God Is My Father

 The Schoolmaster Is No Longer Needed

 Book of Galatians Chapter 3 Verse 19 through 29

 As we read these Epistles to the Galatians, we can ask why the Laws of Moses were then given.

 We know there were teachers in the Galatians church who taught that a person must be justified, and we must.

 1) They taught that if that person did the very best he could and honestly tried to obey the Law of God and do much good then he could be justified.

 2) if that person practiced religion, by keeping all the rituals, keeping all the ceremonies, keeping all the rules of the church, then he could be justified.

 3) If he submitted to the basic ritual of the church, circumcision, church membership, baptism, and whatever else they thought of, they could be justified.

 None of these things are bad things, but keeping these things will not justify anyone in the eyes of God!

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ can justify any individual!

 The Lord Jesus said you could wrap up all the 613 laws of the Jews into two laws:

 Mar 12:29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

 Then Jesus said:

 Jhn_14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jhn_15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

 It is only by love that we can show our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 It is only by love that we can show we truly believe in the Son of God!

 When we truly love someone, we would never do anything to harm them in any way, and we would listen to what they say.

 It is in our believing, truly believing, in the work God's Son has done for our salvation, that we can be justified!

 When everything in this world goes sour, our faith must remain in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, so that we can live.

 If we cannot believe that God has everything under His control,  we will never trust Him.

 This is where our faith kicks in.

 The fundamental act that saves anyone is “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 What is the will of God for every individual on this earth? It is the will of God that all mankind be saved.

 1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 This is why the Devil tries to keep us at odds with one another.

 God the Father accepts our faith for righteousness just as He did Abraham.

 1) The law was given to make us aware of sin.

2) The law was only temporary.

3) The law was not given by God, but through a mediator, therefore it is inferior.

4) The Law has no power to give life.

5) The law declares that the whole world is a prisoner to sin.

 The law is usually a designation of the law God gave to Moses.

 1) There is civil law which is given for the responsibility of neighbors.

2) There is the ceremonial law which legislated Israel's worship life.

3) There is the moral law which we call the Ten Commandments.

 It is the Ten Commandments which God identified as God's timeless standards of right and wrong.

 In all the Jews had 619 laws covering everything in their life.

 We must understand that it is by "Sound Doctrine" that we will see life-changing behavior that is based upon love.

 1Jn 2:10  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 

1Jn 2:11  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 

 1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 

 We know that love has just about left our world, and this world has become a place where lust dominates people's behavior.

 Eph_2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

 This is easy to see, and abortion is the result of lust.

Lust is the power behind all immorality!

 We need to take these things seriously for without love we see nothing, but compromise and we just cannot compromise the truth of God with the ways of this world as we see going on today.

 Just how do we know that by the Law no one can be seen as righteous?

 *****Gal 3:19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

 1) The law condemns so it cannot give life.

2) The law was temporary commencing with national life of the Jewish people.

3) The law was not given immediately, like the promises to Abraham, but by mediator, Moses, in the presence of angels.

4) The law was a contract between God and man, with life depending on the total fulfillment of its terms and not like a promise.

 The law was added but not to interfere with God's Promise to Abraham.

 Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 

Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 The law was only the knowledge of sin!

 Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 

 That sin could appear as sin! Most people know what sin looks like even if they will not admit it.

 Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 

 The strength of sin is the law!

 1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

 The law was not given to restrain or to punish sin, nor to show us how evil this world has become.

 The laws are given to show us that evil is already in this world and is very active in this world.

 If our politicians would only understand this, they would go back to the Ten Commandments to make us aware of just how wicked and evil our world is today.

 We already know that "seed" which was to come, is in fact, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Promised Messiah.

 Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 The seed of Abraham is the same seed of the woman! It was no accident that both of these passages use the same singular form of the word seed.

 We can also say that the seed of the snake, who was taken over by Satan, will show up one day as the Antichrist which may not be far off.

 In fact, he may already be on the scene. We should also understand that Satan has had a wicked individual ready from day one because he does not know what day the Lord will return.

 We could name off all sorts of wicked and evil men, but we all know this is true.

 1Jn_2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

 1Jn_2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1Jn_4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2Jn_1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

 The law was ordained by angels:

 Deu 33:1  And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 

Deu 33:2  And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. 

Deu 33:3  Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. 

Deu 33:4  Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

 This was the teaching given to all the Jews:

 Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 

Act 7:52  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 

Act 7:53  Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 

 Of course, we know that this was Stephen, and these Jews picked up stones and murdered a great man of the early church.

 The Apostle Paul was aware of what happened to Stephen because he was an eyewitness though he never threw one stone.

 Paul did not know for sure if this same thing might happen to him.

 Gal 2:2  And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. 

 The leaders of the Church in Jerusalem were solid in their convictions, as was the Apostle Paul and we must be the same.

 The law was added because of transgressions, till the "seed", the Messiah, should come.

 Once the Messiah came the law was to be set aside!

 Now the perfect life that Jesus led is our model on how we are to live because only the Lord Jesus had the willpower to keep all those laws in what was referred to as "The Law".

 We know that the Law is still in place for all the unbelieving world!

 *****Gal 3:20  Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

 The fact that the "giving of the law" a mediator was needed marks the nature of that transaction as a compact entered into between two parties.

 The law came from God, but it was given by angels and then from angels to mankind.

 Deu 33:2  And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. 

 Act 7:38  This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 

 A Mediator implies that there were two parties God and man.

 Then Moses became that mediator between God and man.

 The law was given secondhanded, but not the promise of God.

 When mankind broke the covenant of the law, then the law had no meaning other than good words to live by!

 The God of promises is One and only One. Grace came as a gift to whosoever has the faith to reach out and receive it.

 The Giver is everything and the receiver is nothing.

 God the Father is the Bestower of the free gift to this entire world, and because He worked His Grace through His Son, is all we need to know.

 Is the Law then against the promises of God?

 *****Gal 3:21  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 

 If God was the author of both the law and the promises, how can they be an opposition.

 The Apostle answers: If the law had given life, then there would be no need for the promises.

 Life was forfeited by sin, by breaking the law came death!

 The law was only words and rules!

 The law only injected the idea of behavior into the mind of man!

 As the descendants of Adam and Eve all we know is to rebel against the laws of God.

 The law demands obedience, but it leaves us on our own to comply or not to comply.

 The Lord Jesus Christ was the only person who fulfilled the covenant of the law between God and mankind.

 Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

 God had to poor Himself into the flesh of a man and then die to accomplish this for us.

 Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 

Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

 It is the life of Jesus, that is now our standard for living, and not any law!

 *****Gal 3:22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 

 If we have a Bible written according to "Received Text" then that Bible will teach us that we are all sinners.

 That word concluded means: "leaves no means to escape".

 God says if we search all the Scriptures, we will find no other way to please God beyond 'Grace".

 This verse shows us all, that there is no other way to get to Heaven except by the "Grace of God"!

 Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

 From the time we are born till the time we die, we are all lawbreakers and all under the penalty of sin!

 In fact, we are all as prisoners under solitary confinement as in a dungeon with no hope for life outside that cell.

 The one purpose the law had was, to encourage all mankind to seek Jesus Christ, that is, righteousness by "Faith".

 When we believe the work that Jesus did for our salvation, then Jesus will judge us righteous and each believer becomes a "partaker of the Divine nature of God!

 Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

 Before the Lord Jesus paid the price required for our sin, His blood, we had no means to become righteous in the eyes of God.

 We can see it took the Apostle Paul some time to straighten this church out after they had received some False teachings in their midst.

 Faith in Christ frees us from the penalties of the law.

Faith in Christ makes us the children of God.

Faith in Christ makes us one with God.

Faith in Christ makes us heirs to the promises of God.

 *****Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

 In a real sense, the law is a prison for all mankind!

 We can all understand the full "Gospel" revelation of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 The law is nothing more than a prison that binds us.

 1) The law shows us exactly where we fail.

The law shows us exactly where we come short in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

 The laws tell us to do this and we in rebellion do that.

 It is like a speed limit sign. When we pass that set speed we are breaking the law. It is really very simple to understand, and we only have to do it one time.

 2) The law accuses and condemns us.

 Just as soon as we break the law, we are charged for it.

 The law is in black and white and there are no gray areas.

 We cannot say we did not break the law because that just drives us deeper into sin.

 Breaking the law leads to a life of conviction.

 There is no way we can know how many are running from the law today because they know they are guilty.

 3) The law has no life and no power to deliver anyone from the punishment due him.

 The law cannot deliver anyone from their sin.

 The bond to the law is perpetual. That person is guilty until the day they die, and the punishment is established.

 The only hope for man is for someone to appear with the power to release him before he faces that judgment.

 That someone has appeared, and His name is Jesus.

 We who need to be set free must accept His deliverance.

 The choice is ours! We can accept Him, or we can reject Him.

 If we do not believe that Jesus has the power to free us from our bondage then He will not!

 It is only "faith" that can give us the answer!

 The law was nothing more than a Schoolmaster, or a Guardian, to lead us to know that we need Christ.

 In the day of Paul, the Guardian was a trusted slave who had one job and that was to deliver the child they cared for to the Schoolmaster, then at the end of the day he would bring that child back to safety.

 This is what the law was supposed to do but the law had no power to do this.

 The law shows us that we cannot obtain righteousness by ourselves.

 We need to look to Jesus Christ, and we can be justified by our faith.

 Only, ONLY Jesus Christ can bring us face to face with God on good terms, the terms of Grace.

 The law can only take us to bondage!

 The law only points to us as the children of the Devil.

 Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

Joh 8:45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 

 *****Gal 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 

 How do we know that we are justified by faith, and not by the law, and not by doing the best we can?

 Because faith makes us the children of God!

 Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 God is stirred to adopt us because of the work of His Son.

 Faith causes us to focus on the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ.

 God will accept everyone who focuses on His Son Jesus.

 God will not accept those who reject His Son Jesus.

 This is exactly what the Scriptures say, so why are so many in this world confused? False Teaching and False Preaching.

 When we honor the Son of God, God is well pleased!

 When we say the word righteousness then, we are talking about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we become the children of God, and our Baptism was the sign of this relationship, though Baptism is not a requirement for our salvation.

 Baptism would be one of the first works we would do after our salvation.

 Once the Schoolmaster is no longer needed it is the life of Jesus Christ that becomes our Schoolmaster.

 Jesus is the pattern of what every person should be!

 When we give our faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, God clothes us in the righteousness of His Son until the day we receive our glorified bodies.

 When God looks down on us from Heaven, He only sees the righteousness of His Son, and He accepts us as His own children.

 If we belong to Jesus Christ, if we are a part of Him, who is the promised Seed, then we are the seed of Abraham. We are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham.

 We can call this adoption because we are placed as sons and daughters. After all, Jesus is the Son of God.

 We should understand that our Heavenly Father has complete power over His children as long as He lives, and He can never die.

 Adoption is a serious thing!

 Adoption is a permanent thing!

 Those who are adopted have all the rights of Jesus Christ the only Son of God.

 Those who are adopted have lost all rights in their old family and therefore a "new person", so new that old debts and obligations connected with their former family are canceled out and abolished as if they never existed.

 This is the meaning of being adopted into the family of God.

 We have a new relationship with God.

 Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

 We have a new Father!

 Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

 We have a special relationship with all our other brothers and sisters.

 Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 

Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

 We just become a new person.

 Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

 We are ready to meet the One who gave us all these things when He died on Mount Calvary and then arose from that death.

 1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

 *****Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Our faith in Jesus Christ makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one in Christ.

We are all together the Bride of Christ.

We all stand on equal footing at the feet of Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ reaches out and embraces every believer, and it does not matter that we are so different from Him.

He treats us as His equal though we can never be His equal!

When we look at other believers, we know to treat them as our equals, and we all are equal.

When we look at other believers, we should be able to see the righteousness of Christ in them as God the Father sees in us.

We pay no attention to the color of their skin, their nationality, their sex, their social status, or any other difference.

Psa 119:63  I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. 

*****Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

To be justified by faith we become heirs of the promises to Abraham!

Abraham was to receive God's blessings which include God's acceptance, God's righteousness, and eternal life in the New Heaven and the New Earth as a child of God.

Amen

Oh, Foolish World

 Salvation by Grace Through Faith

 Book of Galatians 3:1-9

 If we are not firm in our beliefs right now, then we need to learn as the Apostle reintroduces the Doctrine of Salvation to these Galatians.

 We must understand that we can have the most solid church in the world, but if we allow one false preacher or teacher to come into our church with his false message, it will cause confusion to one or more of our brothers and sisters, and it may take months to straighten out the mess they leave behind.

 Salvation comes to us only through God's " Grace" and only through our "Faith" in Him!

 Faith is accepting that the Word of God is true! Not just a few words but all His Word. Not just certain Words but all His Word! Not just the red letters, but all the letters.

 If we get confused by the red letters, which are the very words of Jesus, then get a Bible written all in black ink.

We can remember “grace” as “God’s Riches at Christ's Expense”.

 The Spirit of Jesus, God's Holy Ghost caused all the Scriptures to be written according to what God wanted to say.

 All the writers were like typewriters with the Holy Spirit leading their fingers to the right keys or as the printer with God inserting all the letters of type.

 From last week's lesson, we read:

 Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, “but by the faith of Jesus Christ”, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified”. 

 Paul has already taught these Galatians that no one can keep those 613 Jewish Laws to God’s satisfaction, nor can any man-made law save anyone.

Our own government writes biased laws that will never accomplish anything.

 Every Jew sought “righteousness” through those old laws, and this is the reason that they had to bring a sacrifice to the High Priest which brought forgiveness for one year only.

 The next day after that sacrifice they were already guilty of sin again.

 There is only one way to meet God's demands, and it is by "faith" in the work of His Son, the Messiah, who has completed to save us.

It is easy to say God’s demands or God’s commands when everything God does is for our salvation and eternal life.

Jehovah God has never been unrighteous!

 Any doctrine that makes the death of Jesus Christ unnecessary for our salvation is irreverent toward our Heavenly Father and revolting to Christians who know better!

 These Galatians had taken their eyes off of Jesus and looked to the world for the truth, and many a church has done this today.

Just look at how many places of worship closed their doors and refused to celebrate the birth of our Savior. The Church is the Body of Christ.

It is a shame that we cannot celebrate our Savior which began with His miracle birth!

