GALATIANS CHAPTER 3
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also: Trail of good works (Walking by the Spirit) Walking with God; Lk 22,47-53;
126d
Gal 3,1-14
(174d) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >>
Self righteousness >> Trying to please God by
your own good works –
Paul is saying that
anyone who tries to justify himself through his own righteousness is
practicing a form of witchcraft. Paul thus declared the works of the flesh to be witchcraft if a person
has a mind to use the law to seek favor with God. The only thing we can do
that avoids this pitfall is to obey the Holy Spirit, which we can do only by
faith. We need to
find out what God wants us to do and do it; we need to discover our ministry
and fulfill it. We need to perform the works of God, for this is the only way to avoid walking in darkness.
See also: Witchcraft; Gal 3,1-5; 183c / Legalism; Gal 3,1-7; 35g
(199c) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >>
Frustrating the grace of God >> Frustrating
Jesus >> Frustrating the Holy Spirit
Gal 3,1-9
(105g) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Led by the Spirit into the will of God >>
Led to the right place – The Galatians in the past had suffered, and
Paul testified about them that they were walking in the Spirit, suggesting that anyone
who walks in the Spirit will suffer persecution. When we walk in the Spirit,
there are only three who understand us: we ourselves, God, and the
brethren who walk with us in the Spirit. The rest of the world does not understand us, and we become loathsome to them. The world
understands itself along with many various spirits that control the
world, but there is one Spirit the world does not understand—the
Holy Spirit, and for this reason the world persecutes those who follow Him.
We are foreign to the world, like an alien from another planet. This is what
false teachers told the Galatians: if
they stopped walking in the Spirit, their suffering would subside, and this is
what they tell us, attempting to lead us bank in bondage to the elementary principles of our
flesh, which is the only condition the world can relate to us. We should listen to the Holy Spirit
instead of trusting circumcision or baptism or whatever belief system will lead
us back to bondage. The only way to attract the blessing of God is
to walk in the Spirit as Abraham did, who is the father of all who believe.
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Gal 3,1-7
(3b)
Responsibility >> Avoid offending God
>>
Get out of His way >> Quit believing lies – Paul was telling the Galatians to quit
believing lies. They were listening to the wrong people telling them the wrong
things
that would ensnare them in the flesh. There are things that people
would tell us that if we listened to them would lead us away from the freedom of
Christ toward bondage, to fear and
torment, where there is no rest or
peace. The only rest is in Christ doing His will, but first
we must discover His will. At some point the Galatians took confidence from the
Spirit and handed it to their false teachers who were leading them astray.
(35g) Gift of God
>>
God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy
Spirit
–
Paul cut to the chase and asked the Galatians, “How did you receive the
Spirit?” We must have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us in order to see
heaven, making this the most important question in Christianity. It is the
very definition of being born-again, and all heaven-bound Christians are born of God. The question “how”
is important in that if we receive Him by doing good works or by
keeping the Law or by avoiding sin, then we didn't receive Him by
faith, but Paul said that we do receive Him “by hearing
with faith.” Some think if they keep their sin level low, the Holy
Spirit automatically dwells in them, but
Paul said He dwells in us by believing in Jesus' blood sacrifice to cleans us
from all unrighteousness. The
same Spirit who came to dwell in us by faith in Jesus' finished work on the cross will
also lead us to fulfill the works of faith that God has prepared for us (Eph 2-10). If
we fulfill His calling through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will be
saved in this life and in the one to come, and we will produce more fruit and
bless more people than we could by the works of the flesh, but if we don't
live like we're saved in this life, how do we know we are save for the life to
come? See also: Legalism;
132f
(56a) Paradox
>>
Lose by gaining >> Gain your idea of wealth to
lose God’s wealth –
The Galatians wanted their relationship with God to be deserved, so they could
boast in their flesh and choose how to live. That is, they were trying to control
their lives after the grave at the cost of the truth and at the cost of the
plan
and purpose of God for them. They didn’t want to believe that they were so evil they needed
God's mercy or that they were incapable of fixing themselves, but man’s sin
problem goes far deeper than that. We need something from God
that transcends ourselves that we could never
deserve that would heal us all the way to our root. We need the blood of
Christ, and we need the Holy Spirit to come dwell in us.
The Holy Spirit is a gift that we receive “by hearing with faith.” How could we deserve Him?
(88b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faith produces works >> Relationship between
faith and works >> The work of faith
–
All the apostles were in agreement with Paul’s version of the gospel, even though he seemed to contradict them, namely James who also quoted
this verse. Genesis 15-6 says, “Then [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and He
reckoned it to him as righteousness.” James came to the opposite
conclusion, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works,
and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was
fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him
as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God” (Jm 2,21-23). It
would seem there is a contradiction, for they cannot both be right, can they?
Actually, they can, for it is just a matter of perspective. The fact is, Abraham had every
intension of obeying God when he believed in Him, and this was Paul’s point
too:
faith implies faithfulness. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,2-14; 205k
(117e) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith
>>
Rest in Jesus (Sabbath) >> Let Jesus do the work >>
Let Him work on you
– Paul talked about hearing with
faith,
partly because they weren’t able to read it, since the New Testament was
written in their hearing. This letter to the Galatians was a single manuscript they read to the assembly,
being how they heard the word of God. We read the word of God, and we believe what it says, and the
Holy Spirit works through the true knowledge of God to lead us into His will. We
should never replace the Holy Spirit with the most eloquent speakers, for the Holy Spirit is our only true teacher.
Human teachers encourage us, but that is all they can do. They can't tell us
what God wants us to do beyond the Scriptures, and we shouldn't listen to anyone
assuming that role. If someone says,
‘This is what you must do to be saved…’ if it has nothing to do with
obeying the Holy Spirit, do not believe him. There are some things that are the same for each person,
that which is written in the Scriptures. There is also the specific will of God
for each person that nobody can tell us but the indwelling Holy Spirit if we
obey Him.
(132f) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is
in God’s people >> God gives his spirit as a
pledge >> God pledges His Spirit – Jm 2,21-23
says that the reckoning of righteousness was appended to Abraham after he obeyed
the word of God, whereas Paul taught that the reckoning of righteousness was
declared by simply believing the word of God, "believe" and
"obey" being the verbs that distinguish these two seemingly opposite
views. Putting them together, then, we say that believing God acts as a pledge of our
obedience, while
God gives His righteousness (Holy Spirit) as a pledge of our salvation. That
is, God believes in us and we believe in Him.
