Rebuked, Rebuker

Written By David Griffiths
 
FBC-Rebuker.jpg
Acts 8:19-20
Now when Simon (the "magician") saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 
But Peter (Cephas) said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God."

Galatians 2:11-16
When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him...But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas (Peter) before them all, "...We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."

In Acts 8, Peter rebukes a fellow named Simon who thinks that God's grace can be got with money. In Galatians 2, Paul rebukes Peter for thinking that God's grace can be got with works.

See how quickly the rebuker becomes the rebuked.

See how quickly we turn from defending the free grace of the Gospel, to hedging our bets against the worry, "What if Jesus and His work aren't not enough..."

Just because you know the Gospel, just because you saw Jesus in His glory, just because you saw His body on the tree, just because you touched the place where He lay, just because you talked with Him and saw Him ascend to the Father, just because you saw the Spirit fall like fire on the disciples, just because you were so anointed by the Spirit that your shadow would heal the sick, just because you stood firm for the grace of the Gospel of God over and over again.

Don't think you're heart loves the Gospel best of all, always and forever.


Hear the Christmas news: the Gift of God is free. It cannot be bought. It cannot be earned. It is not deserved. What you have in Christ, you have freely or not at all. 

Rejoice in the grace of God! Tremble at our bent to "nullify the grace of God." (Gal 2:21)

It's grace or nothing, for sinners like us. Thanks be to God! It's grace!
 
Featured
"What" Changes When Everything Changes

When the Gospel-WHY changes our HOW, this will transform WHAT we do.

Read More →
How to Start Your Day Right: Silence the Wicked!

Psalm 101 is mostly affirmations, self-talk taken right off the best of the web’s “best practices for great mornings” articles.

Read More →
Always Not Useless

What has Paul been doing in Galatia? He’s been engaged in the spiritually exhausting, emotionally demanding, mentally taxing work of introducing sinners to Jesus and trying his best to make sure they understand who Jesus is and what He did and what that now means for them. It’s labor, he says, toil, struggle; it’s hard work.

Read More →
You are a Real Thing

I’ve been reflecting on the Bible’s historicity. That is the question of whether the story of the Bible is meant to be read as existing within the same universe, the same timeline, on the same planet, having the same sorts of people, as our lives. The answer, of course, is yes: The Bible is clearly, thickly, meant to be read as historical. All measures of historicity verify this.

Read More →
Whose Righteousness Endures Forever

Psalm 112 describes a man whose "righteousness endures forever." In ten verses there are three references to how "his righteousness endures forever... he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever." (3, 6, 9)

Read More →
Equipped is Good

Last week’s devotional (“Good is Perfect”) captured was has been such a helpful truth for me through the years. And it’s one that puts us on a much more biblical, practical, realistic, foundation for life with God. See, God didn’t design us to be perfect, He designed us to be useful, “good” for His purposes. The question isn’t, “How can I be a better me this year?” It’s, “How can I be of more use to my Lord?”

Read More →
Good is Perfect

When the Bible uses the word “perfect” it means “good.” And this is a more useful standard for us to employ.

Read More →
Bread Alone?

As a Bible Church, we believe it is important for us to read God's Word.
It is one of those simple, non-spectacular, habits--along with prayer and church attendance--that accounts for so much of our spiritual health or unhealth. No one who neglects these habits will be spiritually healthy. Anyone who invests in them will get healthier.

Read More →
"I would remind you"

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1Co 15:1-2)

Read More →
Snip Snip

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch... that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit....4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Joh 15:1-5)

Read More →
 
David Griffiths
Previous

MORE THAN CONQUERED-ORS!
Next

Joy-Getting