Don't Give Up on God

 Do Not Give Up Doing Good

 Book of Galatians Chapter 6 Verse 1 through 10

 We should understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to help our brothers and sisters in Christ or in fact anyone else.

 We must stress this point at all times!

 We are all still sinners at least as long as we are in these bodies of flesh as Paul has pointed out.

 We all suffer the same passions and at times someone of us is always overtaken by sin.

 How we approach a fallen brother or sister is of great importance!

 It is sometimes a very delicate matter!

 That one who has fallen may be sensitive or even embarrassed and easily shamed for giving into their flesh.

 It is these things that may not allow this brother or sister to return to the Church.

 He or she may even feel like he or she is unwelcome, and we must never allow this to be our intensions.

 Unless this person is approved in the right spirit they may never return to the Church.

 We must understand that a ministry of restoration, is a ministry of God and should be a ministry of the Church!

 This is a ministry that God has called us all to take part in, for any of us could fall at any moment.

 *****Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 

 A wise man said: "A word of Love is more potent than any argument".

 That word "brethren" reminds us that Paul is speaking to saved people.

 If we see one of our brothers or sisters in violation of the Law of God, he or she is not immediately our enemy!

 They are still our brother or sister in Christ.

 We all know how hard it is to fight with this flesh and win every battle.

 None of us will win every battle with our flesh!

 There may have been some in the Churches of Galatia that had fallen from the "Grace" of God, none of us live perfect lives.

 That word "overtaken" gives us the idea that someone had fallen back into sin.

 It was not deliberate, it was not planned, it was a mistake they had made.

 Paul was not speaking of faults in doctrine, but a mistake through weakness of the flesh.

 Jesus said to His disciples: Mat_26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

 Sin is like an addiction, and it is hard to break free from any addiction!

 We may not know the problems of our brothers and sisters, unless we show them love where they may trust us enough to speak with us.

 Why did the Lord Jesus come to this earth?

 Jesus came to restore God's children back to a relationship with our Creator that had been lost by Adam.

 Why would we ever refuse to attempt to restore one of our brothers and sisters in Christ, yet many in the Church would say good riddance.

 This is not what the Lord Jesus Christ taught when He walked upon this earth.

 We all brag about the Scriptures of the Apostle Paul has taught us and he taught a restoration ministry.

 The job of restoration is often neglected in the Church.

 We tend to pretend that the sin never happened or we tend to react too harshly towards that person.

 Those who are Spiritual are those who show the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the Church.

 Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

 It is those who show that Spirit of Gentleness that the Lord Jesus showed to all He met who have the best chance of reaching that backslider.

 Then Paul says we need to understand there is a possibility that we could be drawn into that same trap of backsliding, and we need to be prepared.

 One such thing would be that we could be so full of pride that we can manage every situation that we ourselves fall, but it includes the same temptation our brother or sister has fallen into.

 The Bible says: 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. 

 *****Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

 Remember the law of Jesus Christ is love!

 Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 It is love that caused our Lord Jesus to hang on that cross and die for each of us!

 Jesus Christ bore the sins of everyone who has ever lived!

 Now we cannot bear the sins of anyone, but we can bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters!

 We can first forgive each other! We must understand that sin that made this person fall from Grace was a sin that Christ died for.

 Again, what did the Lord Jesus teach us?

 1Jn 1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 *****Gal 6:3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 

 We should understand to be Christian is to be like Jesus Christ. There is no other reason to be called a Christian or to say you are a Christian except you are trying your best to be like Jesus Christ.

 It is Jesus Christ Himself who told us to bear one another's burdens!

 It is Jesus Christ Himself who told us to be forgiving!

 It is Jesus Christ Himself who told us to love one another!

 To neglect to do these things is to set ourselves above Christ our Savior.

 God came down to earth in the flesh to humble Himself and die for our sins, so how can we say we will not humble ourselves to help a brother or sister in need.

 No Christian is better than any other Christian.

 None of us can stand before God unless we are wearing the "Righteousness of Jesus Christ"!

