The Object of Our Faith--Colossians 1:4a

This is the first sermon of my series on The Measure of a Church.

If we are to measure the church and therefore its people by faith, hope, and love, it is important to understand what faith is and what is to be its object. For faith, by its very nature, cannot exist by itself, but must have an object to rest upon. Faith must have a target to aim at, a bulls eye to fix itself upon. So let's see what faith is for us as a people of God and then what the object of this faith is to be so that we can be truly saved.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen. Martin Luther describes faith as a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. The Greek word for faith is pistis and means a firm persuasion, a strong conviction, a belief in the truth. It is not the outcome of imagination, but is based on fact. It is a strong and welcome conviction that leaves no room for doubt. It is to be fully and completely persuaded beyond a shadow of any doubt.

Colossians 1:4a Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus...

Before we get to the object of our faith, Christ Jesus, it is interesting to note what Paul did not include as the object of our faith. It is not faith in our faith, faith in a prayer we prayed or a decision we made, because this would be having faith in ourselves. It is not faith in walking the aisle, faith in our baptism, our tithing, or the good things we do, for that would be having faith in our works or faith in our obedience. Which, again, is nothing more than having faith in ourselves.

Here Paul gives us only one object for our faith to rest upon, that is Christ Jesus. There is a dual component to having faith in Christ. It is having faith in the person of Christ, which is represented by His name and having faith in the work of Christ, which is what He did to accomplish our salvation.

What is in a name? Well, in this case quite a lot. The name Jesus means Jehovah is salvation, God is salvation, or Savior. The name Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, the anointed One, King of Israel. To be anointed was to be appointed or set apart for a specific task or duty. So in the very name of Christ Himself we see that He was the appointed One, the One set apart to achieve our salvation. Let's see how this is pictured in the Scriptures.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).

Matthew 1:20-21...the angel appeared to Joseph and said, 21...She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Luke 2:11 (When the angels appeared to the sheppards) For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

John 1:41 (Andrew) He found first his own brother Simon and said to Him, "We have found the Messiah" (Which translated means Christ).

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 6:69 We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

John 8:24...for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

John 20:31...but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Acts 10:43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

I Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

Matthew 16:13-16, 13...Who do people say that I am? 15...But who do you say that I am? 16. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

So the question for us today is not any different. Who do you believe that Christ is, and who do you say that He is?

Okay, what did Christ do to accomplish our salvation? What work did Christ finish to make our salvation complete? Again, let's take a look at what the Scriptures have to say. For to understand His work is to understand why He took on flesh and came to earth.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Hmm, notice who the seeker is here. Compare this with John 4:23 and Romans 3:10-11. It shoots a big hole in the notion behind all the seeker churches.)

I Corinthians 15;3-8, 3. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. and that he was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5-8 then He appeared....

II Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 7:26-27 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27. who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 9:11-12 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12. and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, he entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:12 But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who drew near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.

Hebrews 12:2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Wow, think about all that we have seen here. Isn't God good to base our faith on facts, truth, real events that transpired in real time around a real person. God did not decree that our faith should be based on whims or notions or meditations. He did not leave it up to each person to find their own path to heaven or to figure out how to have eternal security. God Himself has done everything necessary for our salvation in and through Christ, and that is why it is necessary for us to believe in Him and Him alone for our eternal salvation.

Lets' consider some of the facts behind other Scriptures:

Matthew was written by a disciple who walked with Jesus, an eyewitness.
John was written by a disciple, an eyewitness who laid on Jesus bosom, and beheld His glory as the only begotten of the Father.
Mark was discipled by Peter, a disciple and eyewitness.
Luke traveled with Paul and interviewed eyewitnesses.
In I John, John talks about what we beheld and our hands handled.
In II Peter, Peter says, "We were eyewitnesses to His majesty."
James was written by Jesus brother who was an eye witness to His resurrection.
Paul saw the resurrected Christ and was taken up into the third heaven.

We have the infinite and eternal God who broke into time and space by becoming flesh and blood. He lived a real life, died a real death, was raised and ascended to heaven--all real events that happened in real time with eyewitnesses. God did not leave us with fables, or tales, or our own vain imaginings, but provided a real person and a real work upon which our faith can rest; and by which we have a sufficient security for our eternal state. To paraphrase A.W. Pink, the work of Christ did not make our salvation possible, it made it certain. The thing we must do then, according to John 6:29, is to believe in Christ whom God has sent.

So, my friend, are you trusting in His person and on His work for your eternal state? Do you believe the words of Scripture to be true? Is Christ Jesus alone the object of your faith? This is indeed the starting point and resting place for all those who are truly Christians!

