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GALATIANS CHAPTER 2
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Gal 2-1,2
· (7j)
Responsible to use time wisely Ø Get ready Ø
Take time to prepare – (Those who divided the books of the
Bible into chapters and verses interrupted Paul’s conversation about his
life.) When you add up all the time between Paul’s conversion on the road to
Damascus to the point when he conferred with the apostles in Jerusalem, it was
about 17 years that he spent preparing for his ministry. Plus, there was an
undeterminable amount of time in the very beginning; it only says he did not
immediately consult with flesh and blood. During this approximate 17-year
period he was under no one’s tutelage, except the Holy Spirit. How many
spiritual leaders do we know who sensed the call to ministry and went without
any personal preparation period? They may have gone to seminary school, but
that qualifies as consulting with flesh and blood. According to Paul’s
example, there needs to be a period in a person’s life set aside to
establish that personal connection with the Holy Spirit, so when he enters the
ministry, he has an adequate relationship with God that will help him minister
to people.
· (71k) Authority Ø
We have His seal -- These verses go with verses 7-9
· (103k) Thy kingdom come Ø
Purifying process Ø God purifies His church Ø
Jesus purifies His people
· (106o)
Thy kingdom come Ø Hearing from God Ø
Purpose of hearing from God Ø God ordains our
calling – Paul met with the leaders of the church
to discuss his revelation of the gentiles with them. He did not make a grand production of it or publicize
his actions, but he went to them in secret to those who were of
“reputation.” Paul made a distinction between them and the original
apostles, namely Peter, James and John. Those of “reputation” were leaders
of the church who were not counted among Jesus’ disciples, but whom the
disciples handpicked to help lead the church. However, these people rejected
Paul. It was the original apostles who listened to him by comparing his
message with the Old Testament Scriptures, with the things Jesus personally
taught them and with the things the Holy Spirit was revealing to them, and
determined that Paul was telling them the truth from God. It is important when
discerning the truth to be able to discriminate between what God might say
from what he would never say.
· (109e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Revelation of the word of God Ø Revelation of
the meaning of God’s word – Paul stated that he went to Jerusalem because
of a revelation. This revelation became the cornerstone of the gospel and of
his own ministry, the revelation that the gentiles were included in God’s
plan of salvation. For this not to be crystal clear would have caused problems
throughout the church’s 2000-year history, which would have no doubt allowed
many doctrines to spring-up against the gentile’s access to the gospel. Paul
was the one who clarified the gentile's inclusion as something that not even
Jesus often addressed, but He did mention it a couple times, and when He did
He was somewhat vague about it. God wanted this revelation to belong to Paul,
because it would become the direction and force of his ministry, and without
personalizing this revelation to him, it might not have had the impact on him
that it did.
· (110j)
Thy kingdom come Ø Spirit and the word Ø
Spirit of revelation Ø Revelation of the true
doctrines – Paul went in private to the apostles in
fear that he “might be running, or had run, in vain,” meaning that he
feared rejection. He was afraid the leaders of the church would not take him
seriously. Everything was at stake, his past, his present and his future, even
the fledgling church itself that was still trying to comprehend the plan of
God for Israel; the Jews and gentiles were all at stake, and Paul knew it. He
was not just afraid for himself; he was afraid for the whole world, because if
the church rejected him and his message, they may have closed the door on the
gentiles, and that would have been catastrophic to the gospel, since the Jews
were rejecting God’s plan for themselves, so if the gentiles were not
included, no one would have run with the gospel, and it may have fizzled into
obscurity. Paul was indeed very much afraid of rejection, but God was faithful
and had His men in place who had an ear to hear His voice and a heart to obey
his will. Had Paul been unanimously rejected, he probably would have tried to
fulfill his ministry on his own as an evangelist, but would have had to
disciple his new converts alone, because he would not have been able to send
them to another church if no one believed his revelation regarding the
inclusion of the gentiles. This would have created a faction in the church and
probably done more to further alienate Paul from the other apostles, and the
church would have suffered for it. He needed their blessing to work together
and avoid creating any dissention. Paul had a lot to offer the church and it
was absolutely necessary that the leaders received him, so that he could have
full access to the doctrines of the church.