 There is no place in the Church for feeling superior or spiritually better than others.

 Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 

 We need to do a self-examination to see for ourselves if we possess the right qualities to help a brother or sister in their time of need or we could make things worse.

 *****Gal 6:4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 

 We need to do a self-examination of our own selves comparing ourselves to Jesus Christ and not to some other member of the Church.

 We need to understand our own conduct and our own understanding.

 We are to examine and judge our own lives, not the life of that fallen brother or sister.

 Again, Jesus says: Mat 7:3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 

Mat 7:4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 

Mat 7:5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

 If we are to deal with a backslider, we need to make sure we are not hypocrites!

 Criticizing and judging others is a sin!

 We cannot help anyone unless we have a pure conscience ourselves.

 It is a great joy knowing that we are pleasing God by the way we walk in this life.

 2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 

 *****Gal 6:5  For every man shall bear his own burden.

 None of us can escape from our own moral responsibility!

 We are personally responsible to the Lord for our own behavior and we shall be judged for what we have done.

 We know when we meet the Lord in the air it is a judgment for rewards, and it will be to our own shame if we do not receive any rewards for the things we have done in this life.

 If we do not periodically examine ourselves, we can never overcome any faults that we have!

 If we spend our time observing the failures of others and not the burdens of our own failures, we will never be able to help anyone in their time of need.

 Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

 2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

 We must understand that every child of God is a student who sits at the feet of the Master learning how to be like Him.

 *****Gal 6:6  Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 

 We can go up and down the hallways of our education building and we will find good teachers, but I do not claim to be one of them.

 I know if I listen to the Holy Spirit, I can try to get His message across in this classroom and this is what I try to do.

 Between myself and my class we should aways be able to discuss the things that I teach.

 Here in this Scripture, we see the Holy Spirit speaking directly to the learner who is also a believer.

 This passage speaks more to the Pastor than it does to the classroom teacher.

 These same things apply to both.

 If you want to be good to the teacher:

 1) Be present when the teacher teaches.

2) Be attentive and learn what the teacher teaches.

3) Share in discussion of what the teacher teaches.

4) Pass on what the teacher teaches.

5) Participate in the ministry of that teacher.

6) Support the teacher.

7) Encourage others to learn.

 Again, this passage is referring to the Pastor of the Church who must also be a good teacher.

 Thank goodness for our own Pastor here at Gethsemane.

 Teaching is a vital part of the New Testament Church.

 Members of the early Church devoted themselves to the teaching of the Aposltes.

 Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

 The Apostles taught the doctrine of our resurrected Christ.

 Act 4:2  Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 

 They taught as they had opportunity.

 Act 5:21  And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 

 Act 5:25  Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 

 Notice being locked up in prison did not stop the Apostles.

 At that time the city of Jerusalem was saturated with the teaching of Jesus Christ and His atonement.

 Act 5:27  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 

Act 5:28  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 

Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 

Act 5:30  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 

Act 5:31  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

 The heart of the message of the Apostles was that our Lord Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

 Act 17:2  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 

Act 17:3  Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 

 It is teaching the truth of Jesus Christ that will bring the Church to maturity.

 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. 

 The goal of the Gospel is to make us all look more like Jesus Christ.

 Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

 This teaching is to be taught until the Lord returns.

 2Ti 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 

 We are not to forget the Scripture but continuously teach the Gospel.

 Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 

 This the purpose of our classrooms to teach Jesus!

 God knows the truth of every Pastor and every teacher.

 In fact, God knows the truth of us all!

 *****Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

 In the secular world few people are as important as the teacher.

 Its the same for the Church.

 We should understand that every Pastor should also be a good teacher but few teachers will ever be Pastors.

 Teachers in the Church are also very important, especially those who teach the children.

 The truth of the Gospel is the most important message in this world!

 The Pastor has responsibilities because he is called of God.

The Teacher has responsibilities because he or she is to follow the pastor's lead in teaching the truth of the Scriptures.