He doesn’t wait to see if we will obey Him before He bestows His Spirit. In
contrast, the
Galatians were saying they must first show God their works before they could
be saved, and Paul said “No!” Paul went to great pains to
show the difference between belief and obedience, being critical
to understand that God pledges His Spirit before we do any good works.
This way, salvation is a gift and not something deserved. Paul was ready to
tell the Galatians that if they put the cart before the horse, they have
forfeited their salvation both in this life and in the one to come. They will never see the Kingdom of Heaven if they get
this wrong; that is the seriousness of the situation; salvation cannot resemble
wages for works; it must be a gift; otherwise it would not be according to
grace, and we would miss the point of being sinners in need of a savior. See also:
Legalism; Gal 3,2-14; 205k
(186d) Works of the devil
>>
The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >>
Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> The fool >> The fool throws Jesus away for something
better >> The world betrayed the Lord
(195i) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping other gods >>
Worshipping other gods as a god yourself –
The relationship between God and man before salvation is that of dirty-rotten
sinners, desperately in need of a savior, but the relationship between God and
man after salvation is that of sons and daughters. When we get saved, we
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (eternal life) through a pledge of our
obedience. In contrast, the
Galatians wanted to see their salvation as something they deserved. Having
peace with God is a gift, but the Galatians wanted to receive it based on something they
did, and those who believe their salvation is deserved want to be
on the same level with God. Ironically, God has “raised us up with
Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph
2-6), but the Galatians wanted this status independent of God. In other
words, people who try to reduce Christianity to something that is due them
seek to be god; it is idolatry! Outside the terms of justification through faith,
Christianity hasn’t solved the problem of sin. Wanting to be like God was the problem with Adam
and Eve in the Garden. God wants to develop a people who know their place, who
are sons and daughters, receiving that status as
a gift, not as something earned.
(201h) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Jesus is an offense >> Jesus offends the world >>
Faith offends unbelief –
There is a difference between "belief" and "faith"; belief
is associated with obedience, whereas faith directly interfaces with
God. Paul used the word “faith”. Believing is a choice we make to accept a set of facts, suggesting it
is a human effort. Paul didn’t say we receive the Holy Spirit by accepting a
set of facts outlined in Scripture; he said we receive a God-given ability to
believe in Him, called faith, after we have pledged our allegiance to
Him. A person who is born-again has made a
lifelong commitment to fulfill His calling, and then God imparts His Spirit into the believer
to empower his commitment. There is a saying in chemistry, “Like attracts
like.” Water-based stains come out with water-based detergents, and
oil-based stains come out with oil-based detergents. Like attracts like
in the spirit realm too; we cannot apply human beliefs to a divine God; we
can only apply a Spirit driven faith to God who is Spirit. We can’t just accept the gospel as a set of facts and expect to
go to heaven, much less by doing good works. We must receive the Holy Spirit
through a God-given ability to believe in Him, that is, a revelation of
these facts through the Spirit, which is faith. See also: Difference between "belief" and "faith";
Eph 6-16,17; 114g
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Gal 3,1-5
(161k) Works of the devil
>> Satan
determines the world's direction >> Carried Away >>
Carried away by religion
(166c) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Wisdom of the
world >> Man’s wisdom excuses his sinful
nature >> Man’s wisdom wants to earn his
ticket to heaven – Paul condemned those who attempt to
justify themselves through the law, reminding them that they are putting
themselves under a curse (v10). This includes the person who considers himself a good person,
yet doesn't believe in Jesus' blood sacrifice for atonement of their sins. Paul
is closing the door on justification by law; still there are masses of
people both in the world and in the Church hoping to find God’s favor
through the law, though probably most don’t even know what the law says.
Justification by law was the weed that Paul is trying to uproot in that it is
based on our own
righteousness, which is unacceptable to God by evidence that He sent His Son
to save us from our sins.
God seeks faith from us, just as He did from Abraham, whom He declared
righteous centuries before the Law of Moses went into effect, but those who seek to be justified by law bypass the cross
along with the righteousness
of faith.
(168a) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to
the world >> Do not let the world’s approval shape you to itself
(176f) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Zeal without
knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) >> Fire without
faithfulness
(183f) Works of the devil >>
The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >> Nursery for
the Spirit of error >> Ignorance – Paul associated witchcraft with the
acquisition of false doctrine, so the untruths we believe about God and their
subsequent behaviors are all forms of
witchcraft. This shows how easy it is to fall into witchcraft, and explains why the Church doesn’t see many miracles—we cannot move the hand of God through
witchcraft. Most people envision the Halloween version of witchcraft as a green lady with a
wart on her nose, wearing a pointed hat and a black cape, chanting over
a caldron of deadly stew, but people in the Church
who lead others into strange doctrines is the true concept of a witch. James said in his book, ‘Teachers need to be
very careful what they teach because they will incur a stricter judgment’
(Jm 3-1). God will judge false teachers of His word stricter than those who
believe their lies. They should have looked further
into the truth before they started teaching, or
else sat down and let someone else do the teaching who has investigated the truth.
See also: Witchcraft; Gal 3,2-5; 173i
(184h) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace
of God >> Spending His grace on your pleasures >>
Abusing the anointing
(185a) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace
of God >> Dragging God’s Grace Through The Mud >> Operating His grace through religion
(187j) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >>
Spirit versus the flesh >> Trying to work the
Spirit by the flesh
(198h) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained
by man >> Having evil motives for seeking
leadership positions >> Seeking to gratify their
flesh through the ministry
(202c) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Running from God >> Running to your sinful
nature >> Run from God by running to your flesh
Gal 3,1-4
(203h) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Back-slider >> Withdraw from obeying God >>
Withdrawing from God
Gal 3,1-3
(138e) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >>
Reprove your brother for spreading false doctrine
Gal 3-1
(143e) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >>
The public >> Jesus ministered publicly
(144b) Witness >>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >>
It bears witness of the
cross
(210b) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >>
Jesus goes to the cross willingly
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Gal 3,2-14
(205k) Salvation
>>
Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith
versus works >> The faith of God versus the
faith of men >>
Faith versus the flesh --
These verses go with verses 21-26. The
Galatians were going back to the works of
the law as a means of justification, which was never the truth even in Old
Testament times. Paul made it clear that Abraham was justified by faith apart
from the works of the law, thereby proving that the law never justified
anyone. The law having power to justify a person before God was an ancient
misconception of Israel that held them in bondage for centuries. Had they
focused on the father of their nation, Abraham the believer, who acquired his naturalization purely
through faith when he heard the voice of God and followed Him, history would
have been rewritten. Faith is what justified Abraham and it is what justifies us.
