Overall goal:
     Immerse our minds, hearts, and souls in the beauty of God’s Word 

Introduction:
     Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling (September 2022 Part one)

 Look at Psalm 139:13-16 NLT

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.  (ESV)

 ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

• We are not here by mistake.

Look at Ephesians 2:10
New Living Translation
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

New International Version
¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

• A Sovereign God is in control and has a plan for our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

• Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Current events

When we examine current events: (Just to name a few.)

Inflation
Recession
Coronavirus
Our Southern Border
Left wing policies – government spending – government defying the constitution.
Events in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, China, Israel, Palestine, etc.
Support of Pro-abortion views.
The “woke” mentality.
The modern revolt against marriage.
The breakdown of the Biblical “male” and “female” marriage.
Wide spread acceptance of alternate life styles.
LGBTQ+
Trends in education

We see the demise of America as we once knew it.

We are surrounded by moral decay.

It’s easy to become discouraged.

It’s easy to lose focus.

When we read about the rise and fall of nations (God’s people) in the Old Testament.  The outcome for America is predictable.

Don’t lose your focus.

Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling.

• Don’t lose your focus.

• Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling. 

Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling.

Where do we start?

Philippians 4:6-9 NLT
⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

You all know a lot of scripture.  Focus on what you know.  Do the things you know you should be doing, and don’t be sidetracked by the things you don’t understand.

Actions:

Don’t worry about anything.

Pray about everything. – Tell God what you need.

Thank God for all He has done.

Fix your thoughts on Scripture.

Put into practice all you learned from scripture.

• Keep putting into practice all you learned.

Results:
You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

• You know a lot of scripture. Focus on what you know.

What are some things that you know?

• God is Sovereign

God is the supreme authority.

God is sovereign over history and time.

Ephesians 1:11 NLT
¹¹ Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Psalm 47:7-9 NLT
⁷ For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.
⁸ God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
⁹ The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere. 

Psalm 125:2 NLT
² Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

• Some things never change.

• God never changes.

Malachi 3:6 (NLT)
⁶“I am the Lord, and I do not change. …

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)
⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

• God’s Word never changes.

Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
⁸The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”

Psalm 119:89 (NLT)
⁸⁹Your eternal word, O Lord,
stands firm in heaven.

Luke 21:33 (NLT)
³³Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

John 10:34-35 (NLT)
³⁴Jesus replied … ³⁵And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. 

Matthew 5:18 (NLT)
¹⁸I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.

• Our philosophy of Christian Education should never change.

Ephesians 4:14 NLT
¹⁴ Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

 

To be continued in:
“Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling (September 2022 Part two)”

 

Paul’s Final Advice

Galatians 6:11-18 NLT
¹¹ Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.
¹² Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. ¹³ And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.
¹⁴ As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. ¹⁵ It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. ¹⁶ May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
¹⁷ From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
¹⁸ Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 6:11-18 NLT

Paul’s Final Advice 

¹¹ Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.

• Paul frequently took the pen from his secretary and added a postscript in his own handwriting.

Romans 16:22 NLT
²² I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.

1 Corinthians 16:21 NLT
²¹ Here is my greeting in my own handwriting–Paul.

Colossians 4:18 NLT
¹⁸ Here is my greeting in my own handwriting–Paul.

2 Thessalonians 3:17 NLT
¹⁷ Here is my greeting in my own handwriting–Paul.  I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me. 

Paul did this to show that the letter really did come from him

And

In this case to make a final appeal.

The large letters may have been used for emphasis. 

¹² Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others.

Throughout the book of Galatians Paul was addressing a group of Judaizers in Galatia who claimed that Paul’s teaching about the Good News was inadequate.  The Judaizers argued that Paul’s law-free gospel was incomplete, and they claimed that the real gospel required Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep other aspects of the law.

Paul continues to address this topic in his closing comments.

Paul believed that the Judaizers were more concerned about their own reputation than with pleasing God.

The Judaizers were only thinking of themselves. They want to look good to others.

• The Judaizers wanted to look good to others.

They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 

By advocating circumcision, the Judaizers were less likely to experience opposition from the Jewish opponents to Christianity.

1 Corinthians 1:23 NLT
²³ So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

• The Judaizers wanted to avoid persecution.

For us it might be: criticism, opposition, condemnation, disapproval, disfavor, rebuke, etc. 

¹³ And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.

The motivation of the false teachers was self-serving. They “want to look good to others.”

