Standing In Liberty

Stand In Liberty

Galatians 5:1-15


What does the word liberty mean?

**Liberty means freedom from restraint.

We enjoy this liberty when there are no physical forces that restrain our ability to move.

**There is natural liberty.

Natural liberty means we have the ability to do as we please without any outside control.

We all know that we do not have this liberty because we are governed by a nation who desires to control all the liberties of it's people and we are loosing our liberties more and more everyday!

**There is civil liberty.

We live in a society that is governed by a set of rules approved by the people while there are many who live in a society that is governed by tyranny or oppression.

It seems that there is one party, who I will not mention who seem to want to live under government control.

We simply cannot allow our own government to become more oppressive.

**There is also religious liberty.

The freedom to worship according to our own conscience.

**BUT, Then there is Christian liberty.

The freedom from spiritual bondage!

The Lord Jesus Christ began His ministry with this message from the Book of Luke:

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

When Jesus established the Church, He gave each believer "Freedom".

BUT, This is not freedom to act in any way we want!

Following the desires of our heart is not what freedom is all about!

In fact Jesus also said these words:

Mar 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

So if we follow our hearts, we will certainly fall into the traps of Satan and the evils of this world!

So do we have freedom? YES.

Are we free to do as we please? NO! NO! NO!

To be saved is to filled with the Holy Spirit and He is to be our Guide to a sure and a perfect freedom!

Our freedom must be based on what is acceptable to the Lord!

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Once we have tasted this "Freedom" we would be very foolish to go back into bondage of "Laws"!

We need to "Stand in the Liberty" given to us by Jesus Christ!

Let's pickup where we left off last week:

*****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.

Laws are intended to govern human conduct but by whose standards?

Laws are intended to promote common good but again by whose standards?

Laws are intended to settle disputes but who decides what is truth and what is not truth?

Laws are intended to develop good behavior but who is our example of what good behavior resembles?

In other words laws only make people slaves to someone else's power!

What are the facts?

When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we are freed from the law and it's enslaving power!

We no longer have to worry if we are good enough, or if we have done enough good works, or kept enough laws to be acceptable to God!

And if laws are not according to the standards set forth in the Word of God, then they probably only meet the standards of some man who has exalted himself to a position of authority!

Jesus Christ died in order to set us free from laws and regulations.

Not to be free to do anything that we want to do, because that in itself is also slavery to our own desires.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

To be truly free, is to live unselfishly!

1Co 10:23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
1Co 10:24  "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth".

The Lord Jesus Christ was righteous in all laws!

The Lord Jesus Christ paid our penalty for us because we could not be righteous in all laws!

Jesus Christ bore "our judgment" and "our punishment" for having broken the law, which was death!

It is only by the Lord Jesus Christ that we are able to stand before God as perfect individuals!

This does not mean that all the world is accepted before God, because most all the world rejects these things as the truth and do not trust in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ has made us free but only if we believe!

And once we are made free we are to "Standfast" in the "Liberty of this Freedom"!

These Galatian Christians were about to get caught up in the bondage of the law in which they had never known.

They accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God but only as a great teacher and a great example.

This is how many religions see Jesus today!

They were beginning to ignore the reason Jesus had come.

They began to ignore that "Salvation" is only by the "Grace of God".

They began to ignore that our own righteousness came only by the death of Jesus Christ and eternal life comes only by His resurrection by the power of the Holy Ghost!

They taught that Jesus Christ had not come to give us the only approach to God but that Christ had only come to add to the teachings of the Law therefore the Gospel was only a doctrine of works.

We can see that many of the Church are still confused in our own day!

What are the basic rituals of the "Jewish" religion?

1) Circumcision, baptism, and church membership.
2) Committing fully to the Laws of Moses.
3) Observing all the rituals and ceremonies of the Jewish religion.

If we just omit the word "Jewish" we can see that this is the same doctrine of most all false religions.

But what does God say the truth is?

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 pure truth is that God will never "Justify" anyone just because they try to be obedient to some law!

*****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.

**The first act in the obedience to Jewish Law was the circumcision of that individual.

This is a ritual observed by the Jew and some others and is in fact good medical advice, but still only a ritual.

Paul says that the same thing can be applied to all rituals, that if anyone attempts to approach God by any other means than Jesus Christ, they will fail!

God will only accept the work of Jesus Christ as the only means of justification and there is no profit that can come when we try to justify ourselves by any means!

**All those that choose justification by the Law must be perfect in obedience to those laws, which is impossible!

Anyone who submits themselves to any religious system, are submitting themselves to systems that Jesus Christ has freed us all from!

If we are going rely on works, laws, and rituals for our salvation then we had better be perfect in obedience to all those things. This means we will forever remain in debt and in bondage to those things!

**If any person seeks to be justified by laws, then they have fallen from "Grace" and Jesus Christ can have no effect on them at all!

To turn away from Christ Jesus is to be an apostate!

Rom 4:4  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

An apostate is anyone who has abandoned the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

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

To be "fallen from Grace" is not a loss of salvation!

When we propose to earn salvation by works, then we must reject the free gift of God's Grace!

A gift is anything that has been voluntarily transferred by one person to another person, without any type of compensation or it is no longer a gift!

When we have decided we need to try to pay for God's precious gift of the perfect salvation then, we have cut ourselves off from God's only method of salvation!

We are saved by "Grace" but we are also kept saved by "Grace"!

We cannot cancel God's Grace!

BUT, We Can Make God's Grace Have No Effect!

God writes to us about what will happen to a Church that leans toward works after salvation.

Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

When God removes a candlestick from any church, it means He will close the doors of that place of worship and move the light of that candlestick, which is the Lord Jesus Christ to another location.

Many a place of worship are no longer open because they fell from the "Grace of God"!

The Church will survive until God takes the Church home, but many places of worship will no longer exist at that time!

Or they will exist as the Laodicean Church of the Book of Revelation!

The hope of every believer is to be righteous when we stand before God but our righteousness can only come by the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the Gift of God's Grace and is based solely on our "Faith"!

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

Worldly hope, is a great desire mixed with at least some expectation of obtaining something that is good.

Biblical hope is something entirely different!

Biblical hope is confidence in our own future and founded only on God's promises through God's Grace!

Hope in the Bible comes from the privilege of being a "Redeemed" child of God and one day spending eternity with our own Creator and our own Savior who are One and the same!

This kind of hope can only come by the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell in each believer who accepts the truth of the "Gospel"!

That truth is this:

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.

That truth is this:

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.

The Holy Spirit stirs up our own hope by giving us the assurance that God will take "Our Faith" and count it for "Our Righteousness"!

