Galatians 1-6 - The Bible from 30,000 Feet - Skip Heitzig - Flight GAL01

the Bible from 30,000

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flying through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Could you look up the book of Galatians in your Bible? We arrive at Laciano. Let's go there now. I don't know what your favorite book of the Bible is, but it could be. be Galatians, if so, raise your hand, it's your favorite book in the entire Bible, raise your hand, wow, so there are some of you, well, we have a, we have a couple here. Billy and jessalyn, did you stand up? They were telling me that the book. or if you just stood up during the entire service, I wouldn't be happy if you had a seat, so Dave Billy said it's his favorite book, Jessalyn said it's her favorite book, and when they met and found out it was each other's. favorite book was like a confirmation at this moment it is interesting that this is your favorite book because the tone of the letter of Galatians is a little harsh even biting at times so I trust that your relationship is different than the one Paul had in this letter with the Church of Galatia and there are probably other and better reasons why it is your favorite book.

It's an incredible book. It was one of Martin Luther's favorite books. However, when you receive a letter, sometimes you open it and you know. that the letter is different from other letters you have received maybe even from the same person the tone is a little different and this letter is like that the tone of Galatians is very different than many of Paul's other letters generally Paul begins a letter with the customary greetings Grace and peace, which he does here, but he usually begins his letters with a word of praise to God, a word of encouragement to the congregation, which he writes too often, a specific prayer for that congregation in that letter, those who are absent from Paul's letter. to the Galatians he begins immediately defending his apostolate Paul, an apostle not of men nor of a true man but of God and that is because he is addressing this church that he himself founded in Galatia he is addressing a problem a problem that is affecting his own personal relationship with that beautiful group of people from the church in the region of Galatia there was a group of people who had come to the Galatians, we generally refer to them as Judaizers, have you ever heard that term Judaizers?

A Judaizer is a pretender to be a follower. of Christ, but is very legalistic, has a Jewish background and believes that if you want to be right with God, yes you have to come through Christ, but to go through the vehicle of Judaism to be completely right with God, you have to proselytize in the Jewish world. The religion maintains the Jewish holidays, festivals, regulations, rituals and also receives Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Now the strange thing about this here is that Galatia was a Roman colony, those who lived in Galatia were Roman citizens, they were mainly Gentiles, although there were some Jews in the congregation. but above all unbelieving Gentiles who had come to faith in Christ, so for people to find them he told them that they have to become Jews, not just receive Jesus Christ, it was strange, it angered Paul and you see it here in this letter, he unleashes fury against them. he is very clear and in certain places he is angry because they are trying to mix the gospel with other things it is not only Jesus it is not only faith in Jesus it is only faith in Jesus plus something else and every time you add a plus to Jesus and say that Jesus is not enough every time you try to mix just pure faith in Jesus alone with an act of God's grace through your trust in Jesus alone when you add something to the gospel it is no longer the gospel it is no longer good news now the good news The news has become bad news, now you say you're off to a good start by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but now you need more than Jesus and suddenly the good news doesn't sound so good, so the Judaizers were different than Paul Paul would go to a territory that had not heard the gospel he would go to the synagogue first to the Jew and then also to the Greek he would sow the seeds of the pure gospel many of which the people he was speaking to many of whom had never heard before the name of Jesus, so I would give them the background of the law in the Old Testament, then I would tell them how Jesus fulfilled it, so I would go into virgin territory and preach the gospel.

The Judaizers did not do that. They were trying to win unbelievers - they weren't trying to win people to Christ, they were trying to separate the people from Paul, they were trying to get the people of Galatia to turn to what Paul had taught them, so think about the Judaizers as if they were mistletoe. You know about mistletoe at this time of year we often sing about it in our songs, but you probably also know that mistletoe is a parasite, it has no life of its own, you just don't have a mistletoe tree, it grows like a parasitic element. taking their life from another organism, so they needed the hard work and established church that Paul had worked by the Spirit to develop and maintain and they would come in and instead of starting their own thing and winning unbelievers to Christ, they would take believers when Paul was absent and I say now let me tell you everything that Paul got wrong and how I can enlighten you a little and so they would move away from the apostle Paul and move on to the law the Judaizers were like Santa Claus I don't know why all these Christmases Things keep showing up, but probably because it's the season, you know, Santa makes a list and checks it twice.