In order to die for our sins, God had to pour Himself into a body of flesh that could die and then resurrect from that death because God simply cannot die, but He raised Himself to show us the power of His resurrection.

 To bewitch is the work of a Sorcerer!

 It is believed that these Judaizers were influential Jews who were gladly accepted into the Church in Antioch and were immediately given positions of authority and their full intention was to destroy the Church and grow Judaism.

 It was intentional.

It was revolting.

It was wicked.

It was Devilish.

It is clearly seen that our teachers and preachers need to be vetted or well-known for the truth before they are allowed to teach in any church or any place of worship.

 We had better realize that religious rituals have saved nobody.

 We had better know that a false doctrine only opens the gates of Hell and there is no escape.

 There is no such place as purgatory and those who believe only put some so-called priest in a new luxury car as I saw in Mexico as they wear holes in the collection boxes trying to pay God to move that soul from a so-called purgatory to Heaven.

 *****Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 

 That word “foolish” means; void of understanding sound judgment.

 In Scripture it means wicked, sinful, acting without regard to Divine Law or the Glory of God.

 It can also mean proceeding from depravity.

 One of the most stupid things we can do is to leave the Church after we have heard and understood the truth!

 The Greek word that was used also meant to be foolish or unwise.

 The Apostle Paul was just saying, why have you Galatians allowed these people to come in and rob you of your happiness?

 The "Good News" of Jesus Christ brings happiness when any news of this world will rob us of our happiness!

 It is the errors of this world that totally ruins our lives and our future lives!

 The simple way that Jesus has made for us to get to our real home just seems too hard for many people and they falsely believe they must have to do something to earn it when there is nothing we can do but be obedient to the Word of God, all the Word of God.

 2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

 So many people believe that we need to hear from some great mighty man of God such as the way that the Catholics see the Pope, to be able to understand the simplicity of salvation that they just cannot imagine a God so humble that He would die for them.

 In truth, we do not have to understand it, for who can explain "Grace"?

 Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God!

 Without God's "Grace," there is no saving power.

 One of the greatest Scriptures in the entire Bible says:

 Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 False teaching can stop all salvations in every place of worship!

 It was the Law that placed Jesus Christ upon that cross!

It was love that kept Him there.

It was "Grace" that made Him do all these things.

 God would have sinned Himself had He not died for His creations!

 When those fancy-mouthed religionists came to the Church in Antioch it was to put a stop to Christianity, and they could have succeeded if not for the power of Grace.

 Grace still means: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

 Errors deceive people and when those errors are intentional, they will destroy you!

 The word bewitched means to fascinate, or cast a spell, to mislead or deceive.

 The Judaizers were very capable, persuasive speakers with dynamic personalities.

 They had charisma as some would say.

 These are qualities I sometimes wish I had, but in reality, if you get any knowledge from these things I say every week then you got them from the Holy Spirit because I do not possess those qualities.

 I just try to go where the Lord leads me.

 When those Judaizers spoke, the things they said just made sense to  these baby Christians.

 When they said, you need to keep such and such ritual, it just made sense.

When they said, surely there must be some work that needed to be done, it just made sense.

When they said God had certain laws for us to obey, it just made sense.

 It all sounded reasonable and logical, but it was all false teaching!

 God said we might never understand His "Grace", and we may never understand the amazing love of God!

 We do not have to completely understand "Grace", we just have to have "faith" that what the Lord Jesus did for us was what is needed for us to be saved.

 Be sure to understand that if not for Jesus, we would have certainly seen the wrath of God on our person.

 We will never understand the wrath of God without a complete understanding of God's holiness.

 Since God is a Holy God then those around and near Him must also be holy!

 God cannot be near sinners for very long because in our flesh we can never be holy unless we are a home for the Holy Spirit.

 All those who do not have the presence of the Holy Spirit in them will feel the wrath of God!

 The Word of God tells us that showing His wrath is the proper thing for Him to do at sinners.

 Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 

Isa 5:25  Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

 The truth is error will lead us away from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will only lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The elements of love and compassion are always connected to God's anger and He would rather show these than His anger, but His anger is promised if there is no repentance.

 When Paul preached, he preached the straight truth that Jesus Christ took our place on that cross and by this action, He took away all our sins and put them upon Himself.

 Jesus Christ bore the punishment for everyone who has ever lived and forever who will come in the future until He returns to take us home.

 Why is it so hard to understand that God sent His Son into this world to die for us?

Why is it so hard to believe that God expects all His creation to understand this?

Why is it so hard to believe that God took their faith and love in His Son and accepted them for their righteousness?

 Over eighty percent of this world believes in some god, I just believe that my God is the most powerful of them all and that He would never lie to me about anything.

 If this makes me to be a fool, then so be it but my God says they are the ones who are fools!

 Just how do we receive the Holy Spirit?

 *****Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 

 Just how do we receive the Holy Spirit?

Just how do we begin our Christian Walk?

 There is one thing all believers know and the believers in the churches of Galatia knew it too: no person earns, wins, or merits the Holy Spirit of God!

 We are too polluted and with all the news about "climate change," we all know something about pollution and what it means to us today.

It amazes me that people want to clean up this earth but do not want to clean up their lives!

 We all fall far too short of the glory of God to get anywhere near the Holy Spirit!

 Even when sinners are doing nothing at all, their minds are usually in the gutter or they are planning their next sinful act.

 If we go back to the very day that we got saved, we know that it was by faith that we received the Holy Spirit because there is no law in the Bible that allows for this to take place!

 We know by what happened in our own heart that God took our faith and counted it for righteousness and the Holy Spirit moved right on in.

 Since the Holy Spirit has moved in there no evil spirit can ever move back in because the Holy Spirit is far too powerful to allow that to happen.

 We may not be what we could be by complete obedience to the Holy Spirit and for certain we can grieve the Holy Spirit, but He will never leave us neither will He forsake us.

 Jhn_14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Jhn_14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jhn_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Jhn_16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 These are all things that the Holy Spirit will do when He enters into us!

 He will not enter into us without our faith in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done to save us.

 Those who question if there is such a God will know the answer to that question once they accept the truth of Jesus.

 Every person must hear the glorious message of "Faith"!

 Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 Each believer can only grow and be perfected after that person has preached the Word of God to them.

 The hearing of "faith" is the only way a person can ever become acceptable to God!

 The Holy Spirit is God's gift to each believer!

 This gift cannot be earned.

This gift cannot be won.

The Holy Spirit can only be given and can only be given by Jehovah God!

 The Holy Spirit is given at the moment of our salvation, and the Bible refers to this giving as what we would call a down payment.

 Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

 In the days of the depression people would put back what they called "earnest" money to be used in an emergency or maybe a downpayment on an item they sorely needed but could not afford.

 The word earnest in the Greek meant a pledge or token given as assurance of the fulfillment of a promise.

 As a believer, we need to focus our love, our attention, and our life upon the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Without this, we cannot be accepted by God the Father.

 Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 

Php 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

 These Galatians had already suffered greatly because they had first accepted Christ.

 *****Gal 3:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 

 If we do not know now, we will suffer because we have placed our faith in the God of the Bible, Jesus the Messiah.

 This happened immediately to the Jews for forsaking Judaism.

 They suffered ridicule, abuse, isolation, and persecution from any Jew who knew them beforehand.