The Direction of Our Love--Colossians 1:4b

As I mentioned in my last post the best way to measure a church is by the three eternal spiritual qualities mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians 13. They are faith, hope, and love. This post is from a sermon I recently preached on Colossians 1:4b which was the second in a series on the measure of a church.

In I Corinthans 13 Paul tells us that is faith, hope, and love that abide. These three spiritual qualities are mentioned in nearly every book in the New Testament, but of particular note there are only two churches that are singled out as reflecting all three of them, the church in Thessalonica and the one at Colossae.

In I Thessalonians 1:3 we see these qualities manifested in the work of their faith, the labor of their love, and the steadfastness of their hope; and in the rest of the letter to the Thessalonians you see these qualities reflected in the life and work of this exemplary church. Here in Colossians we see these attributes manifested in the object of their faith--Christ Jesus, the direction of their love--all the saints, and the place of their hope--in heaven. Remember that for these qualities to be present and manifested in a church they must be present and manifested in the lives of its people. So with this in mind I want to talk about the direction of the Colossians love, which is towards all the saints, and as it was for the church at Colossae, it should be for the church today.

So as we consider the direction of their love and therefore the direction of our love in the church today we want to look at four things:

1. What is this love they have?
2. Where does this love originate?
3. Why is this love directed towards all the saints?
4. How is this love manifested?

What is this love they have? Well, the Greek word for love used here is agape. It is one of four words the Greeks use for love. The four Greek words for love are storge, eros, phileo, and agape. Storge means natural affection, like the kind you automatically have for a pet (unless you are a pet tolerater like me), but better yet the natural affection the parent has for their child. Storge is not used in the New Testament except twice in its negative form in Romans 1:31 and II Timothy 3:3 to describe how far man has fallen without God. Eros, is a passionate, sensual, physical love. It is a love based on infatuation and sensual attraction. It is often used to describe romantic love. It is the kind of love portrayed in most of our music, television, and movies. Interestingly, it is never used in the Scriptures. Then there is phileo, brotherly love. Phileo is a warm and tender affection. It can be deep and intense. It is used to describe the love of those near and dear to one's heart. It is a love that cherishes. It is a love that is reciprocal in nature and a love that is shared. It is used throughout the New Testament. Finally, there is agape, the predominant word used for love in the New Testament. It is a love of the will and the mind. It is a love of choice and commitment. It is not devoid of emotion, but overrules and overrides emotion. It acts in spite of how one feels. It is a selfless love, an unselfish love, a sacrificial love. It is not motivated by the self, but by others. It loves even if the person who is the object of the love is undeserving, unworthy, and unloving in return. It puts what is best for the other person first and foremost. It is a love that compels one to action. It is used to describe the love of God, the love of Christ and how we are to love. This type of love was thought unattainable by the Greeks and is only used in Greek writing two or three times. Therefore what we see in the Scriptures is not "being in love," but the act of loving.

Where does this love originate? As you can see the Greeks were right in thinking this type of love was unattainable, from a human perspective. The heights this love operates in are unassailable for us mere mortals. So where do we go to find this love, where are the headwaters from whence this love flows? I John 4:7, 16 As we see in these two verses, God is love. Note that it does not say that God has love, or that God is a loving being, but that God is love. By saying that God is love John is saying that love is intrinsic to who God is, it is part of His nature, and is therefore inseparable from who He is, and, consequently, present in all that He does. Love is as much as part of Him as your eye color is of you. This love that is part and parcel of who God is, is agape. God is agape. This love of the will, of choice and commitment, this love that compels one to action, this love that is selfless, unselfish, and sacrificial, this love that loves despite the unloveliness of the object loved, that loves despite its unworthiness, in spite of the hatefulness it receives in return, this love that comes from a predetermined state of mind; this is the love that is part of the core of His being. This the the love that is described in I Corinthians 13 as patient, kind, never jealous, never bragging, is never arrogant, never acts unbecomingly, is never self seeking, is not provoked, never takes into account a wrong suffered, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and it never fails. This is the the love that God is.

This love is also the love that we are to direct toward all the saints, so how do we get this love? Let's look again at I John 4:7. We are to love (agape) one another, for love (agape) is from God and everyone who loves (agape) is born of God and knows God. So we see that agape is from God and only those that are born of God (born again) and know God have this kind of love. So this love, this agape, is not something that an unregenerate person, the unsaved person, the person that the Scriptures call a natural man possesses. It is unique to the believer. Now let's look look at Romans 5:5. Here we see that the love of God (not just any love, but God's love, agape) has been poured out within our heart through His Holy Spirit who was given to us. Poured out is in the perfect tense here which means that it is a completed event with continuing results or effects. So we see that God has given us His love, His agape, in our heart through His Holy Spirit who indwells us, and we received this love, the full amount of this love, the minute the Holy Spirit came and took up residence in our heart. Now let's look at Ephesians 3:17. This verse tells us that we are rooted and grounded in love, this agape. What a beautiful picture these words paint of our secure position in, and reservoir of, the love, the agape of God. We are fixed into and draw from the infinite love (agape) of God. This is where this love we are to have for all the saints originates and how we have come to posses it.

