"You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" (Galatians 5:7)
The Greek word for, "hindered," here is most interesting. According to Strong's, it does not mean an outright blocking, confrontation or violent resistance. It has more to do with the "checking" of a ship's direction, or an "obstructed road." You can still get through that road, but the temptation is to take another road to avoid the obstruction. The "road," my friend, you and I are traveling in this life is Jesus Christ, "The Way." Someone or/and some group was out to divert the Galatians from the "road." The NIV translates the phrase, "who cut in on you?" When someone cuts, "in on you," in a situation, in order to avoid a collision you change your course. This is the daily attack which comes upon the Follower of Jesus. It does not meet us head on. The tactic is more subtle, hence, much more dangerous. Some overt challenge, some overt lie, is easily detected and thereby resisted. But to "check a ship's direction," to merely bump us as a race car driver may nudge an opponent, while more subtle, is nonetheless potentially very dangerous. There have been massive pile ups in races by just such little nudges.
Even though this is a continual process of the enemy, just as you and I are, "saved by grace through faith," and just as importantly and powerfully kept, "by grace through faith," we run our race, travel our road, "by grace through faith,..looking unto Jesus." This is an oft repeated phrase of mine, but I remind you that every time we read through the Bible this upmost important command gives us the protection against any who would, "hinder you, " or, "cut in," on us. It was a Judaistic legalism which was facing the Galatians. Today, I submit to you, there is even a more subtle attempt to, "cut in on you," to set up an obstruction just subtle enough to get Christendom to take a less obstructed path. It is the talk of God without centralizing Jesus Christ as the Foundation of our talk of God. To witness, preach, write, sing, etc. of God without bringing people's attention to Jesus is to confuse the issue. It leads to and validates more and more the naive, yet totally false assumption that, well, "we all worship the same God," really, "god." To talk of God without any mention of Jesus is to lead the world to believe that we are of them, all god- believers.
Don't let anyone, "cut in on you," and force you to take another road, which in reality will cause you to become just another "there-are-many-roads-to-god." I see this as an ever-increasing danger to the Church. Without Jesus the whole world is lost. With Jesus the world can be saved.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for wisdom to detect anyone or anything attempting to run me off the road. Amen.
The Greek word for, "hindered," here is most interesting. According to Strong's, it does not mean an outright blocking, confrontation or violent resistance. It has more to do with the "checking" of a ship's direction, or an "obstructed road." You can still get through that road, but the temptation is to take another road to avoid the obstruction. The "road," my friend, you and I are traveling in this life is Jesus Christ, "The Way." Someone or/and some group was out to divert the Galatians from the "road." The NIV translates the phrase, "who cut in on you?" When someone cuts, "in on you," in a situation, in order to avoid a collision you change your course. This is the daily attack which comes upon the Follower of Jesus. It does not meet us head on. The tactic is more subtle, hence, much more dangerous. Some overt challenge, some overt lie, is easily detected and thereby resisted. But to "check a ship's direction," to merely bump us as a race car driver may nudge an opponent, while more subtle, is nonetheless potentially very dangerous. There have been massive pile ups in races by just such little nudges.
Even though this is a continual process of the enemy, just as you and I are, "saved by grace through faith," and just as importantly and powerfully kept, "by grace through faith," we run our race, travel our road, "by grace through faith,..looking unto Jesus." This is an oft repeated phrase of mine, but I remind you that every time we read through the Bible this upmost important command gives us the protection against any who would, "hinder you, " or, "cut in," on us. It was a Judaistic legalism which was facing the Galatians. Today, I submit to you, there is even a more subtle attempt to, "cut in on you," to set up an obstruction just subtle enough to get Christendom to take a less obstructed path. It is the talk of God without centralizing Jesus Christ as the Foundation of our talk of God. To witness, preach, write, sing, etc. of God without bringing people's attention to Jesus is to confuse the issue. It leads to and validates more and more the naive, yet totally false assumption that, well, "we all worship the same God," really, "god." To talk of God without any mention of Jesus is to lead the world to believe that we are of them, all god- believers.
Don't let anyone, "cut in on you," and force you to take another road, which in reality will cause you to become just another "there-are-many-roads-to-god." I see this as an ever-increasing danger to the Church. Without Jesus the whole world is lost. With Jesus the world can be saved.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for wisdom to detect anyone or anything attempting to run me off the road. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