 Since this suffering had already taken place for believing the truth, they would surely look foolish if they turned away from the Lord Jesus so, they suffered in vain.

 If they repented and came back to Christ,  then this suffering would have not been in vain.

 In fact, every Christian who turns away from this world and turns toward Jesus the Messiah will still suffer today.

 Such things as "denying self" would at first bring some suffering.

 "Taking up our own cross" and following the Lord Jesus would have suffering.

 Just "separating" ourselves from this world will bring suffering, even today, especially in certain countries.

 The Lord Jesus said many of our rewards and blessings would come from this action against us.

 Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

 Then Paul asked these Galatians again just how did you obtain the Holy Spirit?

 *****Gal 3:5  He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

 We can be sure that we will receive nothing from God unless we have this "saving faith"!

 Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

 I know we see this Scripture a lot, but we need to realize just how important our faith is.

 No one would climb aboard an airplane if they did not have the faith that it was safe to do so.

 In fact, no one could even sit down in a chair if they did not have enough faith that chair would hold them up.

 Faith is important to us in our everyday life, but it is most important when we put that faith in the hands of the Supreme God!

 Our faith is not what it is, our faith is what it does!

 Our "Faith" does the necessary work so that we do not have to do any work for our salvation.

 A wise man once said; "The only thing I can give to Jesus toward my salvation is a dirty rotten sinner".

 We know that the Apostles of Christ had some power to heal along with some other powers shared with them by the Holy Spirit, but it always was built around faith.

 So, these Galatians had seen some miracle healing and some other miracles.

 Act 14:8  And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: 

Act 14:9  The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 

Act 14:10  Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 

 Now we must not be confused about these powers the Holy Spirit shared with the Apostles. 

Today we have the complete Canon of Scripture, and these powers are not given to men.

 We should be able to understand that miracles did not happen at random throughout Scripture but occurred in three major periods.

 1) In the days of Moses and Joshua.

2) In the days of Elijah and Elisha.

3) In the days of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

 There were select miracles outside the scope of time, but not many.

 During this time of Jesus and the Apostles, miracles were given to authenticate a message!

 God gave enough of His power to these men and in these periods only, along with a New Message, the “Good News”.

 Miracles came in the time of the New Testament to validate the New Message given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles.

 With the completion of the canon of Scripture the need for miracles as validating a sign disappeared.

 Any miracle associated with the Word of God today is done by God Himself!

 The gift of miracles is much broader than the gift of healing.

 The gift of miracles would also mean "power" or "a work of power".

 There is also a distinction between miracles and the gift of miracles.

 Still, the ability of any individual to perform miraculous acts ceased with the Apostolic Age.

 God does times still answer the prayer of a believer but this is His choice and for His reasons, but He does not do this through a medium of another person.

 Those who claim such power today are false preachers and liars!

 Again, God may heal in response to prayers, and He does I am living proof!

Even when God allowed this power to a few men, we should remember that God did not heal every person including the Apostle Paul.

 2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

 Paul admitted that he was stronger under God's power than he would have been if God had healed him, and it is the same for most all of us. I know it is for me!

 There is no longer a need for any of the powers given to men because we have the full Canon of Scripture given to us by the Holy Spirit and it is the Holy Spirit who provides the things we need working through the truth of the Gospel and our "Faith".

Remember there was a city where even Jesus could not perform any major miracle because they had no faith.

Mar 6:4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 

Mar 6:5  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 

Mar 6:6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. 

Next Paul gives us the example of Abraham.

 *****Gal 3:6  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 

Gal 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

 All Abraham needed was the "Word of God" and "his faith" in it!

 Abraham was justified by his faith alone!

 What is the truth?

 It was the Word of God that promised Abraham the "Good News" of the Messiah even though it could not happen during his lifetime.

It was the Word of God that told Abraham that the Law puts man under a curse.

It was the Word of God that promised that only the Messiah could redeem Abraham from that curse.

 Abraham was the founder of the Jewish nation, but Abraham was a Gentile!

 It was Abraham who was the first Ambassador of God. He left the only home he knew and was searching for a new home, a Promised Home.

 Abraham left a place where many gods were worshipped and Abraham began to worship the One True God, Jehovah.

 Abraham's one work was for him to follow the Word of God and have faith in the Truth of God. Abraham had to believe, and he did.

Not many of us would have been like Abraham yet we frown on the few times that Abraham failed God.

 Abraham left his family, his friends, his job, and his nation to go to a place he had never seen nor ever heard of.

 Abraham believed God and he was judged righteous for that one reason!

 Abraham had no law to follow the laws of Moses had not been given!

 Abraham simply believed what God told him!

 We should know that God did not give these same promises to anyone else.

 Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

 Abraham's faith preceded his obedience to God, and it is the same for us today.

 *****Gal 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

Gal 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 

 God promised the Gospel to Abraham many years ago and Abraham knew he would never see its completion, but Abraham was looking out for his children at a time when Abraham did not have any children.

 Abraham trusted God to give him children from a barren woman!

 To Paul, the Scripture was the Word of God just as we believe today, and it is true.

There was no Bible for Abraham to place his faith.

Abraham had a voice in his head or some vision to place his faith.

 The Scriptures declared the Gospel truth from the time of creation!

 It was by Abraham's faith that he was justified because Abraham was not a perfect man and none of us can be until we believe and God accounts that faith it for our righteousness.

 Abraham did finally have one son who was Issac, a miracle birth.

 When we study the Word of God, we will see that the events in the life of Isaac were a parallel to the life of Jesus Christ.

 1) Isaac had a miraculous birth:

 Gen 15:2  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 

Gen 15:3  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 

Gen 15:4  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 

 2 Isaac (was delivered) Isaac was to be offered up as a sacrifice.

 Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 

Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 

 3) Isaac was delivered from death by a miracle of God.

 Gen 22:10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 

Gen 22:11  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 

Gen 22:12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 

Gen 22:13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 

Gen 22:14  And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. 

 Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. 

 So today, as we witness for Jesus Christ, it is the truth of the Gospel that will win every lost soul.

 We do not need to change it but teach it as it is the truth of God.

Salvation still comes by Grace through Faith in the promises of God found only one place in the Scriptures given to us by the Holy Spirit who lives in every Christian.

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ still walks this earth in the body of every Christian.

Amen

We Must Not Become Hypocrites or Christ Died for Nothing

 Paul Confronts Peter

 Book of Galatians Chapter 2 Verse 11 through 21

 There is a short verse in the Book of Thessalonians that we need to learn, understand, and adhere to, throughout our Christian Walk.

 1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil. 

 There are virtues we need to cultivate in our devotion to God and this Scripture is far more important than we realize when we first read it.

 We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit lives within us. 

When we "grieve the Holy Spirit," we lose any power we have as Christians and are no longer a good witness for the truth of Jesus Christ.

 1Th 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 

1Th 4:8  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 

 It was no different for the Apostle Peter, and the Apostle Paul awoke Peter to this fact.

 We know that Paul was clearing up a few things for these Thessalonians before he began his discussion on the Rapture and the return of Jesus Christ.

 This Church had a special need for guidance and sometimes even our most devoted Christians also need additional guidance.

 We will never reach a point in our lives that we should not be growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

 Sanctification is a lifelong project!

 At Jerusalem, all Church leaders had confirmed Paul’s authority!

