Jean's Bible Study Topics of the New Testament

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Gal 5,1-15

· (180b) Works of the devil Ø Practicing witchcraft Ø Wolves lead people into a cult Ø Wolves bypass the cross – After many centuries of manipulation, the religious leaders of Israel erroneously associated circumcision with the law, but as Paul pointed out in Rom 4,9-16 that God gave his blessing to Abraham before he was circumcised, making circumcision a mere symbol of his faith, having nothing to do with the law. In fact, the law was given 430 years later, making any connections with the law that much more irrational. Israel had gotten their cart before the horse making circumcision a requirement of the law, but it wasn’t even a requirement of faith! Paul’s complaint was that the connection of circumcision with the law had become the most entrenched false doctrine of Israel. God never gave Israel the law as a means of justification, anymore than Abraham was justified through circumcision. God justified Abraham when he heard and obeyed the voice of God. Put concisely, circumcision evolved into a sign that represented seeking justification through one’s own good works. This completely flies in the face of the cross of Christ with whom we find favor with God as a matter of faith in His perfect sacrifice.

Gal 5,1-13

· (176d) Works of the devil Ø The religion of witchcraft Ø Zeal without knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) Ø Conviction without commandment

· (177e) Works of the devil Ø The religion of witchcraft Ø False doctrine Ø Doctrine that tickles your ears

· (184h) Works of the devil Ø The origin of lawlessness Ø Abusing the grace of God Ø Spending His grace on your pleasures Ø Abusing the anointing

Gal 5,1-12

· (7i) Responsible to defend God’s cause Ø Protecting your freedom – These verses are showing the difference between living by the law and living by the spirit. Even though we are talking about the law of God, it is no less inferior to the ministry of the Spirit and is therefore not the will of God that we should use the law to follow Christ. Jesus went to the cross because man has no power in himself to keep the law. For this reason we have no righteousness in ourselves apart from Christ. Paul emphasizes this fact, making the contrast between those who would justify themselves through their own righteousness and those who through the Spirit by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For what are they waiting? They are waiting for heaven itself. They are waiting to receive their new spiritual bodies, so that no evil thought will run through their heads and no evil desire run through their flesh. They will be completely free from sin to joyfully do the will of God, but prior to this Jesus Christ has justified them before God through the sacrifice of His own body on the cross, so that in the eyes of God they are without sin, even while living in a sinful body. Paul keeps working toward his main point of this chapter in his argument about justification, making the distinction between the law working through man’s sinful flesh and the cross working through God’s righteousness, translating the blood of Jesus means faith working through love.

Gal 5,1-6

· (1k) Being responsible to avoid offending God by carrying a false burden that weighs you down as you walk according to the law – Some people would rather walk by the law than by the spirit. What they don’t know is that if you do, then you cut off opportunity to walk by the Spirit, because you cannot do both at the same time.

· (159f) Works of the devil Ø Essential characteristics Ø Counterfeit godliness Ø Counterfeit freedom

· (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

· (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 

· (223h) Kingdom of God Ø The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Miss God Ø Missing the mark Ø Miss the will of God for your life

Gal 5,1-4

· (55n) Paradox Ø Lose by gaining Ø Losing the truth by gaining religion

· (97a) Thy kingdom come Ø Having a negative attitude about yourself Ø A self-righteous attitude -- These verses go with verse This verse goes with verses 12

· (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

· (174e) Works of the devil Ø The religion of witchcraft Ø Form of godliness Ø Self righteousness Ø Justifying yourself – Paul warns the Galatians that if anyone assumes justification through the law by becoming circumcised, then Christ will be of no benefit to him, and that there are no provisions for sin written in the law, no forgiveness, unless he wants to drop his self-righteousness and return to Jesus Christ. Paul says, “You have been severed from Christ, you who seek to be justified by law.” Those who seek the sign of circumcision are circumcising themselves from Christ and have fallen from grace. Seeking justification through the grace of God and through the law of God are opposites. Those who seek justification by law are actually seeking to be justified through their own righteousness, that is, through their own ability to fulfill the law. This is the entanglement of the law and the height of heresy against the blood of Christ, and Paul was desperately trying to shut it down. This is why the law is powerless to justify anyone: we all lack the ability to comply with its demands.

