“And as for all who walk by this rule, peace, and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16)

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? Just walk by the rule. What rule is that Paul? It is the new creation rule. The new creation is an act of God. We cannot remake ourselves. We could not create ourselves nor can we recreate our selves. The rule is to give up and let God be God. We can’t save ourselves so we should stop trying. Forget all the forms of circumcision that suggest that we can influence our salvation.

Those who let go and let God will find peace of mind. He is in charge in spite of our efforts to prove otherwise. As long as we try to control the world and the sinful nature of men, we will fail, and we will have angst. When men cry “peace, peace,” we find there is no peace. Only God can give peace. In that regard, we are now concerned about the inner man, the soul. Peace of the inner man comes when we know that we are saved by grace and not of ourselves, knowing for sure it is a work of God.

Not only will we have personal inner peace but the whole body of Christ will know that peace. The Israel of God in this verse is the body of Christ. It is the church of God. It is the heavenly Jerusalem, the Spiritual Kingdom of which there is no end. The writer is not talking about Israel in Palestine, then or now. He is talking about the Spiritual children of Abraham, those who live by faith and have received the real promise. That promise is for heavenly blessings in heavenly places. Like Abraham, our father of faith, we look for a city without foundations. A city not made with human hands but with the word of God. We are in the New Israel of God, the collective people of promise.

Task for Today: Easy. Walk by the rule. Give God the glory, take no credit for yourself. It’s not what you’ve done it is what He has done for you. Peace, mercy, grace, these three all come from God and cannot be earned. Don’t try. Bask in His love and accept the gifts.