That sure hope of righteousness can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

No ritual can give us this hope!
No Law can offer this hope!
No amount of works can purchase this hope!

Only "Faith" and the "Love of Jesus Christ" can offer this hope!

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

Justification comes by "Faith" and not by love.

BUT, those who are justified should exhibit "Faith's energy through love.

After all, it is by love that all the Law is truly fulfilled!

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

When we choose God's plan over any other plan that we may have, we can know the full extent of God's Grace!

A quick monitor of our faith is to see how much we love others!

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

It is by this first commandment that we can be saved.

It is by this second commandment that we exhibit Faith's energy!

Legalism cannot save us but it can surely hinder the work of God!

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

In times of war, roads and bridges are destroyed in order to hinder the movement of armies.

SO, What is the truth?

The Christian life is like a race!

**It is not always easy to be a Christian, especially as we get closer to the return of Christ.

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

**The Christian life is short.

Not many years, compared to the eternity of the Promised Land(the New Heaven), will be spent on this Earth.

**All those that persevere in the Christian life will receive a reward.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

**Christianity differs from the worldly race because all who run faithfully run together, while in other races each runner will hinder the other if the opportunity arises.

**In other races one winner will receive a corruptible reward but all Christians receive an incorruptible reward.

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

In our Christian race we must not allow mankind to hinder us by destroying the only road and the only bridge to righteousness, which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

These Galatian Christians had been running the Christian race well until they had allowed false teaching to interfere in their race.

The object of our race must be running for the truth of God.

Psa 119:60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

Upon accepting the gift of God's Grace, each of us also had an urgent need to repent and only then did we feel an urgent need to serve the Lord!

But we also began to realize the truth of God and became aware of just how short is our life in this body of flesh!

Pro 27:1  Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

These Galatians had felt all these things until legalism began to interfere with God's intentions for His children!

They were no longer obeying the truth of the "Gospel" and were now trying a different approach, other than Christ Jesus in order to please God, which will always bring failure.

These Galatians had allowed some false teacher to hinder them in their race and they were now stumbling toward the finish line.

God has little patience with a stumbling Christian!

What does God say to us so that we can run better? Just obey the truth!

Legalism does not come from God!

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

In other words anything that comes between us and the Lord Jesus Christ does not come from God!

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

God says if we are "not" looking toward Jesus Christ, in our "Faith", then we are allowing the weight and the sin of this world to burden us down!

There is no other way to approach God than by His Son, 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.

When we are not running by the truth we will be running away from the truth!

And a little untruth will corrupt the whole truth!

1Jn 2:26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Why?

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

Even a very small portion of legalism will corrupt the purity of the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

Leaven in the Bible almost always denotes evil and corruption.

In the baking of bread even a very small amount of leaven(yeast) can influence the whole loaf or the whole lump of dough.

Just one false teacher or preacher that is allowed to teach in any place of worship can influence the  entire congregation!

Even when they have moved on to another place of worship to do the same thing, they will have convinced at least a few of their false doctrine!

1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

It is a great shame to any congregation of believers that allow false doctrine to steer them away from the truth of the "Grace of God"!

This is the prophecy of the last Church Age and we can see this develop today!

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

When the race of the Christian is hindered by legalism, then the Church will become a lukewarm Church and Jesus Christ said, it is this Church that makes Him sick enough to puke.

Today many are attempting to modernize the truth by removing the Lord Jesus Christ, His Death, His Burial, His Resurrection and His Blood from the truth!

God says to beware of this false doctrine!

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

We are only complete Christians if we remain in Christ Jesus!

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

We must have confidence in the pure truth of the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

*****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.

Notice that the Apostle Paul was not confident in these churches that he had established.

The Apostle Paul was only confident in them through the Lord.

Paul said, open up your scriptures and you will read the truth.

It is only by the Lord Jesus Christ that we can overcome false doctrine!

We are saved by Grace!
We are kept saved by Grace!
We will be saved by "Grace" and all by the Lord Jesus Christ!

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.

What happens to those who change the truth of the "Gospel" to suit themselves?

They will bear their own judgment!

Remember each Christian has already been "Justified", that teacher of false doctrine will bear  his own judgment and we already know what that judgment will be!

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

False teachers shall be judged because they trouble God's Church and it's believers!

False teachers loose the chords of "Faith" in Jesus Christ and He alone!

False teachers disturb the security and the lives of the believer!

False teachers defile the House of God!

1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, "which temple ye are".

The Apostle Paul preached and taught the truth!

*****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.

We can be assured that all those that preach a false doctrine will be judged harshly because they have spread a falsehood about the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should never forget this well used passage:

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: "but he that believeth not is condemned already", because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Any deviation from this truth will bring condemnation!

Any deviation from this truth will certainly bring the wrath of God!

God will not tolerate any attack on His Son and God will not tolerate any attack on those He has called to preach the truth of the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul could have stopped all attacks on his person, if he had only preached legalism but Paul had refused to give in to false doctrine!

And Paul adds this thought.

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

The sign of the Law was circumcision and Paul said even as these false preachers desire you to be circumcised, to cut away a useless piece of meat, he would wish that their useless message of circumcision also be cut off!

**False teachers will judged because they spread a false gospel!

**False teachers will be judged because they are offended by the cross!

It is a fact the modern gatherings of people stay away from the Blood of Jesus.

In fact true Christianity is sometimes referred to as a bloody religion.

It is the cross that causes most all false religions to stumble in their approach to God.

They simply say that the cross was not enough to bring salvation to anyone.

We can be sure that God will remind them all, how much they are wrong when He returns the second time!

Zec 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and "they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn".

Joh 19:37  And again another scripture saith, "They shall look on him whom they pierced".

How are our sins washed away?

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood",

There is no greater love, than One who will lay down His life in order to save His family!

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Anyone who teaches any other doctrine than this will surely feel the wrath of God!

**False teachers will also be judged because they deserve it!

Paul said these that preach circumcision would be better off if they castrated themselves of that false thing they preached!

This may sound repulsive but false teaching is even more repulsive and when they meet Jesus, and they will meet Jesus, He will reward them according to what they have done!

Mat 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then "he shall reward every man according to his works".

Every human being that wishes to approach God must come through the cross, which is through the death of Jesus, which is through the blood of Jesus, which is by the truth of the Gospel, which is through the Work of Jesus!

Any other way will lead to eternal death!

Why did God leave us on this Earth after He has justified each of us?

*****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.
Gal 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:15  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

God leaves all those of true "Faith" here on earth after salvation, in order to show the love of Jesus Christ to this evil world!

God, through His Son Jesus, has made us free from the Law!

