SATURDAY January 30, 2021

Straightforwardness

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”
Galatians 2:14

Peter was not straightforward about the truth of the Gospel. The Gospel proclaimed the amazing grace of God. Did Paul rebuke Peter in private? No way! He rebuked Peter in front of the Church. Paul got right up into his face! Imagine how embarrassing this must have been for Peter! Paul wanted to know from Peter what his problem with the grace of God was.

Paul let Peter know plainly, “Peter you are a hypocrite; you are walking two sides of the road.” Peter could not continue to walk with God this way! He was not being honest with himself. Paul challenged Peter as if to say, “Make up your mind, because what you are doing is bringing confusion and division into the Church.”

Paul was tough on Peter. He was an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and, as a leader, Peter had compromised. He had yielded to the majority of Jews under pressure, and he had agreed with them that the Gentiles needed to be subject to the Law of Moses. They should be circumcised. It was heresy to believe circumcision was needed to be saved. Peter needed to wake up to the truth of the Gospel of grace. Peter needed to remember how the Lord had clearly spoken to him in Acts 10. He just needed to get back on track––the just lived by faith.

It is sad when people bring division into the Church. They make a division over some issue, and instead of taking it to the Lord, they take it to man, and those infected choose sides. People get hurt. Often, it is not the division-makers who suffer; many times it is the innocent.

Like Joseph storing up grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up truths of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.
~Billy Graham~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!