“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—”

First, Paul’s apostleship is from Jesus Christ and the Father: it is not of man. No man calls himself into the ministry. The calling is from God, as Christ reveals Himself in the gospel and reveals His will that we preach. Acts 9:15, “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.”

Paul was called to a special mission, which was apostleship [Rom 1:1]. These are not the pretenders of today, but they had authentic signs to back up their mission [2 Cor 12:12]. They laid the foundation of the church with Jesus Christ the cornerstone, and Paul’s calling is one of the greatest things in Scripture.

He had been a Christian killer, an arrogant man, and a blasphemer. He persecuted the church and sought to destroy it, but sovereign grace reached down to save! There were MANY WITH HIM, but only Paul saw and heard clearly [Acts 9:7; Acts 22:9]. Others were there, but they could not distinguish the voice and the vision, which said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

This calling made Paul the greatest Christian who ever lived, and God can do something miraculous with you. He can take us out of the dung of sin and despair, and He can lift us to the heights of godliness, transforming us into people that we’ve never seen in kindness, love, and sincerity [Eph 3:20]. This is the calling that we need.

Secondly, there is only grace and peace in Christ. vs2-3

“To the churches of Galatia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,”

To those outside of Christ, you are under the wrath of God, and it can break on your head at any moment. You are not safe. You are actually cursed and not blessed, and Satan is your master! He has you blind and deceived! You are not living your own life but his, and he rules your rebellion. He’s leading you to hell with cunning and fury. He has told you to distrust Christ, and he wants you to perish. He has no love for you, no pity, and no concern. He only gives the pleasure of sin, and it is temporary!

Those in Christ, however, are the most blessed people. God the Father has chosen you, the Son has redeemed you, and the Spirit makes it known. His attitude towards you is grace, which means that He gives MORE GRACE, as you need it [John 1:16]. He is never burdening us with our own merit, and He has paid for our sins Himself upon the tree. He’s at peace with us, like Jesus, who rose from the dead, and said, “Peace be with you,” to His erring and cowardly disciples! He is the perfect Father and Supplier of our needs. We’ve entered a relationship of trust, having a right relationship with God based entirely upon the Son. We are in the kingdom forever and have all that we need to obey and be happy [2 Pet 1:3].

Access this grace, dear believer. Realize your standing with God, and drink it in. Live upon His supply, rather than your own resources. Get strength from Him. When weary, get more grace. When peace is lacking, realize that He’s at peace with you permanently, and receive, receive, receive. This walk with a loving and reconciled God is glorious!

Thirdly, all of the glory is His: this is the life of the believer! vs4-5

“Who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Oh, it is sweet upon sweet, though it appears a burden through unbelief. Foolish men think glorifying Christ joyless, and we must serve ourselves, in measure, to be happy. No, you will only taste bitterness! We obtain mercy to live for Him, and then peace flows like water. What a relief it is to have God helping you, rather than against, and His Spirit giving contentment, rather than contention. Glorify the Lamb, you’ll enjoy God, and your life will be useful.

I’m thinking of someone I know. She squandered a relationship, because she lived for herself. She didn’t trust Christ, tried to control the man, and let a good one get away. Then, she repented and turned! She drank God’s mercy and was satisfied. Now, she is beautiful, because she lives for Christ, and in obedience, she serves others. She humbled herself to live by faith, and now her fears are gone, her heart is full, she’s daily receiving His supply!

I know a preacher, quite well in fact. He lived for the GLORY OF SELF, using Christ and sound doctrine to preach himself as some great thing. He tried to be esteemed, even copying others, only to realize that he was in the flesh! He'd taken his eyes off Christ, and sin was seeking mastery. He quit like Moses, ran away like Jonah, and like John Mark, he turned back. God, however, restored him, and now he preaches his First Love. This miracle happened before our eyes. It is rare, but the lamp that went dark was rekindled. Now, he lives for God’s glory. The wind is at his back, help is constantly arriving, and he is useful. He’s now the man that he could have been, and glorifying Christ was the issue.

Likewise, let us trust Him. This gives Him glory. Let us live for His honor. Let us work on ourselves, so that we grow in love and sincerity! Let us do nothing from selfish ambition and carry ourselves in obedience. Glorifying Christ is the abundant life and the beauty of Christian experience.