 We know that Peter had been the leader of the Apostles from day one.

 Though we cannot make excuses for the actions of Peter, we must insist that we all need to watch our conduct at all times for it seems that someone is always watching for good or bad reasons.

 Act 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 

Act 15:23  And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 

Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 

Act 15:25  It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 

Act 15:26  Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Act 15:27  We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 

 This Silas and this Judas were two men from the Church at Jerusalem who would verify the results of the first Council of the Church, to these Galatians.

 They were chief men of the Church at Jerusalem.

 Later we will see that this same Silas also known as Silvanus as the companion of Paul on his second missionary journey.

 Silas became a great missionary himself.

 It seems that Silas, like Paul, was also a Roman citizen.

 Silas was with Paul when they were in jail where the Philippian jailer and all his family got saved.

 Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 

Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 

Act 16:27  And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 

Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 

 It is verse 37 that tells us that both Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens.

 Act 16:37  But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, “being Romans”, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

 Not much else is known about Barsabas other than he was a great man of the Church in Jerusalem.

 This Judas surnamed Barsabas, seems to have been gifted the gift of prophecy which at that time could have meant that he was one of the Preachers at the Church in Jerusalem and he returned to that Church.

 It was after these things had taken place that the Apostle Peter visited this Church in Antioch.

 It also appears those Judaizers had remained in this Church at Antioch.

 This is the background where we see Paul confront Peter, and he had every right to do so though we may not know the whole story, we do know that the Holy Spirit included it in these writings of Paul.

 *****Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 

Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 

Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 

 We may not know the exact reasons that Peter came to the Church in Antioch, but who would turn down the leader of the Apostles if he came down to visit.

 Paul may even have invited Peter to visit at any time.

 This Church at Antioch was a great church, but it was also the first Gentile Church established outside of Jerusalem.

 This church was a mission minded church, and it was important that a good example was set before all the Gentiles and the Jews, but especially before the Gentiles by the Jews.

 When Peter arrived in Antioch he sat down with and enjoyed the company of the Gentiles, as we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We all have the same Father!

 When some other Judaizers came to visit at Antioch they were astounded that Peter was enjoying such fellowship with these Gentiles and he had allowed those same Judaizers to rebuke him for eating with the Gentiles who they still considered to be Heathen.

 We know Peter was a great Preacher and a great man of God, but this thing could ruin his testimony unless it was stopped immediately.

 It went against the decisions made at that First Church Council.

 This thing caused Peter to stumble for a moment.

 If the great Apostle Peter could stumble, we can be sure that we can!

Even today, the most used excuse used by the "Lost" is, that we the Church are all a bunch of hypocrites.

I used to say this myself and it shames me.

 Peter sure acted like one and we know these things are true or this story would not be in the Bible.

 It should be obvious to us that Peter's error was not in preaching a false doctrine.

 The error Peter made was using bad judgment!

 Though we seek moral perfection it evades us much of the time.

 We can believe that this situation was provided by the Devil and these same Judaizers were still full of the Devil, and they would haunt the Apostle Paul most of all his days.

 In Peter's case, we find him bold and then timid many times, even when Christ was teaching him.

 These are not excuses, but just the truth!

We are not to judge Peter when we know God has forgiven him.

 Remember Peter preached one sermon where over three thousand souls were saved in one day.

 I have not heard of anyone else who had such results from one sermon.

 We can also realize that Paul rebuked Peter for this one thing, and it needed to be done, but Paul was not rude to Peter nor was Paul showing personal animosity.

 Without a doubt we can see that both Paul and Peter possessed the same Holy Spirit just as we all do.

 These things did not cause friction between Paul and Peter as Peter wrote.

 2Pe 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 

 In reality we can still blame these Judaizers who continued to cause turmoil in the Church even though they were rebuked at the Jerusalem Council.

 I do not know of any man of God who has already reached perfection except for those who are already with the Lord.

 Paul and Peter are both in perfection today!

 Paul also knew these things as he wrote.

 Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

 When this thing passed Paul was still missionary to the Gentiles, but he would still drop by a Synagogue of the Jews if the opportunity arose and Peter was still missionary to the Jews, but he would still help any Gentile who had a need and he may have dropped in on all the Gentile churches from time to time

 Both these great men of God had death sentences on their heads, but God kept them protected until God took them home.

 *****Gal 2:15  We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

 Every believer, no matter where we come from, is justified by one thing and it is our "faith".

 Not just any faith, but faith in the work that Our Lord Jesus Christ has done so that we can be saved.

 Paul admitted that he was a Jew by nature.

 The Jews considered themselves to be religionists and the Gentiles to be Heathen Gentile sinners.

 We could say "rank sinners".

 Paul is saying that if the Jews being religionists would claim the same thing the Gentile Sinners claimed, who believed in the work of Jesus Christ, then they all could confess they were saved by "faith".

 Any Jew who came to Jesus Christ for salvation was admitting that their religion, their works, and their law were not able to save them. Only the same faith that the Gentiles had could save them!

 Is there a work that any man can do or any law that can make us perfect? That answer is no!

 If our salvation depends on any work or any law, then we are lost as Job's Turkey and Job did not have any turkeys.

 God says we have only one hope! Faith in Jesus Christ.

 The word "justified" means to reckon, to credit, to account, to judge, to look upon as righteous.

 It does not mean to make us righteous!

 We are not made righteous,  but we are accounted as righteous!

 Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

 Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 Justification is necessary because we are born sinners!

 We cannot live as we desire, we must live as God desires, and until we are saved,  we are the enemies of God, even though He still loves us.

 Those who are not saved do not want God in their lives, they have alienated themselves from God.

 This is not God's choice but our choice!

Remember it is God’s will that we all be saved!

 We cannot turn away from God and then expect the blessings of God!

 Why would God justify any man?

 God will only "justify" any man because of Jesus Christ.

 God will credit our faith as righteousness if our faith is in Jesus Christ!

 Jesus Christ has secured the ideal righteousness for each of us!

 Jesus did this when He came to this earth and lived a righteous and sin free life!

 Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

 The world refuses to understand that Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die!

 By His death, all sinners can be saved if they were willing to trust what God has done for us.

 2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 

 Jesus came to die, but Jesus also came to resurrect from that death, because God cannot stay dead. 

It is impossible for Him to do so!

 It is His life from the dead that has given us eternal life!

 *****Gal 2:17  But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 

Gal 2:18  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 

 Does Jesus Christ make us sinners, by our trusting in Him that we are justified by faith in Him alone?

 Is Jesus Christ a minister of sin?

 Are we sinners because we reject the law?

 It is the Law that makes us sinners, for the Law condemns sin!

 The law only shows us where our failures are!

 Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

 When we sit down and think about what God has done for us, we are driven to please God and not rebel against Him.

 Jesus Christ bore all our guilt and all our punishment for the crimes that we committed against His Father.

 When we bow to our Heavenly Father, it is for our love and adoration in appreciation for such "Amazing Love" that He has for us.

 We try to be good, not to earn righteousness, but to serve Him because He has saved us.

 Jesus Christ teaches us that "Love" is a much greater force upon this Earth than "fear"!

 1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

 We cannot ever repay God for what He has done for us, and it is a sin to even try to.

 We are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ!

So He does own us, not just because He created us, but because He sent His Son to reclaim His right to us and all He asks of us, is to enjoy life and our reasonable service.

 Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 Ecc_5:18  Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

 God wants us to enjoy this life He has given to us keeping in mind that nothing upon this earth is as great as the things in Heaven.

 We should also keep in mind that there is no life if we do not have the truth of God in our lives.

 If we do not believe our good fortune comes by the hands of God, then we do not believe in the omnipotence of God.

 This is not teaching a prosperity Gospel, but our Heavenly Father does take care of His children.

This sometimes means that when we are suffering, He may take us home rather than heal us.

No one loves us as much as our Heavenly Father!

 We will find that the closer our walk with Jesus the more we will enjoy life, and it does not take much prosperity to enjoy life!

 *****Gal 2:19  For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

 There are some things we must do to live unto God.

 1) We must die to the law!

 People have a bad habit of comparing themselves to other people in order to show that they are better or worse than those people.

 To be a Christian, we must compare ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and we will immediately see that we just do not measure up.

 The Lord Jesus Christ lived a short thirty-three or more years in the flesh, and He lived a sinless life in every one of those years. 

We do well to live one day without sin!

 The Law shows me just how much of a sinner I am and how far I am from the goodness of my Lord Jesus.

 I will never reach perfection as long as I am in this body of flesh!

 The law tells me I need to be punished for my sin, and that punishment is my payment for the sin I have committed.

 Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 My "faith" in the work of Christ will release me from the power of sin to keep me in bondage!

 The only hope I have to get to Heaven is to die to the law!

 2) I must be crucified with Jesus Christ!

 How can I do such a thing?

 I must believe that the Lord Jesus died in my place! He took my death to Himself!

 My Lord Jesus bore the punishment for my sin, so I do not have to.

 It is my "faith" in this truth that counts for my having died in Christ.

It is my "faith" in my identifying with Christ that counts for my pardon.

It is my "faith" in the Lord having already been punished for my sin that counts for my freedom from the bondage of sin.

 Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

We should be able to see that these are the words our Pastor uses when we are Baptized.

 3) I can now live for God because God lives in me!

 I am crucified with Christ and God sees me as having already died and like His Son, I have resurrected from that death!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is now in charge of my life, He owns me!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is still walking upon this earth because He is walking in my body!

 I am just a branch growing and getting nourishment from the Vine that was my old body but is now the Body of Christ.

 Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 

Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 

 4) I can now live for God because I trust in the "Grace" of God!

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the "Righteousness of my God".

 If I set aside the "Grace of God" then My Lord, My Savior died for nothing!

 Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

 We know that Paul had to confront Peter because there is just too much to lose if we do not gain the life of Jesus Christ!

 Amen

The First Church Council

 Paul's Participation in the Jerusalem Council

 Book Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 1 through 10

 From Chapter 1 we learned that the Apostle Paul's preaching of Salvation by the "Grace of God" had met much criticism, but this criticism was mainly from the Jewish religion.

 This criticism had reached a point where it was determined that the Church leaders would come together to make a final decision on this matter.

It had been the Jews known as Judaizers, who had called for this council hoping the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem would side with them.

 Though there were many Church councils over the years, the first Jerusalem Council was the most important.

 What we find is that our old friends the Pharisees are stirring up trouble again.

 In reality, there was a large number of Pharisees who accepted Jesus as the true Messiah after His death and resurrection.

 In fact, this would be a natural result for an honest-thinking Pharisee.

 Most of the Pharisees were looking for the Messiah to come.

 The Pharisees knew the Scriptures better than the average Jew.

 When the Apostles proved that Jesus was the Messiah from the Scriptures, the Pharisee was bound to see the evidence.

 If a Pharisee had an honest and open heart he would be convicted by the Holy Spirit as much as any other Lost Soul.

 However, the Pharisees would tend to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Judaism, not a replacement of it.

The Pharisees would see Jesus as an addition to the Law of Moses, not replacing it.

The Pharisees would see Jesus as adding belief to their rituals, not replacing them.

The Pharisee would see Jesus adding Baptism to the ordinances, not replacing the ordinance.

 Because the Pharisees had extensive training and had made a lifetime commitment to the keeping of the Law, oral and traditional, they would be very slow to give up the Law.

 They would be very slow to rely on the Righteousness of Jesus the Messiah and not the righteousness of the Law.

 But we do see where some of them made a complete break with Judaism.

 It is these things that caused the First Council of the Church.

 Act 15:5  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

 We will immediately be able to see that the question at the Council in Jerusalem had grown much greater than circumcision from the Church at Antioch.

 The question at Jerusalem became "does a man have to keep the whole law to be saved" and accepted into the Church?

 We would be wrong to believe these questions have disappeared today!

 1) Can a person earn favor with God? Or do they receive the favor of God?

2) Are they acceptable to God because they keep the Law? Or are they saved by confessing that they have broken the law and are dependent entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ?

3) Do we work to make ourselves righteous or do we cast ourselves upon the righteousness of Jesus?

4) Do we pray to the Lord saying Lord I come on my own righteousness, or I come on your righteousness?

5) Do we pray Lord I come with my own package of works, or I come seeking your mercy and grace?

6) Do we pray to the Lord I came to be praised for my own works, or do we praise the Lord because He did all the work?

7) Are we to receive glory because we have done good, or is the glory to be lifted to Jesus for who He is and what He has done?

8) Is the Lord Jesus God, who came down from Heaven to save us or not?

 Martin Luther broke with Catholic Doctrine on some of these same issues!

 Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

 Do we believe what the Bible says or not?

 Luther came to realize that works have no part in our salvation.

 It is a fact that there are no works to do to receive the Grace of God but there are some works that should happen after salvation.

 Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 

 We need to study every question that is asked about salvation in order to properly lead someone to the Lord!

 *****Gal 2:1  Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 

 At the end of last week's lesson, Paul had returned to his hometown of Tarsus and then to Antioch Syria where the first Church outside of Jerusalem had been established.

 Now in the first verse of Chapter Two, Paul is returning to Jerusalem for the first council of the Church and fourteen years have passed.

 This first council at Jerusalem could easily have stopped the Church before it ever got started.

 The Apostle Paul was faithful to give a full account of the Gospel he had preached among the Gentiles, who were still known as Heathen to the Jews, indicating a lower class of people.

 Paul preached that Christianity must be free from all mixture of Judaism.

 This would have seemed ungrateful to some because even the Lord Jesus was a Jew.

 Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: "we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews". 

 Notice Jesus claims to be a Jew just like the disciples who were with Him.

 We should understand that Christianity is the New Testament, the New Covenant, God has made with all the people of Earth.

 We should also notice that Paul was very careful and going to extra pains, to list his contacts with the Church in Jerusalem.

 It had to be understood that the Doctrine of Salvation that Paul preached had come from Jesus Christ and not from the leaders of the Church of Jerusalem.

 It was for the benefit of the Jews that these precautions were made and not so much for the benefit of the Gentiles.

 Paul was not going to change the way he preached so easily.

 Likewise, the Jews were not going to accept the Gentiles so easily.

 We must also understand the other Apostles had to recognize that the calling of the Apostle Paul had met the basic qualifications for being an Apostle being called by Christ Himself.

 Paul's calling and his service had now proven itself for fourteen years.

 Paul did not enter Jerusalem to answer his critics. 