The student also has responsibilities to the teacher and to the Church.

 In the Bible believing church the true Pastor, is one who accepts the truth of the Gospel and the Apostle's Doctrine which is the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The teachers in that church are to follow his lead and teach the truth of the Scriptures.

 The student then honors the teacher and the Pastor when they share the ministry of the teacher.

 In the churches of Galatia many of the members were being deceived about facing the judgment of God.

 They were being led astray by teachers with a false message.

 They were failing to share in the ministry of the Apostle Paul and shared the false message of Judaism.

 Judaism is a religion; Christianity is based upon a personal relationship with Jesus Christ they cannot be intermingled.

 These false teachers were turning their nose up at God who had told them of this New Covenant, but they were rejecting it.

 These teachers were rejecting the teaching of the Apostle Paul, so they were not teachers at all.

 They were church terrorists plotting the downfall of the Church of Jesus Christ.

 When we attack the true Pastor, we are mocking God who called that Pastor into service.

 The lesson these men learned at their death is that God is not mocked for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.

 God is very clear those that reject the message of God will be rejected by God.

 When our Pastor preaches the truth of the Scriptures, and that message is rejected by those who hear it then they will stand before God and answer for that rejection.

 If we do not listen to the warnings of the lust of the flesh, then we will reap the lusts of the flesh.

 Those who reject the message of the true Pastor will worship as they desire.

 They will seek some form of the truth somewhere else.

 They will refuse to pray.

 They will live as they please.

 They will strive against the true Church.

 They will reject all the Law of God.

 They will seek the things of this world.

 When we allow our flesh to lead us rather than the Holy Spirit we will see the wrath of God.

 The flesh ages, dies, and then it decays.

 If we sow to the flesh then we will age, then die, then face the judgment of God which he spells out so vividly in the Scriptures.

 It does not matter what the world says, it only matters what God says!

 True teachers teach the Word of God just it is written, and these lessons must be learned by us all.

 God will not be mocked and there is no escape from His truths!

 Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

 Job 4:8  Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. 

 If we sow to the Holy Spirit who lives in every believer, we shall reap life everlasting!

If we listen to God's saving message, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will implant the Divine nature of God within the heart of each believer.

 This is how we know and accept the fruit of the Spirit.

 This is how we will live forever with God in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

 Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

We know it has been close to two thousand years since the beginning of the Church Age, and we must be patient until the Church Age reaches its fulfillment.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 

Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 

It may seem like an endless task sowing faith and hope, but we must not lose heart!

God is going to reward all those who have such patience!

There is just too much truth in the Scriptures for it all to end in nothingness.

The timing of all these things in is God's hands but the season of sowing is in our hands.

*****Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 

God has given us this opportunity to earn rewards.

We should not be waiting for opportunities to develop but making them happen.

We should not be waiting on an opportunity to do good, and we should show kindness to all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Someone in the Church always has a need!

We must stay alert and not be weary if we want to receive a full reward.

We are responsible for our own family first.

We are responsible to our Church family next.

We are responsible for the lost next.

Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 

Amen

Are You Living in the Flesh

 The Flesh Versus the Spirit

 Book of Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 19 through 26

 Many people will not like what I say, but when we die, we finally shed this flesh that has hindered our relationship with Jesus Christ.

 It is then buried till it returns to the dirt God made us from, or more so today it is burnt in an oven till it is nothing but ashes.

 What had Paul said in last week’s lesson?

 Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

 I believe our soul says "good riddance" to that sack of flesh at our death.

Our flesh is the cause of most of our pain!

 The works of the flesh show us just how strong the flesh is!

 Sin is first committed in secret, but by and by will work to the surface and advertise itself in shameless publicity.

 In the First Century all the Rulers such as Tiberias, Caligula, Nero, Domitian were monsters of vice and cruelty, and they only got away with it because the people they governed were equally corrupt.

 We can say the same about the Biden years he was not only corrupt and could not have gotten away with it, if all those around him were not also corrupt.

