Today's encouragement comes from Galatians 1:10b, where we read these words:
“ . . . If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (ESV)When Paul was an unbelieving pharisee, he was a man-pleaser—because all religious zeal devoid of Christ is designed to satisfy man’s sinful craving for universal self-righteousness (apart from a Redeemer). Now that Paul was a regenerated Christian, he had no capacity for “pleasing man.” No one can serve Jesus and satisfy the desires of sinful man at the same time.
The same is true for all of us who are in Christ Jesus. We have no intention of unduly offending sinners—but *all* of their demands on us are crucified in our union with our living Savior.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Do you fear the Lord? He will open His secret to you, even that which He has hidden and kept secret from all the world, name-ly the secret of His covenant and your concern therein.” —John Bunyan, in, "The Fear of God"]