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

BUT, Christian liberty is not a license to sin!

Paul has shown us over and over again, that the believer is not saved by any law, by any work, not by any ritual or ceremony!

When each of us accept the work of Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation, God takes our belief and counts it as righteousness.

This means we have become acceptable to God!

This freedom means we no longer have to struggle to be good to be saved!

This is freedom from ever having to wonder if we have done enough to please God!

This is not freedom to live as we want to after salvation!

This is not freedom to satisfy the demands of our flesh!

This not freedom to seek the things of this world!

This world is never going to change!

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

So we cannot believe in Christ Jesus and still live in worldliness!

Bible belief is not intellectual belief!

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a commitment to live with Jesus Christ as our example of righteousness everyday of our lives!

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

When we continue in sin after we are saved, then we are showing that we have no knowledge of God's love!

2Co 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
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.

God has made us free to love one another like He loves us!

Love is never offending!

Love is always caring!

Love does not take advantage of other people in any way!

Love does not use people to fulfill our own purposes!

Love will not ever hurt!

Love endures all things without becoming weak!

And, Love is certainly not biting and devouring one another!

When we give in to the fleshy desires of our evil heart we will fail in our godly love!

Jas 4:1  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

When we give in to the desires of our heart we can not even get our prayers answered!

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

It is only true love that can cover all sins!

Pro 10:12  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

It is this war, that we have within our own selves, that causes most all our own problems and if we are not truly committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, we will cause our own failures!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

See The Contrast In The Law And In God's Grace

Contrast Of The Law And Grace

Galatians 4:15-31


That word contrast means to show the difference between two separate things of a like kind and like claims.

The Word of God teaches us that Laws bring bondage but that "Grace" brings freedom!

What we will see is the difference between God's Grace and God's curse.

Legalism mixed with Grace, teaches us that it is by the Grace of God that we can obey the Laws of God and by keeping the law we will be saved.

Legalism alone teaches that if we cannot keep all the Law and obey all the rules, then we will lose our salvation and be in need of salvation again.

These are only attempts to mix the Grace of God with man made laws, but keeping rules and regulations will never solve the problem of "SIN"!

Laws offer no forgiveness of sin!

It is only by the "Grace of God" that we can be saved!

Legalist see all people as only law keepers or law breakers!

Jesus Christ only sees every person as a sinner in need of a Savior!

Let's pick up where we left off last week.

*****Gal 4:15  Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

When these Galatians had first heard the "Gospel" and believed and were saved, they had had great joy in their salvation and this is the way it should be.

God says this:

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

The most important witnessing tool we have is living a life free from the bondage of sin and that new life should be a life filled with joy in our salvation.

That lost person has no interest in preaching.

That lost person has no interest in "Gospel music".

That lost person can see a changed life that is now full of the joy of salvation!

Jesus also says this:

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, "that they may see your good works", and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

SO, what had legalism brought to these churches in Galatia? It was not joy!

This loss of joy was so noticeable to the Apostle Paul that he asked them, "where is the blessedness ye spake of when you first got saved"?

**Legalism destroys joy because it makes people feel guilty rather than feel loved!

How had Jesus Christ fulfilled all the Law?

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

And Jesus added these words:

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

James the half-brother of Jesus Christ has these words for us all:

Jas 2:8  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

The "royal law", which are the Words of Jesus Christ, are fulfilled when we truly love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves!

When the love of Jesus rules in our heart then we are free from the bondage of legalism and of all man-made laws because they become unnecessary!

**Legalism produces hatred rather than humility!

Humility is the act of submission. Salvation means we have submitted ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Submitting means much more than just dedication.

Submitting means much more that a soul revival.

Submitting is a total yielding to the truth of the "Gospel of Grace"!

BUT, Hatred is an aversion to do evil and discounts the love of God!

God says this:

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

**Legalism stresses performing to please God rather than a personal relationship with God!

God is not impressed with our works!

God is impressed with our effort but that effort can only begin when we have that close and personal relationship with our Savior and that begins with "Faith" and then "Love"!

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; "but the greatest of these is charity".

Charity(kind, tender, affectionate love) is the greatest of the three Christian Graces!

**Legalism can only show us how far short we have fallen in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ rather than how far we have grown in the Lord.

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.

When we feel inadequate and guilty then we are not living by "Faith"!

These Galatians were feeling inadequate and guilty and had not received the Apostle Paul as they had first received him!

It is this scripture that says that Paul may have had a problem with his eyes. I can attest myself to the fact that as I have grown older my eyesight has to be enhanced with strong glasses. Paul had no such access to such things as reading glasses.

When they first received the Apostle Paul they truly cared for God's missionary and they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to him but they had changed and their love for Paul had dwindled as also their love for the truth of God!

**Legalism will cause a hatred for the truth!

*****Gal 4:16  Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

The God sent, minister of God must proclaim all the Word of God and most all of us have a subject we would rather not hear our Pastor preach on, but we must not become enemies of the truth!

What does God say?

1Ti 5:17  Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Those legalistic Jews from Jerusalem had made Paul out to be their enemy and Paul asked these Galatians if he was also their enemy now.

We must not forget why God chose certain men by the Holy Spirit, to preach the "Gospel of Grace".

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  "For the perfecting of the saints", "for the work of the ministry", "for the edifying of the body of Christ":
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive";
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

It is only God's truth that can make us free from the bondage of sin and sometimes the truth hurts our feelings!

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

Legalism cannot bring freedom!

*****Gal 4:17  They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

What do false preachers do to congregations?

**They are extremely zealous of their teaching at the expense of the truth!

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

**They seek as great a following as possible! It's all about the numbers but it is all for the wrong reasons.

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

**They were seeking support where the Apostle Paul worked to support himself.

1Th 2:9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

**They sought to tear down and destroy the God called ministers of the truth. (Many attempts were made on Paul's life but even more attempts to destroy his ministry)

The Apostles of Jesus Christ were always seeking to benefit God's children.

**False Preachers only seek to benefit themselves!

What is the difference between a God called Preacher and a preacher of false doctrine?

False preachers seek to focus people on laws, works, efforts, rituals, ceremonies, observances, sacrifices, rules, and regulations, while insisting on all people to do good and to be good in order to become acceptable to God.

The true God called Preacher of the Gospel will focus on God, God's love, God's honor, and God's praise because God Himself provided the only means to become acceptable to Him, by Jesus Christ!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

To know Jesus Christ is to know the Living God!

It is not hard to distinguish the true God called Preacher from the false ones.

All we need do is compare what they says to God's Written Word!

*****Gal 4:18  But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

Paul said that the church should always welcome those who seek to minister for the welfare of the church and reject all those that seek their own welfare and those that reject the everlasting "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

Every church is to grow in Christ!