He wants to know if you are naughty or nice. The Judaizers had a list. They appear first in the chapter of Acts. 15 when Paul is in Antioch with Barnabas he says that certain men from Judea came and said unless you are circumcised and keep the law of Moses you cannot be saved well that ruffled Paul's feathers then it ruffled Paul's apostolic feathers now back then went to Jerusalem there was a convention about this a meeting about this solved the problem but here it is appearing again and that is why he writes this letter to combat 2,000 years ago some of the strict Jewish rabbis believed that there was no hope for the Gentiles.

I'm giving you this. background because Paul is called an apostle of the Gentiles, he is called that in this book God raised him although a Jewish rabbi himself raised him to give the message of the Jewish Messiah to the Gentile people, but he also knew that many of his contemporaries many of the rabbis They believed that Gentiles had no place in God's economy They had sayings that came from their writings One of them is that God created Gentiles to light the fires of hell Their belief is that God created certain Gentile people Non-Jewish people with the express purpose of making hell hotter than it already is, that was his saying: God created you to light the fire of hell.

Here's another saying they had to see if something that Jesus said resonates with you, but quite opposite to what some of the Jewish rabbis of that time said that there is joy in heaven when God erases a sinner from the earth. Jesus said there is joy in heaven when a sinner repents to counteract that horrible philosophy and theology that God wants to erase and ruin people. Paul went to Galatia. he worked in Galatia what is Galatia is that region of Central Asia Minor, present-day Turkey Paul went there on his first and second missionary journeys some of the cities were Antioch of Pisidia Iconium Lystra Derby where he was from Timothy went there on his first journey went there on his second journey and then he writes this letter now I mentioned to Martin Luther that Martin Luther loved this book, it was one of his favorite books, he called it the Great Letter, the Magna Carta, the Superior Letter, it became known as the Letter of the Reformation and brought with me Martin Luther's commentary on the Galatians.

I'm not going to read it to you, it's quite long, but I'm going to read you a section of this particular edition. I love it because it is this book. printed in 1749, so I have in my hand a book that was printed, used, read and preached before this country existed and at the beginning of his commentary to the Church of Galatians he talks about the greatness of the book of Galatians in the sense of which highlights the great doctrine of justification by faith which you know Martin Luther was talking about and says of our justification that is to say how not by ourselves nor by our works that are less than ourselves but by other help even the son of God Jesus Christ we are redeemed from sin death the devil and made partakers of eternal life and then he said therefore I am obliged to cast off all shame and to be brave above all measure that he is in this book Martin Luther said the letter to the Galatians is my letter I'm married to her she's my wife I don't know how your wife felt about that statement, but I guess Billy liked it as much as he did, so you're off to a good start if Martin Luther said that about This book, Galatians, is kind of a mini book of Romans, it takes those same core themes that are written about extensively and deeply in the book of Romans, especially justification by faith, and highlights them because of the details that were going on.

In that church, in this book, the word law appears 32 times, the word faith appears 21 times, so he is writing about the difference between trusting the law and trusting Jesus Christ by faith, that's why you see those books or those words . It uploads so frequently that you can now divide the book into three simple sections of two chapters each. There are six chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 formed the first part, three and four, the second part, five and six, the third part, the first part, chapters 1 and 2. all personal Paul is defending his Apostolate Paul is talking about his relationship with the Old Testament law Paul is talking about his very personal experience in Christ chapter 1 and 2 the second doctrinal section talks about justification by faith cites several examples gives several biblical passages about how we are saved not by any of our works but by Christ the last section, chapters 5 and 6 are the practical chapters, it is what all doctrines must lead to and in particular he wants to show the legalists, the Judaizers, what the doctrine of grace leads to. good works were worried if you only preach grace you will let people do whatever they want and they will not obey Christ they need the parameters of the law they need the strict protectors of the law This is from Paul It is not like that, the quickest route to Spiritual maturity is the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, so that is the practical section of the book that we deal with now, the first part, chapters 1 and 2, let's read it carefully and look at some outstanding verses in the first two chapters as I mentioned there autobiographical Paul will defend his own authority as an apostle and he will defend the doctrine of justification that is why Paul says apostle not of men nor by man but by Jesus Christ and God the father who raised him from the dead in verse six puts him right in the line from the beginning I marvel that you are moving away so soon from the one who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel that is not another but there are some who bother you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ hello I scratch my head when I consider the predicament that the Galatian Church had gotten itself into.