Man has tried to please God by fixating on the law through their worship of Moses,
though ironically Israel despised Moses when he was alive. Keeping the
commandments is not a bad thing, but it is better if we obey them by faith in
Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of God's righteousness. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,2-7;
106g / Legalism; Gal 3,2-5;
173i
Gal 3,2-7
(54o) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> Trying to be spiritual through the
flesh
(106g)
Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >>
Attaining the hearing ear >> Hearing His voice – Paul
wrote about the Holy Spirit and hearing
with faith. There are three things involved in our justification: the word of
God, hearing the Holy Spirit and following Him. When we hear the Holy Spirit
speak to us from the Scriptures, responding to Him creates faith by which we
are saved. Paul puts the capstone on
his argument when he reminded us of Genesis 15-6, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to
him as righteousness.” This is by far the most often quoted verse from
the Old Testament, encapsulating both the Old and New Testaments. We are justified by
faith in God's willingness to forgive our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
He gave His life that we should give our lives to Him in return, fulfilling our end of the blood
covenant, and we do this by obeying the Holy Spirit as Abraham did. See also: Abraham; Gal 3-3;
118m
Gal 3,2-5
(1j)
Responsibility >> Avoid offending
God >> Carrying a false burden >> Weighs you
down as you walk in the flesh –
Walking in the flesh as a means of keeping the law is perhaps one of the most deceptive forms of
bondage. Most people who spend their whole lives walking in the flesh don’t
know they are missing the will of God, because they feel they are doing
something for Him. What kind of religion tries to earn God’s favor and deliberately
enslaves its members in a ghoulish cult, except that it be
orchestrated by Satan and his ilk?
(2f)
Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Keep your commitments in your walk with God
(132g) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit
is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Filled with the power of God
(159l) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >>
Counterfeit God >> Counterfeit anointing >>
Anointing of the flesh
(162d) Works of the devil
>>
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >>
Bondage >> A slave to unbelief >>
Bondage to an unwillingness to believe (deception)
(173i) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >>
Unholy sacrifice >> Penance of following the
law (legalism) -- These verses go with verses 10-14. Paul
was a stickler about faith being the active ingredient of our salvation and
not our works. Works-based salvation is known as legalism. This was the
problem with the Pharisees, and Jesus called them open sepulchers. If it
weren’t for Paul we might not know the significance of faith. Israel was
enormously in bondage to legalism during Paul’s day, which is the opposite
of faith. He reiterated the pitfalls of
legalism throughout his epistles, and now he is writing to the Galatians
reminding them that it wasn’t through the works of the law but hearing
with faith that we receive the Holy Spirit. He was astounded that they were
falling prey to this bondage again asking them, “Who has bewitched you?”
This suggests that legalism is tied to witchcraft as it were an incantation
of a highly choreographed ceremony. Many of these images and formulas of
black magic we get from TV, but there is a grain of truth to it all, for
there really is such a thing as voodoo, summoning demonic spirits. It is
really big in some of the most ignorant places in the world, suggesting that
ignorance is a necessary ingredient in witchcraft, as it is always present in
church legalism. Ignorance breeds superstition, such as the legalistic rule
in certain denominations that if a woman wears a certain style of dress, it makes
her more pleasing to God. That fits the definition of an incantation or recipe. If we can reduce our theology to various
recipes of behavior, our Christianity is more closely
related to witchcraft than to the gospel that Paul preached. There are
no recipes in the will of God; that is why He has given us the Holy Spirit
to lead us along God’s specific path that nobody knows but Him, and He
wants to reveal it to us, and this path is different for each person, so
there can be no recipe. See also: Witchcraft; Gal 3,1-14; 174d
/ Legalism; Gal 3,1-14; 174d
Gal 3-2
(107a) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Word creates faith >> Receiving unction from God
-- This verse goes with verses 5&6
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Gal 3,3-5
(103m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Purifying process >> Purified by circumstances >>
Purified through faith
Gal 3-3
(118m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >>
Law of the spirit >> Newness of the spirit
transcends oldness of the letter
– Paul talked about hearing with faith,
and James talked about proving our faith through works; the concept of obeying the
Holy Spirit marries these two teachings. This is how we please God, by obeying
(or walking in) the Spirit. God will teach us all we need to know about Him,
and He will empower us to do His will, and we will sojourn in a foreign
land as Abraham did who believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Paul taught that faith itself was
the active ingredient in our salvation, which is true and good and right,
whereas James taught that evidence of our faith was just as imperative to
authenticate our faith. Both teachings are true and good and right;
therefore, we must incorporate both teachings. Yes, it is faith;
we cannot point at any one thing we have done that has found favor with God,
only that we believe in Him, but at the same time our works prove our faith,
and where there is no proof there is no faith. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of
faith that are the sons of Abraham, the believer who obeyed the Holy Spirit. See also: Abraham; Gal 3-8;
210j / Faith versus works; Gal 5-3,4; 182g
(137j) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >>
Stages of maturity are levels of accountability >>
Maturity is working with God
(161b) Works of the devil
>>
Wandering >>
Wander from the character of God >> Wandering
from the faith
(167e) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >>
Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world)
>>
The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking
outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 5
(238aa) Kingdom of God >>
Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >>
Born again by the will of Christ -- This verse goes with verse 29.
Paul’s argument was whether the Galatians
received the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith. Isn’t
it interesting that Paul put it this way, getting to the root of the matter,
not asking if they were saved but asking if they received the Spirit.
