s promises to His chosen people. We, who are not Jews, entered into those promises by His grace when they rejected their King. In the fullness of time He will once again return to fulfill those promises made to Abraham. We live and breath in His grace.
The truth of the Gospel is to be rightly divided, in Greek it means to cut straight. We are to rightly divide the word of Scripture to understand and be approved. Jesus came to His own and the majority of His chosen people rejected Him.
Acts 11:19-21 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
The Church of Jerusalem was a called out assembly of those who believed in Jesus as their King. Jesus called out Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles who believed in the grace of God given in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Galatians 1:11-12 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:15 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
Paul was chosen by God’s mercy to be the minister of grace, this dispensation of grace is offered to all humankind to know the riches of Christ’s glory.
Romans 16:25-27 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
As believers we are saved by the grace of God. His grace to us is separate from His promises to His chosen people. We entered in through the dispensation of grace which was hidden. This mystery was revealed to Paul. For God so loved this world that whoever believed in His Son would not perish and that in Him the world could be saved. Salvation is the underserved and unmerited favor of God. To Him we owe all honor and glory, through the name above all names, Jesus Christ. Carla
Paul began the letter with a defense of his apostleship—it came from God, not people. His argument here is similar, but this time it is not about himself, but his gospel. Before his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul was a strict Jew and zealous opponent of Christianity (Acts 7–9; 22:2–11; Philippians 3:1–15). Traditions refers to Pharisaic traditions that likely include the Jewish law as well as oral traditions concerning its interpretation.
The Old Testament prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah described their callings in similar ways (Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1). This phrase signals that Paul’s ministry is a continuation of God’s work and voice in the world. Prophets and apostles both possessed authority to speak on God’s behalf and remind their audience to live according to God’s promises. Additionally, Paul assumed the role of a prophet by pronouncing a curse upon those who distort the gospel (Galatians 1:8).
To reveal His Sin in me, the end of this phrase is often translated “to me,” but it is better understood as “in me.” Paul emphasizes that God chose him as an instrument to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul did not need human approval of his gospel since God Himself revealed His son and the gospel in him (Acts 26:17, 20, 23).
Believers are no longer slaves living under the law, but children living under promise. This is because they have been united with the Son through the Spirit of the Son (4:6–7). Paul directed his ministry primarily to the non-Jewish people (Acts 9:15; 22:21). He considers his missionary work a fulfillment of what God spoke through the prophet Isaiah about being a light to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46–47; Isaiah 49:6). Faithlife Study Bible
There was no human creativity flavoring the gospel Paul preached. Paul knew it only because he received it by special revelation from Jesus Christ at his conversion (Acts 26:12–18).
Judaism means the Jewish way of life, which was based partly on the Old Testament and partly on additional traditions of the fathers, or leaders of the people (Matthew 15:2).
Paul’s conduct before his conversion had greatly distinguished him in Judaism in two ways: (1) He painstakingly kept the law and traditions, certainly more so than the Judaizers in Galatia (6:13). (2) He persecuted the church of God in order to destroy it (Philippians 3:6), doing so under the authority of Jewish religious leaders (Acts 8:3; 9:1, 2).
Paul relates that God had chosen him to be an apostle (verse 1) before his birth. Paul, like the Judaizers in Galatia, had previously tried to earn his salvation by works (verse 14). However, his apostolic call and conversion both came through God’s grace, His undeserved favor. The NKJV Study Bible
Which reminds me of one of my favorite images, from a magazine ad sponsored by the Humane Society, looking for homes for homeless pets. A photo of a puppy and kitten—looking up at you from the page—catches your eye and your heart. But it's the affirmation on the top of the ad that sticks, "It's who owns them that makes them important."
Yes. Be true to who you are…
Yes… Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you.
Yes… Embrace this new life of love. Sabbath Moments
Dear God,
May we find the strength to heal,
the courage to fight for what matters,
and the wisdom to cherish those we love
in the present moment.
May love guide our steps,
even through loss, uncertainty, and change.
Amen.
Maria Shriver
In our lives…compromising what we know is right will cost us more than we can imagine. God calls us not to be silent in the face of sin but to be courageous defenders of truth and to speak out for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8-9; Micah 6:8; James 1:27).
However, we are to work toward godly justice, not sinful revenge (Romans 12:18-19). While we have laws to help uphold justice in our societies, no human is qualified to judge sin in an ultimate sense. Only God can do that. He alone is truly righteous. First5
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