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 2:11-14 TPT
“But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, for he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he was eating freely with the non-Jewish believers. But when they arrived, he withdrew from them and wouldn’t even eat with the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who promoted circumcision. And the other Jewish believers joined him in this hypocrisy, to the extent that even Barnabas was swept away by their duplicity! But when I saw that they were straying from the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of everyone, ‘If you, who are a Jew, live like a non-Jew when it’s convenient, how can you force non-Jews to live like Jews?'”
2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
Galatians 6:1 TPT
“My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, may you who are walking in the Spirit restore such a person with a spirit of gentleness. And be careful that you don’t also fall into temptation.”
Proverbs 27:17 NIV
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Setting the Stage:
Over the past two messages, we’ve explored how grace gives us the courage to confront leaders and, when we do, how we can confront issues in a Godly way. I will share one final message about this.
Peter’s situation reveals one of the most dangerous forms of hypocrisy: theological hypocrisy. This isn’t someone who doesn’t know better–this is someone who knows the truth, teaches the truth, but fails to live the truth when it’s inconvenient. Peter could eloquently explain why Gentiles were included in God’s grace, but when social pressure mounted, his actions contradicted his audio. His preaching was saying, “We are all one and equal because of God’s grace,” but his actions were screaming, “Gentiles are second-class citizens.”
For God to use us to the max extent, not only does it take His grace, but it also requires the development of our character.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Your Audio Must Match Your Video – When Your Walk Doesn’t Match Your Talk.
Peter wasn’t ignorant about grace. He’d received the vision in Acts 10 where God specifically told him not to call anything unclean that God had made clean. He’d defended the inclusion of Gentiles at the Jerusalem Council. Peter could talk the grace talk, but when the pressure came, his walk didn’t match his talk. His audio said “grace for all,” but his video showed “separation and discrimination.”
How this applies to you:
— Understand that people are watching your video more than listening to your audio. Peter could preach about grace for Gentiles, but when he withdrew from them, his actions spoke louder than his words. What you do carries more weight than what you say.
— Recognize that inconsistency between your words and actions destroys your credibility. Peter had taught these Gentile believers about grace, but then his behavior suggested they were second-class citizens. When your audio and video don’t match, people stop believing both.
— Be aware that pressure reveals what you truly believe. When the circumcision group showed up, Peter’s true beliefs were exposed through his behavior. Crisis doesn’t create character–it reveals it.
— Remember that your reputation is built on words, but your character is revealed through actions. Peter had a reputation for believing in grace, but his character was tested when convenience was challenged. People will eventually judge you by your video, not your audio.
— Peter knew the right theology but hadn’t allowed it to transform his heart completely. When your head believes something your heart hasn’t accepted, you’ll perform instead of being authentic.
— Understand that old programming can override new revelation when you’re under stress. Peter’s Jewish conditioning came back the moment he felt social pressure, despite his spiritual experiences.
— Make sure your private convictions align with your public confessions. Living #TheGraceLife means your private walk matches your public talk.
— Peter’s hypocrisy was particularly devastating because he was a leader teaching others about grace. When leaders say one thing and do another, it doesn’t just affect their own credibility–it confuses those they’re leading. Peter’s inconsistency sent mixed messages to both Jewish and Gentile believers about who was truly accepted in God’s family.
2. True Leaders Learn to Receive Correction as Well as Give It.
Peter’s response to Paul’s confrontation reveals something profound about his character: he was secure enough in his identity to receive correction without defensiveness. This is what separates true leaders from insecure ones.
How this applies to you:
— Secure people can receive correction because their identity isn’t threatened by being wrong. Peter knew who he was in God, so Paul’s correction didn’t shake his confidence. When you know God’s grace has already accepted you, criticism doesn’t destroy you.
— Learn to separate your actions from your identity when receiving correction. What you did is not who you are. Paul criticized what Peter did, not who Peter was. Peter understood this distinction.
— Recognize that defensiveness reveals insecurity, while openness reveals maturity. Defensive people deflect, blame, and make excuses. Mature people listen, learn, and adjust. Your response to correction reveals your level of spiritual maturity.
— Understand that the ability to receive correction is a leadership qualification. Leaders who can’t be corrected become dangerous to those they lead. If you can’t receive input, you shouldn’t give direction.
