Galatians – Grace Evangelical Society

Grace in Ministry (Galatians 6:13-14)

December 19, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, Grace, ministry

Paul’s letter to the Galatians contrasts law-religion and grace-religion. The contrast applies not only to how you are justified before God, but also to how you live the Christian life. One of the differences between law-religion and grace-religion shows itself in the pressures to have a “successful” ministry. What usually counts as a successful ministry?

Burden Bearing (Galatians 6:1-6)

December 17, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Christian living, Galatians, Sanctification, spirituality

I believe that Christian “spirituality” boils down to loving Jesus and loving your neighbor. There are some other elements, to be sure, but that’s the master theme. And this isn’t an emotional-sentimental love. It’s a practical, get-your-hands-dirty kind of love. It’s a give a hungry person a sandwich, or better yet, give him a job,

Big Business, Little Service (Gal 5:14)

November 29, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, love, neighbors, spirituality

Religious superstition is a huge industry. Who knows how many billions of dollars are spent every year on amulets, statues, candles, medallions, icons, relics, special foods, holy water, special breathing techniques, anointed oil, prayer cloths, grave soaking, and pilgrimages? I’ve been watching Leah Remini’s documentary on Scientology, and I was shocked to find out how

Institutionalized in Galatia (Galatians 5:1, 6)

November 22, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - circumcision, Galatians, legalism, Shawshank Redemption

There’s a scene in The Shawshank Redemption in which an old inmate named Brooks is about to be paroled after fifty years of incarceration. But he’s scared of getting out. Prison is all he knows. So he attacks another inmate in order to stay. Some of the other prisoners think that Brooks has gone crazy.

The Idolatry of Works Salvation (Galatians 4:8-9)

November 13, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, idols, law

How serious is it to abandon the gospel of salvation by faith apart from works, for the gospel of salvation by faith plus works? Paul compared it to idolatry: But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods (Gal 4:8). Before the Galatians came to faith

Jesus Makes You Family (Galatians 3:26–4:7)

October 26, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, Grace, Law & Gospel

It is a universal fact of human nature that we all want to love and be loved. We all want to belong. But how will we do it? By law or grace? Why do young men join gangs? Usually because they live at the margins of society where they have little significance in the eyes

The Difference Between a Promise and a Law (Galatians 3:17-18)

October 16, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, legalism, promise

The Galatians were being foolish. Or, more literally, they were not thinking things through. The whole province was slipping into legalism, but they should have known better. In Galatians 3, Paul listed some of the theological reasons why the Galatians should not have been deserting Christ and falling for a false gospel. One reason is

Think Things Through (Galatians 3:1-14)

October 10, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - doctrinal rational, doctrine, Galatians, legalism

“O foolish Galatians!” (Galatians 3:1) Have you ever acted foolishly? What does it mean to be foolish, anyway? The Greek word translated “foolish” is anoētos. It means “non-thinking,” or “not thinking things through.” The Galatians were deserting Christ and accepting legalism and a salvation-by-works gospel. Paul charged them with not thinking things through. They were

Anguish for Godly Ministers (Galatians 1:6)

September 5, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Galatians, liberalism, Martin Luther

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel” (Gal 1:6). Did you know that Harvard was founded to train ministers, specifically Puritans, to preach the gospel? Then liberals snuck in, and instead of starting their own school, they parasitically took over