Galatians 1:3-4
“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”
Today we live in an evil age. “This present evil age” is an age where Satan is given freedom to deceive and destroy. John says, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). This “evil one” is called “the god of this world” and one of his aims is blinding people to truth. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). However Paul says that Christ has delivered us from this, according to God’s will.
Since we still live amongst the evil, Paul’s words cannot mean that we have been physically removed from it. Jesus Himself prays, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We have been delivered from the power and bondage of evil over us. We have been delivered from this blindness that the Devil imposes on us.
We “once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). Without Jesus’ saving work we would be just the same as the sons of disobedience. We would be walking in bondage, but feeling free. We would be walking in corruption, but feeling liberty.
Even today, those around us tempt us to be like them. 2 Peter 2:18-19:
You have been saved from this corruption and bondage. “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Don’t listen to the voices around you that cry out to you that they have it better off. Be free! “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
When Christ died He freed millions of people from the temptations and deceptions of this age. He broke the Devil’s power by His death and defeated death itself by His resurrection. He uncovered the fraud of Satan, that you might follow the truth of the Word. Take heart, Jesus has overcome this present evil world (John 16:33).
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Today we live in an evil age. “This present evil age” is an age where Satan is given freedom to deceive and destroy. John says, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). This “evil one” is called “the god of this world” and one of his aims is blinding people to truth. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). However Paul says that Christ has delivered us from this, according to God’s will.
Since we still live amongst the evil, Paul’s words cannot mean that we have been physically removed from it. Jesus Himself prays, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We have been delivered from the power and bondage of evil over us. We have been delivered from this blindness that the Devil imposes on us.
We “once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). Without Jesus’ saving work we would be just the same as the sons of disobedience. We would be walking in bondage, but feeling free. We would be walking in corruption, but feeling liberty.
Even today, those around us tempt us to be like them. 2 Peter 2:18-19:
“For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.”
You have been saved from this corruption and bondage. “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Don’t listen to the voices around you that cry out to you that they have it better off. Be free! “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
When Christ died He freed millions of people from the temptations and deceptions of this age. He broke the Devil’s power by His death and defeated death itself by His resurrection. He uncovered the fraud of Satan, that you might follow the truth of the Word. Take heart, Jesus has overcome this present evil world (John 16:33).
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
No comments:
Post a Comment