Driven By God’s Grace
Galatians 2:19-21
(To listen, please, click below)
Introduction: Is your life, a trolley or trawler? Trolley is originally a British word, meaning a handy carrier, shopping cart, that we can see in public places such as supermarket, airport, and some big stations [but, today it may mean more than that]. Trawler is a cruise or boat powered by engine. The difference is that you use your arm-strength to move trolley; but, in case of trawler, you just take a ride on it for it has engine-power. So, how is our life, lived and moved on our own strength alone or empowered with God’s grace and power (spiritual engine!)? To be empowered by God’s grace means that the Holy Spirit becomes the source of power and strength in us as He is here with us and also in us, ready to energize our lives to be full of strength and power. So, let us be driven by God’s grace, His power and strength.
A Life Owing Directly to God (v. 19): Paul, formerly called as Saul, was used to be a man driven by his own conviction in Jewish Law before. He was a well-learnt man, a pious Pharisee, and a man trusted by Jerusalem council of the time. However, final conclusion of this conviction led him to hand many honest Christians to execution, imprisonment, and torture. Therefore, knowing this tragic final result of his conviction, Paul declared that he now wanted to live a different life—from owing to Jewish Law to owing directly to God personally. Therefore, he decided to follow a death-road—a road to the cross by parting with Jesus Christ in life—in order to end his former life-style at the foot of the cross. The purpose is “so that I might live for [to] God.”
Put an End to Start a New (v. 20): To the Apostle Paul, the death of Jesus Christ (JC) on the cross is more than a historical fact. It means to him putting an end of his former lifestyle at the foot of the cross so that he would gain the real godly life that is a better one—even a new life. Therefore, he decided to put his former life, the first self-driven Saul, to an end at the cross, so that he would be free to live a new life with a new conviction, conviction in the great love of JC. With this new conviction [that is no more in strict Jewish tradition but in the saving love of JC], he felt dramatic changes in his life, thought, worldview, etc. For, there’s true life (liveliness) in this path, a path of ‘grace and love’ instead of strict rule and regulation, a path of ‘bless and forgive’ in stead of judge and condemn. Further, he felt that the resurrected Lord is living in his life by taking this path, and so the resurrection became so true and real—a very actual experience—in his life then.
Knowledge of God’s Grace in Jesus Christ (v. 21): In fact, to live this new life, a personal knowledge of God’s gracious salvation by the sacrificial death of JC is the basis. To change his lifestyle and religious value-system may be a kind of nullifying God’s special grace believed exclusively granted only to the Jews. However, in light of Christ’s great love to all, this is rather a confirmation of God’s unparallel grace and love extended even to the gentiles. This new and strong conviction has now driven Paul to value things differently from his Jewish heritage, to see broadly beyond his homeland, and to live a life that owes directly to God’s saving grace and love that is above of everything and anything else.
A Life Owing Directly to God (v. 19): Paul, formerly called as Saul, was used to be a man driven by his own conviction in Jewish Law before. He was a well-learnt man, a pious Pharisee, and a man trusted by Jerusalem council of the time. However, final conclusion of this conviction led him to hand many honest Christians to execution, imprisonment, and torture. Therefore, knowing this tragic final result of his conviction, Paul declared that he now wanted to live a different life—from owing to Jewish Law to owing directly to God personally. Therefore, he decided to follow a death-road—a road to the cross by parting with Jesus Christ in life—in order to end his former life-style at the foot of the cross. The purpose is “so that I might live for [to] God.”
Put an End to Start a New (v. 20): To the Apostle Paul, the death of Jesus Christ (JC) on the cross is more than a historical fact. It means to him putting an end of his former lifestyle at the foot of the cross so that he would gain the real godly life that is a better one—even a new life. Therefore, he decided to put his former life, the first self-driven Saul, to an end at the cross, so that he would be free to live a new life with a new conviction, conviction in the great love of JC. With this new conviction [that is no more in strict Jewish tradition but in the saving love of JC], he felt dramatic changes in his life, thought, worldview, etc. For, there’s true life (liveliness) in this path, a path of ‘grace and love’ instead of strict rule and regulation, a path of ‘bless and forgive’ in stead of judge and condemn. Further, he felt that the resurrected Lord is living in his life by taking this path, and so the resurrection became so true and real—a very actual experience—in his life then.
Knowledge of God’s Grace in Jesus Christ (v. 21): In fact, to live this new life, a personal knowledge of God’s gracious salvation by the sacrificial death of JC is the basis. To change his lifestyle and religious value-system may be a kind of nullifying God’s special grace believed exclusively granted only to the Jews. However, in light of Christ’s great love to all, this is rather a confirmation of God’s unparallel grace and love extended even to the gentiles. This new and strong conviction has now driven Paul to value things differently from his Jewish heritage, to see broadly beyond his homeland, and to live a life that owes directly to God’s saving grace and love that is above of everything and anything else.
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