Gálatas 6
John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gálatas 6
Piper writes - That is why Galatians 2:20+ and Galatians 6:14 are in the Bible. God is teaching us what happened to us, so that we can know ourselves, and know his way of working with us, and exult in him and in his Son and in the cross as we ought...when you put your trust in Christ, your bondage to the world and its overpowering lure is broken. You are a corpse to the world, and the world is a corpse to you. Or to put it positively, according to verse Ga 6:15, you are a “new creation.” The old “you” is dead. A new “you” is alive. And the new you is the you of faith. And what faith does is boast not in the world, but in Christ, especially Christ crucified. This is how you become so cross-centered that you say with Paul, “I will not boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The world is no longer our treasure. It’s not the source of our life or our satisfaction or our joy. Christ is. (Don't Waste Your Life - Online) (Bolding added) Norman Harrison observes that "God's one way of defeating the world is to crucify it, and with it the "I" to whom the world makes its appeal. As the flesh was crucified jointly with Christ, so likewise the world that works hand in glove with the flesh for my undoing. God's great antithesis is carrying through to care for every point of practical difficulty. I and the world must be separated; so I and the world are set on opposite and opposing sides. If I am on His Side I am not on the world's side. If I am on the world's side, giving my allegiance to the world, I am no longer on His Side; I have denied the cross and the Christ by which and by whom -- both translations are equally permissible -- the separation was effected. I am back on Our Side; there is no middle ground. ("I" CRUCIFIED VERSUS THE WORLD - GALATIANS 6:14-15) World (2889) (kosmos related to the verb kosmeo = to order or adorn, to put in order [Mt 25:7 = "trimmed"], to adorn literally [1Ti 2:9], to adorn figuratively [Titus 2:9+]) means first of all something that is well-arranged, that which has order or something arranged harmoniously. Kosmos refers to a system where order prevails. In this context (as with many if not most of the NT uses), kosmos takes on a more negative meaning. In this sense kosmos is like the Greek word for flesh (sarx), which can be a neutral word, but which many times in the NT takes on an evil connotation.
Gálatas 6:9
Piper has a very interesting take on what Paul is saying in Galatians 6:8-9… Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” It doesn’t mean, of course, that you can never stop one job and start another. If you ask what the well-doing is that we must not tire of, probably the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22f. is the best answer: don’t grow weary of being patient and kind and good and faithful and gentle and self-controlled. Don’t grow weary of manifesting your peace and joy in all kinds of acts of love to your neighbors and associates and family. In short, don’t lose heart in spending yourself through love, because if you do, the works of the flesh take over, and Paul says in Gal 5:21, “Those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom.” Or, as Paul says in 6:8, if you stop sowing to the Spirit and sow to your own flesh, you will not reap eternal life, but eternal corruption. "What is at stake in this text is eternal life" This is very controversial. Let it sink in. What is at stake in this text is eternal life; not merely sanctification, but also final salvation. Whether you go to heaven or whether you go to hell depends in some way on whether you grow weary in well-doing or not. The text is addressed to the church. Listen carefully, and note how the thought moves from verse 8 to verse 9: “He who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not (therefore!) grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” You will reap eternal life, if you sow to the Spirit, that is, if you don’t grow weary in well-doing. Because of texts like these I understand my role as a pastor-teacher to be not merely a means to your sanctification, but also a means to your salvation. This text is written to help bring the saints of Galatia to final salvation, eternal life. Therefore, a sermon from this text to the saints at Bethlehem should also aim to help bring you to final salvation or eternal life. This view of preaching is widely rejected both in our Conference and throughout Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism. I got a letter last year from a retired Conference pastor which closed like this: “In conclusion: We find, then, that a pastor’s ministry is limited to a believer’s state and not his standing. Therefore, our security and deliverance from the penal consequences of sin do not in any way have a relationship to a pastor’s preaching.” Over against that extremely widespread view of preaching, I appeal to your own insight into Galatians 6:8 and 9. Should I, as your pastor-teacher, deliver to you Paul’s message? Should I speak to you the way the apostle spoke to the churches of Galatia? Is not the “corruption” of verse 8 the final penal consequence of sin? Is not “eternal life” in