They were more concerned about their own reputation than with honoring God.

“… so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.”

• The Judaizers only wanted to boast about the number of people they had convinced to be circumcised.

Some people are more interested in numbers than in truth.

¹⁴ As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s motivation was to increase, not his own reputation, but God’s glory.  Boasting about law -keeping would detract from recognition of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s writings:

1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT
³¹ Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 2:2 NLT
² For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3 NLT
³ I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.

Colossians 1:20-22 NLT
²⁰ and through him (Christ) God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
²¹ This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Colossians 2:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Paul’s message was “salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone”.

• Paul stated that he never boasted about anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 

• The things of “this world” no longer attracted or influenced Paul. The “world” had no interest in Paul.

¹⁵ It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 

The Galatians missed the point.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Colossians 2:11-12 NLT
¹¹ When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.¹² For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Colossians 1:21-22
²¹ This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 

¹⁶ May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle;

Those who have been transformed into a new creation by the power of the cross. (V. 14-15)

 they are the new people of God.

• Those who have been transformed into a new creation are the people of God. 

¹⁷ From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. 

Paul makes one final attempt to defense of his authority as an apostle.

The false teachers, and perhaps some of the Galatians, have been misrepresenting Paul.  Paul insists on the respect that is due his ministry.

No one has a right to criticize Paul or his message because of his proven status as Christ’s servant. 

For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.

• Paul is a genuine minister of Christ and has the scars to prove it.

Acts 14:19 NLT
¹⁹ Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.

2 Corinthians 6:4-5 NLT
⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 

2 Corinthians 11:21-27 NLT
²¹ … But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. ²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. ²⁷ I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Exodus 21:6 NLT
⁶ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. 

¹⁸ Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 

• Paul has not given up on the Galatians. He still refers to them as brothers and sisters. 

It’s all boils down to God’s grace. 

Paul ends where he began. 

Galatians 1:3-4 NLT
³ May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. ⁴ Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.

 *****************************

• Paul frequently took the pen from his secretary and added a postscript in his own handwriting.

• The Judaizers wanted to look good to others.

• The Judaizers wanted to avoid persecution.

• The Judaizers only wanted to boast about the number of people they had convinced to be circumcised.

• Paul stated that he never boasted about anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The things of “this world” no longer attract or influence Paul. The “world” has no interest in Paul.

• Those who have been transformed into a new creation are the people of God.

• Paul was a genuine minister of Christ and had the scars to prove it.

• Paul had not given up on the Galatians. He still referred to them as brothers and sisters.

We Harvest What We Plant

Galatians 6:6-10 NLT
⁶ Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 6:6-10 NLT
We Harvest What We Plant 

⁶ Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. 

More from Paul:
1 Corinthians 9:11, 14, 15 NLT

¹¹ Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? 

¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. 

¹⁵ Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. 

Some teachers who teach the Good News choose not to pursue these rights. 

Philippians 4:14-19 NLT
¹⁴ Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
¹⁵ As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. ¹⁶ Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. ¹⁷ I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
¹⁸ At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 

• Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. (Galatians 6:6 NLT) 

Teachers or pastors getting paid for their services is not the primary theme of this passage of scripture. 

⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. 

You will always harvest what you plant. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NLT (giving to the church in Jerusalem)
⁶ Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

⁷ You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 

 ⁸ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ⁹ As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
¹⁰ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
¹¹ Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. ¹² So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
¹³ As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. ¹⁴ And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. ¹⁵ Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

• Share with others because you want to share with them, not in response to pressure. Give cheerfully.

More scripture relating to reaping what you plant:

Job 4:8 NLT
⁸ My experience shows that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil will harvest the same.

Proverbs 1:31-33 NLT
³¹ Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
³² For simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
³³ But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”

Proverbs 22:8 NLT
⁸ Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
and their reign of terror will come to an end.

Hosea 10:12 NLT
¹² I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’ 

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT
¹² Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³ But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴ If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

• You will always harvest what you plant. 

Remember, some harvests take time.

⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature

We have a sinful nature.

Romans 7:18 NLT
¹⁸ And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.

There is nothing good in our sinful nature. 

will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.

Sin always corrupts.

A sinful nature progressively gets worse.

Romans 6:23 NLT
²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. 

A sinful nature leads to death.

Romans 8:12-14 NLT
¹² Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Christians have no obligation to do what their sinful nature urges you to do. 

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Those who live by the dictates of their sinful nature, will die.

• Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. 