· (199e) Denying Christ Ø Man chooses his own destiny apart from God Ø Rejecting Christ Ø Throwing God away Ø Renouncing your faith

· (203i) Denying Christ Ø Man chooses his own destiny apart from God Ø Back-slider Ø Withdraw from obeying God Ø Withdrawing from the truth

· (11c) Servant Ø Standard for a servant Ø Freedom – For a good definition of freedom see 2Cor 10,3-6. We fight for freedom as God’s number one goal, because freedom is one of God’s most important attributes. God values His freedom over His power (would you? Would I?). Therefore, how much more should we value freedom? Do we even know what freedom is? Without looking at 2Cor 10,3-6 compose your own definition of freedom and think in practical terms.

· (98e) Thy kingdom come Ø Endurance Ø Rooted deeply Ø To keep from falling away

· (119f) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Fences of freedom Ø Being a slave to freedom – Freedom is not a tool that we use as a means to an end, but is the goal itself. When you think of the many goals of Scripture, such as faith, hope and love (1Cor 13-13), these are the main attributes of God and act as one goal, even as God is one. For example, we cannot walk in love if we are in bondage to sin; we cannot love one another apart from faith, and we cannot believe without hope. These things work together to accomplish a common purpose, where the end goal is love, and freedom is the state in which love is realized. Putting it that way makes freedom sound like a tool, and it is, and so are all the others used to perfect love, but they are not tools in the strictest sense of the word, since freedom stands on its own as the goal of Christ. God did not set us free for some other purpose; freedom is the purpose. This is how important freedom is to God, who wants His children free because God is free from all sin and is free to do whatever He wants. For this reason He wants us free from sin and free to do righteousness. We will never achieve the level of freedom that God has until we go to heaven and receive our spiritual bodies, which cannot be tempted to sin. Our present bodies are seeking its own freedom to do evil, and so long as there is temptation, we well never be totally free. The highest level of freedom we can expect to achieve in this life is slaves of righteousness for the purpose of being free to do the will of God.

· (194i) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Turn from sin to God Ø Yielding Ø Yield to God’s right to direct your way

· (199a) Denying Christ Ø Man exercises his will against God Ø Frustrating the grace of God Ø Frustrating Jesus Ø Frustrating Jesus’ ministry -- This verse goes with verse 13

· (232m) Seeking The Goals Of The Kingdom (Key verse)

· (233b) Kingdom of God Ø Pursuing the kingdom Ø Seeking the kingdom Ø Seeking the goals of the kingdom Ø Seek the goal of freedom

Gal 5,2-9

· (195c) Denying Christ Ø Man exercises his will against God Ø Idolatry Ø Serving two masters Ø You can only believe in one at a time -- These verses go with verse 11

Gal 5,2-6

· (190j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Circumcision is a sign of obedience Ø Symbolism over substance -- These verses go with verses 11&12. Paul goes back to an old subject that he has been trying to clarify throughout many of his letters of the New Testament. Apparently there was confusion about this in the early church. Circumcision was an observance of the old covenant. God commanded Abraham to be circumcised as a sign that he believed when God spoke to him and he journeyed to a foreign land that neither he nor his fathers knew, and settled there with his wife, Sarah. So, circumcision is a sign of obedience, but obedience to what? In the strictest sense of the word circumcision is a sign of obeying the Holy Spirit, even in the old covenant. However, circumcision is no longer used in the new covenant as a sign; it has been replaced with the sign of baptism. Therefore, if circumcision was a sign of the Holy Spirit, how much more is baptism a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives? 