· (142i) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Having a reputable ministry Ø A reputation of
ministry in the word -- These verses go with verse 9
· (214b) Sovereignty Ø
God controls time Ø God’s timing Ø
God’s timing transcends our comprehension Ø
God’s time does not make sense to the natural mind
Gal 2,2-5
· (62k) Paradox Ø
Anomalies Ø Being clever Ø
Making no provisions for the flesh
Gal 2-2
· (7g) Responsibility Ø
Protecting the gospel Ø Defending your
territory –
Paul had already come a long way prior to this point, and
he was not going to the wrong people just to let them take away the ground he
had gained. Besides, God had big plans for Paul; he was under God’s care.
· (93e) Thy kingdom come Ø
The narrow way Ø Walk carefully with wisdom
· (170k) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Vanity Ø
Vain effort Ø Effort frustrated by failure --
This verse goes with verse 21
Gal 2,3-5
· (172a) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Tares among the
wheat Ø Devils among the saints Ø
False brethren among the people of God – All false doctrine is invented for the
purpose of generating money. There is also ego involved. A person can have an
inflated ego from people looking up to him, but if it doesn’t make him any
money, then it is meaningless to the reprobate mind, which is an accurate
description of those trying to subvert the gospel for personal gain, while
posing as devout Christians. Some denominations have had things added to their
belief systems, while others have had things taken away from the gospel, the
most common being the Holy Spirit. Take out the Holy Spirit from the gospel
and there is very little left if anything, but that is what has happened in
today’s version of Christianity. It is no wonder we are living in the last
days.
Gal 2-3
· (190i) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Circumcision Ø
Circumcision is a sign of obedience Ø Obedience
by the Spirit makes circumcision obsolete – The Bible makes a distinction between Jews
and gentiles (sometimes calling them Greeks). Circumcision was a Jewish
tradition, so for Titus (who was a Greek) to feel uncompelled to be
circumcised was natural to him, so why did Paul mention it? Paul’s ministry
was to the gentiles; he emphasized the freedom of Christ, particularly freedom
from false doctrine and religious bondage. Titus remained uncircumcised to
prove that it wasn’t necessary to salvation. Paul vigilantly protected the
church from those who would introduce obligatory practices to the gospel,
passing them off as requirements of salvation, such as circumcision. Without
Paul contending earnestly for the faith there may have been all kinds of
religious requirements appended to the simple gospel. However, thanks to Paul
the gospel is free from such things, at least in the Bible it is free. Go into
the world and into many churches today and you will find religious
requirements tacked onto the gospel nearly everywhere you go. Religious
bondage should be avoided at all costs. There were those who tried to sabotage
the gospel even in Paul’s day, who taught that if you are not circumcised,
you could not be saved. These kinds of people have had 2000 years to work
their bondage into the church with very little resistance from watchdogs like
Paul protecting the gospel. Paul spent a significant amount of time and energy
rooting out these false doctrines and the false people from leadership in the
church, who would love to get their hands on the doctrines of the church to
put people in bondage.
· (216i) Sovereignty Ø
God overrides the will of man Ø God’s will
over man Ø Compelled by the Spirit Ø
God forces you through your own convictions
Gal 2,4-6
· (170b) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Seeking the glory
of man Ø Pursuing the glory of man turns us in
the wrong direction Ø It’s the reason we don’t
die to self
Gal 2-4,5
· (8c) Responsibility to prepare efficiently Ø
Use wisely this moment
· (101a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Devotion Ø In your ministry to people Ø
Devoted to ministering to their spiritual needs
· (107h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Truth Ø The church is of the truth Ø
God’s people are the true witnesses of God
· (119e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø
Fences of freedom Ø Freedom in Christ
· (160j) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude
determines our direction Ø Temptation to walk
in unbelief Ø Tempted to abandon your
convictions -- These verses go with verses 12&13
· (162k) Works of the devil Ø
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø
Bondage Ø Being slaves of men Ø
In bondage to the burdens of men -- These verses go with verses 11-14
· (177e) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø False doctrine Ø
Doctrine that tickles your ears
· (198h) Denying Christ Ø
Man exercises his will against God Ø Ordained
by man Ø Having evil motives for seeking
leadership positions Ø Seeking to gratify their
flesh through the ministry
· (201e) Denying Christ Ø
Jesus is an offense Ø Truth offends error Ø
The gospel offends the religious institution
Gal 2-4
· (180d) Works of the devil Ø
Practicing witchcraft Ø Wolves Ø
Be shrewd as wolves and more innocent than they appear Ø
Wolves in sheep’s clothing
Gal 2-5
· (7b) Responsibility Ø
Protecting the Gospel Ø Defend the word of God
by obeying it – Paul made sure this old covenant concept of
circumcision would not take hold of the church. Circumcision was an Old
Testament practice that God commanded Israel as a mark of identification for
the descendents of Abraham, but the new covenant era was no longer a respecter
of Jewish traditions. It no longer mattered if you were a Jew, since the
gentiles were also welcome to the grace of God. Therefore, had Paul allowed
circumcision to integrate into the Christian tradition, people would have not
only made it mandatory for salvation, it would have also carried over Old
Testament implications, possibly including the very dangerous false idea of
being justified by law, which Paul and the other apostles were vigilantly
warring to root out of the church.