• • • We all have a sinful nature.
    • There is nothing good in our sinful nature.

But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 

Go back to chapter 5.

Galatians 5:1-14 NLT
^5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 

⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.   (Salvation through Jesus Christ)

¹³ For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 

• Live to please the Spirit. (A primary theme of this passage.) 

⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.

Don’t allow sinful behavior to creep in.
Don’t become legalistic.
Don’t yield to temptations.
Don’t give up.

Luke 18:1 NLT
^18:1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  

• Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Always pray and never give up. 

¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

• Our primary focus should be on serving other believers, but not to the exclusion of people outside the church. 

 ****************************************

 

• Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. (Galatians 6:6 NLT) 

• Share with others because you want to share with them, not in response to pressure. Give cheerfully.

• You will always harvest what you plant. 

• Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. 

We all have a sinful nature.

There is nothing good in our sinful nature.

• Live to please the Spirit.

• Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Always pray and never give up. 

• Our primary focus should be on serving other believers, but not to the exclusion of people outside the church.

Bear One Another’s Burdens

Introduction:

The last bullet point of our previous lesson was:

Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

That principle is key in this lesson.

Galatians 6:1-5 NLT
^6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. ² Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. ³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
⁴ Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. ⁵ For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 6:1-5 NLT
Bear One Another’s Burdens

^6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin,

Another believer

Is overcome by some sin 

1 Peter 5:8 NLT
⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

you who are godly 

• Some are better equipped than others to help those overcome by sin.

• The task of restoration is only for those who are godly, that is believers who walk by the spirit.

Galatians 5:16 NLT
¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 

• The task of restoration is only for those who are mature in the faith. 

Hebrews 5:13-14 NLT
¹³ For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. ¹⁴ Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. 

1 Corinthians 2:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. ¹⁵ Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, 

Our tendency might be like:

John 8:3-5 NLT
³ As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
⁴ “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

Acts 21:27-29 NLT
²⁷ The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, ²⁸ yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” ²⁹ (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)

should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.    

“you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.”

• Gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.

Gently and humble help restore that person. (mend, repair) 

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

Helping others back onto the right path can be a dangerous task.

• No one is immune from falling into sin.

1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
¹² If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 

Romans 3:9-12 NLT
All People Are Sinners
⁹ Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. ¹⁰ As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
¹¹ No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
¹² All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.” 

1 John 1:8-9 NLT
⁸ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Proverbs 28:13 NLT
¹³ People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

 ² Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 

“Burdens” heavy load, troubles, and problems. (sin – verse 1)

While the “spiritual” do the work of restoring, all believers can become involved by prayer and encouragement.

Galatians 5:14 NLT
¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

• Share each other’s burdens.

³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

Don’t be conceited.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

1 Corinthians 12
¹⁴ Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹ How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰ Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
²² In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. ²³ And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴ while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. ²⁵ This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
²⁷ All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 

• Don’t think that you are too important to help others.

• Treat other Christians with love when they sin.

Romans 12:16 NLT
¹⁶ Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

⁴ Pay careful attention to your own work,

“Test their own actions” NIV

“Examine his own work” NASB

• Carefully scrutinize, examine, and test your own actions.

Romans 12:3 NLT
³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 

Matthew 7:3-5 NLT
³ “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? ⁴ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.  

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT
¹² Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³ But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴ If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 

⁵ For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 

“each one should carry their own load.” NIV 

Don’t play the “Blame Game”.

You are 100% responsible for your actions.

Romans 14:12 NLT
¹² Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 

• We are each responsible for our own conduct. 
• Some are better equipped than others to help those overcome by sin.
• The task of restoration is only for those who are godly, that is believers who walk by the spirit.
• The task of restoration is only for those who are mature in the faith.
• Gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.
• No one is immune from falling into sin.
• Share each other’s burdens.
• Don’t think that you are too important to help others.
• Treat other Christians with love when they sin.
• Carefully scrutinize, examine, and test your own actions.
• We are each responsible for our own conduct.

 

 

Introduction:

Matthew 7:20 NLT
²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Galatians 5:19-26 NLT
Results of the Sinful Nature
¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Fruit of the Spirit
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Following the Spirit’s Leading
²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Examine the scriptures:

Matthew 7:20 NLT
²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

• You can identify people by their actions.

Galatians 5:19-26 NLT
Results of the Sinful Nature
¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:

• Without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, sinful humans follow wicked desires and actions.

sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.