Every church is to make disciples for Christ!

Every child of God is to have the appearance of Jesus Christ!

*****Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Gal 4:20  I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Paul had personally led many of these Galatians to the Lord.

Paul had helped them all mature spiritually.

Paul had a deep concern for his spiritual children.

This was a special trait of the Apostle Paul because this was a trait of the Lord Jesus Christ and an example for every man of God.

1Th 2:7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
1Th 2:8  So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

Paul travailed for his spiritual children as a mother about to give birth in his effort to return them to Christ Jesus.

**A false minister has no true concern for the child of God!

A true shepherd loves his flock dearly!

A true shepherd agonizes over the growth of his flock!

A true shepherd is more like a mother hen than a strutting rooster!

And again the Lord Christ Jesus is our example!

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

The true minister will guard the church against the error of leaving the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ, as did the Apostle Paul and will warn the church rather than become a part of that error!

Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

The true minister will explain the difference between the Law and Grace in as easy terms as possible!

Paul chose a historical moment in time that was verified in the Word of God.

*****Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Paul says listen to what the Law really says.

Paul said open up your clogged up ears and listen to what these false preachers are saying.

Paul said get out of the fog and get in the Light of Jesus Christ!

Paul said let's just look at the Word of God and get our example of the truth!

The Gospel says we are "Justified by Grace" and that we enter into God's New Heaven not by law, not by works, not by goodness "but by promise"!

So the Apostle Paul goes back to the beginning of the promise to Abraham.

It is only in the Word of God where we can find the truth of God!

We know that Abraham had only two sons while his wife Sarah was still alive.

One son Isaac had been promised by God to Abraham through his wife Sarah but many years had passed and Sarah had gotten very old and Sarah decided that God might need a little help to fulfill His promise to Abraham.

Sarah was wrong, God does not need our help for Him to fulfill His own promises!

Sarah trusted God but she became discouraged with her aged body and she sent her slave girl, Hagar into Abraham and Hagar had a son named Ishmael.

Some 13 years after Ishmael was born, God kept His promise to Abraham and Sarah bore Isaac.

Sarah had laughed at the promise God had made in her old age but God had proven to her that nothing is to hard for God and that He would always keep His promises!

Gen 18:13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
Gen 18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

And the truth is:

Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

So what can we see about Ishmael?

Ishmael was born through the natural process.

Ishmael was born into slavery being born of a slave girl.

Ishmael was born because of the work, the effort, and the will of Sarah.

Ishmael was born because of the fleshly impulses of Abraham.

We men must beware of our fleshly impulses when we are up in our years!

So what do we know about Isaac?

Isaac was born a free man by a free woman.

Isaac was born because of the promise of God alone.

What are the facts?

Abraham and Sarah were both well beyond the years of childbearing.

Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old.

Isaac was then a miracle child who was born because God had done all the works to perform that miracle and because God always keeps His promises!

Isaac was a promised child!

So what is the point?

Ishmael was born by human ingenuity, human energy, human effort and was born into slavery.

Isaac was born a miracle child, by the promise of God.

Isaac was born because of God's love and because of God's power and because of God's promise.

Isaac was born by the "Grace of God" into freedom!

Paul says now we can see the allegory.

An allegory in the Old Testament is the same as a parable in the New Testament.

In this case an allegory is an actual historical event that has a much deeper spiritual meaning.

And let's allow Paul to explain this allegory.

*****Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

We will see an illustration of the truth between the Grace of God and the Law if we just listen to the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

First it is best to understand that unless God indicates other wise, the safe and proper way to interpret the Bible is to not interpret it at all.

We must always remember that God means what He says and God says what He means!

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

This goes for the individual and also for any Elder and includes the Pope and any other so-called spiritual leader of any and all denominations.

Now saying that, many times the Bible will indicate when God's Word is meant to be interpreted allegorically.

But we will also see that even these allegories are built upon the historical truth that is written in the Word of God!

The Biblical story of Sarah and Hagar are historical facts!

We are wrong when we do not accept the Word of God as historical fact!

We are also wrong when we fail to understand why God would use allegories.

We already know the Lord Jesus Christ used the parable in many instances to aid in teaching the disciples.

We haven't mentioned the different "types" in the Bible for awhile but these two mothers, Hagar and Sarah, represent the two covenants in the Bible in typology.

1) Hagar was a "type" of the old covenant, (The Law) that was between God and man.

Hagar represents the Law which bears children into slavery.

The Law makes demands.

The Law insists on total obedience.

The Law enslaves people to do exactly what it says or suffer dire consequences.

When people try to approach God with their own goodness, by their own works, by their own righteousness, they are in bondage to the Law!

It takes total obedience to the Laws given to Moses and the ever changing laws of man to ever become righteous enough on your own which is impossible!

It is a fact that we are to try our very best to live righteously and morally but by God's standards and not by man's standards.

But God says we are not justified because of our goodness or by any self efforts!

We cannot save ourselves!

We are not to praise ourselves for our feeble attempts at good works!

All praise belongs to God!

Hagar is in fact a "type" of all religions that go about seeking their own righteousness while rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation!

Hagar stands for Mount Sinai, the Mount in Arabia where the Law was given to Moses.

Mount Sinai is also a "type" of the Law.

God has always intended for Jerusalem to be habited by His own children which are children of freedom!

*****Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Sarah was a "type" of the new covenant between God and man, which is the covenant of Grace.

The covenant of "Grace" is the covenant of "Promise"!

Sarah or "Grace" is seen in Jerusalem that is from above or we say the New Jerusalem.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

It is life in the New Jerusalem that is promised to all those of true "Faith"!

Sarah was free. Grace is free. The Promise of the New Jerusalem is built for those that are free!

It is only by our "Faith" that we can receive the "Grace of God" and be a part of the Promises of God!

Anyone who thinks these things can be bought at any price is living in a dream world!

So what are the facts?

According to the Word of God their will be many more children of Hagar than there are children of Sarah!

BUT, that will be because they chose the wrong path of works and the Law and rejected the "Grace of God"!

God says why in the world would anyone choose bondage over freedom!

Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Isa 55:2  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isa 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

The children of "Faith", that receive God's "Grace" are in fact just as Isaac the "children of Promise"!

*****Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

How does Paul describe the believer to these Galatians?

We, brothers and sisters, just as Isaac, are the children of "Promise" because of our "Faith"!

All those that accept the work of the Lord Jesus Christ are birthed into the family of God, which is a Spiritual Birth!

We receive the "Promise" of God because God takes our "Faith" and counts it to us for righteousness just as He did for Abraham!