See other commentary for 2Cor 11,10-15.
· (96c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Positive attitude toward God Ø Good attitude
about the word of God -- This verse goes with verses 9&10
· (99a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Endurance Ø Enduring the will of God Ø
Enduring the word of God
· (161b) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude
determines our direction Ø Wander Ø
Wandering from the character of God Ø Wandering
from the faith
Gal 2-6
· (23e) Sin Ø
Poverty (Oppression) Ø Poor are those who are
rich in their own minds
· (51i) Judging the Church with the world Ø
Do not show partiality to one another
· (57a) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø The rich are poor
· (95j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Attitude Ø Obedient attitude Ø
Positive attitude about authority
· (164j) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø The world is at
enmity with God Ø The world hates the church
· (200m) Denying Christ Ø
Whoever is not with Jesus is against him Ø He
is against Christ who does not receive Him Ø
Whoever receives the world is against Christ – Paul went to the church leaders of high
reputation and presented his revelation to them and they did not receive him;
they could not discern the Holy Spirit’s anointing on Paul’s life, nor
could they discern the truth that he was trying to relate to them. They did
not have the mind of Christ to know that God loved the world as Jesus said in
Jn 3-16, “…that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on
Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Paul related his revelation of
the gentile’s inclusion in God’s salvation to those of high reputation and
they rejected him, suggesting they didn’t want the gentiles to have access
to the grace of God. They wanted it to be exclusively about the Jew, perhaps
intending to use the new covenant as a means of creating the ultimate class
distinction between God’s chosen people of the Jews and the dogs of all
other nations. Apparently it is very difficult to find leaders of the church
who have the mind of Christ.
· (249l) Priorities Ø
God’ s preeminence Ø Wealth Ø
World’s perception of wealth Ø The world’s
wealth has no value Ø The world’s idea of
wealth opposes the truth
Gal 2,7-10
· (72k) Hierarchy of authority Ø
Authority makes you accountable Ø You are
accountable to the one who gave it to you – Peter, James and John knew Jesus well
enough to know that a self-centered, inward-looking mindset could not possibly
be the will of God. They knew from Jesus’ example that God loved the whole
world, not just the Jew. Including the gentiles in salvation therefore sounded
like something God would do, so Peter, James and John received Paul’s
message and gave him the right hand of fellowship. They accepted him as one of
the leaders of the Christian church, and gave Paul their blessing to formally
invite the gentiles through his ministry of evangelism into this promise of
eternal salvation. It was important that Paul did not go on his own; he needed
the sanction of the church. Their approval established unity among the saints
and furnished a cohesive effort in bringing the gospel to the world. This way
Paul was sent by the entire church who backed him and encouraged him, which
made him successful, for without their approval, he could have never
accomplished what he did. He needed other people to confirm his apostleship,
so that those of his ministry could put their confidence in Paul that was not
merely an instigator of yet another cult.