What I mean is that they had listened to the greatest Bible teacher in the world alongside Jesus Christ himself and very quickly after the founding of that vibrant church in Galatia, they began to back away. , it doesn't take long, it doesn't take long, until the next generation, often in church movements, when churches begin to retreat, slide sideways, give up fundamental values ​​and issues, to engage in this area in I marvel at that area, Paul says, it was so fast, you did it so quickly that you turned away or distanced yourself from the one who called you to a different gospel, now look at verse 7, he uses a very important word, he said, it is not another, but There are some who bother you, those are the Judaizers and they want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

The word pervert could be translated go backwards or go backwards. Think of it this way instead of progressing in Christ instead of putting it from first to second gear, you are moving your Christian vehicle. In reverse, you are going backwards, you are going back to the Old Testament, going back to the law when the law was simply meant to be a placeholder for grace, you have put your Christian walk in reverse, you are going in the opposite direction Josephus, The Jewish historian tells us that after Jesus was crucified, sacrifices were still made in the temple. I mention this because the Bible tells us that when Jesus was crucified, something in the temple itself was broken.

You know what the Veil was, the veil that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies, it was huge, it was very high, there were no stairs high enough to go up there and tear it, it was torn from top to bottom, not from bottom to bottom. above the implication is that God rent the veil. He was making the statement that you from the outside can come in, you can draw near by faith. I am giving you access to me now for the death of my son, the only way the sacrifices could have continued. after that it is to sew the veil again that is what religion does God opens the valence has come closer the man says let's sew it again let's take the freedom we have and get rid of the freedom andlet's return to the bondage of rituals in religion in rites and ceremonies man always has the tendency to take the veil that God tore and sew it back together to turn things upside down instead of moving forward just as they did in Acts chapter 15 those certain men of Judea who said unless you are circumcised and keep the law of Moses, you cannot be saved, that was news to them because they just believed in Jesus and Paul and Barnabas said you are saved, now these men of Judea They are telling you not to be so fast.

You become a Jew, have you been circumcised? Are you keeping the commandments of the covenant? Are you keeping the laws of Moses? because if not, you are not saved, they go the other way around. This is the unfortunate thing you say, well that was then, today things are very different. Not so fast, religion tends to take over our souls with a kind of iron grip. I know people who come to faith in Christ, get excited about Jesus, freedom, salvation and growth, but then they encounter a group of Christians who say Well, you know we've decided to keep the Sabbath and the rituals of the Old Testament. and we're getting in touch with the Jewish roots of our faith and we're practicing Judaism and it sounds fun and fascinating to watch. the biblical festivals of the Old Testament but if you read Galatians you realize that if you can go too far and it is more than a celebration some people actually tell you as New Testament believers you must keep these practices if you really want to please God they are going backwards there they're saying here put the handcuffs on me again put the shackles on me this freedom is too much I need to do something I need to keep a ceremony or you know this type of free worship is too much I would prefer to go back to an older liturgical form of worship that is a little more rigid now why that tendency is so prevalent here is why it is really the pride of humanity there is something within us that says if I do something if I add my effort and my ritual and my ceremony to the work of Christ somehow I will be better off and God will love me more it's hard for human nature to accept a free gift to just say really I just believe and I'm right with God I don't have to do anything no it's already been done you need to believe in what has been done for you you need to run and hold on to the one who did the work for you not to retreat into religion or ritual or ceremony it's okay to study it and recognize it for what it is, but you are free in Christ, that's the main point of the book of Galatians in verse eight, but even if we or an angel from heaven preach to you any other gospel than the one I have preached to you, let it be cursed, but this is in Chapter 1, this is in the area where it usually says, friend, you are doing an incredible high five, praising to God, you are amazing, he is saying, "the one who gives you something different than you." I have received be anathema is the Greek word anathema is a word that means dedicated to destruction or Hades let me let me translate it so you understand how strong Paul is here he is angry and he gets to the point he is saying this if you are an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than the one you have received, go to hell with it, let it be damned, that is language, an expression or an idea as strong as that which the apostle Paul once postulated, let it be a cursed anathema dedicated to destruction, as we said.