 Our nation will suffer for years because of this just as we do because of this flesh we live in unless we get the help of the Holy Spirit.

 *****Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 

Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

 After we are "born again" into the family of God we are expected to be more like Jesus Christ and Jesus would never have done any of these things written in this Scripture.

 Adultery is being sexually unfaithful to a husband or wife. It can also be looking on a man or woman to lust after them.

It does not matter if it is in person, in magazines, in books, on the beaches or anywhere else, it is all adultery if you are married to a wife or husband.

 Fornication includes all forms of immorality and sexual acts. Premarital sex, adultery, and it also includes looking upon a man or woman to lust after them, in person, in magazines, in books, or anywhere else. We can be attracted to the opposite sex without lusting after them.

 Uncleanness is moral impurity. Doing things that dirty, pollute, and soil life.

 Lasciviousness is filthiness, indecency, shamelessness. Unrestrained evil thoughts and behavior. Giving in to lustful desires.

It is those who know no restraint. Those who have sinned so much that they no longer care to hide their wrong. They become slaves to filthy words, induced body movements and immoral handling of people.

 Idolatry is the worship of idols, whether mental such as false gods, or made by man's hands.

It also includes to worship of ideas and devoting time and energy to something other than God.

Now it does not include enjoying the life God has given to us as long as do not put things before our worship of Him.

 Witchcraft also known as sorcery, the use of drugs, or of evil spirits to get control over the lives of others or even over your own life. It would include astrology, palm reading, seances, fortune telling, crystals and any other form of witchcraft.

 Hatred is enmity, hostility, animosity. It is hatred that lingers for a long time, a hatred that is deep within. We have seen many express this hatred for our new president.

 Variance is strife, discord, contention, fighting, struggling, quarreling, wrangling against another person to get something such as a position, or promotion, or property, or recognition, doing whatever it takes to get what he is after.

 Emulation is jealousy, desiring to have what someone else has.

 Wrath is a burst of anger, indignation, a violent explosive temper with explosive reactions. Boiling emotions but these things do not usually last.

 Strife is conflict within yourself, struggling to cope and including a party spirit.

 Seditions are division, rebellion, standing against others, splitting off from others.

 Heresies is rejecting the fundamental beliefs in God, Jesus Christ, the Scriptures, the Church. Holding on to some teaching  which is not true.

 Envying goes beyond jealousy. It is wanting the things some other person has and begrudging the fact that they have them. That wants those things taken away from that person and wants that person to suffer because they have lost the things they cherished.

 Murders is to kill; to take the life of another person and it includes abortions for the sake of getting rid of that child.

It is God who made us and it is only He that has the rights to our living and our death.

When we take away God's right then we deserve God's punishment which is death.

We must still understand the Providence of God. Nothing happens without His knowledge, and He allows it to happen, or he does not allow it to happen for His own purpose.

 Drunkenness is taking drink or drugs to affect your senses for lust or pleasure. Intoxicated, using drugs seeking to loosen moral restraint for bodily pleasure.

 Reveling is carousing around, indulgence, and pleasure, wild parties, drinking parties, indulging in feeding the lust of your flesh. Orgies.

 And all such things that are like these things that are named!

 God has already judged those persons who do these things or take part in these things that they will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven less they come to Jesus and repent of those things.

 God is righteous and He expects us to live righteous lives to be accepted by Him.

 People say they are saved.

Some people even go to a church or some so-called church of false teaching.

They may even talk about Christianity and defend their beliefs.

 However, they go out and live their lives like they always have giving in to the flesh.

 They forget that being Christian is trying our best to be like Jesus Christ!

 Many of them feel that God will forgive them no matter what they do, and he will but there must be repentance.

 Many of them think they have already done enough so that God is pleased with them.

 Most people believe that God will just accept them no matter how they live their lives.

 God is not some Father who allows His children to do as they please.

 Grace is not a license for God's people to do wrong!

 God's New Heaven is made for true believers.

 If we cannot do our best to live a pure and righteous life, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God!

 Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

 All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior are then filled with the Spirit of Jesus and will live accordingly.

 There should be a great difference in a true Christian from their old life that is in the past.

 *****Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

 As Christians we cannot be perfect as long as we are in these bodies of flesh but having the Holy Spirit living within us we should be more like Him.

 He gives us the strength to repent of our old lifestyle and here He gives us this passage.

 Notice immediately He says the "fruit" and not the "fruits" of the Spirit.

 We should have not just one or more of the traits but all of these traits.

 Love: the Greek word used here is "Agape" .

This is brotherly love like that love our Heavenly Father shows to us. It also includes affection.

This love is not distinct but includes all the rest of the things that are mentioned here.

 One of the greatest problems in our nation, in our world, and even in our churches, is that there is no natural affection for one another anymore. Hatred is in far too many spots in our lives today.

 Rom_1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

2Ti_3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

 We should have a natural affection within us for all the people of our world and that should include goodwill and benevolence for one another.

 Joy: The Greek word used here means cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness, in fact exceedingly glad. This is not a selfish emotion but as the Sun whose rays warm gladden all people.

 We must understand that being a Christian is not a set of facts. It is not a list of good deeds.

Being a Christian is a disposition of the heart.

 Peace: The Greek word used here is being at true peace with us resting on the knowledge of our future and our true hope in the truth of God.

 Longsuffering: Brings us that dreaded word patience.

 One of the greatest uses of God’s patience was in the days of Noah that while Noah built the Ark that saved eight people Noah also preached to the world of that day around him for one hundred and twenty years and no one believed the Word of God.

We can also say the same for God today. There is really no other prophecy left that needs to be fulfilled before the "Rapture" of the Church, yet God patiently waits for that last soul to be saved before the return of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ to get His Gentile Bride.

 1Pe_3:20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

2Pe_3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 If God can be so patient, then how can we not be the same?

 Gentleness: all these words describe our Savior, but this word gentleness is so wonderful. When we read the Gospels, we cannot help but see the gentleness that the Lord Jesus showed to all the innocent. He showed true kindness to those He touched with His life while He was upon this earth.

 Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 

 Faith: Faithfulness does not doubt God!

Faithfulness does not begin with God and then back off!

Faithfulness does not walk with God then give in to the lusts of the flesh!

Faithfulness begins with God and continues with God!

 We should ask ourselves are we trustworthy enough to get into God's New Heaven!

 1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 

 Meekness: Once we realize just how great is our God then we should have no problem submitting to God and realizing just how tiny we are in comparison. Meekness means we understand the "Providence of God", His preserving and governing of all things. If we are going through something we do not like, then God has His reasons and we need to learn from each event and come out stronger.

 Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 

Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

 Temperance: Every time we see temperance everyone always goes to alcohol which the Lord says do not even look at.

 Pro 23:29  Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 

Pro 23:30  They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 

Pro 23:31  Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 

 Temperance here means self-mastery over all the indulgences of the flesh, self-control in all respects in this life.

 1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.

 If we have read the Bible, we know that there are no written laws against doing any of these things.

 Laws are never made for those who obey the laws! Laws are written for those who break the laws. It seems our government is confused about this.

 1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 

1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 

1Ti 1:11  According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 

 What is the difference between a Christian and those in the world?

 *****Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

 The Lord Jesus Christ took our flesh with its sin and it was nailed to the cross with Him and we are now to wear His righteousness as our flesh.

 If we truly belong to Jesus Christ there will be a noticeable change from what we were!

 We become the property and the possession of Jesus Christ.

 We come to Christ to be delivered from our enslavement from sin, from death, and from judgment.

 We want to be saved from our flesh of this corruptible world.

 Paul says: Rom_8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

 To mortify is put our old flesh and the deeds of that flesh to death the day we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

 No Christian should be doing the same old sins they were doing before their salvation.

 This is the greatest problem in the church today along with many behind the pulpits who were never called of God.

