Togas

In Galatians 3:27 Paul makes an interesting statement. He says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Being baptized into Christ was not a reference to water baptism so much as it was to their conversion to Christianity. To “put on” is the same concept as getting dressed; one must put on his clothes before he leaves the house. At salvation we first disrobe, taking off the old way of life, and we put on Jesus.

But Paul’s use of “put on” had a slightly different meaning than just getting dressed. He was making a reference to the toga virils, which was a common custom that would have been familiar to the Galatians. The toga was the symbol of the Roman man, reserved especially for adults. Similar to the Jewish bar mitzvah, the toga virils was the ceremony in which a young Roman boy would officially enter manhood. He would be given his first toga, and everyone would know he was officially a man.

This is the same idea Paul had in mind when he wrote, “When I became a man I put away childish things (I Corinthians 13:11b).” Once he earned his toga, the young man would never want to return to his childish way of life.

I remember looking forward to the first day of school after summer break so that I could wear my new shoes or clothes. I can imagine the recipient of his first toga having the same feeling, wanting his old friends to see that he had grown up. He would be proud of his new attire, and he would make sure everyone knew he was a man now.

In context Paul uses the toga ceremony to illustrate the instantaneous nature of salvation apart from the works of the law, but we can also be challenged by his words. Do people see a difference in you? Are you a different person than you were before you “put on” Christ? Are you eager to show off your new standing in Him? There should be no denying the fact that you are a believer because you are wearing the Lord.

Just Add Nothing

There are many great products that tell customers to “Just Add” something. We can make instant grits or oatmeal by just adding water to the package of mix; we can make beef stroganoff or chili macaroni by just adding meat to Hamburger Helper; we can make lemonade or Kool Aid by just adding water (and maybe a little sugar) to the powder. Even Ore-Ida has a breakfast bowl that says, “Just add an egg.” These items are part of a clever marketing tactic that stresses convenience. All the work has been done already, and you are only on the hook to add one little ingredient. Everyone who has ever made oatmeal from scratch appreciates the convenience of the “just add water” line of products.

Legalists try to apply that same philosophy to salvation. They say Jesus has done most of the work, but we are still on the hook to add something. They say to add works; add church attendance; add tithes and offerings; add the removal of old habits. And while each of those things is important in the life of a Christian, none of them are ingredients for salvation.

In Galatians 2 Paul wrote to believers who were being led astray by legalists telling them they needed to become more like the Jews in order to really be saved. He said they are justified by faith in Jesus apart from good works because good works are futile in their efforts to bring salvation. Paul concludes the chapter by saying, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose (v.21).”

If our good works were good enough to earn us a spot in heaven, then Calvary was a sad waste of time. This reminds me of MercyMe’s new song Best News Ever that says, “Some say He’s keeping score, so tried hard, then try a little a more. But hold up: if this were true, explain to me what the cross was for.” Anyone who tries to tell us that we are not really saved unless or until we do some extra act has misunderstood the cross. Jesus died precisely because no action on our part could merit salvation. Of course we must trust in Christ and call out to Him, but there is no meritorious deed that we can do to earn God’s favor. That was all dealt with while we were still sinners.

As convenient as it is to just add one ingredient, it is even easier to accept the gift of salvation. It is literally, “Just add nothing.”

Who's in Control?

Most arguments are really just a struggle for control. Whenever people argue—whether they are married couples, friends, coworkers, or anything else—the real issue is who gets to control the situation. The arguments do not seem like it, of course. Couples argue about money, friends argue about how to handle a situation, and coworkers argue over how to carry out a task. The word “control” will probably never come up in these conflicts, but that is often the unspoken issue.

The issue over which the couple argues is secondary. Resolving the conflict is like treating symptoms when a person is sick. The stalemate between the parties is really about who gets to have his way, and there is often times a refusal to yield one’s way for another. In essence they are saying, “I want my way in this situation.” In many of these arguments there is not necessarily a right or wrong position, but stubbornly refusing to consider another point of view becomes a wrong position. Jeff and Debby McElroy, founders of Forever Families and authors of the book Prepare to Last, have offered some insight into how believers should handle themselves during times of conflict.