Gal 2,7-9
· (71k) Authority Ø
We have His seal -- These verses go with verses 1&2
Gal 2-7
· (118a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Eyes of your spirit Ø Seeing through the eyes
of your spirit Ø Making spiritual
observations -- This verse goes with verse 9
Gal 2-8,9
· (210k) Salvation Ø
Jews and gentiles are being saved Ø Gentiles
included Ø Fellow heirs with Israel Ø
Ministry to the Gentiles
Gal 2,9-14
· (130i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Accept one another Ø Accepting the great and
the small Ø Great leaders accept small people
Gal 2-9,10
· (96c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Positive attitude toward God Ø Good attitude
about the word of God -- These verses go with verse
5
Gal 2-9
· (31i) Gift of God Ø
Grace Ø Having the ability to respond to the
word
· (72d) Transferring authority Ø
Men delegate authority in their position
· (115d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through your
ministry Ø Through your calling Ø
In preaching the gospel
· (118a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Eyes of your spirit Ø Seeing through the eyes
of your spirit Ø Making spiritual observations
-- This verse goes with verse 7
· (131k) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Working together for one cause
· (142i) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Having a reputable ministry Ø A reputation of
ministry in the word -- This verse goes with verses 1&2
Gal 2-10
· (23g) Sin Ø
Poverty (Oppression) Ø Tending to the needs of
the poor
Gal 2,11-16
· (223a) Kingdom of God Ø
The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Conceit Ø
Thinking you are superior to others Ø Thinking
you are inherently better than others
Gal 2,11-14
· (1g) Responsibility Ø
Become all things to all men Ø Blending
together
· (2h) Responsible to avoid offending God Ø
do not touch the apple of His eye –
More often than not, doing our
part to foster the growth of God’s people is a matter of getting out of
God’s way and letting Him do His work in us. Our influence on other people is often negative, and then
God has to patch up what we destroy. We think God needs us for everything,
but the fact is, we are merely agents of God's grace.
· (17l) Sin Ø
Unrighteous judgment Ø Discerning by the
flesh Ø Making distinctions between each
other – Here is an example of someone trying to make
distinctions among one another instead of blending together and working as a
unit. The temptation is strong to pretend that you have special talents and
gifts that you were born with that make you superior to others. The truth
is, we do have special gifts and talents that we were born with and some
that God gave to us after we were born again, but that does not mean we
can feel special because of it, especially since the people that we
would like to rule probably have just as many gifts as we do that we need to be more whole as a member of the body of Christ.
· (19k) Sin Ø
Actions that contradict your words will twist your mind
· (27c) Consequences of sin Ø
Condoning evil can bring a curse on your life
· (92e) Thy kingdom come Ø
The narrow way Ø Trail of good works Ø
You cannot walk two trails
· (94p) Thy kingdom come Ø
Perspective Ø False perspective in the church
· (97a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Having a negative attitude about yourself Ø A
self-righteous attitude
· (122l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Boldness to rebuke
the church for unbelief
· (138c) Temple Ø
Building the temple (with hands) Ø Reproof Ø
Reprove your brother for sinning
· (158f) Devil’s Work Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Divide and
conquer Ø Division (Cliques) Ø
Jealously seeking prominence in the body
· (162k) Works of the devil Ø
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø
Bondage Ø Being slaves of men Ø
In bondage to the burdens of men -- These verses go with verses
4&5
· (167c) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Carnality Ø
The carnal mind is set on the flesh Ø Wanting
authority without responsibility
· (168a) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Do not conform
to the world Ø Do not let the world’s
approval form you to itself
· (169j) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Seeking the
glory of man Ø Loving the approval of men
rather than the approval of God Ø Fearing
their religion – It was a major bombshell to Jews like Peter who
believed in Jesus that the gentiles were welcome to this grace that had come
specifically to Israel, yet Peter accepted it, only after a dream he had
from God, after which he joyfully concurred in God’s acceptance of the
gentiles (Act 10,9-28). Nevertheless, his old teachings crept back into him,
so that when the Jews came to Antioch, Peter began to withdraw from the
gentiles, fearing the religion of his fellow Jews and what they might think
and say about him fellowshipping with the gentiles. He tried to please the
Jews, and in so doing was creating a distinction between Jews and gentiles.