 The seminaries have forgotten the truth of God and are become useless in the work God has given us to do.

 Crucifixion is a lingering mode of death, and it may take us all awhile to yield to the Spirit but it does not take long because the Holy Spirit is all powerful.

 We are to be dead to sin.

We are to crucify the old man.

We are to abolish the whole body of sin with its passions and its lust!

 This death is a condition of our New Birth!

 The Holy Spirit lives within each Christian and being a Christian is being like Jesus Christ.

 *****Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a person of the Holy Trinity which is our God, so if we live to God let us walk in the Holy Spirit.

 2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 

 Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 

Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 

Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 

We only have a short time to be usable to God, we need to live as the Holy Spirit directs us to live and He will never direct us back into sin.

*****Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 

We all stand on level ground at the cross. God will direct our lives for His purpose the remaining of our days if we are willing to giive Him contrrol.

If God does not call us to something specific, then we already have the Scriptures which gives us our directions.

We should be very careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit.

Envy is not a fruit of the Spirit but is a great sin that will tear us down and make us useless in the work of God.

In everything we do we are to give God the glory!

Amen

Christian Liberty

 The Liberty of Jesus Christ

 Book of Galatians Chapter 5 verses 1 through 18

 The Book of Galatians can be called God's message of liberty, but the entire Bible can be called God's message of liberty.

 Liberty is best described as the opposite of servitude or bondage and applies to those who are set free from this oppression.

 Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 

 Some people just enjoy being in bondage to this world!

 Some people think of nothing else but sin!

 As Christians, we do not have to worry if we are good enough because we will never be good enough, no matter how badly we try to impress God.

 We simply cannot impress God; we have no righteousness in ourselves.

 Jesus Christ secured the ideal righteousness for us!

 The Lord Jesus Christ bore our judgment and our punishment for having broken the Laws of God, which is death.

 This is the message of the Gospel!

 The Churches of Galatia thought they understood this until they began to listen to the false teaching of some Judaizers from Jerusalem.

 The message today is that we must stand fast in the liberty that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ has given to us!

 *****Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

 To stand fast is to stand our ground.

 It simply means to keep the position we have taken with the Gospel and never give ground to falseness.

 We are able to stand fast in our argument of the Gospel because it is the truth of the Scriptures and the truth of Jesus Christ!

 The truth is always the truth!

 Rom 15:12  And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 Spiritual liberty cannot be affected by outward circumstances unless we allow it!

 A great man of God said: our liberty has no emperor, nor a prophet, nor an angel from Heaven, but Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son has obtained it for us.

 This is the thing the Devil will try to take away from us to place us back in bondage to this world.

 It is sin that is a burden to carry, and it is not a burden to carry the liberty of Christ.

 Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 Jesus Christ has freed us from the bondage of the law, so we must stand fast in the liberty that He has provided for us.

 Anything else is turning our backs on Christ and our Heavenly Father!

 We can only approach God through the work that Jesus Christ has done for our salvation!

 It is a complete waste of time to try any other way, and we jeopardize our chance to get to Heaven.

 Gen_6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.

 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. 

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 

 The Law is not God's way for us to be justified!

 *****Gal 5:2  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 

Gal 5:3  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 

Gal 5:4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 

 The Apostle Paul is speaking in the power of an Apostle of Christ here.

 It is not the fact of circumcision!

 Paul was circumcised and every Jew in the Church of Galatia was circumcised.

 Circumcision happens every day in some hospitals because it helps to keep certain diseases from spreading, but not everyone is circumcised for one reason or another.

 Paul had been talking to the Jews in these churches but now he is talking to the Gentiles who had it in their mind that they would have to first become Jews before they could become Christians.

 For these Gentiles to become proselytes of Judaism would imply that they were seeking salvation by the Law which is sealed by circumcision.

 There is no advantage for a man to be circumcised or not circumcised in seeking a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

 A wise man said" ‘He who submits to circumcision does so because he stands in fear of the law, and he who so stands in fear of the law distrusts the power of grace, and he who distrusts "Grace" gains no advantage from that which is so distrusted’.

