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 2:5 TPT “Yet not for one moment did we give in to them or compromise what we knew to be true, for it was imperative that the revelation of the gospel of grace remain with you.”
Galatians 2:5 ERV “But we did not agree with anything those people wanted. We did not give in to them for one minute. We wanted the truth of the Good News to continue for you.”
Ephesians 6:14 ERV “So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living.”
Setting the Stage:
Yesterday, we learned how grace makes you a target for those who want to control you and how to protect your freedom in Christ. Today, Paul shows us exactly how he handled the pressure when people tried to put him back under the rules and requirements of religion.
Paul says they did not give in “for one moment,” and they refused to compromise “what we knew to be true.” Picture this: Paul was facing intense pressure from religious leaders to go back to the old way of doing things. They wanted him to add requirements, create more rules, and make people jump through more hoops to be accepted by God. But Paul said, “Not for one second.”
Here’s what Paul understood: When you compromise on grace, you don’t just hurt yourself–you hurt everyone who’s watching you. This is the test of a leader. Paul knew that his decision at that moment would impact countless people who needed to experience God’s unconditional love and acceptance.
Think about your own life. You have people watching how you handle pressure–your kids, your coworkers, your friends, your spouse. When life gets tough, do you go back to trying to earn God’s favor through performance, or do you rest in the grace He’s already given you?
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Grace Gives You Permission to Say “No” to Performance Pressure.
Paul says he did not give in “for one moment” when people tried to put him back under religious requirements. This means you have permission to say “no” when people try to make you feel guilty for not doing enough to prove your love for God.
How this applies to you:
— I recently taught you about the dangers of succumbing to the tactics of manipulation that often occur in churches. You may have thought, “I know what Rick is talking about, but I am thankful that does not happen in my church.” Okay, maybe the truly egregious examples I gave don’t happen. But what about when someone attempts to make you feel condemned for not attending every church event? Or for not volunteering for every project? Do you see where I am going? Paul did not back down from the freedom of God’s grace for one minute. This is a reminder that our relationship with God is deeply personal. We must know God for ourselves. We must embrace the grace and the courage to live free from the pressure to perform (to be right with God) and from the pressure to comply with people’s expectations, which may have nothing to do with what the Holy Spirit is leading us to do.
— James taught us not to desire the office of teachers because we will be held responsible for what we teach (James 3:1). Well, some church leaders may hear where I am going with this and say, “Be careful Rick, you don’t want to lead people the wrong way. You don’t want people to think that they don’t need church leadership.” To which I would respond, “You are right. Church leadership is important. It is so important that we (myself included, because I am a leader) are commanded to teach the truth and we are to be clear about the freedom Jesus died to provide us all!“
— You have the Holy Spirit living inside you to guide your decisions. The Holy Spirit and God’s Word are the ultimate authority. God has given us earthly leaders, but if any human leader is going against God’s written Word or what the Holy Spirit is screaming in your heart, then you must give yourself permission to follow the Holy Spirit and not succumb to human bondage.
— Your “yes” to God doesn’t require a “yes” to every person who has an opinion about what you should be doing. The Holy Spirit’s leading in your life takes precedence over people’s expectations.
— You are called to be a member of a local church, and part of that calling is to do so with joy and peace, not obligation, stress, and fear.
— Your relationship with God is not measured by your compliance with church programs but by your surrender to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your daily walk with Him.
— In short, you don’t have to feel guilty about disappointing people who don’t understand your personal calling.
2. Grace Helps You Choose Your Battles Wisely.
Paul didn’t fight every religious leader or argue about every issue. But when it came to “the truth of the Good News” continuing for others, he drew a line in the sand. Grace teaches you to recognize what’s worth standing firm on and what you can let slide.
How this applies to you:
— You don’t have to correct every person who doesn’t understand grace or how you live, but you do need to protect your own peace and freedom from those who would want to get you to conform to how they live.
— When someone challenges your parenting, your business decisions, or your lifestyle based on religious rules that aren’t in the Bible, you can choose not to engage in the argument.
— Your job isn’t to convince everyone that grace is true; your job is to live in the freedom grace provides and let your peace and joy speak for itself.
— You can let minor religious disagreements go while standing firm on the core truth that God’s love and acceptance aren’t based on your performance.
