“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:15)

Paul brought the Galatians the good news of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. They received that good news and acted upon it. They believed the gospel and they obeyed from the heart that gospel and they were saved and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They thought of Paul as an angel from God or as though he were the personage of Jesus. What has happened? The very people who would have given him their eyes now are thinking of him as an enemy? Perhaps they are not but the false teachers may be telling them that Paul is the enemy.

Paul obviously wants them to think about that, to put it in its proper light. They received his message as though it was from God as if it was from Jesus and now he is being referred to as an enemy. He’s telling them that what they are doing is wrong in the same power that he told them the gospel. How can he be an enemy?

Further, why would we consider a truth teller to be our enemy? A king of old shut a prophet up in the ground to keep him from telling the truth. We cannot change the truth by ignoring it. The truth is not our enemy because the truth sets free. It is the false teaching that imprisons, the lies that hold us captive. Let us keep in mind that Paul was giving God’s truth not Paul’s truth. Man can lie but God cannot. Man does lie but God does not.

Task for Today: Listing to the truth led to one of the most powerful psalms. Read Psalm 51. David wrote the psalm after being told, “You are the man.” We need to hear the truth about ourselves. Do not shun the truth teller. Face the truth today and act upon it. Repent if you need to do so and pray. Be honest with God and yourself.