Sexual sins:

sexual immorality,
impurity, moral corruption (CEB)
lustful pleasures, debauchery (NIV), sensuality (ESV), doing whatever feels good (CEB)

Religious sins:

idolatry,
sorcery, witchcraft (NIV), casting spells (CEB)

Social sins:

hostility, hatred (NIV), enmity (ESV)
quarreling, discord (NIV), strife (ESV), fighting (CEB)
jealousy, obsession (CEB)
outbursts of anger, fits of rage (NIV), fits of anger (ESV), losing your temper (CEB)
selfish ambition, rivalries (ESV), competitive opposition (CEB)
dissension, conflict (CEB)
division, factions (NIV), group rivalry (CEB)
envy, jealousy (CEB)

drunkenness,
wild parties, orgies (NIV)

and other sins like these. And the like (NIV)

This long list is only representative and not exhaustive.

See also:1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:5, Revelation 22:15 

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Romans 1:32 NLT
³² They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Romans 2:14-15 NLT
¹⁴ Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. ¹⁵ They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

• Basic understanding of right and wrong is universal.

Those who live like this, who habitually indulge in these sins do not give evidence of being a child of God.

• When you live your life following the desires of your sinful nature you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

1 John 5:18 NLT
¹⁸ We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

Romans 6:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Fruit of the Spirit
²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Habits of mind:

love,
 joy,
 peace

Reaches out to others:

patience, forbearance (NIV)
 kindness,
 goodness,

General conduct:

faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control 

Note: This list is identical, except for instance, in the NLT, NIV, ESV, and CEB.

Similar passages to Galatians 5:22-23

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT
¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Ephesians 4:2 NLT
² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT
⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

2 Corinthians 6:6 NLT
⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.

• The Holy Spirit defends against sin.

• Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit.

Following the Spirit’s Leading

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 

Galatians 2:20 NLT
²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Romans 6:6 NLT
⁶ We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 7:4-6 NLT
⁴ So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. ⁵ When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. ⁶ But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:14 NLT
¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 

John 15:5-8 NLT
⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. ⁷ But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! ⁸ When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 

• Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

• Apart from Christ we can do nothing. 

• Christ and the Holy Spirit come together in the believer’s life.

John 14:16-20 NLT
¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. ¹⁸ No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. ¹⁹ Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. ²⁰ When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 

Follow the Spirit’s leading.

From previous lesson:

The Holy Spirit dwells in Christians.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

The Holy Spirit guides us.

John 16:13 NLT
¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

The Holy Spirit brings conviction.

John 16:8 NLT
⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

1 Peter 1:2 NLT
² God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. 

Galatians 5:16
¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

• Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

²⁶ Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

These are likely issues that were evident in the Galatian churches. 

************************** 

• You can identify people by their actions.

• Without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, sinful humans follow wicked desires and actions.

• Basic understanding of right and wrong is universal.

• When you live your life following the desires of your sinful nature you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

• The Holy Spirit defends against sin.

• Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit.

• Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

• Apart from Christ we can do nothing. 

• Christ and the Holy Spirit come together in the believer’s life.

• Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

 

Living by the Spirit’s Power

Galatians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. ¹⁸ But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 5:16-18 NLT
Living by the Spirit’s Power 

The Holy Spirit is God.

The Holy Spirit is a person.

He thinks (Acts 15:28), He speaks (Acts 1:16), He grieves (Ephesians 4:30), and He decides (1 Corinthians 12:11).

The Holy Spirit dwells in Christians.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God.

John 14:26 NLT
²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

The Holy Spirit tells us what Christ has done.

John 15:26 NLT
²⁶ “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.

The Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf.  He intercedes for us.

Romans 8:27 NLT
²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

The Holy Spirit guides us.

John 16:13 NLT
¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

The Holy Spirit brings conviction.

John 16:8 NLT
⁸ And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

1 Peter 1:2 NLT
² God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. 

The Holy Spirit inspires writers.

2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT
²⁰ Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, ²¹ or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 

 

¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

In light of all that is happening in their lives.

“Let” used here and “but when” used in verse 18 remind us that we are not always being guided by the Holy Spirit.

Yield to the Holy Spirit.
Walk by the Spirit.
Make decisions and choices according to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Romans 12:2 NLT
² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

• Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

• Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Every Christian has two natures.

A sinful nature received at birth, inherited from fallen Adam.

A divine nature received when we came to God, when we were adopted into His family, when we were born again.