Before, so now I repeat to you, if anyone preaches to you another gospel other than the one you have received, let him be anathema because now I persuade men or God or I seek to please man, if I still please men, I would not be a servant of Jesus Christ, Paul, relax, would you? why are you so angry? Show a little freedom. Relax, think about it this way if you go to the doctor and after some tests he diagnoses you with an aggressive form of cancer, would you want him to? relax, relax, use grace, hope for the best, pat your patient on the back, let him know if you are a good doctor, you will treat him very aggressively, you are angry at that cancerous organism that is eating your patient you wants to do everything possible to stop him cut him deal with him the same is true for a shepherd David said the Lord is my shepherd said that his rod and his staff bring me great comfort now a staff was what the Shepherd used to direct sheep, but a rod was a small club hung from the belt that was used to beat wolves.

Paul is trying to lead his sheep with the staff, but like a good shepherd he pulled out the club and says: where are those wolves? I am ready to send them to the anathema. I'm going to hit some of them. I want some wolf meat. Now suppose an angel appeared here in this scenario, we are having the Church and now in a big fiery angel appeared, well, first of all. There has never been an angel on this platform, except last night there was one. Lindy was here with the woman. It was a great event. Any woman showed up to that excellent event, but let's say an angel came and an angel started talking.

We would be amazed. You would be surprised, but we should ask ourselves what is the angel telling me to do, what is he saying and what is he saying different from what the Bible says because there have been apparitions that people have seen, it's incredible, you had to have it. Been there, man, Mary appeared to us in a tortilla, it was so amazing, or Our Lady of Fatima, or magic, or Eeyore, or in the 19th century, when the angel Moroni appeared to a young Joseph Smith with the plates golden and gave him what is known today as Mormonism. an angel from heaven but if that angel gives you a different gospel let him be anathema now continue in the rest of the chapter get personal talk about his background in legalism in Judaism turn to chapter 2 verse 4 and this happened because of the false brothers brought in secretly who sneaked in to spy on our freedom that we had in Christ Jesus to put us in slavery, which happened in Antioch and is happening again now in Galatia, now in that case in Antioch. 15 to whom we did not submit even for an hour so that the truth of the gospel may continue with you the chapter continues is still dealing autobiographically talks about a run-in he had with the apostle Peter who came from Jerusalem that Peter played the hypocrite and acted like a good Jewish person when there were Jews around, but when there were Gentiles around, you know he's hanging out with Gentiles but forcing them to live like Jews, so Paul said I called him about that.

Let's go to chapter 3 which takes us to the second section of the book this is the doctrinal section he gives several arguments about salvation by grace and look at verse 1 or Galatians fools I told you it was a different letter the tone is different when you receive a letter from someone and says I think You are a fool for doing this, you know it is not a friendly letter, oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you or deceived you or bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.

Oh, fools! Galatians in another translation of the New Testament by JB Phillips the Phillips translation translates it this way oh dear Galatian idiots, that somewhat captures the flavor with which Paul is writing now, he is obviously referring to the fact that whoever The Judaizers captivated the Galatians enough, they had enough impact with their preaching, their style, whatever it was, their departure from the gospel that Paul gave them and I notice how we are as human beings every time we discover a new truth, a new book, new author. They were captivated by oh wow man. I'm reading things I've never seen before in the Bible.

Well, maybe you've never seen them in the Bible before because they're not actually in the Bible. You have to read his book to find out. It's not in the Bible but it should be in the Bible because I think it really is in the Bible. I'm not saying we shouldn't be captivated by good authors, but we should always use discernment and ask ourselves what Scripture says we should be. like the Bereans checking what Paul said to make sure it matches the body with most of the rest of the Scriptures, so he continues with this one verse: I want to know from you whether you received the spirit by works. of the law or by hearing with faith, are you so foolish having begun in the spirit?

Are you now being perfected in the flesh? I'm going to read a small portion of JB Phillips' incredibly capable translation in this section beginning in verse one, O you. Dear Galatian idiots who saw Jesus Christ crucified so clearly that they have been casting a spell on you. I will ask you a simple question: did you receive the spirit by trying to keep the law or by believing the gospel message? Surely they can do it. Don't be so stupid as to think that you begin your spiritual life in the spirit and then complete it by returning to physical practices.