Nothing that happened in Jerusalem would change the calling of Paul, because Paul was God-called and not man-called.

 1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

1Co 15:5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 

1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 

1Co 15:7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 

1Co 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

 *****Gal 2:2  And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. 

 Paul's intent was for him to defend his work in the Gospel.

 If the other Apostles disagreed with Paul, it would not have changed Paul's calling. 

God intended for the Church to survive at all costs.

 What had Jesus told to Peter?

 Mat_16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 I think it is almost every message that our Pastor says he will not back down, and we had better be prepared to stand with him.

 No preacher is to run in vain!

 Every evangelist, Pastor, preacher, and missionary, must preach the "Gospel" and only the "Gospel" and he must build upon that ministry as the truth and it is.

 We are not to allow ritual, rule, ceremony, or law to be added to the Gospel!

 People are saved and people grow only by the Gospel, the "Good News" of God's love for the world, His creation!

 Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

 *****Gal 2:3  But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 

Gal 2:4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 

Gal 2:5  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 

 We must never be intimidated into giving up the truth of the Gospel as our own government has been trying to do lately!

 There are as many so-called preachers who have only enough truth to be called a man of God when they are lost as Job's Turkey and causing damage to the Church and they don't care, they just buy themselves another Jet plane or they write another book but we can be sure they will answer to God.

 There is only one Gospel and there will never be a modern version because God never changes!

 The Lord Jesus Christ will never come back to this Earth, (His Creation) to face another cross!

 The Apostle Paul's version of the Gospel is still the Gospel that saves!

 There is only one "Gospel" and there will never be another "Gospel" that is the "Good News" for mankind!

 The 'Gospel" of the "Grace" of God and "Grace Alone" that Paul preached did arouse many of the Jews.

 Every practicing Jew was circumcised when they were eight days old and they leaned heavily on the Law of Moses all the days of their lives.

 When they accepted the truth of Jesus Christ, they still refused to reject Judaism.

 In their minds the Lord Jesus only changed a few things and Judaism was still the key to life with Jehovah.

 They proclaimed that every Christian would first have to become a practicing Jew.

 Only after becoming a Jew could, they then accept the teachings of Christ and be baptized.

 Paul rejected this and Paul was right even though Paul was a practicing Jew.

 The Church would have failed before it got started if this had been true.

 The Jews were shocked that Paul taught such a thing.

 These Jews were called Judaizers.

 It was determined by these Judaizers that Paul could not have gotten his message from Jehovah, and they were wrong.

 If anything is added to the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.

 If anything is taken away from the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.

 Jehovah was very serious about this!

 Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 Paul took with him Barnabas and Titus who were fellow workers with him in the Gospel.

 Barnabas was a Jew who had been converted in Jerusalem.

 Titus was a Heathen Gentile, and he was not about to become a Jew.

 Titus had never been inside the Jewish Temple, and he had no desire to enter into it.

 Titus had not been circumcised!

 Titus had not committed himself to the Law of Moses nor the rituals of Judaism.

 Titus was a perfect example of salvation by "Grace Alone".

 Titus had answered the calling of Christ to become a Preacher.

 Judaizers are just "Legalists".

 Legalists are those people who add to the salvation plan of God.

 Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Judaism and the teachings of Christ.

 Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of the Muslim and the Koran, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Hinduism and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 In fact, Christianity can only be the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and nothing but salvation by the free gift, of the "GRACE" of God.

 Though many Jews even today are impressed with Jesus Christ, they will not give up their religion for Him and therefore they cannot be saved.

 This was the first great battle for the existence of the Church!

 This is the message of Christianity!

 Legalism still exists today along with many of the teachings of a false Gospel, which is not the Gospel.

 *****Gal 2:6  But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 

Gal 2:7  But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 

Gal 2:8  (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 

 The Christian Preacher and teacher must defend the "Gospel" before any and all persons or they are not who they say they are.

 We as Christians must ask ourselves:

 1) Are we seeking the approval of church leaders over the approval of God?

2) Are we seeking the call of the Church or the call of God?

3) Are we seeking favor of the church or answering the call of God?

4) Are we seeking to build a reputation or seeking to serve God who called us?

 How many of us add our own ideas, our own rituals, our own rules instead of the Pure Gospel?

 God treats all of us alike!

 God has no favorites, He loves you as much as He loved the Apostle Paul!

 Everyone in Heaven are there because they are saved by the same Gospel that Paul preached!

 Every true Preacher, Pastor, Evangelists, or Missionary are called by the same Lord!

 *****Gal 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 

Gal 2:10  Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. 

If we take notice, we will see that the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem did not agree with those Judaizers nor could they, as the Judaizers had hoped they would.

On the contrary they stood with the Apostle Paul!

They saw firsthand that Paul had indeed been called of Christ Jesus to preach the Gospel.

They saw that Paul had been called to preach the truth just like every other man called of God.

They saw that Paul had been called to preach to the Gentiles.

This means that everyone called of God, are called with a specific purpose in mind.

Every person called of God is called to preach to the poor just they are called to preach to the rich still having the same message.

Paul promised to try to help the Church in Jerusalem because every Christian who felt the same as Paul would be excommunicated.

James the step-brother of the Lord Jesus was the lead Pastor at the Church at Jerusalem.

James and Jude both the step-brothers of our Lord did also write a book of the New Testament being lead by the Spirit of Jesus their step-brother.

Are we going to have faith in God or are we going to trust what man can do for us?

Amen

The Gospel

 The Origin of the Gospel

 Book of Galatians Chapter 1 verses 11 through 24

 The Word "Gospel" is the English word used to translate the Greek word for "good news".

 The Greek word for the English word “Gospel” is “evangelical”, so the writers of this “good news” are best known as Evangelists.

 In reality, the word Gospel means the proclamation of pardon, mercy, and peace in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

 If the word "Gospel" is used in any other way, it is a false gospel.

 All those men who are partakers of its saving Grace, who are commissioned to preach it, are to be considered beautiful.

 Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

 In the New Testament "Gospel" has two shades of meaning.

 1) The actual message of Jesus Christ.

 Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

 2) It is the story told about Jesus after His death and His resurrection, in the Scriptures like we are studying today.

 *****Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the embodiment of the Gospel!

 Without the Lord Jesus Christ, there can be no Gospel, period.

 To certify is to declare that the Gospel is the truth of God's Son and, therefore the truth of God!

 The Gospel is not in agreement with the ways of man, nor the values of man!

 The Gospel is on a much higher plane!

 In verse 10 from last week, Paul proclaimed: "Am I seeking the favor of men or God". "Do I seek to please men or to please God" being "God the Son Jesus Christ", "God's Messiah".

 Verse eleven continues, with people saying that Paul did not follow the Lord Jesus when He was alive on this earth, so how could he possibly know any Gospel?

 They say Paul was teaching a man-made Gospel taught by a misguided man, speaking of Paul.

 Paul the Apostle Preached what was given to him by Jesus Christ Himself!

 The word “revelation” means a truth that is shared by God with man, a truth that man never knew.

 The "Gospel" Paul preached was given to him by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

 The Gospel is God's wisdom not the wisdom of this world and we can include the time we live in today.

 The world's wisdom includes many approaches to finding the truth and the meaning of life and the many approaches to finding the problems of evil and death, but these things have eluded the world and are unable to be found.

