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by Sandy Shaw
We have to be so very careful as to whom we allow to influence our lives - on important matters - and particularly on spiritual matters.
Can you imagine if one of the Senior Officers at R.A.F. Lossiemouth said - "Och, you don't need to bother too much when you are out flying that sortie - you don't need to bother too much about the flight manual - just fly as you want to, if you want to. You went out flying yesterday, or was it last week - you don't need to bother going out today! You don't need to pay too much attention to these flight checks, and we are not all that sure if the manual is true and accurate. Ignore whatever pages you want to. Just go and fly where you want to, but try not to cut in on your pals."
This is the type of thing that is said in parts of the visible church!
These pilots are only safe when they are operating according to the book - and in line with those commanding them, although some enemy can bring down a pilot.
What then happens? Colleagues go and rescue them and seek to bring them to safety.
That is what Paul is doing here.
These are salutary words in Galatians Chapter 5 verse 13. We are called to be totally free in Christ Jesus, but we are NOT free to abuse our freedom. We are to put limitations on our freedom and for very good reasons.
The enemy has two main tactics when he attacks the Church of Jesus Christ.
1 - Put them under law. Make them do things - only this way and no other way - give them laws, rules, regulations - make them observe this and that. Let's wrap chains around these disciples of Jesus Christ - that will restrict and limit them.
2 - Now - with this other group - what will we do with them? We will encourage them to do anything. Let them over-indulge their freedom.
Yes, they belong to Jesus - yes, they know they should be in the Word - but we will tell them that they do not need to read it today. Do you know there are places of ‘worship’ where sometimes the Bible is never opened? I have just been hearing that there are ‘Christians’ who seldom read the Bible. They may go without reading the Bible for longer than a week.
“Seven days without the Word makes one weak!”
There is an enemy. What type of thing does he say?
“Yes, they know they should be with all the others in fellowship, but we'll tell them they don't need to be with all the others today - next week will do just fine!”
Do you remember Jimmy Bakker in America? “Let him ask for money for that great work of God. Then - we'll get him to misuse the money!”
Do you remember Jimmy Swaggart in Louisiana? “He is a bit too powerful in the Holy Spirit - and what an amazing singing voice he has. We'll get him to make records and tapes - and give him a national television programme - with a very attractive secretary!”
These two men are our brothers in Christ, and some of you know I won't hear a word against them. They were trapped. An enemy did this.
You go along with a bag of WHEAT SEED, and an enemy comes along with a bag of TARES. This is what Paul is dealing with here.
A number of years ago I was being considered to be invited to sing at a Church Burns Supper in Croy and Cawdor, and it was reported back to me - "O we better not ask Mr Shaw - he will not sing Burns songs – he sings but, "always - only - for my King"!
Serve one another in Love. Can you think of a more beautiful phrase?
I used to find - I am not in that situation now - but I used to find that when you were looking for people to serve - there was never a queue!
Or, when Jesus was handing out crosses, I used never to see a queue. That has changed over these past few years.
Serve one another in LOVE. He says it in a different way in verse 6, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
That is the only thing that really matters.
Faith working through love is the only faith that is acceptable to God.
God is looking for Faith - Obedience - Service - which is motivated by LOVE.
“Holy God, help me to read and meditate upon Your Holy Word – the Bible. Where I am weak strengthen me. Where I lack discipline, show me how to become a faithful disciple. If I need to reorder my priorities, guide and direct me.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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