Why is this love directed toward the saints? Most of us who have been Christians for any length of time are familiar with the two greatest commandments in all of Scripture. The greatest is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind; and the second is like it, it is to love your neighbor as yourself. We all know that when Jesus came He fulfilled all of the law, so He fulfilled these two commandments. But what He also did was to raise the bar. John 13:34-35 Here Jesus gives a new command, and this command is to love (agapao) one another, which would be fellow believers ( the saints), not as ourselves, but as He has loved us. This is what John is referring to in I John 4:7 when he says "Beloved let us love one another, for love is from God." So we are to have the same love toward all the saints that Christ Jesus has for us. This is why Paul is commending the Colossian saints, for following the command of Christ to love one another as He has loved us. According to John 13:35 our love for all the saints will prove to all men that we are His disciples, His followers. If you think about what we have seen about agape, you can understand how this would be a witness to all men that we are His disciples, because only Christ or someone who has Christ living within them can love like this. We also see that this is a particular love; it is Christ's love, and His love for His own, being lived out through His saints for one another. This is a powerful witness to all men, both saved and unsaved, of the reality of the power and love of Christ. And when we follow His command to love one another we prove our love for Him as He said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments," and we know His commandments are not burdensome. Christ Jesus wants us to love one another as He loves us. He wants us, His own, to share and experience His love for us with and through each other. Oh, what a glorious thing this ought to be in the church, to never be without the love of Christ. What a wonderful provision He has given us to never be without His love. This is the reason behind the gifts and the gifted given to the church in Ephesians chapter four, to attain to the stature of the fullness of Christ, and in doing so the church will build itself up in love, agape, Christ's love.

How is this love manifested? When something is manifested it means that it is revealed. As believers we reveal the love of Christ in how we live it out, and from the context here in Colossians it is lived out in relation to other believers. Let's look at some practical examples from Scripture:

We are to be angry and yet, not sin.
We are to let no unwholesome word proceed from our mouth, but only that which edifies.
We are to let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander be put away from us.
We are to be kind to one another , tender-hearted, forgiving each other.
We are to bear one anothers' burdens.
We are to bear one anothers' weaknesses.
We are to be on the alert and pray for one another with all prayer and petition.
We are not to be arrogant toward one another.
We are not to be partial.
We are to treat each other the way we would want to be treated.
We are to please others instead of ourselves.
We are to defer to others by considering one another as more important than ourselves.
We are to do no wrong to one another.
We are to accept one another.
We are to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.
We are not to be provoked.
We are not to act unbecomingly toward one another.
We are to be patient with one another.
We are to not to gossip about one another.
We are to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
We are to provide for one anothers' needs.
We are to reconcile with one another.
We are to gently restore those who sin.
We are to be subject to one another.
Our love is to cover a multitude of sins against us and still keep on loving.
No matter how much and how well we love we are to excel still more.

This is the essence of love, the love and God and Christ, that has been given to us; the love in which we are rooted and by which we are grounded.

You know we hear so often today that we are to love ourselves or that we must learn to love ourselves. Some would even tell us that we must love ourselves before we can love others. This is the mantra behind all the self-help books and seminars. It is what under girds the new hot seller "The Secret" and unfortunately is what is being taught in so many churches. This is the eternal lie! It is what Satan was really telling Eve to do in the garden, and what Satan was tempting Christ to do in the wilderness. Isn't it interesting that there is not one place in Scripture that says God loves Himself, nor is there any place where we are told to love ourselves. If self love was that important to our well being don't you think that God would have told us, nay, would have commanded us to do just that? What Scripture says is that God loves us, that God loves His Son, that God so loved us that He gave His Son, His only Son whom He loved, for us; that we might have eternal life with Him and enjoy His presence forever. We are not commanded in Scripture to love ourselves, but to love God, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and to love one another as He has loved us. The focus of our love is to be on God and therefore on His saints, our brothers and sisters in Christ. My friends don't fall prey to the siren song of self love, but follow the command of Christ, and the example of Christ by loving one another as He has loved us. Greater love has no man than this, that He would lay down His life for His friends. My friends, my fellow saints, let us love like this today.