Look, if you can't be saved by the law, then why do you go back to the law? logical set of statements that is the idea here, go to verse 5 of chapter 3, therefore he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you, does it by works of the law or by hearing with faith, so like Abraham. just as he did in Romans just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness so know that only those who are of faith are children of Abraham as Jews were incredibly rooted in Abraham they were incredibly proud that Abraham was their spiritual father the father of faith the father of his faith of his belief system of Judaism the men were sons and daughters of Abraham and believed that being genetically related to Abraham was a guarantee of their future salvation, so Paul takes them back to the Old Testament of Genesis. chapter 15 after the battle that Abraham had with the kings when he won with Ketterle Omar and you know that story in chapter 15 Abraham is getting old and he is a little depressed, he is about 86 years old and he says Lord, what are you going to give me when I see that?

I am old and I have no one to be my heir the only one I have is Eliezer of Damascus God says Abe come out outside look up look at those stars can you count the stars if you can know this so will your descendants be? I'm going to make your descendants, you old man without children, you will have a progeny, a nation, the nations will come from you and instead of Abraham saying, oh God, that's funny, that's amazing, you're a joke teller, that's great , says that Abraham believed in God. If he said amen out loud the word in Hebrew is amen maybe Abraham said amen or maybe just in his heart he said I think at that moment he says God told that act of faith to Abraham as justice he is right with me he is justified that is all fundamental statement that Paul returns to so often, therefore, verse 7, know that only those who are of faith are children of Abraham Abraham was 86 years old when God gave him that promise at 86 years old Abraham understands this a Gentile there was no Jew nation of which he was an unbeliever or Cal DS he was Iraqi he was between the valley of the Tigris River and the Euphrates he was a Gentile he was not circumcised but as an uncircumcised Gentile he believed God and God said: you are well with me you are justified, He will be circumcised, but not until he is ninety-nine, which I don't even want to talk about, it's okay when you're eight days old because you never remember, but a 99-year-old man would do it, but the act of circumcision didn't justify it.

He had already been justified for years, so Paul returns to Abraham's call Abraham believed God it was credited to him as righteousness Abraham obeyed He was circumcised That was a job that could be called right A human job A human effort but he was not saved That's why he was just a testament to your faith now that's always what we're dealing with we're always dealing with inhumanity no matter where in the world we live no matter what culture we're dealing with no matter what religious background we have around us the whole humanity, all cultures, all time periods can be reduced to one of two religions, there are only two religions in the entire world, two ways of approaching God, one is the religion of human achievement, the other.

The other is the religion of divine achievement, or I'm going to do something, I'm going to work hard, I'm going to subscribe to this and I'm going to go through these rituals or pilgrimages or whatever, or God is going to do it and I'm just going to believe Him and that Faith is enough to transform my behavior and work on me from the inside out instead of the outside in so that the whole world can be divided into one of those two camps, whether it is human achievement or divine joy. until verse 10 of chapter 3 because all those who are of the works of the law are under the curse because it is written that he was quoting from the law, look at how smart Paul is in this, he trusts in the law, we believe in the law, so it's going well.

I am going to quote from the fifth book of the Torah of Deuteronomy chapter 27. All who are of the works of the law are under the curse of the law because it is written in the law, cursed is everyone who does not do them. continue in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them so that the law does not bring a blessing the law brings a curse unless you are perfect if you are perfect and able to do all the requirements of the Mosaic law then It's good for you butSince no one is perfect then it is not a blessing, it is as the law says, it brings a curse, cursed is everyone who does not persevere in all the things that are written in the book of the law to do them Verse 11 but no one is justified by the law before of God it is evident now he is quoting that great verse from the second chapter of Habakkuk because the righteous will live by faith and yet the law is not a faith but the man who fulfills it. will live for them now let me explain to you that it is a direct quote from Leviticus chapter 8 verse 5 the man who makes them will live for them Leviticus 18 excuse me verse five so that the law does not ask a person to believe in it the law does not ask a person who tries very hard and does the best he can to fulfill it, the law requires strict, complete and perfect obedience, that is why Paul says that there is no blessing in the fact that we are not perfect, no one can fulfill it, no one has compliment. it is a yoke of slavery that people follow Explain it, it demands strict and complete obedience, so here is Paul's argument, since the Bible says that the Scriptures say in the Old Testament that the righteous will live by faith, if he is under the law, will not live by faith.