Rom 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

So, what can we expect from all those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ and adhere to a works doctrine?

*****Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

The child of "Faith" will be persecuted by all those that seek another way to be righteous in the eyes of God.

Just as Ishmael mocked and persecuted Isaac, so it will be for the Christian!

Gen 21:9  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Those that work so hard to try to find a way to please God, will always ridicule those that tell them they are wasting their time and just need to believe.

Understanding these things will also better prepare as we witness for Jesus Christ.

The world sees Christians as weak but God says for us to be bold!

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

A person sold out to works, or rituals, or ceremony will have to admit that they are also weak and most of them will refuse to admit any weakness!

They will refuse to admit weakness and accept the fact that by their own energy, their own effort, their own works, they will never be able to impress God!

And God says we all know this to be true!

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Jesus says for us to be prepared for all these things.

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

All those that seek to please God by their own works will be cast out just as Hagar and Ishmael.

*****Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

What actually happened?

Gen 21:10  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

The Law cannot co-exist with the Grace of God!

The son of Hagar(the Law) shall not be an heir with the son of Sarah(Grace)!

Ishmael was cast out so that he could not share in Abraham's riches which was the sure inheritance of Isaac.

This causes grief many people and it even caused grief to Abraham.

Gen 21:11  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
Gen 21:12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

God is building His Church and God will never allow anyone who approaches Him by law or works to be a part of His Church!

This is God's plan and we should never question God's plan!

Why is this so important?

Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

All those that stand before God using the word "my" will be rejected!

God is perfect and the only One who is, so when you stand before God with your own works, your own goodness, your own righteousness, and a list of all the laws you have kept all the days of your life, you are only presenting your own human effort.

None of these things are important to God because you have not trusted in the truth of what He has written down for us in His Word!

Even the very best of people are disobedient to the Word of God and therefore left to the wages of death!

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.

What is the will of our Father in Heaven?

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And what has God said?

Hab 2:2  And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Hab 2:3  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Hab 2:4  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

When our own self-pride comes between us and God we will lose every time!

What is the only choice we have to make in this life?

We must decide if we are going to be the children of the bondwoman or the children of the free woman?

*****Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

To be free from the "Wages of Death" we must be a child of "Faith"!

If we believe the Word of God then we must believe the Apostle Paul and Paul has explained all these things as simply as they can be explained.

True salvation brings peace of mind and there is no peace of mind in the Law!

Once we have been adopted into the family of God, God then removes the death grip of this world and the works of this world and places us in His hands for safe keeping!

Joh 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
Joh 10:26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

If God is strong enough to save us, He is surely strong enough to keep us saved!

We should just ask ourselves are we going to trust in our own strength or are we going to trust in the Almighty Strength of God?

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Redeemed By Our Own Faith

Redeemed By Faith

Galatians 4:1-14


The word "redeemed" means to be delivered from bondage, to be ransomed, to be delivered from the possession of another by making an equivalent payment.

The word "redemption" comes from the Greek word "agorazo" and means making a trip to the market place for the purpose of purchasing. In most cases this phrase referred to the purchase of slaves!

The word "redemption" is used to describe the believer being purchased out of the slave market of sin!

That purchase price was the death of Jesus Christ!

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Since by our own "Faith" we believe that we are the purchased objects of God's love and at such a terrible cost, we have become God's slaves, to do God's will!

That word "redeemed" comes from the Greek word "exagorazo" which means that Jesus Christ has purchased each believer, by "Faith", from that slave market and removed them from the slave market altogether and never to return!

Gal 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Whosoever by their "Faith" believe that Christ has done this wonderful thing, just because He wanted to, are released from the bondage of sin and slavery to sin!

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:

And we now belong to God as a possession!

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

This is the message that we must take to the world!

SO, Let's begin where we left off last week:

Since the original text did not have chapter and verses let's add the last verse of chapter 3 to get the full context.

*****Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

We need to remember that false teachers and preachers had come into the churches of Galatia and taught a false doctrine.

They had taught that all Gentiles must first obey the Laws of Moses before they could accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. In other words it was the Law that saved and not Faith!

No doubt we should always try our best to be the best we can, by all standards.

Even God says this:

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Still the pure fact is that no one can be saved by just being good or being the best we can!

As we go through chapter 4 we will see God's salvation plan!

In the previous chapters Paul has established that once we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ "by Faith" in the work He has done, we are then sealed with the Holy Spirit and subject to the promises first given to Abraham.

We already know that it is Jesus Christ who was the "Promised Seed" and we are heirs according to the bloodline of Jesus Christ!

S0 Paul continues saying that, even though we are heirs, until we receive our inheritance, we are no more than a child waiting on that inheritance!

Every child is to be obedient to his parents just as any slave or servant is to be obedient to their masters.

What is the point of these things? Paul is saying that until the "appointed time" by that parent, that inheritance was out of reach for that child.

And in comparison, Paul says that while we were lost, there was absolutely nothing that we could do of ourselves to inherit the promises of God, "justification" was out of our reach !

*****Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

What are these elements that Paul is speaking to? The elements of this world refer to all things that men will try to use to get right with God!

What are some of these things?

1) Men have used "laws" and many religions continue to try this method.

2) Men have used "good works" and many religions still try this method.

3) Men have used "rituals and ceremonies", along with "ceremonial worship" and many religions still try this method.

4) Men have used "church membership and keeping of ordinances" and many still try this method.

5) Men have used "astrology or science" and many still try this method.

6) Men have used "philosophy" or we say "Religion" and many still try to use this method.

What does God say about all of these things?

**God says we need to quit acting like children and understand what He is saying!

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.

**God says we need pay attention to Jesus Christ!

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

**God says if you trust in science and astrology, you are trusting in temporary things!

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

**God says to not become subject to the teachings of men!

Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

**God says to not fall into the traps of legalism!

Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

**God says to quit being children being fooled by the things of this world and understand the truth of the Word of God!

1Co 14:20  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

**God says listen to the truth, God says "listen to My plan of salvation" and be a part of My plan!

God says listen to the only plan that can make you a part of the promises made to Abraham!

*****Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

We should realize that when Jesus Christ appeared on this world it was not by chance!

Christ's coming was according to the Word of God.

Jesus Christ first came to this earth at the exact right time as prophesied by Daniel.

God and God alone had decided the fulness of time!

What do we know for sure?

1) Jesus Christ was born of a particular person, as prophesied.

2) Jesus Christ was born at a particular time, as prophesied.

3) Jesus Christ was born in a particular place, as prophesied.