Salvation is defined by the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer; we're not
saved by affirming a
set of doctrines. Many people think they are going
to heaven because they hold certain beliefs dear to their hearts. A person of
this order is not an unbeliever but believes what the Bible says, and by that
he accumulates various doctrines, but Paul delves beneath
these issues and asks the Galatians whether they received the Holy Spirit. A
person can believe anything he wants, but he will never go to heaven by
anything he believes but by the indwelling Holy Spirit. By no other
means shall we enter the Kingdom of Heaven, except that we be born-again. Paul was
saying, who has bewitched you that you have begun by the Spirit and now you
are trying to work your way to heaven through the flesh? If we were born of
the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. See also: Obeying the Holy Spirit;
Eph 1-19,20; 113k
Gal 3-4
(99j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Endurance
>> Enduring circumstances >>
Endurance that fails
(170k) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Outward
appearance >> Vanity >>
Vain effort >> Effort frustrated by failure –
Living and walking by the Spirit brings about suffering in the flesh. People in
the world do not understand us when we live and walk by the Spirit, nor do they particularly like us. Everything about us is alien to them; we
don’t have to preach Jesus to offend them; we only need to live for Him in
front of them. They are jealous of our faith, though we invite them to believe
in Jesus with us; no one is stopping them but them. They would never
want to be us, but in a way they wish they could believe in God and have the
hope of eternal life. The Galatians started in the Spirit and veered into the flesh from
certain persons who crept into their numbers unnoticed, and were
leading them to put
their trust in certain ceremonies, such as circumcision, instead of trusting the finished work of
Jesus Christ on the cross. The legalistic mindset says, ‘I have been circumcised, therefore I have
God’s favor,’ but Paul kept telling them there was nothing we can do to earn God’s
favor. Once we are saved, though, the works He calls us to do in His name are holy to the Lord.
We who are born of God have a designated tail of good works God wants us to walk throughout
our lives without veering one way or the other. This trail describes what we
do with our lives after we're saved, and this is what the Galatians were doing
when they met these legalists who tried to convince them to be circumcised to
find favor with God.
(188f) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Suffering >>
Suffering righteousness
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Gal 3,5-7
(230j) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery
of godliness >> Mystery of the trinity >>
Word of God is the mystery godliness
Gal 3-5,6
(107a) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Word creates faith >> Receiving unction from God
-- These verses go with verse 2
Gal 3-5
(30a) Gift of God
>>
God is our advocate >> God knows our needs >>
He is our provider
(146h) Miracles, Signs And
Wonders (Key verse)
(147e) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >>
Signs and wonders
(167e) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >>
Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world)
>>
The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking
outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 3
Gal 3,6-14
(142b) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears
witness to the new >> Prophesy about the
dispensation >> Gentiles are included
Gal 3,6-9
(12c) Servant
>>
Examples of God’s people >> Abraham is our
example of faith
Gal 3-6
(41fa)
Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Righteousness of faith >> Example of Abraham -- This verse goes with verses 13&14
Gal 3-7,8
Don’t worry, this is not a mistake!
Gal 3-7
(36l) Gift of God
>>
Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit
-- This verse goes with verse 9
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Gal 3-8
(150j) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word >>
Preaching the word to the Church
(152ka) Witness >>
Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the
father >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >>
True prophets >> Called as prophets
(210j) Salvation
>>
Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles
included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >>
God welcomes the Gentiles to the promise of Israel -- This verse goes
with verse 14. Salvation of the gentiles comes through the faith
of Abraham, evidenced by Scripture that says, “All the nations shall
be blessed in you [Genesis 12-3; 22:18]. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham,
the believer,” referring to both Jews and gentiles. The main change
in the new covenant is that God combined both the Jew and the gentile into one
group without erasing the line between them,
because He plans to use the Jew at the end of the age to reintroduce the
gospel in a purified version to the
gentiles. Otherwise, Paul made no distinction between Jew and gentile, both
have a common salvation in the atonement blood of Jesus’ body on the cross,
sufficient to cleans us from all unrighteousness. Afterward, we walk in our
salvation through faith as Abraham did, the believer. See also: Abraham; Gal 3-13,14;
41fa
Gal 3-9
(36l) Gift of God
>>
Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit
-- This verse goes with verses 23-26
Gal 3,10-14
(41b) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Jesus is without sin >> He fulfilled the law –
God used Jesus' victory over sin to judge Satan, and He uses us to do the
same, even as God used Job during his days of trial and temptation. Job was a
righteous man, and Satan came to God asking permission to test him in
anticipation to his reaction that he would curse God to His face. God argued that
Job was fully devoted to Him, and so the gauntlet was thrown between God and
Satan with Job in the middle. God allowed Satan to test Job, so that His
servant would prove to Satan that his heart was wholly devoted to Him. Apparently this has been an ongoing debate between God and Satan
for millennia with mankind in the middle. Lucifer must have told God
after his fall that he had no choice but to sin, arguing that
God set him in such a lofty place that it made him want to be like the
Most High, as though he had no choice but to become full of sinful pride, but
God said
‘No.’ He did have a choice, and God used Job to prove it, and then He used
Jesus to prove it, and He has
been using His Church ever since proving to Satan that he did have a choice
and made the wrong one. Our victory over sin disproves Satan's stance every time
we make right choices, putting the exclamation point on the fact that he was
wrong. Often as God can use us to disprove Satan determines the severity of his
judgment; consequently, Satan desperately wants to
see us fall into sin to lessen his own judgment and so use us to prove to God that he had
no choice but to sin. See also: God allows suffering and evil to test us like He tested Job;
2The 1,3-7; 71d
(52d) Judgment
>> Judging Church with world
>>
Law judges sin >> Law finds all men guilty of
sin -- These verses go with verses 19-22. Paul
was a stickler in his epistles about warning us not to follow the law as a
means of gaining favor with God, reminding us that the law is a curse. God gave Israel Ten Commandments to follow, yet the only
promise He gave them for following them was that they would be blessed in this
life only, with no mention at all of the afterlife (Deuteronomy chapter 28),
revealing Paul's point, that though following the law may attract God's
blessing in this life, it holds no promise for eternal life.
(173i) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >>
Unholy sacrifice >> Penance of following the law (Legalism)
-- These verses go with verses 2-5. Believe it or not, there are a lot of psychopaths
and serial killers who don’t consider themselves particularly bad people,
partly because they don't measured themselves against the law, but we do. So now we see the reason for the
law; it was made to expose sinners (1Tim 1,7-11). These people don’t know the difference between
righteousness and evil, so for us to seek justification by law is to shake
hands with liars and murderers. This is obviously not going to justify us
before God. Rather, we are justified by faith in the voice of the Holy Spirit,
the same Spirit that Abraham followed. His voice is described in other parts of the Scripture as the law
written in our hearts. The Holy Spirit would never lead us to do anything
against the Ten Commandments, so we can follow Him and be assured that we are
inadvertently fulfilling the requirements of the law at the same time. In this way the law has been made
obsolete. Obeying the Holy Spirit is a better covenant not only because it is
a better way to follow the law, but also because the Holy Spirit is able to
lead us into God’s specific will for our lives.