Not only do you understand his argument, it is really like a lawyer in a court, he is very, very logical, almost pedantic, a bond with the other and his syllogism is iron, the righteous will live by faith what is the solution verse 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, so that the blessing of Abraham may come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we may receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Jesus was put on a cross a Roman method of executing the Jews the Jews were never crucified it was a humiliation it was a curse because of an Old Testament scripture that talks about curses there is something hanging from a tree it is a sign of a curse so Jesus because he became the curse of sin or took the curse of sin upon him and died in a manner that is humiliating to the Jews, he became the substitute by which God can impute or confer the righteousness of that sinless sacrifice. to anyone who believes in him that is the transaction called justification that is how it works damn everyone who hangs on the tree so that the blessing of Abraham may come upon the Gentiles in Christ so that we can receive the promise of the Spirit through faith if so If you wish, write in your Bible as I wrote in the margin of 2 Corinthians 5:21, which we saw last time.

God made Him who knew no sin sin for us, so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him, which is substitution and imputation. Now go down to verse 19 because you're still in that doctrinal section, what is the law for then? What's the use? Says. I'm glad you asked. Added because of transgressions until seed capital refers to Christ, should come to whom. the promise was made and was appointed through angels at the hands of a mediator now the only religious institution that God ever initiated inaugurated developed was Judaism Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship with God through the Jewish Messiah the only system religious that God ever started is Judaism and God put it there for a purpose it was a temporary measure it was a temporary measure until the seed came Paul says this this is what the law does here is the benefit of the law the law acts like an amplifier an amplification system Let's say I have an electric guitar up here and I'm playing it without plugging it in.

You could hear it but you wouldn't hear the richness of it because it's thin, it's usually hard wood. It could be a semi-hollow guitar with pickups and you could play it and listen to it but it doesn't have the full sound once you plug it into an amp turn up the volume and gain to give it some grit and actually take that and do it. amplifies, makes it bigger. the law does that with sin our sin before the law was like playing electric guitar unplugged once you have the law the law acts like the amplifier and just says man you've blown it man you're a sinful boy you need help because You've got all the do's and don'ts and all these regulations that no one has ever fully complied with, so off we go, man.

I messed it up again so it's that amplification system or it was added because of transgressions until the seed reaches who. the promise was made and was appointed through angels by the hands of a mediator, down to verse 24, therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ so that we could be justified by faith, but after the faith has come, that's just believing in Jesus, we are no longer under a guardian, it couldn't be clearer, the word Paul uses for guardian is the Greek word pied ago Goss, literally, a tender child, a babysitter, a PITA Gaga's was in the Greek world, in the Greco-Roman world, generally a domestic slave employed by the household whose job was to tutor a young child, usually between the ages of 7 and 18, with a supervised superintendent, take two formal classes, instruct him in certain things until the time when that child grows up and then the guardian is no longer necessary, then the law was a temporary guardian, go down to chapter 4 verse 3, see how it applies, so when we were children we were in slavery under the elements of the world, but when the fullness of time came, God sent. his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who are under the law so that we may receive adoption as sons and because you are sons God has sent the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father I love that text you know that It is one of my favorites I preached it last Christmas Eve great truths and Galatians we are now receiving the amplification of all justification by faith in the Son of God became man to enable men to become children of God God treated Jesus as we deserve to be treated so that God can treat us as Jesus deserves to be treated.

We have been adopted as children and this is what Christmas is about. It's the side of the Christmas story that is never told. It is okay to have a cross or Jesus on a cross inside a church building, normally a Catholic church has that in the front of the altar, but Jesus is only seen in a nativity scene located outside most churches and only at Christmas , that's because the world can bear it. that Jesus, they can't stand that Jesus, like the family that was looking at Christmas lights one year and they loved all the lights in the neighborhood and finally they came to a church where there was a huge, beautiful Nativity display, all that and the father. said, isn't it just awesome and the little boy, the son, there were a couple of boys and a girl, and mom and dad, when the little boy said yes, but something bothers me, Jesus will never grow up, this year he has the same size as him?

Last year, well, for some people Jesus never grows up, they don't want Jesus to grow up, they want him to stay as a cute little baby in the manger scene, not grow up and call people out for their sin and then hang on a cross. to bleed for their sin they don't want Jesus but Jesus was crucified and then resurrected from the dead we had the adoption of children for which we call Abba Father now we come to chapter five and six that is where we end the book as he ends the book, It comes to the third big section of this book, which is the practical section, this is what I love about this.