4) Jesus Christ was born in a particular way, as prophesied. (The incarnate Son of God)

5) Jesus Christ was born under a particular system, as prophesied. (The Law)

6) Jesus Christ suffered from the curse of Adam's sin and the curse of the Law, being subject to the same worldly system from which He had come to save all others, "but without sin", as prophesied!

7) This world had been prepared for the first coming of Christ Jesus, as prophesied.

a) The Law had shown the Jewish people their transgressions and despite God's blessings, they had refused to seek God! (Sounds a whole lot like America today)

b) The world was full of spiritually starved people! They worshipped themselves, they worshipped pleasure, they worshipped false gods, they worshipped philosophies, but the soul of men still hungered for the truth.

c) The world at the time of Jesus was more at peace than it had been for many years because of Roman domination, but people could still move around and it was possible for the "Gospel" to spread at this time.

d) Most of the world depended on one language, "Greek", making communication possible around the known world at that time, again allowing the Gospel to spread.

e) The world had a system of roads in place which allowed for travel between all nations.

SO, What did Jesus preach just after He had been baptized by John the Baptist?

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

The fulness of time had come and God had prepared the world to receive His Son!

The Almighty Living God had sent His own Son into this world to deliver all mankind!

God had sent His Son into this world to provide that means of adoption into the family of God and therefore be able to also receive the promises made to Abraham!

SO, What else did Jesus preach?

Joh 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Jesus Came to fulfill the Father's plan because it is only by the Father's plan that we can be "Justified" and "Redeemed"!

Joh 7:28  Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
Joh 7:29  But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

God just asks us all to be part of His plan because there is no other plan that will bring us such a salvation!

What is the truth of the Gospel?

God sent His Son made of a woman, which was "born out of a woman" because we would not have accepted the Messiah under any other conditions!

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

God spoke the Word by the Holy Spirit and this young virgin conceived a Son, who had to become a man so He could save all men!

Luk 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

These are the things that we must base our "Faith" upon!

Jesus Christ was born under the Law because all mankind are under the laws of men!

Jesus Christ had to obey the Law in every single detail in order to become that "perfect" ideal man and the only "sacrifice" that could be accepted by our Father in Heaven.

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:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

To believe all these things is to be redeemed and openly welcomed into the family of God!

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Law condemned us all to death, but by our own "Faith" we are welcomed into God's family!

*****Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Spirit of Christ will be sent by our Father in Heaven to dwell within every believer upon a confession of their 'Faith"!

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Adoption is a serious matter!

An adopted son is permanent. They cannot be adopted today and unadopted later!

An adopted son loses all rights to his previous family but now has full rights to his new family.

An adopted son is looked upon as a new person and has a new name and any debt connected to his old family is cancelled and forgotten as if they never existed!

An adopted son has a very special relationship with all the other family members, up close and personal!

An adopted son becomes an heir to the riches of His new Father!

None of these things are available to those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

The Apostle Paul says to remember where you came from!

We should ask ourselves, just why does God want us to read and understand all His written Word and God gives us that answer.

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

God wants us all to know the truth!

When we have reached this point of knowing the plan of salvation by the "Grace of God" and by our own "Faith", why in the world would we accept anything less than this truth!

When we had no knowledge of our Savior, we knew that we did serve the falseness that this is all this world has to offer!

Once we have realized the presence, and the fellowship, and the care, and the communion with the Lord, why would we want to give that up for anything that promises so much less?

It is a fact that if you are in the world, you are serving false gods!

These Galatians had not been Atheist, they had served many false gods.

These Galatians had not been Agnostic, they knew in their hearts that there had to be a real God!

These Galatians knew that they had been slaves to false worship of false gods, that only took their money and never promised salvation of any kind!

They served gods which by nature were no gods!

They served gods that were only gods of the mind!

Most people worship things that they themselves have exalted to some high priority!

Most people have a fixed picture in their minds of what they want their personal god to be like, to suit only themselves and their own way of life!

Most people worship their own thoughts, their own ideas, and their own way of life and they reject anything that goes against these things!

These people have it in their minds how they want their God to be and reject seeking the truth of who God says He is!

Most people will spend eternity in the Burning Lake of Fire, "because they reject the truth of God in Jesus Christ"!

It is only the sin of "unbelief" that cannot be overcome!

To know Jesus Christ, is to know the Living God and these Galatians knew this to be true!

*****Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

We must realize that it is a great privilege to know the truth of God but it is even a greater blessing to know that God knows your name and that God knows more about you than you can ever know about yourself!

God offers us all an opportunity to have a close and personal relationship with Him but we must first accept who He is!

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.

God says that while we are still living in this life, we must leave the things of this world behind and focus on the things of God!

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God says we may live in this world but we are not to be a part of this world!

To be "redeemed" is to belong to God!

Isa 43:1 ***** for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

We cannot come to know God by works, or rituals or anything that we can do ourselves!

We can only be "Justified" by our "Faith" and that is "Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ"!

These are God's rules and this is God's plan and too many today just want to ignore God's plan for their own plan which will always fail!

These Galatians were about to turn back to the weak and beggarly elements that lead to destruction and lead to failure in the service of God.

Were they turning back to pagan worship? No!

They were considering that all men can only become acceptable to God by their own efforts and by good works which God says will have absolutely no effect on your "justification"!

Look at what is happening in our world today. In radical Islam, these people are going to extremes in an effort to appease a false god and they are not the only ones as some so-called Christians do the same thing along with so many others of false religion.

God knew all these things would happen therefore His plan is the greater of all plans!

When Christians return to this line of thought, they are returning to the bondage and slavery of man's laws!

These elements of false religion are weak and beggarly according to the Apostle Paul and useless in the eyes of God!

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

What did Paul see happening to these Galatians?

*****Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

These Galatians began "again" to trust in rituals.

They again, returned to ceremonial worship.

They again, returned to special religious days or special worship days in an attempt to please God.

They returned back to worldly attempts to please God!

BUT, none of these things can bring "Justification" in the eyes of God!

This does not mean we are ignore the Lord's Day as a day of worship.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We must gather together in worship and we must gather together to strengthen each other in "Faith"!

BUT, we can never make our own selves righteous!

And Paul said to these Galatians that they would be useless in their service to God!

When we do not follow God's plan, then we become useless in God's plan to redeem other sinners!

*****Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

We live wasted lives when we seek to find ways to become righteous in the eyes of God!

Every approach to God will fail except "Faith" in Jesus Christ!

The world rejects this truth and the world is doomed to failure!

Any other approach to appeasing God, leads to death and destruction the same as not knowing God at all!

And Jesus said:

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

And God says this:

Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We are just as foolish as these Galatians, if we have accepted the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have been "redeemed" and then turn back to religious self-righteousness and ignore the Word of God!