Galatians 6:8 the freedom from this consequence of sin? And is not our experience of the one or the other dependent in some way on whether we sow to the Spirit and don’t grow weary in well-doing? And if so, ought not a pastor believe that his message from this text may be the divinely appointed means of causing God’s children to persevere to the end in well-doing and so inherit eternal life? My goal in life is to be a faithful teacher of God’s Word for the good of his people and the glory of his name. I don’t see how I could be faithful to this text and not tell you that if you grow weary in well-doing and lose heart, you will not reap eternal life. If you forsake the Spirit and rely on the flesh, you will reap corruption. (Cf. Ro 8:13) (Read Piper's full message - Do Not Grow Weary in Well-Doing ) ILLUSTRATIONS DEVOTIONALS A PREACHER who was growing weary in the ministry had a dream. He saw himself pounding away at a huge chunk of granite with a pickax. It was his job to break it into small pieces. But as hard as he tried, he couldn't chip off even a tiny piece. At last, tired and disappointed, he decided to give up. Just then a stranger appeared and said, "Weren't you given orders to do that work? Your duty is to give it your best regardless of what happens." The minister, with renewed determination, grabbed the pickax, lifted it high in the air, and gave the granite a crushing blow. It broke into a thousand pieces. The dream helped the preacher realize the importance of not giving up. Perhaps the next "blow" will be the one that makes a life-and-death difference in someone's spiritual life. The Lord wants us to keep working at our God-given task no matter how difficult it might be. Even when success seems remote or impossible, we are to remain steadfast, assured that there will be an ample reward for those who persevere. Telephone Poles Don't Move — A woman gave her teenage son a used automobile. The youth enjoyed racing the car around curves so he could hear the tires squeal. One morning his car skidded and smashed into a telephone pole. The boy was thrown through the windshield and was rushed to a hospital. When his pastor reached the hospital, the boy’s mother was frantic. She grasped the pastor’s hands in hers and exclaimed, “Why would God let this happen?” Her question is understandable, but it misses the hard truth of the situation. She can’t blame God for that accident. If the Lord were to suspend the laws of physics and snatch a telephone pole from in front of her son, He might just as well place one in front of someone else who was driving carefully. The tissue of the life to be We weave with colors all our own, And in the field of destiny We reap as we have sown. —Whittier The law of sowing and reaping has never been repealed. Are You Weary? — I read a story about a pastor of a small, rural church in Scotland. He had been forced out by his elders, who claimed they saw no fruit from his ministry. The village in which the pastor served was a difficult place. People’s hearts were cold and hostile to the truth. During the time the pastor served, there had been no conversions and no baptisms. But he did recall one positive response to his preaching. When the offering plate was passed during a service, a young boy placed the plate on the floor, stood up, and stepped into it. When asked to explain, he replied that he had been deeply touched by the minister’s life, and while he had no money to give he wanted to give himself wholly to God. The boy who stepped into the plate was Bobby Moffat, who in 1817 became a pioneer missionary to South Africa. He was greatly used of God to touch many lives. And it all started with that small church and the faithful work of that unappreciated pastor. Keep me faithful, keep me grateful, This my earnest plea each day! Keep me serving, keep me telling Of His love while yet I may! —Thiesen A fruitful harvest requires faithful service. Never Give Up! — As Hitler was mounting his attack against England during World War II, Winston Churchill was asked to speak to a group of discouraged Londoners. He uttered an eight-word encouragement: “Never give up! Never, never, never give up!” There will be times when you’ll be discouraged in your Christian walk, but you must never, never, never give up. If nothing else, your struggle against sin will cause you to turn to God again and again and cling to Him in your desperation. In his book The Fight, John White writes, “It is the man or woman who gets up and fights again that is the true warrior … Strengthen yourself with a powerful draught of the wine of Romans 8:1, 2, 3, 4. Then get back into the fight before your muscles get stiff!” What’s required is dogged endurance, keeping at the task of obedience through the ebbs and flows, ups and downs, victories and losses in life. It is trying again, while knowing that God is working in you to accomplish His purposes (Philippians 1:6; 2:13). It is persistently pursuing God’s will for your life till you stand before Him and your work is done. O Lord, You are faithful and always will be, You never give up on working with me; So as I am striving to serve You each day, Help me to follow Your will and Your way. —Fitzhugh Perseverance can tip the scales