Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Thursday, March 19, Galatians 1:10

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

I think the way the word "persuade" is used is defined in the NIV: "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Paul was not a "how to win friends and influence people" person when it came to the Gospel. Many well-meaning Christians are lured into word traps by their desire to be friendly, and unwittingly find themselves compromising to find a "common ground" with unbelievers or cultists.

Also, some apologists try to use science and reason to prove the Bible, instead of what I think is the proper way: that the Bible contains all truth, and we discover that truth first through its words. For the foundation point is established by God. We have the great joy and privilege to discover it.

I think that is why some try to compromise the Biblical text to coincide with so-called "findings" by secular scientists and philosophers. The crazy theories on "Christian evolution" for example, trying to fit the "seven-day" creation into billions of years. That men descended from primordial goo and things like that. That they discount the Universal flood, though each day facts are pointing directly to it.

Many of the early scientists in the western world were dedicated "pre-suppositional" Christians who believed what was written in the Bible about an orderly universe and joyfully proved it by discoveries that benefited mankind. It was just common sense that nothing will remain nothing, no matter how many billions of years are added to that. 60 trillion times nothing has the same answer as one times nothing. Nothing.

Paul's description of mankind is quite apt for the so-called "modern scientists" of our day: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22).

Scientists like Newton believed the passage that said: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

He did because he saw a well-defined order in the Universe that could only have been made by Intelligent Design, and something outside of itself, and with none of its limitations. But those who hate God are along this line: "because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21).

As you see, Paul was uncompromising when it came to the Gospel of Christ. And in this letter, he had to answer those who may have meant well, but were off base with the truth of the Gospel. And Paul refused to compromise and taught us to do the same.

And that can be difficult, because professing the true Gospel to those around you can make you very unpopular, and you will suddenly find yourself separated from those who you thought were your friends. And they would be your friends if you would just say that what they do contrary to Scripture is okay, for "all roads lead to heaven."

Just one simple statement by Jesus contained in John's Gospel, John 14:6, blasts that compromise out of the water. I remember when I was first a Christian, I lost all my friends but one because of my conversion. That was very difficult for me, but I gained many others who also knew the love of Jesus.

Paul's attitude here should be our attitude, for Jesus said: "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34b-38)

Don't be a part of that generation.

*KJV used*

Memory Helps

"For do I now     PERSUADE MEN, or GOD?
Or do I seek     TO PLEASE MEN?
For if I yet     PLEASED MEN,
I SHOULD not be   the SERVANT OF CHRIST."

(words per line: 8-7-6-8)

(lines 1-3 begin with: "For do I/or do I/For if I")

(Also, lines 1-3: "Persuade Men/Please Men/Pleased Men" contrast in 4: "Servant of Christ")

(line 4: "should/servant (begin with "s")"

Linking verse numbers:

I use "DaiSy" Duck for verses 10, since 1=T or D, and 0=S or Z phonetically in our alphabet. She is wearing a gaudy pink bow Tie (T=1 for chapter 1)

I use "purse" for "persuade". You can even make it a "suede" purse if you like (purse-suede).

Because the verse starts with "for", I have her holding "four" purses. She is around men who would be "pleased" to hold her purses for her, but, as a "servant of Christ" she throws them up to God in heaven.

If you want to include "servant", I picture servants having a towel on their forearm, so you can include that if you like, with an insignia of a Cross on it to signify "servant of Christ".

In that silly way I can link Galatians 1:10 to the contents of the verse.