Some Random Thoughts on Loving Christ

If we love Christ we will keep His commandments. So everyday we prove we love Him as we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. It is true that we love Him because He first loved us. He has poured out His love within our hearts through His Holy Spirit and we are rooted and grounded in this love. His love does not reside in those who are not His. So if we are truly His we can not help but love Him and it is this love that compels us to no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf.

We work out that which has been inwrought. We are working out while He is at work in us, and it is this work, this good work, that He has begun that He will complete. But in the middle of all of this is sin. The sin that is present in our members, waging war against the law of our mind. Sin, the great weapon of the enemy which has caused the death of all mankind, which seeks to master us. It is in the battle against sin that our love is proven. The issue is not do we still sin, because we do, but the issue is do we battle against sin, do we strive against sin, are we actively resisting sin. We are to watch and pray that we would not enter into temptation for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

It is written that those who have been forgiven much love much. Does this mean that those who were more egregious and pervasive in their sin are the ones who love more? No, it means that it is those who see their sin for what it is and understand the depth of their depravity, who, therefore, understand the depth and the riches of the mercy and compassion of God, who then love Him more. This is something that happens as we work out our salvation and grow in Him. Let us, therefore, not think that we have arrived, but realize that we have not, and continue to press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Sin and its Remedy--Psalm 119:25-32

This fourth section of the Psalm starts out with the cry "My soul cleaves to the dust!" What could make a believer feel this way? What would have this kind of affect and bring a believer to this state? From the context of these verses it is sin. Sin, you know what that is don't you? Maybe, or maybe not! Sin, the enemy of man that seeks to master him (Genesis 4:7), and the cause of his death (Genesis 2:16-17). It doesn't get mentioned in our churches much any more as the pendulum of the church culture has swung hard toward a "positive christianity". To preach on sin is a faux pas in our comfort driven church culture because we don't want to make the people feel bad for fear they won't come back or will go somewhere else. In fact, we have even renamed sin as it is now called a poor choice, a bad decision, falling down, failure, or a problem. You know, you can do all of these and still not sin, so to call sin any one of these is to lessen what it really is, and what it really does.

I John 1:8 tells us that all of us, as believers, still sin. So by not preaching on it, people in the church today are ignorant of their sin and how to deal with it, and the results are disasterous in their lives and in the life of the church. Even though the church today takes sin lightly, God does not, and never has. God hates sin and will not leave it undealt with in His children, His people who are called by His name, but because of His goodness and His faithfulness He has given us a way to deal with sin, any sin, not just for the moment, but for everday. So let's see what He tells us in this section of Psalm 119.

Oppression
25. My soul cleaves to the dust-
Unconfessed sin in the life of the believer always brings oppression. Look at Psalm 32:3-7. See what is going on with the Psalmist. His body is wasting away. He is groaning all night. His vitality was drained away. Why was all of this happening to him? The Lord's hand was heavy upon him. Why was the Lord's hand heavy upon him? He was keeping silent, not dealing with his sin. Look at Isaiah 30:18-20. Here we see God giving the bread of privation and the water of oppression to His people. Why? Because of their sin. Again, look in Isaiah, chapter 64 verses 6-7, at how God repays the iniquity of their sin into their bosom. He brings the consequences of their sin back against them.

We usually talk about spiritual oppression being caused by Satan and his demons, but do we realize that the greatest weapon that the enemy uses against us is our own sin? And God will not let sin go undealt with in His people. Read the story of Balaam in Numbers 22-25 and 31:15-16. So if you are oppressed, if your soul is low, if His hand is heavy upon you, and you are in a time of privation and oppression, maybe there is sin in your life that you need to deal with. What is the first step in dealing with your sin? It is

Submission
25. Revive me according to your word.
In light of his low condition the Psalmist asks God to revive him. The word revive in the Hebrew means to restore to health, to restore to vitality, to heal and recover, and he asks God to revive him according to His word, not according to the wishes of the Psalmist, but according to the revealed will of God. So we see here a submission of the Psalmist's will to the will of God. This is important because sin is lawlessness (I John 3:4), it is rebellion against God's standards. So we see here a shift in attitude from rebellion to submission. Now you can see why God's hand would be heavy, why He would give you the bread of privation and the water of oppression, because sin is rebellion against God.