(227g) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God
working in you >>
Depending on Jesus to have compassion >>
Depending on Jesus to deliver us
Gal 3,10-12
(27d)
Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Knowledge can bring a curse
if you don’t walk in it
Gal 3,13-29
(78l) Thy kingdom come
>>
Renewing your mind >> Abiding in Jesus
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3-13,14
(27b)
Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Curse >>
Deeds that return to the doer >> Blood of
Jesus
(37a) Judgment
>>
The cross >> God judged the sin of the world
through Christ
(41fa)
Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Righteousness of faith >> Example of Abraham -- These verses go with verses 21&22. God established a means of rewarding man
in this life for his righteousness through the Law of Moses, but His reward
of eternal life comes only through the
obedience of faith (Rom 1-5;16-26). For this reason we say that Abraham’s
blessing was an eternal one, illustrated in his obedience to the voice of God. He knew it
was God speaking to him, and he intrinsically knew that He was the one and
only true God of heaven, who created all things, being a concurrent
understanding that started with Abraham and descended to the sons of Israel. The fact that
Paul speaks about the blessing of
Abraham, suggests that obedience must be present in order to receive the
promise of the Spirit, not obedience to the law but obedience to the Spirit.
See also: Abraham; 107d
(45e) Judgment
>> God’s
Judgment
>>
On believer’s sin >> Through His Son >>
On the cross
(58l) Paradox
>>
Two implied meanings >> Introduced to
salvation / Introduced to the Kingdom of God
(107d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Hearing from God
>> Word creates faith >>
Believing the word creates faith –
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by providing us a new and
better form of obedience to the Spirit, which is defined as
"faith". It is interesting that faith and the Spirit
are interrelated. The fact that we receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith, suggests that we also receive faith through the Spirit. They work
equally in opposite directions in that faith leads to the Spirit, and the Spirit
leads to faith. The Holy Spirit is involved by the very mention of Abraham, who
not only heard the voice of God, but also obeyed Him. Paul was careful to
instruct that we don’t receive the promise of the Spirit through obedience but through
faith, suggesting there is a difference between obedience and faith;
there’s also a difference between faith and believing. Believing is
related to obedience, while faith is related to the Spirit. Therefore, those who receive the Spirit have faith, which is the substance of heaven, and those who
possess this substance increase in faith as they walk in the Spirit as
Abraham did. See also: Abraham; 114g
(114g) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy
Spirit >> Implementing the revelation of the
Holy Spirit –
When God spoke to Abraham, in Gen 18,10-12, Sarah overheard the
conversation, meaning that Abraham was following an audible voice, whereas
we follow an inaudible voice. Abraham’s relationship with God was external,
whereas God speaks to our heart. Perhaps there
are people in the Church today who wished they had an external
relationship with God, so they could be more sure that it was God speaking
to them, but being unable to tell that God is speaking to them is a problem.
The times
that God spoke to Abraham were relatively few, whereas God speaks to us on a
daily basis, either convicting us of sin or nudging us in a certain
direction, teaching us the word of God or instilling hope in us through His
counsel. Everyone has a conscience, even unbelievers, though they mostly
abuse it, being why they are unbelievers. Therefore, when God convicts us of
sin, He acts as a supercharger of our conscience. These are things Abraham did not have. Jesus called Him the
comforter and promised He would be with us always, “even to the end of the
age” (Mat 28-20). See also: Abraham; 119l
(119l) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Curse of God is
broken >> Curse of the law is broken –
The blessing appended to the
law did not follow man into eternity but was confined to this life, whereas
the blessing given to Abraham was eternal. This was a problem. The gentiles could not tap into
Abraham's blessing, for if they blessed Abraham, again, God's promise to
them referred to this life. Therefore, God's eternal blessing to Abraham was proprietary to Israel
only. However, after Christ shed His blood as a means for God to choose
people from the world to populate His kingdom, it says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus"
(v28). Therefore, what God promised Abraham and to his seed belongs to all
who have the faith of Abraham, who will blossom into a kingdom that will
never end. The Kingdom of Heaven that God started in Abraham is based on the
fact that God spoke to him and on his subsequent obedience, and this will
remain the platform of His eternal kingdom. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,15-18; 206g
(132a) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit
is in God’s people >> spirit of God in the
spirit of man >> Spirit of the Father
(209i) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >> Jesus paid the price for us
>>
Jesus paid our ransom with His own blood
Gal 3-13
(136e) Temple
>>
Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of
Christ >> Jesus’ fleshly body >>
The flesh of Jesus’ sacrifice
(167e) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality >>
The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking
outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 26
Gal 3-14
(136g) Temple
>>
Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of
Christ >> Jesus’ spiritual body
(210j) Salvation
>>
Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles
included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >>
God welcomes the Gentiles to the promise of Israel
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3,15-29
(144h) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >>
Trinity bears witness of Jesus >> Word of God
bears witness to Jesus
Gal 3,15-22
(151b) Witness
>>
Validity of the Father >> New Testament bears
witness of the Old >> The Patriarchs >>
Abraham >> Promises to
Abraham -- These verses go with verse 29
Gal 3,15-18
(206g) Salvation
>>
God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to
promises >> Conditions to the gifts of God >>
Conditions to the promises of God – Paul speaks singularly regarding the seed
(heir) of Abraham, referring to Christ, so that Abraham is seen with Christ
through the centuries. Abraham believed God with the kind of faith that
justified Him before God, even as Christ justifies the person who
believes in His blood sacrifice to fully atone for his sin. God was pleased with Abraham
because he listened and obeyed, but think if Abraham had launched on his own and followed the same path without
the Lord instructing him; it would not have been by faith, and so we see that
"faith" is defined at least in part by trust. This suggest
that it wasn't what Abraham did or where
he went that pleased God but that he trusted God as a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him. Together then, Christ and Abraham represent the origin and the process of
justification, meaning there are two things happening simultaneously: Christ
introduces us to the grace of God, while Abraham teaches us how to walk in His
grace. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,16-18; 250g
Gal 3-15
(177b) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >>
Distorting Scripture >> Distorting Scripture to
avoid the truth
Gal 3,16-18
(250g) Priorities
>>
God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >>
Spiritual then the natural –
Had Jesus offered His disciples a spiritual kingdom with no intensions of
building a
physical one, they would have rejected it; in fact, Israel hung Him on a cross
because He refused to immediately make His kingdom appear in the natural
realm. They thought He was wrong for making them accept a spiritual kingdom
for now and essentially told Him that. They wanted a physical kingdom, and
God said, ‘Not yet;’ Abraham wanted to see His kingdom too, but he never
did. God wanted to see if man would believe in Him before He brought it to
pass; in other words, God is in the business of mining faith from His people.