Gal 5,2-4

· (76h) Thy kingdom come Ø Motives Ø Living by a double standard

· (173i) Works of the devil Ø The religion of witchcraft Ø Catholicism Ø Unholy sacrifice Ø Penance of following the law

Gal 5,3-5

· (64b) Paradox Ø Anomalies Ø Limits of God Ø God cannot tolerate sin Ø Impossible to please God without faith

Gal 5-3,4

· (53l) Paradox Ø Opposites Ø Law was made for sinners Ø Sinners follow after the law

· (182g) Works of the devil Ø The origin of lawlessness Ø Deception Ø Three causes of interpreting Scripture falsely Ø Because they want to be approved by men

Gal 5-3

· (52e) Judging Church with world Ø Law judges sin Ø God judges the lost through the law -- This verse goes with verse 10

Gal 5,4-6

· (31f) Gift of God Ø Grace Ø Salvation Ø God is willing to respond to man’s need

· (94p) Thy kingdom come Ø Perspective Ø False perspective in the church

· (116k) Thy kingdom come Ø Working the grace of God Ø His Grace in us is in vain without Him

Gal 5-4,5

· (60h) Paradox Ø Two implied meanings Ø Severed from—Undeserved favor / Undeserved power

Gal 5-4

· (207b) Salvation Ø God makes promises on His terms Ø Eternal security? Ø Perish By Losing Your Faith Ø Perish in deception

Gal 5-5,6

· (113l) Thy kingdom come Ø The anointing Ø Anointing establishes us in His will -- These verses go with verses 16-18

· (126k) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Patience Ø Have patience for God

· (230i) Kingdom of God Ø God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø Mystery of godliness Ø Mystery of the trinity Ø Anointing is the mystery of godliness

Gal 5-5

· (36g) Gift Ø God opens His home to us Ø Inheritance Ø We heirs through faith

· (98l) Thy kingdom come Ø Endurance invites the Holy Spirit into your life Ø The glory of God

· (110m) Thy kingdom come Ø Spirit and the word Ø Spiritual substance and truth Ø Spiritual substance follows obedience

· (205b) Salvation Ø Salvation is based on God’s promises Ø According to promise Ø Promise of His rest

Gal 5-6

· (119e) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Fences of freedom Ø Freedom in Christ -- This verse goes with verse 16

· (125b) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Love Ø Faith and love

Gal 5,7-12

· (161k) Works of the devil Ø Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s attitude determines our direction Ø Carried Away Ø Carried away by religion

· (162i) Works of the devil Ø Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø Bondage Ø Being slaves of men Ø Bad company Ø Bad company will entangle you in their bondage

· (172h) Works of the devil Ø Manifestations of the devil Ø Tares among the wheat Ø False doctrine among the truth

· (240i) Kingdom of God Ø Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø Hindering the kingdom Ø Taking away the key of knowledge Ø Hindering people from entering the kingdom

Gal 5,7-11

· (44a) Judgment Ø Satan destroyed Ø Complete Ø It is finished Ø Fulfill God’s will

Gal 5,7-10

· (75h) Thy kingdom come Ø Motives Ø Being manipulative Ø Controlling people in the dark Ø Through hidden motives -- These verses go with verse 13. Someone’s been talking to the Galatians other than Paul, trying to turn them around and put them in bondage to the law. Once they have them back in bondage, they would have used their egotistical pride to introduce other heresies that exploit the Galatian people always with money as the payoff, except that Paul stopped their shenanigans. Paul uses the analogy of leaven in a lump of dough to signify sin in the heart of the Christian. The analogy says that it doesn’t take a lot of false doctrine to spoil the batch.

· (86h) Thy kingdom come Ø Obedience Ø Be doers of the word Ø Clothe yourself with the word of God Ø Obey the truth

Gal 5,7-9

· (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 -- These verses go with verses 13-17

Gal 5-7,8

· (91f) Thy kingdom come Ø The called Ø Walking along the narrow way Ø Walking in God’s calling is to fulfill His purpose -- These verses go with verse 13

Gal 5-7

· (194d) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Turn from sin to God Ø Run to God Ø Run to God from your enemies

Gal 5-9

· (191d) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Extract the leaven of false doctrine

Gal 5-10

· (51a) Judgment Ø World & church Ø Warning of wrath Ø Consequences of sin

· (52e) Judging Church with world Ø Law judges sin Ø God judges the lost through the law -- This verse goes with verse 3

· (122c) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Confidence in God to keep the church

Gal 5-11,12

· (190j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Circumcision is a sign of obedience Ø Symbolism over substance -- These verses go with verses 2-6. The reason people preach circumcision is to avoid the cross of Christ. Circumcision has been erroneously associated with the law, but it started as a sign of Abraham’s faith, which his works demonstrated by obeying the Holy Spirit, traveling to a foreign land where God told him to go. 

