Concluding Exhortation
Open Your Bible
Galatians 6:11-18, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Matthew 23:1-36, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
BY Rebecca Faires
At summer camp, I won an award for having curly hair. The curliest, naturally curly hair. I felt pretty proud of myself that night. The next morning at breakfast I assumed everyone was whispering, “Is that the curly hair queen?” Yes, yes, it is I!
Sigh.
And goodness, isn’t this about the level of all the things we boast about? Things we truly have no control over? We can certainly work hard and make good choices. But our eye color and our physical achievements, our successes and our relationships—aren’t all these things really just gifts from God?
Instead of boasting in what amounts to little more than circumstances from our birth, we are called to boast in the Lord (Galatians 6:14). And “the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me—that I am the LORD, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the LORD’s declaration” (Jeremiah 9:24).
The Hebrew word for God’s “enduring, covenantal love” is hesed. In his book Inexpressible, Michael Card defines hesed beautifully as, “When the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything.” Our boasting then, is to be in the undeserved and overwhelming love of Christ, who—while we were His enemies, helpless in our sin—gave His life for us, so that we could be children of God (Romans 5:6–11).
Paul’s benediction appeals to this same hesed, as he speaks to the Galatian church that had foolishly followed after the false teachings of the Judaizers, and wandered from the life of the Spirit. As he had earlier called on them to deal gently with those who are overtaken by sin, so also Paul deals gently with the Galatians. Why? Because Christ has dealt gently with Paul. And so Paul can boast in one thing only: the hesed of God, seen most clearly in the cross of Christ. He exhorts the Galatians to do the same.
The apostle then blesses the Galatians with a benediction that can only result from the steadfast love of God. Because of God’s undeserved and faithful love, we have fellowship with one another. We have restoration when we are overtaken in sin, and reconciliation with those we have offended, including Christ our Lord. Because of His love for us, we are part of the family of God, brothers and sisters, and co-heirs with Christ to the inheritance of God’s eternal kingdom.
Paul goes on to bless the Galatians with the grace of Christ, for it is His grace alone which saves, restores, sustains, secures, and transforms us into His own likeness. This He does by the work of His Spirit in our spirits, in our hearts, and in our minds. In Him, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The final note of Paul’s epistle to the Galatians is a resounding praise of Christ, in whom alone we boast. Next time you get ready to toot your own horn over your own achievements, remember that there’s no need to rejoice over ourselves, because our Creator already rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Let His rejoicing over us be enough, and may we instead glory in Christ alone.
19 thoughts on "Concluding Exhortation"
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I wonder…. has anyone else struggled with Galatians 6:14. Perhaps, I have misunderstood it. “…through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” I grew up being a goal setter. In, school, in sports and in my job. That sounds pretty worldly to me. How about you? Have you struggled with this verse?
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Hi Debrn, this verse has definitely been a challenge to me. I may not have it right, but looking at the passage I believe it means that in light of Christ’s salvation and that we are new creations, this world isn’t the “bees knees”/it isn’t our greatest concern or nearly that important. Rather, what is important is what God has done for us in Christ! He has reconciled us to himself, thus the world and it’s things become meaningless, and we are in a sense dead to it/it is dead to us, because we have ultimate life in Christ. We are aliens on this world, awaiting for our true home in the new creation as beautiful new creations ourselves.
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…because our Creator already rejoices over us with singing! I loved this Rebecca. Thank you for a great devotion this morning.
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I don’t need to boast about what I accomplish, the Creator already sings over me. What a blessed promise to rest in!
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Let us boast that we understand and know God!
Wait a minute. Do we know God? Yes, we know God but yet we don’t. We need to carry on in His Word, studying, reflecting, memorizing, and putting the Word into action!
May we continue in God’s Word as if it were the only oxygen available.
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Today’s reading hits me right between the eyes with the powerful truth of the gospel…its all because of Him…who and what we are and what we accomplish…all of it. It’s all from Him. I used to sing. I had a solo voice and I loved to use.it. And then, as the result of a medication I was taking, it was suddenly gone. No more solos in church or national anthems for me. And it made me realize how much of my identity was tied up in that talent that was only mine because He had seen fit to give it to me. I do miss being able to sing in the way I used to, but I treasure Him all the more for the loss of it. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Phil.3:7
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Amen and amen!!!!
I’ve found myself in a similar situation, and reading your story has really helped me make more sense of my situation and Gods ultimate truth! Thank you for sharing! Xx
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Amen
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Amazing love and grace! Brought tears to think of all we have because of Jesus. Fellowship, restoration, reconciliation, and heirs in the Kingdom of the Most High God. Totally undeserved! I think of the joy I feel when I reconcile with someone on earth. It’s such a relief and a gift! We are reconciled to Almighty God! That gift should be mind blowing. We can’t count His thoughts toward us, His love is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. The greatest love I can think of pales to His love! He is Love! We always have hope, because of Him! I want to be wrecked by this and let this guide how I do, say, and think about everything. I don’t want to be the same!
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I imagine that if Paul was texting his final words to the Galatians he would be using all caps. “Look at what large letters I use…”. He wants to emphasize that we have nothing more valuable or precious to boast about than the cross of Jesus Christ. The Jews exalted their lineage, their special status as God’s chosen people. If new believers wanted to be accepted they would have to resemble the Jews, take on the mark of circumcision. NOT SO says Paul in bold letters. “Circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing. What matters is a new creation.” We can relax, take a deep breath and just bask in the mercy and peace that comes from this new standard. Jesus set us free. Let us not put ourselves back in bondage. Let us love God and others with abandon. Let us boast of Him and all He’s done. Let us abide in the Vine and watch the fruit of the Spirit shine. We are free, free indeed.
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Well said!! Churchmouse do you write somewhere else? If you have a blog I would absolutely follow it!
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Amen! As a perfectionist, it is such a relief that I don’t need to be perfect. In reality, I can’t anyway. All I can be is God’s precious daughter.. I don’t have to strive to be His daughter, I just simply abide in him and from that place I can walk in my true identity.
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Churchmouse have you “seen” Tina on here lately?
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