Being a pillar of the church and one of the twelve disciples of Jesus this
had a huge influence, until Paul came along and observed his behavior and
opposed him to his face. He was a model for both Jews and gentiles who would
believe in Jesus for eternal life. People looked to him to understand the
ways of God. He wasn’t being straightforward about the truth and Paul
called him on it.
· (173e)
Works of the devil Ø The religion of
witchcraft Ø Catholicism Ø
Scripture that contradicts the catholic faith Ø
Catholics who are converted to the faith – Paul tells a story about Peter how he fell
into transgression, being committed to the Jews with the gospel; he also
understood that the gentiles were included in this salvation, yet he had a
tendency to continue believing in the old way, that the Jews were special.
Peter was taught from childhood that gentiles were as dogs, almost subhuman
and not to mingle with them and especially not to marry into the gentile
nations, but to keep their genealogy pure. Hence, one difference between the
Old and New Testaments is that God previously called Israel to remain pure
in their generations, while Jesus called His disciples to remain pure in
heart. The point is, every Catholic converted to the protestant faith will
probably not fully shake the old teachings of Catholicism from his belief
system, any more that Peter was able to shake his Jewish beliefs and
traditions from his belief system, even though he walked with Jesus in the
flesh. These religious belief systems are insidious like weeds in a garden,
the moment you put down the hoe the weeds pop up overnight and you find
yourself struggling with them again. For Peter the religious weeds
resemble justification through law, whereas Catholic religious weeds
resemble justification through communion, according to the bread and wine
miraculously converting to the body and blood of Christ.
· (174f) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Form of
godliness Ø Self righteousness Ø
Comparing yourself with sinners
· (178h) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Hypocrisy of the church is rebuked Ø The
church is rebuked for disunity
· (190j) Die to self (Process of substitution)
Ø Separation from the old man Ø
Circumcision Ø Circumcision is a sign of
obedience Ø Symbolism over substance
· (195b) Denying Christ Ø
Man exercises his will against God Ø Idolatry
Ø Serving two masters Ø
You can only serve one at a time
· (197c) Denying Christ Ø
Man exercises his will against God Ø
Spiritual laziness Ø Rebelling against where
God wants you to go Ø Refuse to walk in
freedom
· (204c) Denying Christ Ø
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God Ø
Back-slider Ø Practicing sin Ø
Withdrawing from a righteous standard of living
Gal 2,11-13
· (24a) Sin Ø
Poverty (Oppression) Ø Fear of hardship
Gal 2-12,13
· (160j) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude
determines our direction Ø Temptation to walk
in unbelief Ø Tempted to abandon your
convictions -- These verses go with verses 4&5
Gal 2-13
· (93m) Thy kingdom come Ø
Following Jesus Ø Exception Ø
Following evil along the broad way
· (161k) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude
determines our direction Ø Carried Away Ø
Carried away by religion
Gal 2-14
· (69m) Authority Ø
Discernment Ø Righteous judgment Ø
Judging Those in the church
· (86i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Obedience Ø Be doers of the word Ø
Clothe yourself with the word of God Ø Live the
truth
Gal 2-15,16
· (210i) Salvation Ø
Jews and gentiles are being saved Ø Salvation
is from the Jews Ø Jews are believers –
Performing the works of the law is no longer the
expectation of our faith; in fact Paul proves that the law never was the
active ingredient in man’s salvation, but has always been about faith, even
as “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”
this verse being the most often quoted Scripture of the Old Testament. Even
the Jews are required to believe in Jesus for eternal salvation, so that they
too may be justified by faith, just as the gentiles. So, there is no
distinction between Jew and gentile; they’re both saved the same way.
Gal 2,16-21
· (205k)
Salvation Ø Salvation is based on God’s
promises Ø Faith versus works Ø
The faith of God versus the faith of men Ø Faith
versus the law
Gal 2-16
· (205j) Salvation Ø
Salvation is based on God’s promises Ø Faith
versus works Ø The faith of God versus the
faith of men Ø Faith is the law of
righteousness -- This verse goes with verses 20&21. Paul begins laying down certain doctrines that
pertain to Peter’s tendency to cling to the Jewish traditions, knowing at
the end of that road is justification through law, which Paul had been
fighting throughout many of his epistles. Prior to Christ, God commanded
Israel to believe in Him through the righteousness of the law, but since
Christ has come He has brought grace and truth through faith that the Holy
Spirit now provides. This is God’s faith, hence the difference between the
two faiths of the old and new covenants, one being from man and the other
being from God.