Gal 5-11

· (195c) Denying Christ Ø Man exercises his will against God Ø Idolatry Ø Serving two masters Ø You can only believe in one at a time -- This verse goes with verses 2-9

· (201f) Denying Christ Ø Man chooses his own destiny apart from God Ø Jesus is an offense Ø Jesus offends the world Ø The cross offends the world – In modern times what are people trying to avoid by embracing the law? At this present time there is little persecution in America against those who openly believe in Jesus, so it’s not persecution they are avoiding, but the Holy Spirit. Therefore, there is a direct link between the cross of Christ and the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent in His place. People who preach the heresy of following the law as a means of justification before God are trying to avoid a life of faith and are willing to give up the truth so they can free themselves from the will of God. These heretics do not value the truth, and for this reason they don’t know it, they don’t live it and they don’t preach it, nor do they make any sacrifices to embrace it in their hearts.  

Gal 5-12

· (69e) Authority Ø Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) Ø Church is angry at sin – The trail they are on is leading downhill, all along the way picking up more false doctrine, until the gospel is completely corrupted and no truth is left. For this reason Paul wishes that the knife would slip and those who were troubling the Galatians would accidentally cut off their own penises in the process of circumcising themselves. So, Paul is very angry with them; he despises them; he wishes evil upon them. The fact is, Paul doesn’t need to wish evil upon them because they have marked themselves for evil, by trading the truth of God for a lie and imposing their soiled doctrines on others for personal gain. It’s one thing for them to believe in lies, but it’s another thing to try to get other people to believe their lies. This will multiply their judgment both in this life and in the life to come.

· (97a) Thy kingdom come Ø Having a negative attitude about yourself Ø A self-righteous attitude -- These verses go with verse This verse goes with verses 1-4

· (190d) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Masochism (Self-made martyr) Ø Self-afflictions that are against the will of God

Gal 5,13-17

· (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 -- These verses go with verse 26

Gal 5-13,14

· (14c) Servant Ø Slave is free/free is slave – These verses go with verses 17&25. See also 1Cor 7-21,22 for further commentary. This verse is jammed pack with all kinds of undertones and is connected to many other topics and verses in different ways. For one thing, it is a verse ebbing on blasphemy. It paints a picture of someone winning spiritual victories almost with the premeditated intension of trading them in for a few moments of fleshly indulgence. Imagine a person who is well integrated into the church, gaining everyone’s confidence, who is not growing in the Lord as you would suspect, but creating an opportunity to manipulate someone or perhaps the entire church. This is an example of how we must be responsible with the freedom that we acquire in Christ, not to turn it around and use it against someone, or even against ourselves. If we use our freedom for its intended purpose, we will enjoy ever-greater levels of freedom along the course of becoming free, to a level that we perhaps never knew was attainable in this life.

· (235f) Kingdom of God Ø Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø Giving (your inner self) Ø Giving preference to one another

Gal 5-13

· (12i) Servant Ø Attitude of a bond servant – This verse is similar to 1Cor 9,11-23, particularly verse 18, where it says, "What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel." Paul was much like a stockbroker, who would reinvest his profits as he pulled out of one share and into another without enjoying any of the proceeds. He was not a man to eat his seed, but planted it to make more seeds. So it is with freedom; all too often people struggle feverishly to free themselves from their handcuffs, only to use their freedom to commit more sin. You can become free enough to go and practice more sin, which will send you back into bondage, or you can use your freedom for its intended purpose to help others and bless God with the result that you will increase your nucleus of freedom. See also: 1Pet 2-16.

