January 16, 2022 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By Pastor Immanuel Garcera

Orthodoxy

How important is it to believe the right thing? To have the right set of beliefs? It's been said that "it's not about what you know, or what you believe, but rather it's what you do and how you live your life". I wonder how Apostle Paul, the author of Galatians, would respond to that statement. It's precisely the beliefs of the people in Galatia believing in a "different gospel" (Gal 1:6) that Paul is trying to tackle.

In Galatians 1:13-16, Paul states this:

"...you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles".

Paul's entire life changed when God called him. Therefore, what we know and believe actually dictates a lot more of what we do and how we live, especially for Paul. For such a man whose calling is to proclaim the Good News to the Gentiles for the glory of God, everything He does is towards this end.

Church, sometimes in life we are so quick to do things without first asking the question "why?" I hope and pray that we ask this, sometimes hard-to-ask question today, so we too, would not end up like the Galatians who according to Paul were so "quick to leave God, who called [them] in the grace of Jesus". May it never be!

To God be the glory.