Gal 2,17-21
· (187a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø
The ministry of dying to self Ø Die to self to
minister to God
· (205h)
Salvation Ø Salvation is based on God’s
promises Ø New covenant Ø
The old one is obsolete – The Old Covenant is summed up in the law. In
the course of being saved we discover that we are sinners, which is actually a
requirement of our salvation. Once we understand our status as sinners, we can
now embrace the cross. Jesus said in Mat 9-12,13, "I have not come to
call the righteous, but sinners." However, for those who desire to live
by the rule of law Paul said, “If I rebuild what I have once destroyed”
(being the law) “I prove myself a transgressor.” Those who seek to be
justified by law nullify the grace of God, thus reestablishing themselves as
transgressors. The law teaches not to transgress against it, so if we don’t
lie, cheat and steal or commit adultery, these are examples of dying to the
law. We either die to the law by obeying it or we die from the law by
disobeying it; in either case the law produces death. One thing the cross
represents is dying to the deeds of the flesh, which the law also does, but if
the cross covers the fruit of the law, which is death, then isn’t the law
obsolete? When Jesus was on the cross shedding His blood for the sins of the
world, we also were dying with Him. We who believe in Jesus are hanging on His
cross next to Him, dying to the law, to the deeds of our flesh, so that the
desires of our flesh that the law condemns are breathing their last.
· (238c) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø The kingdom is transferred to the church Ø
Born again Ø Born of the Spirit by the
resurrection
Gal 2-17
· (52d) Judging Church with world Ø
Law judges sin Ø Law finds all men guilty of
sin
· (75g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Motives Ø Being manipulative Ø
Questioning God from a good heart
Gal 2-18
· (38j) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death Ø Resurrection of the
wicked
· (139j) Temple Ø
Building the temple (with hands) Ø Tearing down
the temple through disobedience
· (170l) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Vanity Ø
Vain effort Ø Effort lacking direction
Gal 2-19
· (237m) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom
Ø The church is transferred to the kingdom Ø
Transferred from the law to the Spirit
Gal 2-20,21
· (185a) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Abusing the grace
of God Ø Dragging God’s Grace Through The Mud
Ø Operating His grace through religion
· (205j) Salvation Ø
Salvation is based on God’s promises Ø Faith
versus works Ø The faith of God versus the
faith of men Ø Faith is the law of
righteousness -- These verses go with verse 16. Having once identified with the works of the
flesh, it is no longer I who live; that person has died, but Jesus Christ who
now lives in me through the power of His resurrection has become my new
identity. Although my flesh is still alive, on the outside nothing has
changed, all the changes have occurred inside, so this person that I still am
in my body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up
for me. Paul is careful not to nullify the grace of God through the law. If
you raise up the law and teach that you must do this and you must do that, and
you cannot do this and you cannot do that, then you are nullifying the grace
of God, for it does not dictate what you can and cannot do. Rather, the grace
of God puts His will in your heart, so you want to please the Lord, just like
in heaven. We who believe in Jesus desire to live in eternity with God and our
fellow saints, but before we get there our desire is to serve the Lord and to
do His will here and now. The law does not lead us to desire these things.
Only the grace of God can do that. What about the issue of sin, then? It
shouldn’t surprise anyone that if sin complicates our lives that it would
also complicate the matter of God’s grace, for where dose sin fit in this
discussion? God’s grace has given us a new set of desires to please the
Lord, so we should follow them, for sin just doesn’t fit in a Christian’s
life.
Gal 2-20
· (210b) Salvation Ø
The salvation of God Ø Jesus is our sacrifice Ø
Jesus goes to the cross willingly
· (254j) Trinity Ø
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son Ø
Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit Ø Salvation
of Jesus’ Spirit
Gal 2-21
· (31f) Gift of God Ø
Grace Ø Salvation Ø
God is willing to respond to man’s need
· (115j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through obedience of
faith Ø Through determination
· (170k) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø Vanity Ø
Vain effort Ø Effort frustrated by failure --
This verse goes with verse 2
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