• Every Christian has a sinful nature and a divine nature.

Romans 8:2-4 NLT
² And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. ³ The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ⁴ He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 

2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 

Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  

¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, 

which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.

A desire for evil.

1 Peter 2:11 NLT
¹¹ Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

• The sinful nature wants to do evil.

And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.

A desire for holiness.

• A divine nature desires holiness. 

These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 

• The Christian’s divine nature and the sinful nature are at war with each other.

• The war between the Christian’s divine nature and sinful nature will continue until the Christian is resurrected with Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:18-25 NLT
The Future Glory
¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) 

¹⁸ But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 

“but when”

The Spirit’s active presence in believer’s lives shows that they are no longer under the pre-Christian system.

• A Godly life is not lived under the rules of the Law but is a life led by the Spirit.

A law-free faith will not lead to moral ruin because having the Holy Spirit to guide people’s lives changes their hearts to follow the will of God and not sin.

Just as justification is not possible by works so sanctification cannot be achieved by human effort.

This of course does not mean that a Christian is totally passive in either case for the response of faith is necessary-faith in Christ to save and faith in the Holy Spirit to sanctify.

 ************************************

• Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

• Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

• Every Christian has a sinful nature and a divine nature.

• The sinful nature wants to do evil.

• A divine nature desires holiness.

• The Christian’s divine nature and the sinful nature are at war with each other.

• The war between the Christian’s divine nature and sinful nature will continue until the Christian is resurrected with Jesus Christ.

• A Godly life is not lived under the rules of the Law but is a life led by the Spirit.

 

Freedom and Love

Galatians 5:13-5 NLT
¹³ For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. ¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 5:13-15 NLT
Freedom and Love 

¹³ For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.

Galatians 3:13
¹³ But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. 

Philippians 3:8-9 NLT (Paul speaking to the Philippians.)
⁸ Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Galatians 5:1 NLT
Freedom in Christ
^5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

John 8:36 NLT
³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

• As Christians, we have been called to live in freedom. (Freedom from the Mosaic Law.)

But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.

• Don’t use your freedom to follow your fallen, sinful desires and act contrary to God’s moral laws.

Romans 6:1-2 NLT
^6:1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ² Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

Romans 6:15 NLT
¹⁵ Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 

1 Peter 2:16 NLT
¹⁶ For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.

• Freedom is not a license to sin. 

Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  

• Use your freedom to serve God and each other in love. 

¹⁴ For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Leviticus 19:18 NLT
¹⁸ “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. 

Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT
⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 

Matthew 22:36-39 NLT
³⁶ “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Luke 10:25-28 NLT
²⁵ One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
²⁷ The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
²⁸ “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Matthew 7:12 NLT
¹² “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Luke 6:27-36 NLT
²⁷ “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. ³⁰ Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. ³¹ Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
³² “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! ³³ And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! ³⁴ And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
³⁵ “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. ³⁶ You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

John 13:34-35 NLT
³⁴ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

**Romans 13:8-10 NLT
Love Fulfills God’s Requirements
⁸ Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. ⁹ For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”
These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

Love, not lust.

• When a Christian genuinely loves others, he fulfills all of the moral requirements of the Mosaic Law. 

He does what he should be doing, and does not do what he should not be doing. 

¹⁵ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. 

Strife and bitterness destroys relationships.

Strife and bitterness is destructive to churches. (Schools, families, work places)

Christian fellowship can be utterly ruined by conflict.

Both parties are ruined by conflict.

Matthew 12:25 NLT
… A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

Mark 9:50 NLT
⁵⁰ Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”

This is the opposite of love.

• Biting and devouring one another will be fatal to the Christian community as a whole. The life of the body will be destroyed by its own members.

Live in harmony with each other.

Psalm 133:1 NLT
¹ How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!

Romans 12:16-18 NLT
¹⁶ Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Romans 15:5-6 NLT⁵ May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ⁶ Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 17:20-21 NLT
²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

• Live in harmony with each other.

****************************************

• As Christians, we have been called to live in freedom. (Freedom from the Mosaic Law.)

• Don’t use your freedom to follow your fallen, sinful desires and act contrary to God’s moral laws.

• Freedom is not a license to sin.

• Use your freedom to serve God and each other in love.

• When a Christian genuinely loves others, he fulfills all of the moral requirements of the Mosaic Law.

• Biting and devouring one another will be fatal to the Christian community as a whole. The life of the body will be destroyed by its own members.

• Live in harmony with each other.