Getting what he wanted when he wanted it was not Abraham's experience, and it is not ours. God wants people who will serve Him
on His terms, and for this reason He has made mankind wait 2000 years for the sake of
creating a mature people who love God and are ready to do His will. He is establishing parameters before the Kingdom of God is revealed,
showing His people that He is God in charge and not them. If they must be in charge, calling the shots, telling God what to do,
they simply will not be part of His kingdom, and this is the criterion He uses to choose those who
are enrolled in heaven, who worship Him in
Spirit and in truth. God is testing us, for if we are willing to serve Him under
duress, then we will serve Him all the more when His physical kingdom
finally comes. Once He manifests His kingdom, it will remain
forever, so we will get what we want, but we must wait for it. For those who love
God, not that much will
change for them when He establishes His kingdom in the natural realm, for they
are already experiencing the very essence of His kingdom in their hearts.
See also: Abraham; Gal 3,1-7; 88b
Gal 3-16
(255i) Trinity
>>
Father, Son and Holy Spirit >> Three in one >>
God is one -- This verse goes with verse 20
Gal 3-17
(108d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith is the balance between freedom
and law -- This verse goes with verse 21. Paul
pitted Moses
against Abraham to show that faith is the balance between freedom and law, in
that faith
by-bypasses the Law and uses freedom to serve Christ. We
are not without law, but we don’t use the Law to determine our behavior;
instead, the Holy Spirit leads us into the will of God and inadvertently fulfills the Law. The Law does not nullify Abraham’s faith; rather,
it came as a tutor to lead us to Christ; and now that Christ has come,
the Law has been made obsolete. We don’t use our freedom as an occasion for
sin; we are not free to sin; we’re free to do righteousness. Faith does not
abuse freedom but uses it to serve Christ, and faith does not fall under
bondage to rules given to regulate our flesh but walks by
the Spirit. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,24-26; 90d
(150e) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >>
Making the good confession (Son of
God) -- This verse goes with verse
21
(155j) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Witness of the
believer >> The word of God bears witness of the
believer -- This verse goes with verse 21
(214e) Sovereignty
>>
God controls time >> God’s timing >>
Dispensation of God’s revelations >>
Dispensations of revelation knowledge
(234c) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit --
This verse goes with verse 21
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3,19-22
(52d)
Judgment >> Judging Church with world
>>
Law judges sin >> Law finds all men guilty of
sin -- These verses go with verses 10-14
Gal 3-19,20
(83f) Thy kingdom come
>>
Intercession >> Jesus stands in the gap >>
He is our mediator
Gal 3-19
(15h) Servant
>>
Angels have authority >> They have power to decree an order – The fact that the law was ordained
by angels was made clear by Steven to his enemies who were
about to kill him for believing in the promises made to the fathers that Christ
fulfilled (Act 7-53). What does it mean that the law was ordained by angels?
Didn’t God ordain the law through Moses? Didn't God write the law on stone
tablets on Mount Sinai and give them to Moses? Yes, the Bible clearly
says that Moses spoke face to face with God, reiterating this many times.
However, there are a couple passages in the Old Testament that speaks about
God delegating His authority to a mighty angel to lead the children of
Israel in the days of their wanderings, meaning they were not led by God
Himself (Exodus 23,20-23 and Exodus 33,1-5), and God stood behind the scene to
supervise the progress. The Israelites were so rebellious that God didn’t
have enough patience for them. God is not the kind of person we can transgress in
His very presence and get away with it, for He knows
His own perfection and greatness and simply refuses to be treated with
distain. Infinitely great and powerful, God has limited patience;
“He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever”
(Psalm 103-9); He would have destroyed the Israelites before He would have
forgiven them, so He gave the job to a mighty and powerful angel, and Paul
is referring to this when he said that the law was ordained through angels,
that they were directly involved in the days when the law was given, during
the days of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness and in their entering the
promise land.
Gal 3-20
(255i) Trinity
>>
Father, Son and Holy Spirit >> Three in one >>
God is one -- This verse goes with verse 16. The
children of God belong to Jesus; they are His brethren and we are His Church.
We belong to Jesus and the Father is fine with that; He is in no way jealous,
because God is one. All three members of the trinity have exactly one
experience, not three. The Father shares in the Son; the Son shares in the
Father, and the Holy Spirit is the link between them, and so there is no cause
for jealousy. The children of God belong to Jesus, for the Father was pleased
to give us to Him.
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3,21-26
(205k) Salvation
>>
Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith
versus works >> The faith of God versus the
faith of men >>
Faith versus the flesh --
These verses go with verses 2-14. There is no disparity between the law and the
promise. Rather, the law complements the promise, yet God never called us to
live according to the law but according to the promise. The law and the
promise are like a set of railroad tracks; they are parallel. We are
called to walk on the rail of promise, and when we do, we find that the
promise takes us in the same direction as following the law. We see that the other rail is always
beside us; it never veers; God will never call us to do anything contrary to the law.
See also: Analogies (Using a map in the woods);
Jm 1,22-25; 94o
Gal 3-21,22
(41fa)
Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Righteousness of faith >> Example of Abraham -- These verses go with verse 6
(205g) Salvation
>>
Salvation is based on God’s promises >> New
covenant >> The new one is a better one –
When Paul mentioned the Law, he was talking about the old covenant,
asking if it were contrary to the new, and his answer was NO; the New Testament
dovetails with the Old. The Old Testament spoke of the
promise of sending His Son to die on a cross to make the ultimate sacrifice for
the sins of mankind through all the temple services that Israel performed for
hundreds of years before Jesus came, indicating that Jesus was anything but a
contradiction of the Law. The use of the word "Law" can be interpreted as paper
and ink (2Cor 3-6), whether it be the Old or New Testament. Words written on a page cannot
impart life or set us free; rather, God imparts his
righteousness through faith, which must have an object, and the cross of Jesus
Christ is that object.
