Skip to main content

Turning Back Isn’t the Way Forward

February 22, 2015

Passage: Galatians 4:8-20 Speaker: Pastor Lukus Counterman Series: Gospel Rooted Living

Length: 52 mins Plays: 3231

Speaker: Lukus Counterman - Until this point, Paul's approach has been confrontational and impersonal. He has been writing like a scholar or debater, marshaling every possible argument and illustration like a scholar or debater, marshaling every possible argument and illustration to get his message across. He has taken the stance of a determined lawyer in court or a learned theologian in the classroom, giving a dispassionate and irrefutable presentation. He has referred to the Old Testament to teach the Galatians the basic truth of the gospel that he had taught them many times before: Salvation is by God's grace through faith alone. He has used both his own experience and that of the Galatians to reinforce his teaching. But for the most part, he has sounded detached, seeming to be more concerned about principles than people. But the apostle's approach changes dramatically in 4:12, moving from the purely doctrinal to the more personal. In fact, Galatians 4:12-20 are Paul's strongest words of personal affection in any of his letters. He does not so much preach or teach as simply pour out his heart in personal exhortation. He writes, in effect, “I care about you more than I can say. I love you dearly just as you have loved me dearly. Please listen what I'm saying, because it's so vitally essential.” As we take a closer look at this passage, may the Lord direct our hearts toward the gospel and rekindle our affections for the one who first shared it with us.