A Law-Oriented Gospel Is False

Galatians 5:7-12 NLT
⁷ You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? ⁸ It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. ⁹ This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! ¹⁰ I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.
¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. ¹² I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.

Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 5:7-12 NLT
A Law-Oriented Gospel Is False

⁷ You were running the race so well.

Metaphor:  The Christian life is like running a race.

• The Christian life is like running a race.

Galatians 2:2 NLT
² … I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. 

Philippians 2:16 NLT
¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT
²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. ²⁶ So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷ I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT
⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. ⁸ And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 

Who has held you back 

Who has caused you to break stride?

Who has caused you to stumble? 

from following the truth?  

• The Galatians had a good start. They had received the Gospel message by faith and had begun to live their Christian lives by faith.

• Now some of the Galatians were believing that circumcision was necessary for salvation. 

The influence of the Judaizes prevented the believers from living by faith and prevented the unsaved from responding in faith to the gospel of grace.

Paul wanted the Galatians to name the person who was responsible for the false teachings they were hearing.  This man was a false teacher, and his teaching should not be allowed to continue among them.

Matthew 18:6 NLT
⁶ But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

⁸ It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 

The Galatians thought that commitment to the law would please God, but God wasn’t calling them to this slavery.  God called them to freedom.

Discuss the phrase “God told me …”

• If teaching contradicts scripture, it’s not from God.

⁹ This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 

Matthew 13:33 NLT
Parable of the Yeast
³³ Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Paul desperately wants the Galatian believers to identify the false teaching about adding works to faith in Christ, so that they can remove it from among them.

False teaching and its consequences are never limited to just a few people in a group. It is either rejected—and removed—or it works its way into the thoughts and practices of the whole group.

False ideas are contagious; they spread and take hold.

False ideas can affect an entire church (or school.)

Matthew 16:6 NLT
⁶ “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees)

• One seemingly small deviation from scripture can destroy the whole church.

If circumcision were necessary for salvation, the whole grace system would fall.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7 NLT
⁶ Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? ⁷ Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

Application:

Be careful when teaching others.

Deuteronomy 4:2 NLT
² Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you.

Deuteronomy 12:32 NLT
³² “So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.

Proverbs 30:5-6 NLT
⁵ Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
⁶ Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

Jeremiah 26:2 NLT
² “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word.

Revelation 22:18-19 NLT
¹⁸ And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.

• Do not add anything to the scriptures and do not delete anything from the scriptures.

¹⁰ I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings.

Paul is optimistic about the outcome in Galatia.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. 

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT
³ But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Ephesians 6:11 NLT
¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

John 14:16-17 NLT
¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT
²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

John 10:27-30 NLT
²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

• The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 

God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.

1 Peter 3:12 NLT
¹² The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”

1 Corinthians 5:13 NLT
¹³ God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

• God will judge the false teachers.

• “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

¹¹ Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted?

Apparently the Judaizers had falsely claimed that Paul agreed with their teaching.

If Paul was preaching a law-based religion, the Judaizers would not have been persecuting him. 

If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. 

• The message of the cross is offensive to those who are perishing.

Their Efforts to be made right with God outside of Christ are useless.

1 Corinthians 1:18-23 NLT
¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. ¹⁹ As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
²⁰ So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. ²¹ Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. ²² It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. ²³ So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT
¹⁴ But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. ¹⁵ Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

¹² I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.

Biting sarcasm with multiple levels of meaning.

To cut off or to castrate. 

Mutilate themselves physically

Remove themselves from the community

Castrate themselves (a practice of some pagan priests)

 

Simply put – harm themselve instead of harming the Galatian Christians

Philippians 3:2 NLT
² Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 

 ******************************************** 

 

• The Christian life is like running a race.

• The Galatians had a good start. They had received the Gospel message by faith and had begun to live their Christian lives by faith.

• Now some of the Galatians were believing that circumcision was necessary for salvation.

• If teaching contradicts scripture, it’s not from God.

• One seemingly small deviation from scripture can destroy the whole church.

• Do not add anything to the scriptures and do not delete anything from the scriptures.

• The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

• God will judge the false teachers.

• “You must remove the evil person from among you.” 

• The message of the cross is offensive to those who are perishing.

 

Freedom in Christ

Galatians 5:1-6 NLT
^5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
² Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. ⁴ For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.
⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. ⁶ For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 5:1-6 NLT
Freedom in Christ 

^5:1 So Christ has truly set us free.