Gal 3-21
(75g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Motives >> Being manipulative >>
Questioning God from a good heart
(108d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith is the balance between freedom
and law -- This verse goes with verse 17. The
righteousness of God is a gift; we don’t have to work for it, but that is
not to say we have no righteousness of our own; it has a place. Our righteousness
plays a role in proving our faith. It doesn’t save us, but the Bible says that
if we can’t prove our faith, then it doesn't really exist. Our
righteousness proves to our fellow man that we have faith in God, faith being the vehicle
He
uses to impart His righteousness, the Holy Spirit. Our righteousness says that
we choose not to live in sin; instead, we are striving
for freedom. The plethora of references in the New Testament that speak of freedom from sin for the purpose of doing
His will proves that our righteousness
is important; it proves first and foremost to ourselves that we believe in God. Man is
very capable of self-deception; therefore, proving our faith to ourselves is
more important than proving it to anyone else. We hear the word of God; we
believe it; we live by it, and at some point we realize it. The revelation
of God’s word is the goal of faith; meanwhile, our righteousness acts as
evidence that we have received God's righteousness, who comes to live in us through
the Holy Spirit, and Paul is saying that there is no law that can impart this. See
also:
Righteous deception; Heb 12,15-17; 161n
(150e) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >>
Making the good confession (Son of
God) -- This verse goes with verse
17
(155j) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Witness of the
believer >> The word of God bears witness of the
believer -- This verse goes with verse 17
(234c) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit --
This verse goes with verse 17
(254f) Trinity
>>
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >>
Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the
substance of God’s life >> Jesus is the
manifestation of God’s life
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3,22-26
(250f)
Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >>
Sequence of priorities >> Natural then the
spiritual (obedience then anointing) – Earlier, Paul said that faith came
through Abraham, then the law came 430 years later (Vs16-18), according to the following sequence:
(Abraham > the
law > Jesus Christ). The law is sandwiched between the Abraham and Christ.
Gal 3,22-25
(61a)
Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Church shall leave—The law (her
tutor) / The world (her tyrant) –
The law is able to discriminate between good and evil, but it has never
justified anyone before God. Consequently, the law pointed us in the direction of
Christ and exposed us as sinners in need of a Savior, and so the law has done a
great service, yet faith is greater, promising eternal life in Jesus Christ our
Lord,
who has given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our eternal inheritance,
whereas the law promises nothing. Hence, the law's usefulness has ended for
those who believe, suggesting that it is still in
effect for those who do not believe in Jesus. For this reason, when we
evangelize the heathen, they bring up the law, admitting they are proponents of
it, but the law was meant to lead them to Christ, and if they don’t listen to the gospel, it only proves they
do not listen to the law either. The law is holy, righteous and good, but it
proves those just the opposite when they violate it, for the law does not speak
unless it is violated. That is, it does not reward those who fulfill its
mandates; it only condemns those who don't. So, the law exposes the sinner,
while the gospel reveals the Savior, and if they don’t listen to
the preacher, they will remain under condemnation, and if they don’t receive
Christ before their death, the law will condemn them to hell before a righteous
and a holy God.
(208jb) Salvation >>
The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >>
Being married to God >> Knowing God
>> We are bonded to Him –
When the law leads us to faith in Jesus, it plays the role of our parents at our
wedding, who gives their son or daughter in marriage. Our parents lead
us in the right direction during our formative years, having trained us to know the
difference between good and evil, but then they leave us at the altar to come
into the hand of another when we believe in Jesus and receive the Holy
Spirit into our heart. We are married to Christ, as it says in Eph 5-31,32, “For his reason a man shall leave his
father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the Church.”
It also says in 1Cor 6-17, “The one who joins
himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” We leave the law to be led by the Spirit, who convicts us of sin, so we no longer need the law to tell us right
from wrong, and at the same time we leave the world in our marriage to
Christ and cleave to the Church (Heb 8-6).
Gal 3-22,23
(153d) Witness
>>
Validity of the Father >> God bears witness
against the world >> Shame >>
Hiding under a cloud of guilt >> Your sin will
find you out –
Ironically, the law and sin are one and the same: the law was given to expose the extent of man’s sin, seen through the
eyes of God. The law is like the axe used to chop off the heads of condemned
criminals, the scene immersed in fresh blood and other bodily fluids, having the stains of past executions,
seeped into every cranny. Organic matter
becomes a ladder for bacteria to grow to putrefaction, turning the area into a biohazard zone with the characteristic stench of death, yet the axe is
not used for evil but for defending righteousness and maintaining law and order.
Gal 3-22
(108e) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Balance >> God's sovereignty balances
good from evil – We have no potential to justify ourselves by
law, because we have all violated its commandments. Even walking with God we occasionally
sin, but it is the fact that we believe in Him that cleanses us from unrighteousness. All men have
succumbed to sin buried in the flesh, requiring us to be
justified by faith in Jesus Christ for the hope of eternal life.
(165c) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at
enmity with God >> The world is wicked
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3,23-26
(36l) Gift of God
>>
Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit
-- These verses go with verse 29
Gal 3,23-25
(208bb)
Salvation >> The salvation of God >>
Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >>
You can be saved without ever hearing about Jesus –
Paul is talking about receiving the grace of God through the Spirit, and we all know
that His grace does not rest upon us based on a fallacious
understanding of God. Rather, He is attracted to the truth in us. Does this mean that if the Bible is unavailable a person
cannot be saved? No, the truth is actually intuitive to those
who are willing to believe it. God gave His word to man for the same reason He gave the
law to Israel, to confirm what he already knew. We don’t need the Bible to
know that God loves us, anymore than we need the law to know what is sin. We
only need
to look in the sky to know that God exists based on His creation;
someone had to make it. Based on a couple other logical assumptions, we can
derive the truth with no trouble, such as the observation that sin is
deleterious to man; consequently, for God to have created the universe, He
must be without sin, making Him different from us, which means God is a good
person and therefore loves us. However, the sinfulness in man imagines that God is no different from
himself.
God will judge man for believing this for the very reason that he should have known
better; even if the
Bible is unavailable, they still should have known. The
judgment of God proves that a person can be saved without ever hearing about
Jesus, otherwise, how could He righteously judge the world for living apart
from the truth; and how could God condemn people for not knowing about Jesus
if the Bible were unavailable to them?