Where are you, my friend? Are you continuing to stubbornly or ignorantly stand in your rebellion, your lawlessness. Because to remain silent (Psalm 32) in your sin is to continue in rebellion against God. Submit yourself to God, humble yourself before Him and He will give you grace. As submission of the heart is always required before

Confession
26. I have told You of my ways and You have answered me; Teach me your statutes.
The next step to becoming restored to spiritual vitality and health is to tell God of your ways, your doings, your actions, the way you are thinking and living your life. In Psalm 32:5 we see the Psalmist calling it for what it is--sin. He did not hide it or keep silent about it any longer, but confessed it to God for what it is--sin. In I John 1:9 we are told that if we confess our sins then He will forgive our sins, just like in Psalm 32:5. In I John 1:9 the word for confess literally means to say or speak the same thing. If you really think about it what this means you will see that we are to say the exact same thing about our sin as God does, to call it for what He calls it, not to whitewash it or play it down by calling it other than what it is like poor decision, bad choice, falling down, failure, or problem. In fact, for us to call it the same thing as God does we must think about it and see it the way God does, and we are certainly capable of doing this since we have the mind of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We also see in this verse that when we tell God of our ways He answers us. When we see our sin the way He sees it and therefore speak about it as He would, He will not be silent. He will answer in forgiveness just as we saw in Psalm 32:5 and I John 1:9.

Notice the next thing the Psalmist does is to ask God to teach him His statutes. He has already stated in Psalm 119:1, 3, 9, 11 that it is the word of God that makes his way blameless, keeps him from unrighteousness, keeps his way pure, and keeps him from sin. In fact, this is one of the recurrent themes of this Psalm as seen also in verses 36, 80, 101, 105, 136, and 165. Again, our sin is the greatest tool Satan uses against us. So in our positive, friendly church culture where sin and its consequences are not mentioned or made less than what they are, he is having a field day. Especially when "practical principles" are being taught in lieu of the Word of God. It is the Word of God that is corrective. It is the Word of God that is restorative. It is the Word of God that is a light for our path and a lamp for our feet. No wonder the church looks so much like the world. So, my friend, do you view your sin the way God does, for the lawlessness and rebellion that it is, and have you confessed it to Him as such?

This Book

This is taken from an article by Dr. Richard Mayhue with the Master's Seminary. I read this about 15 years ago and taped it to the front leaf of my Bible.

This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

Its doctrine is holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter.

Here heaven is opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.

Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully.

It is a mine of wealth, health to the soul, and a river of pleasure.

It is given to you here in this life, will be opened at the Judgment, and is established forever.

It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and condemn all who trifle with its contents.

Intimacy with God is not reserved for a select group of initiates but is within the grasp of every believer. There is no magic formula or secret incantation. In fact, there are no shortcuts, only one, well-marked path---the Word of God. Read it. Study it. Make its truths yours. It is the only gateway to initmacy with our great God.

Good words then, good words now. Thank you Dr. Mayhue.

True Freedom--Galatians 5:25-6:18

Lesson 14 Read through these verses several times before you answer the questions. 

 1. List everything that relates to attitude. 

 

2. List everything that relates to action. 

3. In your own words write down what walking by the Spirit means to you. 

4. How do the attitudes and actions of these verses relate to walking by the Spirit? 

5. How do you see Galatians 5:22-23 exercised in these verses? 

6. What are the promises in verses 7-9 of chapter six? 

7. What do we learn about walking by the Spirit in Romans 8:3-13? 

8. Is there anything in Galatians 5;17 that would give us additional insight into walking by the Spirit? 

9. Write down any new insights into walking by the Spirit. 

Walking by the Spirit is walking in freedom.

True Freedom--Galatians 5:13-24

Lesson 13 Read through these verses each day this week. Before you start the assignment read Galatians 3:2 and 6:8. 

1. a. In verse 5:13 what is the temptation in our freedom? 

b. According to verse 5:16 what is the antidote for this temptation? 

2. Read verses 13-24. a. List everything you learn about the flesh. b. List everything you learn about the Spirit. 

3. According to verse 5:14 how is the Law fulfilled? How does this compare to verse 5:22? 

4. Verse 5:17 is in the present tense, which indicates a continuous ongoing action. a. In light of this what is this verse telling us? 

b. How does this relate to verses 13 and 16? 

c. What truth can we take from this verse that can help us with our struggle against the flesh? 

5. Read verse 24 and think back to what we learned about crucifixion. a. What does the fact that our flesh has been crucified have to do with walking by the Spirit? 

b. How does the knowledge that your flesh, with its passions and desires, has been crucified help you in your struggle against the flesh. 

c. How does verse 24 and the last part of verse 21 complement each other? 

d. How would you use the truth of these two verses to examine yourself as to whether you are in the faith?

True Freedom--Galatians 5:2-12

Lesson 12

Remember the flow of thought in the book.
1:1-2:14-True Freedom
2:15-3:24-True Justification
3:25-5:1-True Position
5:2-6:18-True Perfection

In 3:3 Paul brings up the issue, and in this last section
of the epistle he shows why we cannot be perfected by
what we do to our flesh or by what we do in/through
our flesh, but how we are perfected by walking by
the same Spirit by which we were begun.

