Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

Hello and welcome to this week’s Van Life devotion. Today we are in Cappadocia where there were churches in the first century. The distance from here to where the seven churches of Revelation is around 800 kilometres. In the middle between here and there, around 300-400 kilometres, is the ancient area of Galatia where several first century churches were in existence. We are not going there on this trip, but I do want to talk about the churches of Galatia.

On their first mission’s trip, Paul and Barnabas passed through this area evangelising the Jews and Gentiles, planting several churches there. It appears that they received Paul well and are strong in their new faith. However, within a year trouble arose within these churches influencing many of these new Christians, and when Paul heard about it, he wrote them a very stern letter. This is what he wrote in chapter 1 verses 6 to 9: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ… As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!” (Galatians 1:6-7,9 NIV). Wow! Strong words.

There were Judaizers in these churches that worked to convince the Galatians that the Gentile believers must be circumcised first. Paul was distressed at the way the Galatian believers were so easily influenced away from the truth of the gospel, and he was adamant that salvation is not dependent on human works. Therefore, he wrote to them explaining his credentials and how the Apostles accepted him. He then clarifies what he had initially taught them, that salvation is by faith alone through the grace of God extended to anyone who believed.

Soon after this letter there was the all-important Council at Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 15 where the Apostles and Elders met to discuss this issue of requiring Gentiles to observe certain Jewish customs. Paul and Barnabas were there too.

After this Council, Paul embarked on his second mission’s trip, traveling through Galatia to revisit and encourage the churches in that region. As he and Silas visited each church, we read in Acts 16 verse 4, “they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey” (Acts 16:4 NIV), with the result that “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (Acts 16:5 NIV).

Today, churches need to abide by the rules of the land regarding child protection, financial management, and the likes. And within churches good governance is vital for their health. And when new people come to church or become believers, we need to our best to love them and not make them jump through our hoops to be accepted into our club. It’s about discipleship as taught by our Lord and caring for one another as Paul mentions in this letter in chapter 6 verse 2.

May our churches strengthen in faith and grow daily in numbers as they keep the main thing the main thing.

Let’s Pray.

Thanks Jesus for doing away with legalism when you died on the cross. Thank you for the gift of salvation by Your grace through our faith in you. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

David