Galatians 6:14-18

New American Standard Version

14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Pastor’s Paraphrase

          “The only thing that I ever want to speak of with confidence is the finished work of our Lord Jesus on the cross. It is that cross that has set me free from the shackles of this world and all it stands for.  All of the penalty of bondage that I inherited by being born into this sinful world was nailed to that cross along with my blessed Lord. I no longer belong to this world and all its sin because I have been set free by the cross. Whether someone has been circumcised or not has absolutely no bearing upon this eternal issue of our sin. All that really matters is whether or not someone has been transformed into a totally new person, inside and out, by the mighty power of the cross.

          You know that this can only happen when they put their faith and trust in the One who died on that cross – our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who takes this step of faith and trust will then know and experience the peace and mercy of God. It is freely offered to all of us sinners, even to the Jews who have struggled and failed to be right with God through the law.

          As I close, I plead with you not to fight with me about this issue. My body already bears the scars of many such battles and it would not be right for me to have to have such conflict with you whom I love so much.  May the amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ bear witness to your inner spirit, my dear brothers in the Lord. Amen.”

 “How does this help me become more like Him?”

          We become like Him when there is a complete and full confidence in who and what we are because of the cross and, at the same time, a total absence of arrogance.  There was a line in the original lyrics of the hymn, “At the Cross” in which the hymn writer referred to himself as “such a worm as I.”  That was changed in later editions to “sinners such as I”.  Yet, to describe oneself as a “worm” does convey our utter worthlessness apart from Christ.  We have no justifiable reason for arrogance or conceit.  There is nothing in and of ourselves that should inspire anything but humility and total dependence upon Him.

          Oh, but the good news of the gospel is that because of the cross, we are no longer “worms” but children of God!  We are no longer defeated but more than conquerors!  We can and should have total and complete confidence, but it is all based upon Christ and His cross and not in ourselves.

“How should I pray for Him to change my life?”

Ask the Lord to help you understand and live in complete confidence in who you have become in Him and the humility of understanding who you would be apart from Him.

END