 The world's wisdom is full of lies and theories.

 The wisdom of the world says there is no God. He does not exist.

 Way back in time, as far back as the mind can go, something, some element, some molecule, some atom, some gas has brought forth all the things we see today.

 To some, the wisdom of the world says God may exist, but after creating all the things we see, has moved on to do other things having no concern for the things He made.

 The wisdom of this world says that God may exist, but He used evolution to create all the things we see which is still a fantasy.

 These are just some of the things we go up against as Christians, when we reach out to those who are lost!

 1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

1Co 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

 The Gospel is not a human thing, it did not originate with man as many say.

The Gospel is not the "good news" from some men as they say.

The Gospel is not to be preached as a message handed down from one generation to the next.

 The Gospel is to be preached as the single fact that Jesus Christ did reveal Himself with the truth of His life, the truth of His death, and the truth of His resurrection.

 These Galatians had asked themselves: did Paul preach the truth of Jesus Christ or not?

 1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 1Th 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

 There are not as many who believe that all the things of this world happened by accident as the world confesses and it is time they stood up and listened to the truth before it is too late.

 Paul did not ever try to hide his past life!

 Our past life is not remembered in Heaven, but we will be reminded of it by our enemies, and it would not hurt for us to look back and see how far the Gospel has removed us from our past life. We are new creatures because of the Gospel.

 *****Gal 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

 If we look at Paul's life before He met the Lord Jesus upon the Damascus Road, we will see the terrible things he did to the Church.

 We could say it was nothing short of a miracle that could account for the change that had taken place in the life of Paul.

 Paul wrote: Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 The Apostle Paul had a radical change of life!

 When we read the Scriptures, this is clearly seen!

 Paul had launched his attack on the Church at the death of Stephen.

 Paul had been a supreme example of self-righteousness.

 Paul became an example of the true Christian.

 Paul had blazed a path for Christian persecution.

 Paul now blazed a path for the salvation of the Lost.

 The Lord Jesus set Paul apart and called him by His "Grace".

 Paul began to believe that God had called him even before his birth.

 *****Gal 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

Gal 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

 Paul began to believe that he was now doing what God had intended for him to do from his birth forward and he was.

 Every Christian should realize that we are now in the will God had for us from the beginning of our lives, just as He did the prophet Jeremiah.

 Jeremiah became a prophet of God, and we become witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ.

 All those who have been called to separation from this evil world understand what Paul is saying here.

 God has a plan for all of us and that plan began at our birth, but most of us were like Paul, we did not realize it until we met Jesus.

 Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 Paul reminded others of the same.

 2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

 The source of our change was the purpose of God!

The means of our change was His calling by the Holy Spirit.

The result of that change is that we might teach Jesus Christ to the Lost.

 For Paul, his job was to reach the Gentile world that God had included and not just the Jews!

 Thank you, Lord God for I was once a heathen, but now one of your children.

 I was never worthy of your "Grace"!

 The job of the Apostle Paul was to be a vessel to reveal Jesus Christ!

 We must understand that we are not called just to come to know Jesus Christ, we are also called to make Christ known to others.

 We must bear witness to what Jesus Christ has done in our lives.

 God has given us all the Gospel to study and to preach.

 The world needs to hear the message of Jesus Christ not the message of wicked men.

 It is every day now that we can still hear the crying and the moaning because a wicked president has been defeated.

 America should be ready to hear the message of Jesus Christ.

 Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 Only Jesus Christ has the message that the world is seeking the answer to!

 How to live forever!

 Far too many people wake up in Hell who spent their lives and their finances, searching for the means of eternal life having rejected the Gospel, the “Good News” of our Savior.

 Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

 Paul was called by the Lord Jesus and then taught by the Lord Jesus Christ how to teach the world about Him.

 *****Gal 1:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Gal 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

Gal 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

 The spread of the Gospel was beginning to produce real fruit and much of the world did not like it.

Just like today, Satan cannot stand to see the Truth of God, the Gospel, to take fruit in our world and he will do everything he can to stop it.

I have never heard so many lies as they are told today about the true Church.

If those who hinder the spread of the truth of God did not have our biased news sources under their wings, they could not cause the havoc that they do.

I cannot understand why this world is so afraid of Jesus Christ!

Now I am nothing compared to the Apostle Paul, but what was he guilty of?

Paul was attacked from every side and the only thing he had done was to tell the truth to a world that cannot stand the truth about a man named Jesus who spent just a few years going about doing good.

Paul’s real guilt was that he had become a Christian and had forsaken Judaism though Paul still kept the Laws of Moses.

What were they afraid of?

The Lord Jesus did not just declare to be God, He was and is God in a world where many have multiple gods and the most evil have riches which is their god.

How can the world be mad about Jesus when the entire world has their gods whom they worship?

I tell you why, it is because the world is afraid of the truth and those who get richer every day. After all, there are great riches in wickedness and immorality.

They went after Paul because Paul proclaimed the power of the Gospel and was a living example of a Christian. 

God said: (Isa_55:11)  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The world is afraid that there might be a real God!

You see the Bible from the true Received Text, is filled with the actual words of God!

Paul was not lying because Jehovah God cannot lie!

Heb_6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

In fact, the only thing that is impossible for Jehovah God to do is to tell a lie!

Paul knew this and every child of God had better know this and the lost world will find out that the Word of God is all truth.

Now if this frightens you, then all you need to do is to have a personal conversation with Jesus.

Some call Him God, but I call Him Savior, and I call Him Friend, and I call Him Father just as the Apostle Paul did!

Paul continues:

*****Gal 1:21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

Gal 1:22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

 We look at and hear of all the things that are going on in Syria today and we can say that for a period of time, there was some great churches in Syria.

 I might not should say it, but Syria went to pots since the Muslims have maintained rule.

 Paul had to leave because there were so many who threatened Paul's life.

 They brought Paul down to Caesarea and then to Tarsus which was Paul's home town and he had many friends and family there.

 It is this Tarsus where Barnabas had found Paul to get Him back into the functions of the Church at Antioch, Syria.

 Act 11:25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

 It is around this time that a great famine came to the world, the parts ruled by the Romans, during the time of Claudius Caesar.

 This is exactly what happens when there is war!

 The militaries of Rome caused great destruction in the fields and those who fought against them could not tend to their fields to raise crops.

 Those men who cause war are foolish!

 Only those who build the armaments and make the bullets and war machinery get rich.

 Those who hold great riches usually finance both sides the, enemy, and those who fight by necessity, and their riches grow immensely.

 Paul took advantage of his time in Tarsus and the surrounding areas.

 This is what Jesus told all of us to do: Luk 8:39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

 Paul was treated with respect in his hometown, and they listened to what great things the Lord had done in Paul's life.

 *****Gal 1:23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

Gal 1:24 And they glorified God in me.

 There will always be those who will see the change that a relationship with Jesus Christ can bring.

 Those who know the best are usually our family and some of them will listen to our testimony.

 Maybe some of our childhood friends will listen to our testimony.

 We can be certain that those in and around Jerusalem had heard of the changes in the life of Paul, who was still Saul to them, until they heard his story.

 In most cases, those who love us will glorify God who can make such great changes in people.

 The Lord Jesus commanded every Christian to do this; Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 We will do this if we show the love God has shown to us through His Son Jesus!

 Amen