Gal 3,24-26
(90d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >>
It takes Jesus’ place until He arrives – Before Christ, Israel was held in custody under
the tutelage of the law being shut up to the faith that was later to be
revealed in Christ. Until then Israel had the example of Abraham, who was an old covenant
example of the faith that was to come. At the time, God spoke to Israel only
through His prophets, who paralleled the law and wrote about the
righteousness that was to come. Had Israel believed their prophets, God would
have reckoned it to them as righteousness, but as we know they did not obey
them, but martyred most of them. The law was meant to keep us from living a debauched
life, for law breakers find it difficult to come to Christ; for this reason
the law was given as our tutor to lead us to Christ. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a
tutor; we no longer use the law to measure our conduct, for the Holy Spirit teaches us about
God.
Gal 3-24
(90b) Law Is Our Tutor
(Key verse)
Gal 3-26,27
(136a) Temple
>>
Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of
Christ >> Similarity in the body >>
The things we have in common >> Common faith
Gal 3-26
(167e) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality >>
The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking
outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 13
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Gal 3-27
(4g) Responsibility
>> Advocate God’s cause >>
He who is faithful in little is also faithful in much
(113d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >>
Garments of power – This concept of clothing
ourselves with Christ
refers to the anointing, which is defined as the manifestation of the
indwelling Holy
Spirit. Jesus promised to come and live in our heart, but our extremities are the subject matter of this
verse. We put our clothes on our extremities
in the same way that this verse says we clothe ourselves with Christ. The anointing is how we are
able to express our faith to the world.
(191b) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>> Separation from the old man >>
Baptism >> Baptism symbolizes death, burial
and resurrection
>> Baptism is a sign of obedience
(254k) Trinity
>>
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >>
Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Power
of Jesus’ Spirit
Gal 3-28
(14c) Servant
>> Serve God >> Slave is free/free is slave –
Paul is describing heaven, saying that whatever heaven is like, we need to
emulate it here on earth, renewing our mind to accommodate this new life
that we have received in Christ.
Indentured servants in Bible times were very common; when a person wasn’t
able to support himself, he would attach himself and his family to a master
on a volunteer basis,
who would support them for payment of service. There were many laws governing the indentured
servant in the Old Testament, but in heaven we are all free. In this
life a master may own us, but we are free just the same; and if we are free
and don’t have a master, Jesus taught that we could be slaves to sin, so the person who thinks he is free may be in bondage, and the person who
appears to be in bondage may actually be free.
(131jb) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Unity >>
Many members but one body >> Many titles but one entity
(136c) Temple
>>
Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body
of Christ >> Similarity in the body >>
No distinction between male and female –
Paul always kept everything in perspective,
saying that in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile, slave nor free, male
nor female, but we are all one in Christ. Since this will be our
circumstance in heaven, we should consider ourselves in these terms
now, suggesting that we should not take our gender and sexuality too
seriously. We should not consider ourselves Jew nor gentile, and we should
not consider our vocation so important. There is only one thing that matters
and that is Christ and our relation to Him and His Kingdom in eternity.
There won't be an opposite sex in heaven, and we won't get married. For most people to lose
their gender and sexuality is like losing their identity. Some people feel it wouldn’t be worth living anymore, but
they fail to recognize that God gave them their sexuality, and He
still knows what He is doing and He will replace it with something better
that will please us even more. Our gender and sexuality play a large
part in our lives, yet heaven is better than this life, so with whatever He replaces
our sexuality will be better. We don’t know how he will replace it,
but we do know that we will be married to Christ. The Church as a whole is
the bride of Christ, and so the consummation of the marriage occurs through
unity, because it happens collectively to all members of the Church as one.
He doesn’t have many brides; He only has one, and so the consummation of
the marriage is in relation to unity.
(211a) Salvation
>>
Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles
included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >>
We are one in Christ
(225b) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of
heaven >> Equality in heaven
Gal 3-29
(36l) Gift of God
>>
Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit
-- This verse goes with verse 7. If
we belong to Christ, whether Jew or
gentile, we are Abraham’s descendents, heirs
according to promise. A gentile who believes in Jesus is more a descendant of
Abraham than an unbelieving Jew who can literally trace his bloodline to
Abraham. This is the power of faith. That doesn’t mean the
genealogy of the Jewish race means nothing; the Jewish race matters greatly,
because the Bible says that in the last days God will redeem the Jew, so their genealogy is still
significant, though their genealogy has no power
to justify them before God.
(151b) Witness
>>
Validity of the Father >> New Testament bears
witness of the Old >> The Patriarchs >>
Abraham >> Promises to
Abraham -- This verse goes with verses 15-22.
Paul
was writing to gentiles about becoming spiritual Jews, saying that if we are
believers in the blood covenant of Jesus Christ, then we belong to Him and are
therefore Abraham’s descendents, heirs
according to promise. How little does it matter if we are male
or female, slave or free? When we think of being Abraham’s descendents, we
know that according to the flesh we had to be Hebrew, but Paul says not anymore,
for God has made us Abraham's descendents through faith, even if we came from a completely different nation and heritage. When we think
of God fitting us into Abraham’s family, descendents according to promise, we picture God performing some
kind of miracle, transforming our genes into conformity with the Hebrew
nation; that is how profound the miracle of being members of the body of
Christ through promises that God made to Israel.
We may not be literal Jews, but there is something very literal about our faith. It seems nebulous to us
that we believe in a set of
doctrines and strive to live according to them, yet it causes us to think
and act like Jews. They were persecuted and hated; so are we. They were
misunderstood; so are we. They went to war against the heathen, and so we
are spiritual warriors against sin and Satan. They struggle with God; we struggle with God. They
strove to fulfill a plan and purpose that God had prepared for them, so we
strive to fulfill a plan and purpose that God has prepared for us. We are
spiritual Jews in every respect, except physically, but we are members of a
spiritual kingdom, so it doesn't matter, and in time God will clothe His
kingdom with a physical exterior. A day is coming when we will enter the gates of heaven and the
figurative becomes literal as members of the body of Christ, who are neither male nor female, bond nor free, Jew nor
gentile, for we are all one
in Christ.
(213i) Sovereignty
>>
God is infinite >> Jesus owns you >>
His will becomes our will >> We are God’s
property
(238aa) Kingdom of God >>
Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >>
Born again by the will of Christ -- This verse goes with verse 3
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