from failure to success. Don't Be Discouraged — “Why are you throwing away those nice potatoes, Grandpa?” asked my young grandson. I was planting potatoes in my garden, and he thought it was a waste to bury them. So I had an opportunity to explain to him that only as we give the seed away can we receive the harvest. A few days later, my grandson was in the garden again, looking at the ground. He complained, “Grandpa, they’re not coming up.” So I spoke to him about patience. We too can become impatient when our service for the Lord doesn’t appear to bear fruit. Sometimes we may feel like giving up because we do not see immediate results. A dying soldier asked a chaplain to write to his former Sunday school teacher: “Tell her that I’m a Christian because of what she taught me in Sunday school.” He sent the message and received the following reply: “Last month I resigned my Sunday school class, for I felt my teaching had been fruitless. And then came the message from my former pupil. May God forgive me for my impatience and lack of faith. I will ask my pastor to let me teach again, and I promise by God’s grace not to quit.” Day by day perform your mission, With Christ's help keep at your tasks; Have no fear that God will chide you, Faithfulness is all He asks! —HGB Discouragement is one of the devil's most effective weapons. The Joy of Harvest— It is one of those rare, beautiful autumn days as I am writing this article. I am sitting on a cement block in my shirt sleeves, admiring the labor of my hands. I have just picked 10 bushels of Red Delicious apples from my two small trees. I think ahead to the winter evening when I will sit before the fireplace with a tray of these delicious fruits at my elbow. But then my mind recalls all the past hard work it took to produce these apples. I recall how I hung on my ladder with pruning tools and trimmed those trees in freezing weather. I remember spraying those trees to ward off insects and disease. I murmured to myself, “Is it really worth all this work?” Today I have the answer in 10 bushels of almost perfect fruit. Yes, it was worth it all. For the Christian, today is the sowing, growing, and pruning time. We find ourselves wondering about the difficulties we must face as we serve the Lord. But the prospect of the future urges us on. It is the promise of harvest that brightens the way and makes the burdens lighter. The joy to come with harvest grain That follows days of toil and strain Renews our will to persevere In serving Christ when days grow drear. —DJD A fruitful harvest requires faithful service. GOD'S MYSTERIOUS WAYS - After years of service in South Africa, the famous missionary Robert Moffat returned to Scotland to recruit helpers. When he arrived at the church one cold wintry night, he was dismayed that only a small group had come out to hear him. What bothered him even more was that the only people in attendance were ladies. Although he was grateful for their interest, he had hoped to challenge men. He had chosen as his text Proverbs 8:4, “Unto you, O men, I call.” In his discouragement he almost failed to notice one small boy in the loft pumping the bellows of the organ. Moffat felt frustrated as he gave the message, for he realized that very few women could be expected to undergo the rigorous life in undeveloped jungles. But God works in mysterious ways. Although no one volunteered that evening, the young fellow assisting the organist was deeply moved by the challenge. As a result, he promised God he would follow in the footsteps of this pioneer missionary. And he remained true to his vow. When he grew up, he went and ministered to the unreached tribes of Africa. His name was David Livingstone! THE THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM - In due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9). In a manufacturing town in Scotland, a young lady began teaching a Sunday school class of poverty-stricken boys. The most unpromising youngster was a boy named Bob. After the first two or three Sundays, he did not return. So the teacher went to look for him. Although the superintendent had given Bob some new clothes, they were already worn and dirty when the teacher found him. He was given another new suit, and he came back to Sunday school. But soon he quit again, and the teacher went out once more to find him. When she did, she discovered that the second set of clothes had gone the way of the first. “I am completely discouraged about Bob,” she told the superintendent. “I guess we must give up on him.” “Please don’t do that,” he pleaded. “I believe there is still hope. Try him one more time.” They gave Bob a third suit of clothes, and this time he began to attend faithfully. It wasn’t long until he became a Christian and eventually even taught in that same Sunday school. Who was that obstinate, ragged boy who for a time seemed so unreachable? None other than Robert Morrison, who later became the first Protestant missionary to China. He translated the Bible into Chinese and brought the Word of God to teeming millions. A. B. Simpson said, “God has hidden every precious thing in such a way that it is a regard to the diligent, a prize to the earnest, but a disappointment to the slothful.”
