Galatians 3:1-6
Notes
Transcript
Galatians 3: 1-6 How did you receive the Spirt?
Maps PPT.
Recap: where we are in the letter. Intro- Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is a person God that we desert when we rely on something ells that the grace of God. By faith in Jesus Christ.
The worry of Paul is that the Galatians are deserting Jesus, to rely on works to make them right with God. Why is this of such a great concern for Paul? Because it will take them away from the grace of God, away form Jesus, to relay on their works. But then Jesus died for no reason, and they reject the grace of God. Paul is writing to have the Galatians to come back to trust in Jesus, by grace, and not in a work done to earn God’s favor, but instead understand God showed favor in Jesus coming and his work, death, resurrection, and it also showed as Paul wrote last time Jesus’ love in giving up his life that; whoever would believe would be able to become justified and a part of Gods family. (For Paul this is very practical; what you believe about God determines, how you live your life, (in this case also who you eat with) will you walk with Jesus be in Christ? Or walk away from Christ and trust in your own works? False teaching should be rejected). This letter is Paul reminding the Galatians about what he did teach the about Jesus when he and his team was with them.
Verse 1 Paul’s astonishment of rejecting and nullifying God’s grace, makes Paul write, O foolish Galatians… PPT on Foolish, Jesus also said it in Luke, pointing out: the failure of unstaining what Jesus’ resurrection means they are fools PPT. x 2.
Not only that Paul also asked the Galatians who cast a spell on you? To forget what Jesus had done and what that means? Pressing them and it was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed at crucified, Paul and his team had in public taught the Galatians about Jesus life and death, and they responded with faith, by God’s grace. The knew it was true, God let them see by His Spirt. Then who had now cast a spell on them to forget what Jesus had done? (False teachers? What about us? Believing other people over what Jesus said and did? But this expert/influencer/ say I should do this or that).
How did they forget the life and work of Jesus? How and when do we doubt and walk away from Jesus, to trust in our self or other voices/people?
Verse 2. (One of Paul’s key arguments). How did you receive the Spirt? By works of the law or by hearing with faith? This is a rhetorical question, Paul properly asks it to snow the Galatians that they are drifting away from Jesus by relying on something different that faith in Him. (Paul reminds them that they got the Holy Spirt by hearing with faith, not by works). --
Verse 3. Paul repeats the question are you so foolish, unwise in understanding Jesus Christ work. Reminding them that when they started their life with Jesus if was by the Spirt (via grace and faith), Why do you think you can be perfected by the flesh? In other words, why do you think you are now made perfect complete by your old self, your works? And not relying on the Spirt. (What about you? Does that happen? It was like last time building the wall back up, I start my relationship with God, by grace and faith, and get the Holy Spirt the same way, then why would I know trust in my abilities and gifts to be perfected, Jesus is the one that does the work by the Holy Spirt). --
Verse 4. The Galatians are not a group of uncommitted, slakers that sometimes when they find time would pray and spend time with God. No, they seem quite the opposite willing to do whatever it takes. (Circumcision, following the law, we will do it suffering okay). The Galatians had suffered many things for faith in Jesus Christ, (we don’t know what, it could have been ridicule and more… Paul asks was that all for nothing? Did you suffer in vain for no reason? If you suffered for Jesus, you stood up for your faith in the opposition, and you were helped by the Holy Spirt to do so, as your eyes was opened to Jesus. Why do you now think you should rely on your works or religious deeds of the law?
In their commitment to Jesus and wanting to do what it takes; they might have become open to wrong teaching. (Is that something we do? Is it potential dangerous? It there a danger of missing the foundation in the pursuit of justification?) Or is this a matter of being immature? They would be newer believers in a whole new way, how do we live in the world with this new faith? Can or should we trust all that come and say they have teaching form God? Paul, clearly corrected that in verse 8-9 in chapter 1. Don’t believe anyone that clams to have a different gospel that you received at first, even if they said they got it from an angle, even if I come and preach a different Gospel something different don’t listen. And me they and we be accursed devoted to destructions.
But then how could they and we live out our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord God and savior, who should they trust what should the reject? What grace of God that Paul and his team of People loved the Galatians so much that they spend time rebuking them encouraging them back towards Jesus, and the faith they had by grace as Paul and the people with him shared about Jesus with them? And what marvelous grace that we can read this today, and be reminded about Jesus’ work and God working by His Spirt.
Verse 5. Pressing in on them asking; how does God who gives the Spirit and does miracles among you do it? By works of the law, or by hearing with faith? By faith (God is the one doing the work among you, and you see it by hearing and faith)
Verse 6. And Paul points to Abraham, and how did he get right with God? By grace he believed God, and that was counted to him as righteousness. (This was many years before the law, and before circumsim). Then including the Jewish believers that they are not right with God because of the obedience to the law but by faith in God. Reminding them all of the good news about Jesus Christ, that by faith in Him, we are made right with God, not our works or obedience to the law, by faith in God.
(In the following Paul will explain how the Gentiles can be include in Gods family, by God’s blessing as it was intended).
We are made righteous by faith, by grace, understanding Jesus’ work, - then how are we to live, now we have been made righteous, we are to live by faith, trusting that God is still working in us and in the world.
When we burn out stress out, fear, many other words, could it be because we are doing many things in our own strength? Or things that are not ours to do? Worry, control, seek praise, justification and more?
Could we be trusting in our self and getting the fruit from it?
What about when we keep trusting asking the Holy Spirt to provide the power, the ideas, surrendering every moment of everyday, to the Lordship of Christ Jesus, trusting in his work, his enjoying by grace what God has done, we hear and response by grace with faith, by the work of the Holy Spirt.
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