Gal 4-6

This read really needs to go back one CHapter if you ask me.  Chapter 3 talks about the purpose of the law?  And it is answered, that it was required UNTIL the law was fulfilled by the Promise made to Abraham for ALL people.  CHapter 3 is an incredible chapter for some reason I never think I ever read before (probably because I never understood it before).

This read continues to describe that there is no difference to God whether you are a slave or a free, a descendant of Abraham or an adopted (Gentile).

Hagar and Sarah.  Both had children with Abraham.  The child of Hagar was born under slavery, representative of the Law.  Sarah on the other hand, and impossibility for her to get pregnant, was born from a Promise God made with Abraham.  It is believing in the promise that gives us freedom.

Now the good stuff.  Chapter 5 and 6.  Now that we got the circumcision issue out of the way read about your Freedom in Christ and more importantly the Fruit of the Spirit.  Don’t just read them, think about them.  These are the fruits that have been given to us by the Spirit.  They are in you.  (whether we feel like it today or not) We have the ability to USE these Spirit given fruit for HIS PURPOSE.  SO as you do the work of the Lord or are advancing the Gospel for the Lord pray that the Spirit be obvious through Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Let others know you are a Chistian NOT by “religion” but from the Spirit.

Gal 1-3

I am taking this Book extremely serious! Listen to me, the reason God wrote this book through Paul was HE knew that people and Churches were going to add and take away from the Gospel.  Let anything you have been taught from your parents, the elders, your priest, your pastor, your friends, be filtered through this Book.  Last week I had an extremely scary conversation on the phone with someone who truly truly thinks in her heart that she needs to “do something” to see heaven.  The worse part about it is, the church taught her it.  You can see how all of this started even in the beginning of the church origin.

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

God said through Paul:”I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Gal 1:6-9)  God is so serious about this He repeats it!

The Gospel says nothing about Circumcision, 10 commandments, sacraments, drinking,  baptism, deeds, donation, service, sacrifice,  confession…anything we do after accepting the Gospel is an obedience.  Is it a big deal to think otherwise? Does it hurt anything to think you must follow the law of your Church, YES, God says it is condemnable. SO pay attention and repent from any false teachings and doctrines you have learned.

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

Let me tell you how serious this is.  I have 3 kids under the age of 8.  Two were Baptized as babies.  I was told this act now allowed them to enter Heaven.  Think about this, had I never fully understood the Gospel, I was at a huge risk of allowing my children to grow up with that false ideology and they could have never accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and spent an eternity in Hell.  That is how serious I take the book of Galatians.

Galatians Overview

Galatia is the area of Southern Turkey.  It was a Roman Province.  On a map it will be the Lysrta, Icomium and Derbe area.  Paul was extremely successful on his visits to the area of Galatia (he visits it all 3 mission trips) because many would convert to Christianity.  However Judaizers, a sect of the Jewish Christians, were not willing to accept that believers did not have to be circumcised.  Somewhere in your comments you may have the title “Jewish Proselyte”, meaning converted gentile.  The Judiazers made it their job to stamp Christ as a Jew so anyone who believes must follow the law.

So Paul writes this letter to Galatia.  By the way a letter is called and Epistle.  (Just the fancy Greek word for letter) (I feel like Fancy Nancy today)

The book of Galatians shows a believer that we are no longer under the law but saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.