Paul is basically saying: listen to grace, the doctrine of grace, salvation by grace through faith alone promotes spiritual maturity, the complete opposite of what the Judaizers said. I think grace is often misunderstood, but don't tell people that all they have to do is believe in Jesus, if you tell people that man, they'll go crazy, they'll go crazy, you need the fence, you need the bumpers you need. for you you need the parameters otherwise you will live without restrictions no no if you understand the gospel of grace because if you understand the gospel of grace it will do something to your heart your heart will be changed God puts his Holy Spirit who energizes the new nature that is put within us in the second birth so do not strive to keep the law because you are saved by grace and just believing that you want to obey motivates you to obey do not become a rebellious man become a disciple the law is different the law can command you to do something but will never allow you to do that something do this do that like that little poem I've often quoted do this do what the law commands but it doesn't give me either way a better word the gospel sounds brings commands me to fly and then gives me wings so the law says don't do this here is a commandment but it never gives you the enablement the New Covenant gives you the enablement you have a new birth you have a new relationship with God all things have passed away all things become new the Spirit of God lives within you etc. therefore verse 5 chapter 5 verse 1 stand firm, therefore, in the Freedom in which Christ has made us free and do not let yourselves be entangled again with a yoke of slavery now He is imagining a poor animal like an ox bent over due to the excess weight it carries, which is tied to its neck in this plow.

In fact, I, Paul, tell you that if you are circumcised, Christ will benefit you. nothing and I testify again to every man who is circumcised that he is obliged to keep the whole law interesting terminology stand firm and do not be subject to the yoke of slavery it is the same terminology that Peter used in Acts chapter 15 that council of Jerusalem because the Judaizers have gone to Antioch Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem Peter is there and Peter says why do you try to put a yoke on the disciples that neither we nor our fathers could bear?

Our predecessors could not keep the law. You couldn't keep the law but now you're trying to tell the Gentiles that you have to keep the law it's a yoke we couldn't bear it no one can bear it Jesus said the same thing to the Pharisees woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because they tie heavy burdens that are difficult to carry and put them on men's shoulders that is what the law did Paul says do not be enslaved again go down to verse 11 and I brothers if I am still preaching circumcision why do I still suffer persecution then The offense of the cross has stopped I hope but now it is getting Wow very strong.

I wish that those who bother you would even cut themselves now that the translation doesn't really help us understand the word cut is a word that is translated in many ancient Greek texts as castrate, you know, I don't have to describe it well and you get the idea why would he use such a rude term because there was a cult where there was a group of worshipers worshiped sabelli and part of their devotion was to cut off the anatomical parts of the male castration as proof of devotion, so Paul says that really, if you are really devout, you are preaching circumcision, just go castrate yourself. cut yourself Wow Paul because you brothers have been called to freedom only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but true love serve one another for all the law is fulfilled in a word even this you will love your neighbor as yourself here is this point grace does not make you forgiving grace makes you a servant grace good if you really understand it we will put within you a new love for people not legalism not meanness you will fulfill the law which is love go down to verse 16 I say that you walk in the spirit, you will not satisfy the desires of the flesh, because the desires of the flesh or the wars against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh, these are contrary to each other so that you do not do the things you desire, you have two natures . as a believer, the old nature you were born with, with the new nature you were born with in your second birth, everything was fine until you were born again, there was no battle, you just sinned, but once you come to Christ, now you have the Holy Spirit energizing it. completely new nature because now you are right with God now there is a battle that is worse than Star Wars it is wars of the flesh wars of the flesh against the Spirit 1 nature against the other and you cast the deciding vote so what Paul does here is he gets 17 works of the flesh contrasts it with 9 graces of the Spirit and he says that the works of the flesh verse 19 are evident which are adultery fornication impurity lasciviousness idolatry sorcery hatred strife jealousy outbursts of anger selfish ambitions dissensions heresies Envy Smurfs drunken revelry disgust and similar I tell you in advance just as I also told you in time those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God now tells you what grace produces the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness meekness self-control There is no law against that.