— Remember that God often uses other people to show you your blind spots. Peter couldn’t see his own hypocrisy until Paul pointed it out. Stay open to correction because God may be speaking to you through someone else.
— Learn to thank people who care enough to confront you in love. Years later, Peter publicly acknowledged Paul’s wisdom. Instead of holding grudges against those who correct you, learn to honor them for their courage.
— Practice saying, “You’re right” when you’re confronted with truth. This simple phrase can transform conflicts into growth opportunities. Humility opens the door to restoration faster than any other response.
3. Restoration Requires Both Parties to Choose Grace Over Grudges.
For Peter and Paul’s relationship to be restored, both men had to make choices. Paul had to confront in love, not anger. Peter had to receive correction with humility, not defensiveness. Restoration is a partnership, not a solo effort.
How this applies to you:
— If you’re the one who confronted, don’t hold the person’s mistake against them after they’ve corrected it. Paul didn’t continue to bring up Peter’s hypocrisy in future interactions. Once someone has received your correction and changed, let the past stay in the past.
— If you’re the one who was confronted, don’t hold the confrontation against the person who corrected you. Peter didn’t resent Paul for calling him out publicly. He honored him for it. Choose gratitude over grudges when someone helps you see the truth.
— Understand that pride is the enemy of restoration, while humility is its greatest friend. Both men had to lay down their pride. Paul to confront and Peter to receive.
— Learn to separate the message from the messenger when receiving correction. Sometimes, God uses imperfect people to deliver perfect truth. Don’t reject valid corrections just because you don’t like how it was delivered or who delivered it. Many people choose to attack the messenger instead of hearing God’s voice in the message.
— Practice the art of letting people grow beyond their mistakes. Peter’s later writings show tremendous maturity and wisdom. Paul didn’t define Peter by his moment of weakness. Give people room to grow beyond the version of themselves that disappointed you.
4. It Can Happen To Anyone – How 14 Years of Ministry Partnership Can Be Undermined in One Moment.
What should shock us the most about this passage isn’t Peter’s compromise–it’s that “even Barnabas was swept away by their duplicity.” Barnabas had been Paul’s ministry partner for 14 years. He’d traveled with Paul, planted churches with him, faced persecution with him, and knew the grace message intimately. Yet, in what was probably just a few days or weeks, 14 years of partnership and training was undermined by peer pressure.
How this applies to you:
— Understand that longevity in ministry doesn’t guarantee immunity from error. Barnabas wasn’t a new convert. He was a seasoned leader with over a decade of ministry experience. Time in service doesn’t automatically equal maturity in judgment. You can have years of experience and still make poor choices when the pressure is on.
— Recognize that even your most trusted spiritual partners can disappoint you. Paul probably expected Peter to struggle with this issue since Peter primarily ministered to Jews. But Barnabas? The shock wasn’t just the compromise–it was WHO compromised. The people you least expect to fail sometimes do.
— Proverbs 13:20 teaches us that both wisdom and foolishness can be transferred by association. Proximity to compromise can override years of training. This is why you must choose your associations wisely. The environment you’re in can influence you more than the training you’ve received.
— Learn that influence is more powerful than information. Barnabas had all the information he needed about grace, but Peter’s influence in the moment was stronger than Paul’s teaching over 14 years. Who you’re around can override what you know, especially if you’re not walking in your own convictions.
— Remember that compromise is contagious and spreads faster than truth. It probably took Paul years to establish Barnabas in grace, but Peter’s compromise infected Barnabas in days. It takes longer to build someone up than it does to tear them down. Bad decisions spread faster than good ones. There are countless leaders who spent decades building up their reputation, only to destroy it all in days.
— This lesson is not just one about how to handle conflict; it drives home the importance of developing and maintaining Godly character.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me the importance of developing Godly character and the courage to confront and restore.
I declare that my audio matches my video in every situation.
When the pressure is on, I will stand on my convictions.
I am secure enough in Your grace to receive correction without defensiveness.
I choose humility over pride when confronted with truth.
I will not hold grudges against those who correct me in love.
I separate people from their mistakes and give everyone room to grow.
I understand that influence is more powerful than information.
I will not allow peer pressure to override years of training.
I choose grace over grudges in every relationship.
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!