 When we start trusting in rituals, then we will find no profit in Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him will end!

 It is the job of the true preacher to warn us when we go against the Grace of God!

 Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. 

 It is a fact if you trust in the Laws of Moses to get you to Heaven, you will not get there.

 It is a sad fact that all those who fall into the trap of legalism to impress God will fall from Grace.

It is a sad fact that all those who depend upon rituals to gain forgiveness of sin will fall from God's Grace.

It is a sad fact that all those who invest their lives in religion will fall from God's Grace.

 GRACE still means God's Riches At Christ's Expense!

 Remember Hagar and her son Ishmael were banished from God's Grace and cast out into the world.

 False teachers are just that false teachers with a false message looking to derail your relationship with Jesus Christ.

 Every so-called denomination has been infiltrated with such people who serve the Devil.

 When we deny the Lord Jesus Christ, who was sent from Heaven with a mission to provide "Justification", then we have lost any opportunity to reach the true Promised Land, the New Jerusalem.

 We cannot add to or take away from the message of the Gospel!

 To deny Jesus Christ is to deny His righteousness, His death for our sins, and His resurrection to show His power!

 We should remember our Lord Jesus took all the sins from the beginning of our world to the end for every soul and took them down to Hell for them to remain there throughout eternity, why would anyone want to live in that place?

 What will be the story of every false teacher who mixes a little bit of Grace with a whole lot of falseness when they face Jesus, the God they say they worship?

 Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 That woman who confronted our New President should think about these things before it is too late for her!

 What in the world does the world do with the teachings of the Apostles especially the Apostle Paul when they study the Word of God except to ignore them?

 The Word of God has to be rejected in many denominations today for them to do as they are doing. God have mercy on them.

 What is the truth, they will be accursed!

 In the first Book of Galatians, we read:

 Gal 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 

Gal 1:9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

Gal 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 

 Who do we owe our life eternally to?

 *****Gal 5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

Gal 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 

 Over and over again we see that it is "our faith" in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done for our salvation sharing with us "His Righteousness" that we can please God.

 There is no other way to please Him!

 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. 

 If we do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ we will burn in Hell throughout eternity!

 Any hope for righteousness comes by the Spirit of Christ who so many in terror call the Holy Ghost.

 The Holy Spirit is our Divine source of "faith" and "spiritual life"!

 It is a fact that no false teacher has ever felt the Holy Spirit, and never will they unless they repent and claim Jesus Christ!

 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. 

 We can also say that those who preach a false message have never felt the love of God or His Son!

 *****Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 

 We must understand that the truth will always be the truth!

 We live in a world where our government and our corporations think it is best to hide the truth.

 Paul tells these Galatians that they began their Christian life, but someone hindered them and we must realize that this is a favorite tactic of the Devil to immediately attack baby Christians and any Christians.

 He still does this today and he frightens some so much that they never return to their race with the Christian Life, and that race will be over.

 Jesus said:

 Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

 We see this happening at these churches in Galatia and it happens in every church today.

 When we stop living for Christ, we put our lives in jeopardy.

 When we run for Jesus Christ, we must run well and stand on the truth of God!

 Php 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 

 *****Gal 5:8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 

 We must have a clear understanding that we are called by the Holy Spirit and He will never lead us to error but He will lead us only to the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

 Any teacher that teaches otherwise is teaching a false doctrine.

 All those out there today who throw out the Scriptures of the Apostle Paul and teach some other doctrines are also teaching a false doctrine.

 All sinners who come to the Lord Jesus must then repent of their past life and walk like Jesus walked and taught!

 There are no exceptions, and the Holy Spirit does not make mistakes!

 Just a little false doctrine can ruin any church!

 *****Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

 "Leaven" stands for evil and corruption, fermentation, and infection.

 It takes only a small amount of "leaven" to influence a whole lump of dough.

 So, it is with false teachers!

 They only have to twist and change a few Scriptures to change the meaning of what God intended.

