Danny Panter

Greater Things

¹²“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” John 14:12

If we are not careful, we run the risk of over-spiritualizing Jesus’ description of Kingdom people being salt and light, when in fact he was describing real impact in the real world. Jesus modeled for us what he meant; everywhere he went he restored the lives of the sick and broken, he rescued others from demonic possession, and he spoke words that changed everyone who received them.

Jesus said, “You will do what I have done. You will do even greater things.”

Do you believe that?

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

The Beatitudes (which is just a fancy word meaning blessed) are descriptions of the attitudes and values of the children of God. Those who mourn recognize that all is not right in the world; that humanity willfully embraces sin and corruption. Those who mourn recognize all too well that they are not only onlookers but participants in this corruption.

The good news is that they are not left in their mourning but are blessed by God’s comfort. What a promise! In this blessing, we discover that God knows our sorrow and cares about our grief. Not only, but he does something about it:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus, Matthew 11:28

A Voice From the Ancient Church

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 6:11-18(day six)

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

“When Paul writes that the cross is glory, he means obviously “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When in that mystery his body hung from the cross and in it crushed the power of the world, the whole world was crucified through him. In the cross he identified with every person in the world. In doing so he made everything that he suffered universal, that is, he caused all flesh to be crucified in his death. Therefore, I too am fixed to the cross and to the world. I means the one who was living carnally, whose thoughts were of the flesh. Such a one is now “nailed to the world,” that is, the worldly things in him are subjected to death.”

-Marius Victorinus, 4th-century grammarian, rhetorician, philosopher, and theologian. Born in Tunisia (North Africa), died in Rome.

Salvation is Serious Business

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 6:1-10 (day six)

“…you who are godly…” Galatians 6:1

By “godly,” Paul means walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Beginning in 5:16, Paul provides the Galatians with a field guide on “walking by the Spirit.” He concludes his guide with some very practical advice in Galatians 6:1-10, covering two connected Spirit-led efforts. The first effort is internal (managing our own temptations and reorganizing our life around Jesus), and the second is external (restoring and sharing each other’s burdens); neither is mutually exclusive.

Perhaps these verses have two overarching declarations: You must take responsibility for your own spiritual growth (6:1b, 4), and you can’t fake it (6:7-8).

Paul never does “salvation” light; he expects us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12)

Inside Out

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 5:16-26 (day six)

²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23

The evidence of the Spirit is not the clothes you wear, the food you eat, or the places you go. Nor is it your family lineage, how early in life you attended church, your Sunday school attendance, or your well-versed prayers. The Spirit of God will always lead the children of God to love God and others.

A child of God is not determined by how they look on the outside but by how they love on the outside. Say “yes” to God’s Spirit and love well today!

Faith Works

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 5:1-15 (day six)

“…faith working through love.” Galatians 5:6

Faith is not a license to live in disobedience; Paul assures his critics of that. In fact, Paul describes a kind of faith that works through love. This means that love is the fuel that puts faith to work. It is much like marriage should be. You don’t seek your spouse’s well-being to pass an annual review, a checklist that keeps your marriage intact. You seek their well-being because you love them and you have made a covenant with them. Your motivation is not self-preservation, it’s devotion.

Faith without devotion is not faith. James would describe that kind of faith as dead faith (James 2:26). And not only devoted to God but to one another. You can’t have one without the other. (See verse 14.)

Finish Strong

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 4:21-31 (day six)

It’s no mistake that Paul returns to Abraham. Earlier in the letter, Abraham served as an example of how the “righteous live by faith” in God and not by works of the law. And now? We find Abraham trusting in his own effort to fulfill God’s promise of an heir. (The results were not what he had hoped. In fact, we are still experiencing the results today.)

The point is this. Abraham had started off so well, yet even he stumbled into trusting his efforts along the way-just like the Galatians-but he finished strong.

I think this was a not-so-subtle way of Paul saying, “You can finish strong, just like Abraham! Don’t get caught in the allure of your own effort! Return to Jesus alone, by faith alone.”

Kingdom Friendship

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 4:12-20 (day six)

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. -Jesus, John 15:15

Jesus was describing Kingdom friendship. What bound them as friends was an eternal perspective, giving them a shared purpose. This is the same kind of friendship that shaped the relationship between Paul and many of the church leaders in Galatia. Kingdom friendship is what allowed him to step in when things were hard and call them back to the simplicity of the Gospel.

In a world that majors in superficiality and personal pursuits, Kingdom friendship calls us to something (and someone!) bigger than ourselves. More than ever, we need to forge this kind of friendship!

What is one way you can build Kingdom friendship today?

Heirs

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 4:1-11 (day six)

How do you live like an heir? An heir has a secure identity and inheritance; neither is in question. An heir, then, lives with a kind of fearless faithfulness. Or described another way, an heir lives completely free.

Remember the prodigal son’s brother? He questioned how his dad could so freely honor his brother after all he had done while he felt like he had access to nothing. His dad replied, “But you are my son, you have access to everything that is mine.” The older brother was not living as an heir but as a slave, constantly trying to prove his worth through obedience. He wasn’t fearlessly free.

Paul is reminding the Galatians who they are, just like the dad did in the parable of the prodigal son, “Remember, you are heirs (sons and daughters). Don’t go back to living like a slave.”

Conflict

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 3:15-29 (day six)

²¹Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Galatians 3:21

Jesus and the law are not at odds. It doesn’t feel rejected or left behind. It doesn’t seek the spotlight, but it steps off the stage for the star of this passion play. The law is the question that Jesus answers. The law is in agreement with Jesus. The law declares, “Choose him!”

Of course, the conflict isn’t between God’s law and God’s promise; he is never at odds with himself. The conflict is between us and God, of which the law is our tutor and Jesus our resolution.