Galatians 4:12-16 Podcast To invest in BYM, click here
12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:12-16)
The greatest beauty of Christianity is that it brings with it the remaking of our hearts and minds. Like the Apostle Paul, if we pursue a meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus, it is inevitable that He takes control of our lives and rearranges a few things. He does this by granting to us His heart for Himself and for others. Yet, our love for the praise of men remains a problem, because in our hearts we still have an intense love for self.
Saving faith is the result of coming to the place where we rest in the all sufficient work of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. Paul highlights in v.13 where he reminds us that our trials ultimately translate into hope for ourselves and for others. This is the main point of our sanctification, the process whereby our minds and wills are aligned with God's mind and will.
In context, the false teaching of the Jews from Jerusalem did not conflict with the pride in the Galatian believers. No, their false teaching bolstered their pride. These false teachers offered the law as a means of enjoying one's pride in a morally acceptable way. And so their teaching appealed to people who wanted to be religious and moral but did not want to become vulnerable and moldable in the hands of God.
When Paul wrote, "Become like me," he meant, "Die like I have died and live by faith in the Son of God so that it is his life in you that shapes and forms who you are."
Our freedom comes on the heels of our decision to die to our default selves, the flesh, the sinful desires within us all. True freedom in Christ stirs up gratitude in our hearts for what He did for us at Calvary. And, this gratitude produces sustainability to our faith or our hearts ability to see God and subsequently we choose to live for Him.
In v.13, Paul preached the Gospel to these believers in Galatia due to an illness that he had. This underscores a very important leadership skill: we lead best through our weaknesses.
It’s called being vulnerable. We share our weaknesses by admitting that there are limits to our knowledge, ability, and spirituality. And being vulnerable is always risky. There will always be people who don’t want us to be that human.
Honest seekers of the truth will find our leadership through our weaknesses hope giving, because we all share the same human story: we are all fallen just the same. And, as Napoleon once said, "leaders are dealers in hope."
So, share your stories of failure with others, so that they can meet, for themselves, the God who causes ALL things to work together for our good and His glory.