1. a. According to Acts 15:1 what were the Judaizers doing?

b. According to Galatians 6:12 what were they doing?

c. In Galatians 5:2-3 what was Paul saying about circumcison?
benefit (opheleo)-assistance, profit, advantageous, useful

d. According to Galatians 6:13 what was the condition of
the Judaizers?

e. Compare Galatians 5:2-3 and 6:12-13 with Romans 2:23-27.
What do you see about circumcision and the Law?

2. a. Read Romans 2:28-29, Colossians 2:11, Ephesians 2:11,
Jeremiah 9:25-26; 4;4, Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6.
List everything you learn about circumcision in these verses.

b. In your own words state what is true circumcision and when
it takes place.

c. From what you have learned about circumcision, why would
Paul make the statement he makes in Galatians 5:5?

3. severed (katargeo)-to null or void, to reduce to inactivity
fallen (ekpipto)- to fall out of, to leave the sphere of grace
In light of the definitions of the words and the context of the verse,
what is Paul saying in verse 5:4?

4. hindered--to impede one's course by cutting off his way
a. In verse 7 what has happened to the saints of Galatia?

b. In verse 8 who is not the source of this teaching?

c. How does verse 9 relate to verse 7?

d. So then what happens to a church or group of saints when
false teaching enters and is accepted?

Is there any false teaching or legalism that you are
adhering to that would hinder you and therefore
your church.

True Freedom--Galatians 5:1

Lesson 11 Read and meditate on this verse each day this week. Ask the Lord to show you what this verse really means in your life. 

 1. a. Read Luke 3:16-21. What was Christ's purpose? 

 

b. Read John 8:31-36. What was Christ's promise? 

 

c. Read Acts 13:32-39. What was Christ's provision? 

 

2. Read Galatians 3:27 then Romans 6:3. What has happened to us. 

 

3. What happened to our old self according to Romans 6:6? What is the end result for someone who has been crucified? If you have died, are you not freed from what has held you in bondage? Think with me on this..... THEREFORE CRUCIFIXION BRINGS FREEDOM!! 

4. Read the following verses and fill in the blank. Romans 6:4-7--I have been crucified with Christ, therefore I have died to____________. 

Galatians 2:19-20--I have been crucified with Christ, therefore I have died to____________. 

Galatians 5:24--I have been crucified with Christ, therefore I have died to____________. 

Galatians 6:14--I have been crucified with Christ, therefore I have died to____________. 

Therefore, since I have been crucified with Christ, I have freedom from_________to these things in my life! 

It was for freedom that Christ set you free, stand firm in the truth!

True Freedom--Galatians 4:21-31

Lesson 10 As you read through these verses think back to what you know about Isaac and Ishmael. 

1. What is the allegory in these verses? What is contrasted in this allegory? 

2. What two covenants are being compared? 

3. What do we learn about the births in this allegory? 

4. How was Isaac born? Compare this to Galatians 3:17-18. What did you see about the promise? 

5. Think back on the last two lessons. Who are we descendents of and with whom are we joint heirs? 

 

6. Read Galatians 4:28, 31; 3:16,19,29. To whom was the promise given? With whom does He share it? 

 

7. In Galatians 3:13-14 what does Jesus do and what do we receive as a result? 

 

8. Read Jeremiah 31:21-33, Ezekiel 36:26-27. In Jeremiah what was promised? In Ezekiel what was promised? 

9. Read II Corinthians 1:20-22, Ephesians 1:13-14, Hebrews 7:22; 8:6-13. Which covenant is better and why? 

WHICH COVENANT IS YOUR POSITION IN? WHICH COVENANT ARE YOU TRYING TO LIVE UNDER?

True Freedom--Galatians 3:26-4:20 Part 2

Lesson 9 This week meditate on I Corinthians 15:19 and 15:58. Think on these verses in relation to these two lessons. 

1. What does an heir receive? What must happen for him to receive it? 

2. a. According to last weeks lesson who are we sons of, therefore, heirs of?

b. Read I Corinthians 5:17, John 1:1, 14. What happened at Calvary? 

3. Read Acts 20:32; 26:18. What is received and who receives it? 

 

4. Read Matthew 5:5; 25:34, Ephesians 5:5, Hebrews 1:14, Colossians 1:12; 3:24, I Peter 1:3-4; 3:9, Psalm 16:5; 37:18. What do these verses teach us about our inheritance? 

 

5. a. Read Ephesians 1:13-14. What has God done for us in regards to our inheritance. b. Read Genesis 7:13-16. What does this tell you about your God? 