The Apostle Paul said, "I was also raised as a Jew under all those laws, under all those rituals, under all those ceremonies and under all those observances and none of those things got me one step closer to a relationship with God"!

*****Gal 4:12  Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

We should not forget the Apostle Paul had come under vicious attack not only by those Judaizers but many of these of the church who had gotten confused about the truth of the "Gospel" and the "Grace of God"!

Paul called them brothers because they were still his brothers in Christ.

Paul did not treat them as enemies.

Paul did not treat them as those who opposed Jesus Christ!

Paul did not talk about them, Paul talked to them!

Paul did not gripe over his frustrations, nor complain about their actions, Paul expressed deep brotherly love for each of them.

After all they were still God's children by adoption!

Paul showed to these Galatians the heart of  true Pastor!

Paul begged and pleaded with them from the heart as a true minister of God!

Paul simply said "be like I am, for I am one of you".

Paul had totally given up Judaism as a means to please God and had accepted Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior.

Paul was saying to these Galatians, "you do not have to become a Jew to be saved, you must only have "Faith" in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul said "I will never hold any bitterness or malice against you"!

What is a Pastor?

A Pastor feeds God's sheep!

A Pastor is God's appointed man over a congregation of believers!

A Pastor ministers the "Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ"!

A Pastor should be a picture of God's "Grace" to each believer!

God had prepared these Galatians when they had first met Paul but God had also prepared Paul in a special way.

*****Gal 4:13  Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Gal 4:14  And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

God will often use weak, despised, and poor instruments to accomplish His will!

When we are weak in the flesh because of illness, we certainly cannot display our own power.

BUT, the truth of the "Gospel" cannot be hidden even in our own weakness!

2Co 13:8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
2Co 13:9  For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.

Paul's illness at this time was as much a trial to himself as it was a trial to all these Galatians.

This traveling evangelist had taken the opportunity in all of Galatia to preach the Gospel no matter how he felt, no matter his health, and no matter his physical condition.

Paul had not been rejected because of the way he looked.

Paul had not been rejected because he was not some great speaker.

Paul had been received because of the Message he had!

In fact Paul had been received as if he were an angel sent from God!

Paul had been received as if he had been Jesus Himself!

Jesus said:

Mat 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

When we hear the "Gospel of Grace", we know that we have heard the truth!

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Again Paul points out to these people how much they have changed from the truth!

We began this lesson by saying that we can only be redeemed by our "Faith"!

One day John the Baptist was preaching and baptising in the Jordan River and he looked up and saw Jesus Christ and he had these words:

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world".

If our "Faith" is not wrapped up in this statement by John the Baptist, then we are not saved. and we have placed our "Faith" in something other than Jesus Christ!

For behold, it is only the Lamb of God who can take away all our sin!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Superiority Of Faith

The Superiority Of Faith

Galatians 3:19-29

Superiority means the quality of being more advanced or higher. To be greater or more excellent.

The world we live in today ranks fortune and fame above the superiority of understanding the truth of God!

The world is wrong and God tells us to come out from among the world.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Until we come out from the world and live separately from the world we will never be received of God!

The purpose of laws are to expose sin.

The purpose of the law is to show us our need for a Savior.

Conviction, Repentance, and most of all Faith in Jesus Christ is what will bring us to Salvation!

The proof of laws is that they lack the power to change lives!

Laws may look to have power, laws may seem to be intimidating, but keeping and obeying laws cannot justify anyone in the eyes of God!

If the promise made to Abraham was not affected by laws, what then was the purpose of the Laws of Moses?

Let's pick up where we left off last week.

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

**What was the purpose of the Law? The purpose of the Law was to reveal to us, that we are all sinners.

How many of you when you are driving and come up to a stop sign really want to stop? I'll tell you that not many of us really want to stop. We stop, not because the stop sign says stop, but because we know if we proceed without stopping we place ourselves in danger of injury or death.

This is what the law does! If we do not obey the Law and proceed then we place ourselves in danger of death.

The Law was not given to justify or make anyone acceptable in the eyes of God because the Law was given to make people aware of their sin!

Laws do not make us righteous, laws just make us aware of our unrighteousness!

1) Laws make us aware of our sin and the results of sin.
2) Laws make us aware of how short we come to reaching God's glory.
3) Laws cause us to pay attention to the fact that we are sinners.
4) Laws show us how foolish we are to claim to be righteous.
5) Laws show us our need for a Savior!
6) Laws point us to a Righteous Lawgiver!
7) Laws bring us to point of conviction.

Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

**The Law was temporary!

The Law was added to the promise God made to Abraham for a specific purpose but only temporarily!

"Till the "Promised Seed" should come!

Law extended from Moses until The Lord Jesus appeared to fulfill the Law and the Promise!

God never intended any Law to be a way to Salvation!

Before Jesus came, the Law was our standard of measurement to show us how far we fall short of the glory of God!

Since Jesus has now come, Jesus is now our standard of measurement.

Jesus fulfilled all the Law!

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

Jesus came not just to fulfill the Laws of Moses but to fulfill all the Word of God!

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

Jesus Christ is the "Perfect" Picture, the "Living" Example, and the Pattern for all mankind, that God has set before us.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Why? Because Jesus Christ is and was the visible representation of the invisible God!

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Why are the Laws not totally abandoned now since Jesus has come?

Laws are abandoned for all those that place their trust in Jesus Christ!

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

But to all those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in their own righteousness the Law is still in full effect!

Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Jesus Christ is the end of the Law, but only for "believers"!

**How do we know that the Law cannot justify?

The Law was not given directly by God!

The Law came from God but it was given by angels to Moses.

Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Act 7:53 "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it".

The Bible says that God had brought many angels with Him when He came to Mount Sinai:

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

Any Law that does not come directly from God is then inferior when God speaks Himself!

God spoke directly to Abraham!

Moses was indeed the mediator between God and Israel but now we have the true Mediator between God and all Mankind, His name is Christ Jesus!

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

To have a relationship with God it must be truly personal!

Even Job clearly understood this!

Job 9:33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

And the Apostle Paul clearly understood this!

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

The Law was between two parties, sinful man and God.

Both man and God had responsibilities.

Man had to keep the Law and if he did God would reward him with righteousness.

We see then that righteousness was conditional under the Law!

In the "Promise" of righteousness by the "Grace of God" only God had to meet certain conditions!

God fulfills His "Promise" by Jesus Christ!

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

If you can get personal with God then you can see the truth in what He says!

**The truth is that no Law has the power to give life!

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

How do we know that the Law cannot "justify" anyone in the eyes of God? Because the Law has no power to give eternal life!

Laws are just rules!