Gálatas 6:14
Piper says in his book "Don't Waste Your Life"... Only boast in the cross of Jesus Christ. This is a single idea. A single goal for life. A single passion. Only boast in the cross. The word “boast” can be translated “exult in” or “rejoice in.” Only exult in the cross of Christ. Only rejoice in the cross of Christ....God’s will is that the cross always be magnified—that Christ crucified always be our boast and exultation and joy and praise—that Christ get glory and thanks and honor for every good thing in our lives and every bad thing that God turns for good...Boasting in the cross happens when you are on the cross. Is that not what Paul says? “The world has been crucified to me, and I [have been crucified] to the world.” The world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world. Why? Because I have been crucified. We learn to boast in the cross and exult in the cross when we are on the cross. And until our selves are crucified there, our boast will be in ourselves. But what does this mean? When did this happen? When were we crucified? The Bible gives the answer in Galatians 2:19, 20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” When Christ died, we died. The glorious meaning of the death of Christ is that when he died, all those who are his died in him. The death that he died for us all becomes our death when we are united to Christ by faith (Ro 6:5-note). But you say, “Aren’t I alive? I feel alive.” Well, here is a need for education. We must learn what happened to us. We must be taught these things. That is why Galatians 2:20-note and Galatians 6:14 are in the Bible. God is teaching us what happened to us, so that we can know ourselves, and know his way of working with us, and exult in him and in his Son and in the cross as we ought...when you put your trust in Christ, your bondage to the world and its overpowering lure is broken. You are a corpse to the world, and the world is a corpse to you. Or to put it positively, according to verse Ga 6:15, you are a “new creation.” The old “you” is dead. A new “you” is alive. And the new you is the you of faith. And what faith does is boast not in the world, but in Christ, especially Christ crucified. This is how you become so cross-centered that you say with Paul, “I will not boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The world is no longer our treasure. It’s not the source of our life or our satisfaction or our joy. Christ is. (Don't Waste Your Life - Online) (Bolding added) The Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ - The cross was looked upon with contempt by the world. Paul wrote... we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block (Jews would not accept the idea of a crucified Messiah), and to Gentiles foolishness (They wanted intellectual proof and like to philosophize and figure things out in their own proud minds and did not care for eternal truth about God). but to those who are the called (believers - refers to the "effectual call"), both Jews and Greeks (some of each group were in "the called" and would be saved), Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1Cor 1:23, 24, 25) The cross - Not "a" cross, not just any cross, upon which convicted (guilty) criminals were crucified, but "the Cross" (definite article "the" is used in Greek), the instrument at the time and the place which marked the consummation of the Messiah's great servile work of redemption (Mk 10:45) on behalf of mankind to effect the release of men from bondage to sin, the devil, death and the world. "The Cross" facilitates the erection of a great barrier between the world and the child of God. Indeed, "the Cross" is the central event in time and eternity! As Alexander Maclaren rightly declares that "The cross is the centre of the world's history. The incarnation of Christ and the crucifixion of our Lord are the pivot round which all the events of the ages revolve. J C
Gálatas 6:14
Piper writes that Charles Simeon... loved to contemplate the cross of Christ not only because it signified “salvation through a crucified Redeemer,” but also because by this cross he had died to the pleasures, riches, and honors of this world. Man’s admiration could not lure him; man’s condemnation could not lame him. He was dead to all that now, because “by [the cross] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). The cross was the place of his greatest humiliation and the place of his greatest adoration. It was death-dealing and life-giving. Therefore Simeon said that he, like Paul, “would ‘know nothing else’ (1Co 2:2) and ‘glory in nothing else’ (Gal 6:14).” Christ was crucified for him. He was crucified with Christ. This was the key to life and endurance. So unfathomable are the counsels of divine wisdom contained in it, that all the angels of heaven are searching into it with a thirst that is insatiable. Such is its efficacy, that nothing can withstand its influence. By this then, my brethren, you may judge whether you are Christians in deed and in truth, or whether you are only such in name.… For a nominal Christian is content with proving the way of salvation by a crucified Redeemer. But the true Christian loves it, delights in it, glories in it, and shudders at the very thought of glorying in anything else. (Simeon - emphasis added by Dr Piper) Here is the root of Simeon’s endurance: the cross of Christ giving rise to a “shuddering delight”—shuddering at his own remaining corruption that may betray his soul by fear of man and the love of the world; delight that rises higher than all that man can take or give, and therefore triumphs over all threats and allurements. Christ is all. “Let all your joys flow from the contemplation of his cross.” (The Roots of Endurance - Online Book) When we walk with the Lord, we'll be out of step with the world. J