Galatians 5:1 is a summary of chapter 4.

Galatians 4:4-7 NLT
⁴ But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. ⁶ And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

John 8:36 NLT
³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

• Christ has truly set us free.

• Christ is the great liberator who sets the believer free from bondage.

Now make sure that you stay free, (Our part)

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
¹³ Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Philippians 1:27 NLT
²⁷ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Philippians 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 NLT
⁷ So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. ⁸ It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 NLT
¹⁵ With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Christians are in a battle.

Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 

and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 

Don’t listen to false teachers.

• Make sure that you stay free. 

² Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.  

• Anyone who believes that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved is adding works to faith.

• The atoning sacrifice of Christ cannot benefit anyone who trusts in law and ceremony for salvation. 

³ I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 

• If a person believes that they are saved by obeying the Law of Moses, that person is obligated to obey the whole law.

Galatians 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 

James 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

• Salvation is by faith alone!

⁴ For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ!

• Any attempt to be justified by the law is to reject salvation by grace alone through faith alone. 

You have fallen away from God’s grace.

Think of the acronym for grace.

G  God’s

R  riches

A  at

C  Christ’s

E  expense

⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 

Romans 8:23 NLT
²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

Romans 8:25 NLT
²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.

1 Corinthians 1:7 NLT
⁷ Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:5 NLT
⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.

Philippians 3:20 NLT
²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Hebrews 9:28 NLT
²⁸ so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

• Scripture tells us to wait eagerly, patiently, and confidently to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.

Enjoy the process of sanctification that is taking place within you.

⁶ For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised.

• It really doesn’t matter if we are circumcised or are not circumcised.

What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

James 2:14-18 NLT
Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
¹⁴ What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
¹⁸ Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 

• What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

• Faith without good deeds is dead. 

 

**************************************

• Christ has truly set us free.

• Christ is the great liberator who sets the believer free from bondage.

• Make sure that you stay free.

• Anyone who believes that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved is adding works to faith.

• The atoning sacrifice of Christ cannot benefit anyone who trusts in law and ceremony for salvation.

• If a person believes that they are saved by obeying the Law of Moses, that person is obligated to obey the whole law.

• Salvation is by faith alone!

• Any attempt to be justified by the law is to reject salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

• Scripture tells us to wait eagerly, patiently, and confidently to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.

• It really doesn’t matter if we are circumcised or are not circumcised.

• What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

• Faith without good deeds is dead.

 

Introduction:

Paul continues to deal with the influence false teachers on the Galatians.

Paul’s argument remains the same.

The truth of the gospel message: Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Paul’s techniques vary.

Paul had just made a personal appeal.

Now he uses a theological defense.

Paul uses an Old Testament story from the life of Abraham, using the contrast between Hagar and Sarah and between their children. Paul argues for a similar contrast between those who are slaves under the Mosaic Law and those who are free in Christ.

Galatians 4:21-31 NLT
Abraham’s Two Children
²¹ Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? ²² The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. ²³ The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.
²⁴ These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. ²⁵ And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. ²⁶ But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. ²⁷ As Isaiah said,
“Rejoice, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband!”
²⁸ And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. ²⁹ But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
³⁰ But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” ³¹ So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 4:21-31 NLT
Abraham’s Two Children

²¹ Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 

Paul desperately wanted to stop the Galatians before they submitted to the bondage of the Law.

Paul wanted to turn them back to a life under grace.

Paul was asking, “Do you really know what you are doing? Do you really know what it means to live under the law?”

• The Galatians did not truly understand what it meant to live under the law.

The Galatians would not know much about the Old Testament.

The Galatians, not having a Jewish background, might not know the stories of the OT.

The Judaizers in the audience, if there were any, would know the OT stories.

Paul uses an Old Testament story to make his point. (The power of scripture.)

²² The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons,

• Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. 

one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 

• Isaac was born of Sarah, the free woman. Ishmael was born of Hagar, the slave woman.

According to ancient law and custom the status of the mother affected the status of her son. 

²³ The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.

• Ishmael was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Genesis 16:1-4 NLT
The Birth of Ishmael
^16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. ³ So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)
⁴ So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant.  

But the son of the freeborn wife (Isaac) was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

• Isaac was born as the result of a promise. Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of childbearing, but God miraculously fulfilled his promise in bringing life out of the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

Genesis 17:15-19 NLT
¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. ¹⁶ And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
¹⁷ Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” ¹⁸ So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
¹⁹ But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

Simple summary:

Paul is talking about God’s promises vs. human efforts.