— When you’re deciding whether to confront someone about their legalistic attitudes, ask yourself: “Will this help them experience God’s love, or am I just trying to win an argument?”. Remember, you can win the argument, but the person’s soul may be damaged in the process.
— Your calm confidence in God’s unconditional love is often more convincing than any theological debate you could have.
— Lastly, you can choose to invest your energy in relationships with people who celebrate your freedom rather than constantly defending yourself to those who don’t understand it.
3. Grace Teaches You How to Be Strong Without Being Mean.
Paul stood firm but noticed his motivation: “so that the truth of the Good News would continue for you.” He wasn’t trying to hurt people or prove he was right. He was protecting something precious, which is the freedom that changes lives. This shows us how to be strong in our convictions without being harsh with people.
How this applies to you:
— It’s sad, but sometimes, some of the people who are called to operate in supernatural power under the anointing are straight-up mean to others when they come out from under the anointing.
— I don’t care how anointed you are if you are not nice. The way you talk to and treat people matters. Jesus was sometimes laser-sharp with the Pharisees, but He was also welcoming to sinners. When you walk in the grace of God and the Holy Spirit leads you, God will teach you how to interact with people.
— You can disagree with someone’s approach without attacking them personally or making them feel stupid for not understanding the Bible, the concept of God’s grace, or the Holy Spirit.
— Growing in Christ and maturing as a believer will cause you to become more patient with people. If you tell me you are mature, but you are demeaning, condescending, and disrespectful to others, just because they do not understand what you claim to know, you may not be as mature as you think you are.
— You can set boundaries with controlling people while still treating them with kindness and respect, knowing that their behavior often comes from their own insecurity.
— When someone challenges your faith because you don’t look stressed or guilty enough, you can respond with gentleness while refusing to take on their anxiety.
— The people coming against Paul were upset that he was teaching people to walk in grace, peace, and rest. They wanted people to be focused on their performance, how much they violated God’s rules, and how repentant they needed to be as they brought sacrifices and offerings to God. Paul said, “Yet not for one moment did we give in to them or compromise what we knew to be true.”
— Your peaceful confidence in God’s love often convicts people more than any argument ever could. We draw people with love, not by winning arguments and demanding them.
4. Grace Reminds You That Your Example Affects More People Than You Realize.
Paul’s decision wasn’t just about his situation. He said it was “imperative that the revelation of the gospel of grace remain with you”–meaning all the people who would be impacted by his choice. Your response to pressure doesn’t just affect you; it teaches everyone around you how to handle their own challenges.
How this applies to you:
— Your kids are watching how you handle stress and pressure. When you rest in God’s love instead of panicking, you’re teaching them to do the same.
— Your coworkers notice when you maintain your peace during difficult seasons instead of falling apart or trying to control everything through your own effort.
— When you refuse to live under guilt and condemnation, you give your friends permission to stop beating themselves up for not being perfect.
— Your spouse learns about God’s unconditional love by watching how you treat yourself when you make mistakes–with grace instead of harsh self-criticism.
— The way you handle disagreements with religious people teaches others that you can be confident in God’s love without being arrogant or disrespectful.
— Your peaceful response to life’s challenges becomes a testimony to everyone around you that God’s grace really does provide everything you need.
— When you live free from the need to prove yourself, you create space for others to discover the same freedom in their own relationship with God.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for giving me the grace and courage to stand firm against religious pressure.
I declare that grace gives me permission to say “no” to performance-based expectations that try to steal my freedom in Christ.
I will not give in for one moment to people who try to make me feel guilty for resting in Your unconditional love and acceptance.
I declare that I can choose my battles wisely, protecting my peace while standing firm on the essential truths that set people free.
I will invest my energy in relationships with people who celebrate my freedom rather than constantly defending myself to those who don’t understand grace.
I declare that I can be strong in my convictions without being mean to people, always speaking the truth in love.
I will set boundaries with controlling people while still treating them with kindness and respect.
I declare that my peaceful confidence in God’s love teaches everyone around me how to handle their own challenges.
My children, coworkers, friends, and family are learning to rest in God’s grace by watching how I handle pressure and stress.
I declare that I will preserve the pure gospel of grace for future generations by refusing to compromise on the truths that bring freedom.
I am living #TheGraceLife, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
