Standing Alone: 4 Stages of Faith Development | Galatians 1:18-24

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) — Galatians 1:18-20

CALL OUT: Shout out today to Phil Clarke from Tinley Park, IL. Thanks for sending our devotionals to your 20 men every day. I hope they start some great discussions for you!

Let me clarify what Paul is doing in these verses. He is stating by a solemn oath that the message of the Gospel stands alone. It was and always is substantiated by Jesus Christ. Therefore, his testimony about Jesus Christ and the Gospel is not built on another man, including Peter, James, or even himself.

You see, by the time Paul wrote this letter, Peter was being revered as one of the primary leaders in the Church. Peter was a Jew by birth, followed Jesus during his entire ministry, and was a part of Jesus's inner circle. After Jesus's return to heaven, he became one of the leaders in the church in Jerusalem and one of the lead spokespersons for the faith. However, as we will see in Galatians 2, this veneration eventually went to his head. Many of these Judaizers were a derivative of a drift that stemmed from small compromises that Peter had made. We will see that it was a drift fueled by Jewish pressures, long-standing customs, and his popularity that eventually altered the Gospel message. In light of this, Paul was going to challenge him.

So, let's recall a possible timeline here so you can see the point Paul is trying to make. And remember, much of this is difficult to date accurately:

Jesus ministry. (30-33 A.D.)
Disciples called, including Peter. (30 A.D.)
Jesus crucified. (April 3, 33 A.D.)
Jesus raised. (April 5, 33 A.D.)
Peter reinstated. (33 A.D.)
Jesus Ascension. (33 A.D.)
Paul on Damascus Road. (4-6 years later)
Paul in Arabia. (3 years)
Paul and Peter meet for the first time. (7-9 years after the Ascension)

So again, Paul is clarifying that the Gospel he received was not from man or even Peter (Galatians 1:1). He is not preaching to win a popularity contest with Peter and gain followers for himself (Galatians 1:10). He is the direct recipient of the Gospel by revelation through Jesus (Galatians 1:12). Then he spent 7-9 years away from Jerusalem, Peter, and all the other disciples discovering the Gospel and honing his call. Then came the day that Paul finally met Peter. They spent 15 days together in Jerusalem, no doubt discussing Jesus, his life, and ministry. And I am sure Paul shared his revelation as well. I wish we had video footage of these 15 days.

Here's the application. Every believer is going to go through stages of faith development. Stages that take us from believing in a person who conveys the Gospel to believing in the person who originated the Gospel. And it's easy to tell these people apart. The former are people who talk about popular teachers like Matt Chandler, Andy Stanley, or Steven Furtick's latest series. They are overly attached to a teacher, like Peter or Paul, rather than being attached to The Teacher. And this is not always necessarily bad. It's just a stage of our faith development, one where some get stuck and never mature past. And this is what Paul is very concerned about here. He wants the Galatians to find life from the Gospel message as preached by The Teacher rather than a teacher. And through chapter one, Paul declares how he matures through these stages himself.

Stage One | Encountering His Truth (Galatians 1:1-5)
Stage Two | Believing His Message (Galatians 1:6-12)
Stage Three | Relearning His Way (Galatians 1:13-17)
Stage Four | Owning His Call (Galatians 1:18-24)

Each of these stages is necessary. Each molds and shapes us. Each takes time, sometimes years. And many never get to the final stage. They never own the call because they have never entirely discovered the Gospel message for themselves: encountering, believing, and relearning Jesus to the point they own the unique call he has for them.

If you feel stuck in your spiritual development today. This could be the issue. And if that is you, let me pray for you today.

Father, there is a believer on the other side of this devotional who feels stuck. They need liberation that only you can provide. Help them see where they are stuck. Stuck in disbelief, dependence, or deeds of sin. Provide a path for them to mature in their faith. Reveal any untruth holding them back, and then immediately reveal the truth to them by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you need additional prayer, let us know right here: https://beresolute.org/prayer-wall/

#GospelTruth #FaithDevelopment #SpiritualGrowth #OwnYourCall #BreakthroughPrayer

ASK THIS:

How can we ensure that our faith journey progresses beyond simply following popular teachers or figures to deeply encountering and owning the message of Christ ourselves?
Reflecting on Paul's journey from encountering truth to owning his call, what steps can we take today to move further along our own spiritual growth path and truly embrace the unique call that Christ has for each of us?

DO THIS: Do what is needed today to mature in your faith.

PRAY THIS: Lord, guide me in my spiritual journey, helping me to move beyond dependency on others to truly owning the message of Christ in my life. Empower me to grow in faith, embracing the unique call You have for me, as I seek to encounter, believe, and live out Your truth each day. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Grow.