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We have spent some time considering the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians Chapter 5. I return to the opening Chapter of Galatians before going to further studies in Paul’s profound letter.

In Galatians Chapter 1, God is saying to us through the opening words of this amazing letter - Do not mess with the message and do not mess with the messenger”. It is all there, and it is so relevant today, because there have been those, and there are those, who are tampering with the content of the Gospel and various messengers of the Gospel.

Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ, was being attacked in various ways, and the message he preached and taught was being questioned, criticised and undermined.

Paul had not always been a pleasant person to know - but God intervened - and he explains all that quite openly so that these believers in Galatia would realise that he was not hiding anything from them - and he is very personal.

Sometimes Almighty God would have us be quite personal, and perhaps even reveal things, which we would wish, might remain unsaid.

There were people saying - you need more than Jesus Christ - you need the law and traditions of Judaism.

The law and Jesus Christ can never mix, with regard to our salvation. Christianity and Judaism will never mix – the one can learn from the other.

Paul speaks about the only legitimate source of the Gospel. That ‘Damascus Road experience’ never left him. He had been set apart before he was born - like Jeremiah.

And yet, even as we read these words in Chapter 1, we have to remember that our future is bound up with the people of Israel.

Paul had seen some very brave courageous believers in Jesus before he became a disciple - and he knew - either they were wrong, or he was wrong.

Paul has preached in these Galatian churches - and had seen people come to faith - and some people had come along sowing tares - bad seed - where he had sown good seed.

We find this happens. Someone comes along, usually in the dark - with a bag of bad seeds and weeds - behind the scenes - undercover - seldom in the open.

This whole ministry of Paul was not 'theory'. This was not some nice neat philosophy.

Jesus Christ, the crucified, risen, and ascended Son of God, had confronted him, and transformed him.

When we look back we see that we did not choose Christ. We see that Jesus Christ came and chose us.

Can you imagine Peter saying, “I was out fishing one day by the Galilean Lake, and I chose to follow Jesus Christ”? No. Jesus chose me.

Can you imagine Paul writing that it was he who decided to follow Jesus Christ – never!

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

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