Debby said, “Until I lose my control to God’s control, I’m going to be out of control.” The right response to an argument is to let God be in control, and make sure we are submitted to Him. When believers submit to God and allow Him to lead them, they will know how to conduct themselves. The McElroys offer two pieces of advice for people who find themselves in these situations. First, bite your tongue. Don’t say all that you are thinking, because much of it may be something that is regretted later, and those words can never be taken back. When a person is angry they have a tendency to use insults instead of calmly explaining their position. Jeff added: “You will never usher in the power of heaven using the language of hell.” That is why the second piece of advice is to call a time out before things get out of control. Identify the sociological indicators that the body is shifting into flight or fight mode (feeling flushed, increased heart rate/blood pressure, breathing through the nose, etc.). The body is trying to protect itself, and it will either retreat or become aggressive. Calling a timeout can allow the body to calm down and think rationally.

These simple tips can help a Christian regroup and make sure he is conducting himself in a Christlike manner, which will deescalate the argument, and hopefully help resolve the conflict.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7

All by Grace

Imagine you were a million dollars in debt. There was no chance you could ever pay back that amount of money, and if you didn’t pay the debt back in full, there would be drastic consequences. When you were a million dollars in debt someone decided to have compassion on you, and he gave you a check for the entire amount. After you deposited the gift and settled up with the creditor, what do you have to brag about? You cannot boast of your role in depositing the check or writing one of your own when the millions dollars was given to you in grace.

That is how silly it is to think any works on our part contribute to the grace of God. He gave us the million dollars to cover our sin debt, so any boasting must be done in God, not in ourselves. That is the theme of Paul’s letter to the Galatians; they had converted to Christianity, but then began to teach that there are outward works that needed to be added to grace. He wrote, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ, which is a different gospel (1:6).”

Paul championed the gospel of grace because he knew that was the only gospel that saves. Grace has always been, and will be always be the rallying cry of the church because we recognize that God did not ask us to work to come up to Him, but in grace He came down to us. That is why we do not sing, “Amazing works, how sweet the sound,” but “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” We do not sing, “Works, works, man’s works,” but “Grace, grace, God’s grace.” We do not sing “Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing my works,” but “come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing they grace.”

By grace God saved us from our sin. By grace God filled us with His Spirit. By grace God is preparing us a home in heaven. It’s all by grace. Grace is the firm foundation upon which our faith is built. Grace is the door that opens up to life everlasting. Grace is the river that supplies life-giving water to those who are thirsty. Grace is the ship that carries the pilgrims to their new home.

When this life is over we will not be able to boast of our works that earned us a place in heaven, but we will celebrate grace because it did what our works could never do. When I was a million dollars in debt, grace pulled out its credit card and paid my debt. Has yours been paid, or are you trying in vain to do it yourself?   

Gone Astray

An American couple had the once in a lifetime opportunity to take a European vacation, and they looked forward to visiting Capri, and island off the coast of Italy. When they left their hotel they accidentally typed Carpi into their GPS, which is a city in Italy about an eight-hour drive from Capri. Because they were tourists, they did not realize they were travelling in the wrong direction, and when they finally arrived, they were almost a day’s drive off course.

Isn’t that an unfortunately accurate picture of life? You’re driving through Italy so sure that you will soon arrive at your destination, only to find out how far off you really were. There are people going through life convinced they are doing everything right, but in the end they will learn that they put their trust in the wrong things. Isaiah 53:6 says all people, “like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned—everyone—to his own way.” We are born in our sin and separated from God; we have gone astray like wandering sheep. We are like that couple who ended up in Carpi when they were headed for Capri. That is what sin does to us all. Isaiah doesn’t say that is what happens to the worst of us, but to all of us. We are off course and unable to do anything about it.

If that describes you—still astray and off course—then let me share a story about an old 19^th century preacher. After he came into town and held a week of services, he went to the train depot to head to the next town where he would be doing the same thing. As he was boarding a man ran frantically up to him and told the preacher he needed to know how to be saved. The preacher told him he was going to miss his train, but if the man would read Isaiah 53:6, he would see how to be saved. The preacher told him, “Go in with the first all, and go out with the last all.” When the man found a Bible and read the verse, he realized it began and ended with the same word all. It begins, “All we, like sheep, have gone astray.” But it ends, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

We can all go in on the first all because we are all like those sheep who have gone astray. But we can all go out on the last all, because all of our sin has been placed on Jesus and dealt with at Calvary. You don’t have to keep wandering astray in your sins because Jesus is the Way to the Father.