2020.02.27 Hopewell @Home ▫ Galatians 6:16-18

Read Galatians 6:16-18

Questions from the Scripture text: Upon which people does Galatians 6:16 pronounce a blessing? What blessing does it pronounce? What does verse 16 call them? What does he say for no one to do in Galatians 6:17? Why? What does he call them in Galatians 6:18? What blessing does he give them now?  

Our Lord is everything to us—we are nothing in ourselves, but HE has everything in Him. This has been the apostle’s point about justification in this book—we are right with God only by His righteousness, through faith in Him.

This has been the apostle’s point about sanctification in this book—it is not our ideas or effort that produces it, but only the new-creation-life of Christ, applied by His Spirit, who leads us in the battle and gives us the victory.

And now this is the apostle’s point about the identity and blessedness of God’s people. It is not children of the flesh whom he calls “brethren” (Galatians 6:18), but those who are believers. Even more forcefully, he calls those who walk according to the rule of Christ in this book “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). Even the apostle feels no need to defend himself against the Judaizers—his certificate of authenticity has literally been inscribed in his flesh by what he has suffered for the Lord Jesus and in union with the Lord Jesus (Galatians 6:17). God’s people have that identity only in Jesus Christ.

And their blessing is only in Jesus Christ. This is seen by the three words that describe this blessing: peace, mercy, and grace. Peace: having God as our ally—God bringing to bear all that He is for our good in every way. Mercy: the good comes to us not because we are good, but because God is good—He has compassion upon us in our sin and misery. Grace: strength, blessing, and goodness for those who have none of their own—and from where does this strength, blessing, and goodness come? From our Lord Jesus Christ.

He is Lord. The sovereign God. He is Jesus. The Savior. He is Christ. The anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. It’s no wonder, then, that the apostle loves Him so much, and desires so much for His people that no one would distract them from having the Lord Jesus as their everything. May He be our everything, and may we desire that He be one another’s as well!

How can you be right with God? How can you be made holy? Who are God’s people?

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH265 “In Christ Alone”