²⁴ These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants.

Symbolic of a deeper meaning. (Allegory?)

Paul interpreted the characters of the historical story as symbolizing the current situation.

• God’s two covenants:

The old covenant was formed through Moses. The covenant of law.

The new covenant came through Jesus Christ.  The covenant of promise.

The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 

Hagar represents slavery to human effort based on Mount Sinai.

A slave wife who represents human effort.

• Hagar represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.

²⁵ And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 

• Both Hagar and Mount Sinai were symbols of (the earthly) Jerusalem.

Two Jerusalems

The first Jerusalem:

The first century city of Jerusalem, enslaved to Rome and in slavery to the Law.

Trusted in the law and in physical decent from Abraham for their status before God.

They rejected Christ and continued to live in slavery to the law 

²⁶ But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem.

• Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem.

The second Jerusalem, the heavenly city.

Occupied by those who trust in God for salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Sarah represents freedom in the heavenly Jerusalem, the ideal city of God.

Hebrews 12:22-24 NLT
²² No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. ²³ You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. ²⁴ You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

Simple summary:

Paul is talking about living under the covenant of law vs. living under the covenant of promise. 

She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 

Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem. 

²⁷ As Isaiah said,

Quoting Isaiah 54:1

“Rejoice, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband!” 

Paul connects this prophesy to Abraham’s wife Sarah. She waited and waited and finally gave birth to a free son of her own, just as God had promised (Genesis 21:1–3). In a similar way, when the time was just right, God sent Christ to earth as a man to provide a way for those under the law to be truly free (Galatians 3:23–29).

Simple summary: Paul connects Isaiah’s prophesy to Abraham’s wife Sarah. 

²⁸ And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 

You experienced a supernatural birth.

You are children of promise.

A recipient of the promise of salvation.

• Paul reminds the Galatians that they are children of the promise.

²⁹ But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

Ishmael persecuted Isaac.

Genesis 21:8-9 NLT
⁸ When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. ⁹ But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac. 

Similarly in Galatia, those who want to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise, the message of God’s grace through faith in Christ alone.

• In Galatia, those who wanted to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise, the message of God’s grace through faith in Christ alone.

• Incompatibility existed between the two sons. (Ishmael and Isaac, slave and free)

³⁰ But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman (Ishmael) will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” (Quoting Genesis 21:10)

• Those enslaved by the law have no inheritance in the family of God.

Romans 9:31-32 NLT
³¹ But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. ³² Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.

• The believers in Galatia needed to excommunicate the Judaizers.

This would have been shocking to the Judaizers who thought that they were the legitimate children of Abraham because of their insistence on keeping the law.

³¹ So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman. (Isaac)

• Those who come to God through Christ alone, by faith and not by keeping the law, are children of the free woman who inherit God’s blessing.

Romans 8:17 NLT
¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. 

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“We will…tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord…
so that they should set their hope in God.”

Abraham’s Two Children

• The Galatians did not truly understand what it meant to live under the law.
• Paul discusses Abraham’s two sons, Isaac and Ishmael.
  • • Isaac was born of Sarah, the free woman. Ishmael was born of Hagar, the slave woman.
    • Ishmael was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.
    • Isaac was born as the result of God’s promise. Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of child bearing, but God miraculously fulfilled his promise in bringing life out of the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

Simple summary:

Paul is talking about God’s promises vs. human efforts.

• Paul discusses God’s two covenants:

The old covenant was formed through Moses. The covenant of law.
The new covenant came through Jesus Christ.  The covenant of promise.

• • • Hagar represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.
    • Both Hagar and Mount Sinai were symbols of (the earthly) Jerusalem.
    • Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem.

Simple summary:

Paul is talking about living under the covenant of law vs. living under the covenant of promise.

Simple summary: Paul connects Isaiah’s prophesy to Abraham’s wife Sarah. 

• Paul reminds the Galatians that they are children of the promise.
• In Galatia, those who wanted to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise.
• Incompatibility existed between the two sons. (Ishmael and Isaac, slave and free)
• Those enslaved by the law have no inheritance in the family of God.
• The believers in Galatia needed to excommunicate the Judaizers.
• Those who come to God through Christ alone, by faith and not by keeping the law, are children of the free woman who inherit God’s blessing.