Laws can only help us decide how we are going to behave!

Laws bring only demands!

Laws are cold and lifeless!

Laws demand obedience but leave us alone to struggle with how we will comply with those laws!

Laws bring a curse for failure and have no power to give life!

In order for the Law to bring life then it would have had to contain the means to pardon!

Since Jesus Christ was the only One who could have kept all the Laws, then He is the only One who had the power to instill behaviour into the mind of each believer.

It is the life of Christ Jesus that brings with it eternal life to the believer!

The Law only shows our weakness to obey it!

Faith shows our strength through Christ Jesus!

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:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

There is no Law that can be written that can open the gates of Heaven.

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

Verse 19 taught us that the Law was only added to the promise because of transgression.

The laws given to the Children of Israel made it clear to them what God considered to be sin!

A transgression is anything that goes against the will of God!

Laws only open the doors to Satan's prison because sin holds all people in Death's grip!

Laws conclude that we are all sinners and need rules to live by, and they bring serious consequences!

"Under sin" means to be shut up as a prisoner in the hopeless depths of solitary confinement!

Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that "they are all under sin";
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

And the results of all those that remain under sin is eternal death;

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The entire purpose of the Law is to drive all mankind to seek the "Promises of God" through Jesus Christ!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

It is the Promises of God that bring life and not some Law!

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So why is "Faith" so much superior to any Law?

*****Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Every person on this Earth was caught up in "Sin's Prison" before "Faith came!

Until Jesus Christ died an actual death on Calvary's Cross there was no escape from this bondage!

The Law itself is temptation!

We are tempted to touch that fresh painted bench just to see if it is still wet.

We are tempted to break the speed limit just to see if we will get caught.

We are tempted to run that red light just to see if anyone really cares.

Temptation brings only failure!

But Faith brings results!

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 "Whom resist stedfast in the faith", knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

The Law shows us our failures.

The Law accuses and condemns us.

The Law has no life because the Law has no power to give life.

So the only hope of mankind was for "someone" to have the power to set us free from this bondage!

That "someone" was Jesus Christ!

To be released from sin's bondage we must accept His deliverance!

The most important choice we make in our life time is, "what are we going to do with Jesus Christ"!

We can believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ or we can reject Him!

The entire purpose of the Law was to bring us all to this point during our lifetime!

The Law is only our schoolmaster!

The Law teaches us the need for salvation.

God's Grace is "the gift" of salvation.

It is "Faith" in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that brings God's Gift!

In the days of Jesus, a "schoolmaster" was a person in charge of the moral development of a child.

It was this schoolmaster who would prepare the child and deliver him to the teacher and then return later that day to bring that child back home to safety.

The purpose of the Law is to lead every person to Christ Jesus who is the true Teacher!

Once the teaching of Christ, which is "Faith" has come, there is no longer a need for the "schoolmaster"!

Faith is superior to all Law!

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

How can this verse be so misinterpreted?

It is only Jesus Christ who can bring us face to face with God!

It is only Jesus Christ who answers the terms of adoption into the family of God!

The truth is, that "Faith" will cause us to concentrate on the Son of God, Jesus Christ!

Anyone who tries to focus on laws or rituals or works cannot stay focused on God's Son!

And we see this happening in our world today!

It's important to realize that God accepts each believer as a child!

And what else is important?

Luk 18:17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

**We cannot enter into the kingdom of God by working out some deep spiritual problem.

**We cannot enter into the kingdom of God by works at all!

Children are incapable of some mighty works to accomplish great goals.

Children cannot stay focused on one thing for very long.

Children rely on the gifts of good parents to survive in this evil world.

And as children we must rely on the gift of God to be part of God's family.

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

To reject God's gift is to reject God's family!

To become a part of God's family we must put on Jesus Christ!

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

The Apostle Paul is not saying we are saved by "Baptism"!

There are many millions who have been baptized that will never see God's New Heaven!

There are also many millions who have some sort of faith that will never live in God's house!

Paul is saying that if Jesus Christ is not our example and the object of our Faith, then we can never be a part of God's Kingdom!

It is "Faith" that clothes us with the righteousness and the Son-ship of Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is the pattern that we should all strive to be like!

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

To be clothed with Jesus Christ means are also looked upon as God's Son!

When God looks upon each believer, God sees His Son!

Faith must say the truth and truth says that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God!

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

If Jesus Christ is not our example of how to live in this life, then we have not put on Christ!

And what else is the truth of the Gospel of Faith?

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

Faith makes us all stand on level ground!

How do we solve all the divisions of mankind? We become "One" in Jesus Christ!

There is no other answer to race and ethnic problems in this world we live in!

Every believer stands on equal footing before the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ there is a "new bond" that overcomes, color, culture, and customs!

In Jesus Christ there is a "new bond" that overcomes all social distinctions!

**What is the truth?

If all the world could look upon each other as brothers in Christ there would be no barriers between any of them!

The Jews hated the thought of becoming someone's slave!

They hated slaves as much as they hated Gentiles.

It was wrong for these Jews to insist that all believers first become Jews.

**What is the truth?

When masters treat their slaves as brothers in Christ, then there is no barrier between them.

The sad fact is, that Christianity has the power to remove all obstacles and for all people if we would all take our stand on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

**What is the truth?

When all males and all females can look upon each other as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, there would be no barriers between them!

We can all be "One" in Jesus Christ in "One" family of God!

The Church is to be the Body of Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ must be the Head of the Church!

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands "having nourishment ministered", and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

It is only Jesus Christ who can nourish the Church!

**What is the truth?

When we put on Jesus Christ we become "heirs" to the same promises made to Abraham!

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

Only because Abraham was faithful did he receive the promises of God!

It is by our own "Faith" that we are also blessed in the line of Abraham, but by Jesus Christ.

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

The greatest gift to Abraham was the fulfillment of the promises of God.

The greatest gift to the believer is to be an heir to those same promises!

Let's revue:

1) Abraham was promised God's blessing, not God's wrath.

2) Abraham was promised that he would live in the presence of God and enjoy God's leadership!

3) Abraham was promised that he would be given the privilege of living in the "Promised Land" forever and ever!

Since Jesus Christ is the legal heir to Abraham, Jesus Christ inherits all the promises given to Abraham.

Since we have been adopted into the family of God, by our own "Faith" then we will also receive the promises given to Abraham!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

It cannot get any better than this!

There is "no law" that can cause these things to happen.

There is "no ritual" that can be kept to get you into the family of God.

There is "no work" that can be done to pay for such a promise.

These promises of God can only be fulfilled according to our "Faith"!

Faith is so much the more superior to all the laws of man!

Questions?

Let's Pray!