 

6. Read John 12:25-26; 14:2-3, Hebrews 11:8-16, Revelation 21:1-7; 21:10-22:6. What is awaiting you? 

  

REFLECT AGAIN ON I CORINTHIANS 15:19, 58. WHAT A SURE AND CONFIDENT EXPECTATION IS OURS IN THE LORD JESUS!!

True Freedom--Galatians 3:26-4:20 Part 1

Lesson 8 Yes, I know there are a lot of verses, go ahead and read them anyway. What are these verses telling you about your relationship with God? Redeem (exagordazo)-to buy out, to pay ransom, to purchase a slave with a view to set him free. 

1. According to Galatians 3:26, 4:5-7, and Romans 8:15, what has God done and what is our new position in salvation? 

Read Ephesians 1:5. What does this tell you about your position?  

2. a. According to 3:13 and 4:5, what did God do to accomplish this for us? 

 

b. According to I Peter 1:18-19, what did God use to pay the ransom? 

 

3. Remember the end of last week's lesson and read 3:29 and 4:7. What are we as a result of our new position? 

 

4. According to 3:13 to whom were the promises made? 

 

5. Read Romans 4:13 and Hebrews 1:2.

 a. What did you learn about Abraham and Christ? 

 b. Who are we descendants of, and who are we sons of? 

 6. Now read Romans 8:14-17. 

 a. What is the progression of thought in these verses? 

 

b. In Ephesians 3:4-6 what is the mystery of Christ that is revealed? 

 

7. In Titus 3:7 and James 2:5 what did you learn about being heirs?

True Freedom--Galatians 3:10-29

Lesson7 Read these verses each day this week and think about what Christ has done for you. Redeem (exagorazo)--denotes to buy out, pay a ransom, to purchase a slave with a view to setting him free. 

1. List everything you learn about the Law. 

 

2. List everything you learn about the promise(s). 

3. According to verses 13-14 what did Christ redeem us from and why? 

4. According to verse 16 to whom were the promises made? 

5. Read Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-18; 15:1-8, 17-18. What were the promises? 

6. Read Galatians 3:7, 9, 14, 28-29, Romans 2:28-29; 3:29-30 Ephesians 2:11-3:11. What do these verses tell you about Jew and Gentile? 7. 

According to what we have seen in Galatians thus far, what role does faith play in all of this? 

 

FOR THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD!

True Freedom--Galatians 3:1-9

Lesson 6 Spend some time this week thinking about what the Lord is saying in Galatians 2:20 and Hebrews 11:6, and how they come alongside Galatians 3:1-9. 

1. What do Galatians 2;20 and Hebrews 11:6 tell us about faith? 

2. In Galatians 3:1-9: 

a. List everything you learn about faith. 

b. List everything you learn about the Spirit. 

c. List everything you learn about Abraham. 

 

3. Read Genesis 12:3, 22;18, 26:4, 28:14. 

 a. In each verse list what was said and to whom God was speaking. 

 

b. Compare these verses with Galatians 3:8. What was happening? 

 

c. Comparing all these verses with Galatians 3:9, what is the blessing of Abraham that those of faith share?

True Freedom--Galatians 2:15-21

Lesson 5

Read through these verses each day this week and
think about what it means to be justified in the eyes
of God.

Justified-to be pronounced or declared righteous before
God. It signifies the establishment of a person as just by
acquital from guilt.

1. Read Galatians 2:15-21, Romans 3:19-4:8, 4:20-5:1
List everything you learn about justification.

Who does the justifying?

2. Read the following verses and from each verse list the
basis for God being able to pronounce us righteous/not quilty.

II Corinthians 5:21
Therefore, God was able to___________.

Romans 8:3

Galatians 3:13

If all of this is true, and indeed it is, then Romans 8:1.

Think about what this means for you personally!

True Freedom--Galatians 2:1-14

Lesson 4

Read through these verses at least twice before starting the lesson.
1. Read Acts 15:1-21 and Galatians 2:1-5.

a. What was the teaching these men from Judea
brought to Antioch?

b. How did Paul and Barnabas respond? Read Jude 3

c. What was the motivation of the false brethren?

d. What was the response of the apostles/elders
at Jerusalem?

2. Effectually (energeo)--to be actively at work, to effect
Read I Corinthians 12:1-7 and Galatians 2;6-10.

a. What was significant about Paul going to Jerusalem to
have "his gospel" checked out?

b. What was realized about Paul's ministry by those
in Jerusalem?

c. How do we see the work of God through the Holy Spirit
in Galatians 2:8-9?

d. How do we see I Corinthians 12:1-7 worked out in this section
of Galatians?

