Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians. Let’s get into it.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV??
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Scripture(s) we will study today:
Galatians 1:18-20 TPT
“It was not until three years later that I went up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas (Peter) and stayed with him for fifteen days. I saw no other apostle except James, the brother of our Lord. I swear before God that what I’m writing to you is the absolute truth!”
Galatians 1:18-20 ERV
“After three years I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days. I met no other apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord. God knows that what I tell you is the truth.”
Setting the Stage:
Paul is making a radical statement here that many people miss. He’s not just giving us a travel itinerary. He is defending the independence of his calling. Think about this: Paul, who would become the greatest missionary in Christian history, only spent 15 days with Peter and didn’t even meet most of the other apostles during his first visit to Jerusalem three years after his conversion.
In today’s context, this would be shocking. In our religious culture today, we think you need years of seminary, formal ordination, denominational approval, and endorsement from established leaders before God can use you. But Paul is declaring something different: God’s grace doesn’t require human approval or institutional validation. I am not saying these things are wrong. But I am saying that there are times when God calls someone to do something, and they are reluctant to launch out, in faith and obedience, simply because they are afraid of the backlash they will get from society since they are not formally recognized.
Paul is so emphatic about this truth that he swears before God that what he’s saying is absolutely true. Why? He swears because he is defending something precious: the independence of grace. He’s declaring that when God calls you by His grace, you don’t need permission from religious establishments, approval from denominational hierarchies, or validation from people who were “in ministry before you.” You just have to be obedient to what God has called you to do.
This isn’t about rebellion or disrespect toward legitimate spiritual authority. I am all for authority. What I am talking about is understanding that God’s grace operates independently of human systems. Paul honored Peter and the other apostles. He sought fellowship with them. But he didn’t seek their permission to walk in what God had already established. That’s the key! I don’t need anyone’s permission to be who God called me to be!
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Grace Operates Independently of Human Approval Systems.
Paul’s story is even more unique when you understand his background. As Saul of Tarsus, he had the best religious training available. His father was a Pharisee; he was raised to be a Pharisee, and he was mentored under Gamaliel, the most respected Jewish teacher of his time. His parents, his mentors, and his entire religious system had prepared him for a specific path in Judaism. He was the product of generational religious investment and institutional training.
But when God called Paul by grace, everything he had learned from human mentors became irrelevant to his new calling. The three years he spent alone with Jesus completely rewrote his understanding of God, grace, and ministry. When he returned and began his apostolic work, he made it crystal clear to the Galatians that no man taught him what he now preached. His 15 days with Peter weren’t discipleship training—it was fellowship between equals.
God didn’t build upon Saul’s Pharisaic training. No, God gave Paul an entirely new revelation. Grace operates independently of human approval systems because it operates independently of human systems altogether.
How this applies to you:
— Your background doesn’t disqualify you from God’s calling, but it also doesn’t qualify you for it. Paul’s extensive religious education couldn’t earn him an apostolic calling, and his persecution of Christians couldn’t disqualify him from it. Grace operates outside of human merit systems.
— God can completely redirect your life regardless of how others have trained or mentored you. Paul’s parents and mentors invested decades preparing him for one path, but God’s grace sent him on a completely different path. Your calling may have nothing to do with how you were raised or trained.
— Previous religious training can actually work against grace if it’s law-based. Paul had to unlearn religious performance to embrace grace-based ministry. Sometimes, your greatest hindrance to walking in grace is the religious education you received.
— God teaches you directly what you need to know for your calling. While God can use formal education, I want to be clear that God is fully capable of equipping you for your assignment without human institutions. Paul received his education from Jesus!
— Your calling may not make sense to the people who trained you. For years, my mother had a hard time with my calling. In some ways, she still does. Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle shocked everyone who knew his background. When God calls you, don’t expect everyone from your past to understand your future.
— Grace gives you authority that religious credentials cannot provide. Your effectiveness comes from God’s grace, not human endorsement. But here’s the key: when you are operating in God’s grace, your authority and power will be evident to all!
— You don’t need permission from the system that shaped you to obey the God who called you. Paul didn’t seek approval from the Pharisees to become an apostle to the Gentiles. When God redirects your life, you don’t need permission from your past to embrace your future.
2. Time With God Trumps Time With Religious Leaders.
Paul spent three years alone with Jesus learning about grace, but only 15 days with Peter learning about ministry. Paul’s revelation came from heaven, not from human wisdom or institutional training.
How this applies to you:
— One hour alone with Jesus is worth more than weeks in religious conferences. Paul’s three years of isolation with God equipped him more than any human mentorship could have. This doesn’t diminish the value of learning from others, but it helps us to prioritize time with God. You can run from conference to conference, but if you don’t spend time with God for yourself, the conferences won’t do much.