It is called the fruit of the Spirit. You already know that the fruit is beautiful and perfect. You have these little twigs and branches on a tree and you see them. You walk next to an apple tree. Have you ever passed by a tree that is bearing fruit? I eat apples and see how hard that tree works to produce fruit. I think I see him sweating. No, it never happens like that. You know how easy it is for a branch to produce fruit. All a branch has to do is hang. just stay tuned man,just endure and the fruits will happen, you want to be a fruitful Christian, endure, abide in Christ, endure with him, stay connected with him, the fruits will happen naturally, you don't have to sweat, it will happen. that is what happens in grace Brothers chapter 6 verse 1 if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of meekness, considering yourself, so that you may not also be tempted, bear one another's burdens. the others, and thus you fulfill the law of Christ for if someone thinks that it is something when it is nothing, they deceive themselves the great difference one of the great differences between legalism and grace is that legalism points the finger at grace open your arms wide seek to restore legalists love damnation people who are in the love of grace restoration okay then you made a mistake so I came man we want to surround you we want to lift you up we want to restore you we can get in on your grill and be honest with you, but we want to restore you again. fertility not only tells you your faults but restores you unfortunately the church has become very good at shooting its own wounded instead of bandaging them and making them perform again we should be very good at restoration go down to verse 11 we are Closing this letter in the last minute and a half, look what big letters I have written for you with my own hand.

I tell you this because I am baffled as to what that means, says the King James Version. What a great letter I have written to you that you would infer is saying man, look! I have read enough, this is a very long letter, the thing is that Galatians really is not a long letter compared to Romans, first letter to Corinthians, it is not long, it is relatively short, it could mean that you are writing a longer letter than you intended to write. to them that is a thought there is another thought and and that is because of the translation here see what large letters I have written for them the idea the thought is that Paul had an eye ailment and an eye disease we do not know why it is thought that when he was stoned in Lystra when They threw stones at him in Linder lizra and they almost stoned him to death.

He suffered effects from that and one is that he suffered from poor eyesight and that is what he referred to in 2 Corinthians 12, my thorn in the flesh, an ailment that we do not know about, but it could be that Paul had than writing very large print as we would say, you know what it's like when you get older and your Bible used to have that tiny little Bible that you couldn't read unless you already had a microscope and then you get the extra large print Bible. You know it's that big. The words, one word, will be perfect, so it could be the palliative not only of age, but because of that ailment, perhaps ages.

I had to write big. letters there is a third thought, if I may, it could be that the letter was written normally because he had an amanuensis, someone to whom he dictated it and who wrote it, but that in the end, when Paul wanted to make a point, he, you you know, he wrote big letters or I asked him to write big letters, you know, we'd say we'd write something, then we'd write it all in caps and he'd say don't miss this, you know, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point and then We tell him what it is, it could be that he is. highlighting a certain section in large letters, take your pick, we don't know, I think I know what it is, but I'll keep my opinion to myself, you've heard it before, anyway, scroll down to verse 16, all who walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them and with the Israel of God in other words those Jews who are not Judaizing but those Jews who simply believe in Christ as well as the Gentiles from now on no one bothers me because I carry the marks on my body of the Lord Jesus brothers the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit amen you know what he was referring to he was referring to the marks of persecution the beatings the stonings remember he said three times they beat me with rods he said that in Corinthians and he, he, It is saying that you are boasting about the marks on your body, which is circumcision.

I am boasting about the marks on my body that suffer for the true gospel, so it is contrasting his mark of circumcision with that of the brothers, grace. of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all amen here it is in a nutshell about a week ago I was in California Pizza Kitchen eating a salad I finished the meal I was ready to pay my bill and the waitress smiled and said your bill has already been paid the full tip It's even been added so you don't have to pay anything you know like congratulations I said well who was it they said well I can't tell you they don't do it and they don't want to be known so what a gift what a kind act when someone does that.

Jesus came and said: I am going to pay your bill, all the debts you have accumulated for all the bad things you have ever said, done, thought bad. Upstairs, I'm going to pay, it'll be on my account, so I'll give you a free meal, a free ticket to heaven, will you believe me now? What if I told the waitress she's great? Can I go back to the restaurant? go back and wash the dishes well why well I should earn something good that would be weird daddy number one against the health code number two and number three it would be an insult to the one who gave me the gift when you say I want to add something to the gospel for a regiment of works What an insult it is to the one who paid for your sins and mine on the cross and is willing to give you salvation freely by believing in him so do not return to slavery stand firm stand firm in the Freedom, but do not use your freedom to cause stumbling to no one or an occasion for the flesh and an excuse for the flesh because if it is truly grace by which you are saved, it will manifest itself in love and compassion in restoration in the fruit of the Spirit that comes simply by persevering in your relationship with him father we close thanking you for the work of Christ on the cross and that it is a finished work we are in grace we are firm in grace we are firm in our freedom and Thank you for the freedom, thank you for the freedom we have in Christ, in the name of Jesus, we pray , amen, let us all arise, we hope you enjoyed this message from

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