3. Compare Galatians 2:11-14 to Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:11,
Deuteronomy 10:17, James 1:1-4, 8-9, Acts 11;1-3.

What in these scriptures is a lesson for us today?

True Freedom--Galatians 1:12-24

LESSON 3

Read through these verses several times this week.

1. In verses 11-12 what is Paul saying about the gospel
he is preaching?

How does this square with verse 1:1?

2. Read I Corinthians 2:9-10; 11:23-25, II Peter 3:15-16; 1:20-21
What did you learn about Paul's gospel in these verses?

3. Compare verses 13-14 with Acts 7:58-8:1; 9:1-2,
Philippians 3:4-6. What kind of man was Saul/Paul?

4. Read Acts 9:3-16, Galatians 1:15-24; 2:7-9
a. What happened to Saul/Paul?

b. What was God's purpose for him?

c. How did God use Paul's former life?

d. With Paul's background how could God ever trust
him with the gospel?

5. Now read I Corinthians 15:10, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:24

SO WHY ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH GOD USING
YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR FORMER LIFE?

True Freedom-Galatians 1:10

Lesson 2

Meditate on this verse each day this week.

1. What is this verse saying?

2. Compare this verse with Galatians 4:17; 6:12-13.
a. What was one of the things going on in these churches that made them
susceptible to the distorted gospel?

b. Have you seen this in our time?

3. Read Isaiah 2:22, Psalm 8:3-4; 144:3-4, Jeremiah 17:5-8,
James 4:14, Acts 17:24-28, Isaiah 40:15, 17-18, 21-26, 28-31

a. What did you learn about man?

b. What did you learn about God?

4. a. Read Ephesians 5:6-10, 17--According to these verses what are we to do?

b. Read John 8:29--What was the result of Jesus being pleasing to the Father?

5. Read Micah 6:6-8--what does this tell us about pleasing God?

Remember, there is only ONE to please!!!!

True Freedom--Galatians 1:1-9

LESSON 1

Read through these verses each day this week.

1. What did you learn about Paul?

2. Who are the recipients of this letter?

3. According to verse 4:

a. What did Jesus do?

b. Why did He do it?

c. How did He do it?

4. a. What was the problem in the churches?

b. What was happening to the gospel?

5. Read Acts 20:24-30, I Corinthians 15:1-8, Romans 1:1-6, 9, 16-18,
II Corinthians 4:3-6; 11:3-4, and answer the following questions.

a. What kind of gospel it it?

b. Who is the central figure in the gospel?

c. What are the main facts associated with the gospel?

d. What is the gospel?

e. What does the gospel do?

f. From these verses and Galatians 1:6-9, what does the enemy try to
do to the gospel? What are his methods?


How is the gospel being attacked, distorted, misrepresented in our day?

True Freedom--A Study in Galatians

OVERVIEW

Understanding the setting

Paul's first missionary journey-Acts 13-14
Paul's second missionary journey-Acts 15:36-18:22
Paul's third missionary journey-Acts 18:23-21:17

Paul's first contact with the Galatians-Acts 16:6
Paul's second contact with the Galatians-Acts 18:23
Paul's mention of his time in Galatia-Galatians 4:13-16

During the early part of his third missionary journey Paul was at Ephesus for two years. It was from here that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth (I Corinthians) and probably to the Galatians. The book of Galatians is probably not his first correspondence with the Galatians (I Corinthians 16:1). There were other missionary contacts with the Galatians (II Timothy 4:10), and another letter written to Christians in this area (I Peter 1:1).

Understanding the book

Where does this book fit into the New Testament?
As I John was written to refute the Gnostics, Galatians was written to refute the Judaizers. The Judaizers taught that in addition to faith in Christ, you had to follow the Law and be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15:1).

Why was this book written?
Let's look at the issues addressed:
Galatians 1:6-7--Distortion of the gospel
Galatians 1:10--Pleasing men rather than pleasing God
Galatians: 3:1-2--Reliance on works of the Law rather than faith
Galatians 3:3--Perfection by the flesh rather than by the Spirit

Key Verse/Main Theme
Galatians 5:1--It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Key words/ Words to pay attention to
gospel, faith, freedom, slavery, Law, justified, promise, flesh, Spirit, and synonyms for these words

How the book is divided/ Flow of thought
1:1-2:14--True Gospel (the one given by Paul)
2:15-3:29--True Justification (by faith alone)
4:1-5:1--True Position (as a son/heir, not a slave)
5:2-6:18--True Perfection ( by the Spirit, not by the flesh)

Understanding the foundation

Why did Christ come?
Luke 4:13-21--His purpose
John 8:31-36--What is ours through Him.
Acts 13:32-39--What does the gospel say?