— Divine revelation supersedes religious education. Paul received the gospel by revelation from Jesus Christ, not from the teachings of the Jerusalem apostles. Formal education has its place, but revelation from God must take first place in your life. Hearing from God is paramount!
— Your prayer closet is your primary classroom. The Holy Spirit is the best teacher you’ll ever have.
— Intimacy with God produces authority in ministry. When you know God intimately, you carry His authority naturally. People will be able to tell when you have spent time with God.
— Human wisdom can actually interfere with divine revelation. Paul specifically states that he didn’t consult with flesh and blood immediately after his calling because human input might have contaminated the pure revelation he received. Sometimes, you need to protect what God is showing you from well-meaning but misguided advice. Only discuss precious things with precious people who are in tune with what God is doing in your life.
— Your relationship with Jesus is the source of your ministry’s effectiveness. Paul worked harder than all the other apostles, but it was the grace of God working through him because of his intimate relationship with Christ. Everything flows from your personal relationship with God.
3. God Swears by His Truth When Religious Systems Challenge It.
Paul doesn’t just casually mention his timeline—he swears before God that what he’s saying is true. Why did he use such strong language? Because religious people were challenging his apostolic authority by questioning his independence from the Jerusalem leadership. Paul wanted to make it clear that God’s truth doesn’t need religious validation.
How this applies to you:
— Religious systems often challenge what God validates. The Judaizers questioned Paul’s authority because he didn’t follow their prescribed path to ministry—sound familiar? They did the same with Jesus. Don’t be surprised when your God-given calling doesn’t fit the religious expectations of others.
— Truth stands on its own merit, regardless of human acceptance. When you’re operating in God’s truth, you don’t need human consensus.
— Grace-based ministry often faces opposition from law-based religion. Paul’s message of grace threatened the control that religious leaders exercised through law-based systems. Religious leaders use the rules to control and manipulate people. The freedom of God’s grace threatens their system of control.
— Paul’s life transformation and ministry effectiveness spoke louder than any credentials could. Let your fruit speak for itself.
— You don’t have to defend what God validates. Paul stated the facts and let God defend his calling through the fruit of his ministry. Focus on obedience to God rather than trying to convince skeptics.
— The Jewish leaders fought Jesus when He spent time with sinners, He did things during the Sabbath they did not approve of, and He ministered to people that they stayed away from becuase of their religious spirit. The Pharisees and Sadducees were afraid that Jesus was offering a freedom that would cause them to lose control, so they fought against Jesus, and that religious spirit was in those who fought against Paul. Guess what? Two thousand years later, that religious spirit is still alive in those who fight for the freedom of the gospel of grace.
4. Grace Produces Fruit That Validates Itself.
Paul didn’t need to defend his calling with credentials or endorsements because the results of his ministry spoke louder than any human validation could. By the time he wrote to the Galatians, churches were being planted, lives were being transformed, and the gospel was spreading to the Gentiles in unprecedented ways.
The Judaizers could question his credentials, but they couldn’t argue with his results. When grace is operating through your life, the fruit becomes the proof.
How this applies to you:
— Stop trying to prove your calling with words and start demonstrating it with results. Paul didn’t argue about his apostleship. He simply planted churches, mentored Pastors, and led missionary trips. Focus on being faithful in what God has called you to do rather than convincing people you’re called to do it.
— Grace-empowered ministry produces supernatural effectiveness. Paul worked harder than all the other apostles, but it was grace working through him. You will be able to say what Paul said when you embrace God’s grace.
— Your fruit will silence your critics better than your arguments. The Judaizers eventually had to acknowledge Paul’s apostolic authority because of the undeniable fruit of his ministry. Let your obedience to God speak for itself.
— Authenticity attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones. Paul’s ministry drew those hungry for grace and exposed those committed to legalism. When you walk in your authentic calling, you’ll attract people God wants you to influence, and it will also repel those who oppose God’s anointing, exposing the spirit operating in them.
— Grace gives you the confidence to let God defend your calling. Paul stated the facts and let his ministry results speak. You don’t have to convince everyone. Just be faithful to what God has called you to do and let God do the rest.
— The proof of God’s grace is in the transformation it produces. Paul’s own transformation from persecutor to apostle was evidence of grace’s power. Your changed life becomes a testimony of the effectiveness of God’s grace. Everyone will know that
your life is a GRACE CASE!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You that Your grace operates independently of human approval systems.
I declare that when You call me, I don’t need the permission of anyone to be who You called me to be!
I will seek fellowship with other believers and honor spiritual authority, but not validation for what You have already validated.
My relationship with You is more important than my relationships with anyone else.
I trust that time alone with You equips me more than years of human instruction.
I am confident that Your grace has equipped me for my divine assignment.
When people question my qualifications, I will let my fruit speak for itself.
I will honor authority while remembering that You are my ultimate authority.
I am living THE GRACE LIFE, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
