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Galatians:
Building a Faith that Liberates
“I
am Thankful God is Faithful”
Galatians
3:19-25
Galatians
3:29If you belong to Christ, then
you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise.
Galatians
3:14He redeemed us in order that the
blessing given to Abraham might come to the
Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we
might receive the promise of the Spirit.
When God says
He’ll do it, He does it. (3:19-25)
Galatians
3:22But the Scripture declares that the
whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was
promised, being given through faith in Jesus
Christ, might be given to those who believe.
“put into
effect by angels”
Exodus
19:18-24
Exodus
32:15-19
Exodus
34:1,28
Acts
7:53
Hebrews
2:2
1 Timothy 1:5
5For
there is one God and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave
himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony
given in its proper time.
“held prisoner
by the law”
Romans
6:18 (p1182)
“set
free from sin"
Romans
8:2
“through
Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit set me free
from the law of sin and death”
Romans
7:7-12 (Genesis 2:16)
“I
would not have known what sin was except through
the law”
1. The Mosaic
Law is summed up by one word: "love"
Romans
13:8 Let
no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing
debt to love one another, for he who loves his
fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The
commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do
not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not
covet,” and whatever other commandment there may
be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no
harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law.
2. Jesus
did not give an "11th" commandment, He
gave a new one.
John
13:34 “A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By
this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.”
3.
Salvation gives us the ability to love as God
loves.
Romans
5:5 And
hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, whom he has given us.
4.
The Law of Moses is now fulfilled by the Law of
Christ.
Matthew
5:17 "Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfill them."
Galatians
6:2 Carry
each other’s burdens, and in this way you will
fulfill the law of Christ.
Matthew
22:37 Jesus
replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind.’ 38This is the first and
greatest commandment. 39And the second
is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All
the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.”
Pastor
Bruxy Cavey (Bewitched By Religion):
WHAT
IS THE “GOSPEL”?...
The
Good News message that God became one of us to
show us his love and to shut down religion in
order to create one new worldwide family.
WHAT
IS “RELIGION”?...
Any
system of rules, regulations, rituals, and
routines that people use to get right with God.
But
what would replace the Law as a system of
salvation?
The
Cross!
But what would
replace the Law as a system of self-identity?
The
Messiah!
But what would
replace the Law as a system of guidance?
The
Spirit!
In
Galatians chapter three Paul spells out God’s
original intention –
that
Abraham should have a single worldwide family,
consisting of a
group
defined in terms not of parentage or ethnicity but
of faith.
~
N. T. Wright, Historian & Theologian
Christian
preaching should stress Christ’s victory that
sets us free.
Christians
are constantly tempted to slip into new legalisms,
rigid systems of law or morality that define –
and thus confine – us.
Preachers
must regularly bring us back to the reality of our
freedom
in
Christ.
~
Richard B. Hays, New Testament Professor, Duke
University
26I
will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in
you; I will remove from you your heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I
will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow
my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
~
Ezekiel 36:26-27
Have
you let God give you a new spirit and a new heart?
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