 We live in a world where you have to be careful when you pick out a new Bible because so many are changed to reflect the beliefs of certain people rather than the truth of God.

 The KJV is the English Bible that most closely reflects the meaning of the Textus Receptus, the original Scriptures before they were changed by the Catholic Church after the revolt of Luther.

 Most of those Bibles that are printed for English-speaking people today, who say they just want to make them easier to read, and also change the meaning of certain Scriptures.

 I avoid all of them and stick to the KJV.

 All Scripture must focus on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer, or it is false Scripture.

 The Scriptures are not about our goodness or our own works.

The Scriptures are not about rituals, ceremonies, or good works instead of our Lord Jesus.

 The absolute necessity of the Lord's righteousness and death and being born of a Virgin and His resurrection cannot be diminished or downplayed.

 The false teacher will always downplay these things.

 *****Gal 5:10  I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Gal 5:11  And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. 

Gal 5:12  I would they were even cut off which trouble you. 

 If we stand by the written Word of God the true pastor will stand with us!

 Paul had confidence that these churches in Galatia would do the same because the Lord would remain on their side.

 Because the Holy Spirit lives within us, He will awaken us to false teaching if we listen to Him!

 Paul believed that these churches would read and understand this great letter he had sent to them.

 Paul always sent someone with the letters he wrote or caused them to be written, with someone he trusted to read those letters to the church.

All letters to the church were read in all churches.

 We can be sure that every false teacher or preacher will stand before God and God will send them to the hottest part of Hell and to even a hotter part of the Burning Lake of Fire.

 Jud 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 

Jud 1:25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 False teachers only tell lies!

 God will hold up His true Pastors!

 Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 

 Jas 4:12  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 

 Salvation can only come through the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Only Begotten Son. through Him only!

 Paul's sermons had never veered from these facts!

 What Paul had done before his conversion was irrelevant!

 Paul was now a "Born Again" child of God just as any other saved soul!

 We must understand that there is no punishment too good for a false teacher!

 1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 

 *****Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 

 We must not forget that we are free from laws, religion, and rituals.

 We do not have to work to secure God's approval and acceptance.

 We are acceptable to God because He loves us as His own Son Jesus.

 We cannot ever become perfect, no matter how good we do!

 Many people question "Christian Liberty" but our liberty does not ever give the freedom to sin just because we are under the "Grace" of God.

 Our faith will always be the key to our relationship with God!

 We are free in Christ, free from the law, free from restraints, and free from works.

 We live in Christ, move in Christ, and our being is in Christ.

 When God looks down from Heaven, He should be able to see His Son dwelling inside us!

 If we are slaves, we are slaves to our brothers and sisters in Christ and free to call on the lost world with the truth of God.

 Joh 13:4  He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 

Joh 13:5  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 

 Joh 13:14  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 

Joh 13:15  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 

 *****Gal 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

 Every law that has been ever written can be satisfied with love!

 Love does not take advantage of any people.

Love will not be used by people to fulfill their own purpose.

Love will not hurt someone else any more than we would hurt ourselves.

Love endures everything without weakening.

 Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 

Rom 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

 *****Gal 5:15  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 

 To bite and devour is to act like a wild beast and this is a picture of Satan.

 1Pe_5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 When we act like Satan, we are certainly not being Christian (like Christ)!

 *****Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

If we go against the Holy Spirit, we will only cause harm to ourselves.

The answer to conquering the lust of the flesh is the Holy Spirit!

Our flesh will always fight for dominance over our being and this is why God gave us a new Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

The flesh is very strong and difficult to control but it is not as strong as the Holy Spirit.

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

The flesh is contrary to the Spirit!

The longer we listen to the Holy Spirit the stronger we will be, but we will be vulnerable to our flesh as long as we are in these bodies of flesh!

The Holy Spirit will always give us the power to walk away from the lust of our flesh!

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

It is our love for one another here in this church and any other church that keeps us focused on the things the Lord has given us to do after our salvation and discipleship.

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