· (60h) Paradox Ø Two implied meanings Ø Opportunity—To sin / To abuse the anointing

· (75h) Thy kingdom come Ø Motives Ø Being manipulative Ø Controlling people in the dark Ø Through hidden motives -- This verse goes with verses 7-10

· (76b) Thy kingdom come Ø Motives Ø Seeking authority for security Ø Motives based on power

· (91f) Thy kingdom come Ø The called Ø Walking along the narrow way Ø Walking in God’s calling is to fulfill His purpose -- This verse goes with verses 7,8

· (118k) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Law of the spirit Ø Law of liberty -- This verse goes with verses 22&23. There is a way to view our freedom as tool as much as a goal in that we use our freedom to serve one another through love. Freedom in this way is seen as a tool for the goal of love, yet Paul speaks of freedom as a goal in itself. Therefore, freedom and love are interconnected, like the trinity they are one and the same. Faith completes the trio of interconnected goals of Christianity, which are interdependent on each other for their vitality. Freedom allows faith, faith allows love and love reinforces our freedom in a spiritual lifecycle that spirals upward in ever-greater abilities to serve God and one another, but the moment we sacrifice our freedom for an opportunity to walk in the flesh, it stops the cycle.

· (162d) Works of the devil Ø Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø Bondage Ø A slave to unbelief Ø Bondage to an unwillingness to believe (deception)  

· (187e) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø Dying to receive the glory of God Ø Die to self to be set free

· (187j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø Spirit versus the flesh Ø Trying to work the Spirit by the flesh -- This verse goes with verses 16&17. Although freedom is a tool to perfect love, we should view freedom as a goal and not as a tool for the flesh, because when we use freedom to acquire our fleshly desires, we weaken freedom, and eventually it disappears. Instead of it being one of our most valuable possessions, we turn freedom into a weapon to take freedom from others to obtain a lifestyle that works against itself. Freedom is not a tool, but is the very goal of Christianity. Paul is talking about licentiousness here. We are not free to sin, but are free from sin for purposes of righteousness.

· (199a) Denying Christ Ø Man exercises his will against God Ø Frustrating the grace of God Ø Frustrating Jesus Ø Frustrating Jesus’ ministry -- This verse goes with verse 1

Gal 5-14

· (90h) Thy kingdom come Ø Keeping the law Ø Righteousness of the law Ø We must keep the law because it is righteous – Those who want to be ruled by law, what does the law say? “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The law was written on a hierarchical basis; you must fulfill the first commandment before you can fulfill the second and so on. In other words, you love God by loving your neighbor and you love your neighbor by fulfilling all the other commandments. Paul exonerated the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, because the law reflects human relationships. If everyone lived by this one commandment, people would stop hurting one another. This commandment reveals that God is speaking to mentally healthy individuals, not to those who would harm themselves for the right to harm other people. The first commandment says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind soul and strength,” suggesting it is mentally healthy to love God, who called His Old Testament people to love Him first, so they would be in a proper frame of mind to love their neighbor as themselves. The problem with the old covenant was it never furnished us with an ability to love God. The only way to fulfill the first commandment was to fulfill the other nine. That is, you love God by loving one another. This is still true, except that God has created a new and better way to do this through the new covenant. 

Gal 5-15

· (21f) Sin Ø Disobedience opposes unity in the church

· (84h) Thy kingdom come Ø Words of your mouth Ø Gossip Ø Attacking a person’s character

· (130j) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø Accept one another Ø Accepting the great and the small Ø Small people cannot accept great leaders -- This verse goes with verse 26

· (158e) Works of the devil Ø Essential characteristics Ø Divide and conquer Ø Strife Ø Bitterness

· (167b) Works of the devil Ø Manifestations of the devil Ø Carnality Ø The carnal mind is set on the flesh Ø Carnal mind cares only for itself

Gal 5,16-25

· (187h) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø Spirit versus the flesh Ø Deny the flesh to walk in the Spirit – Since Paul mentioned the fruit of the Spirit, we can expect that being crucified with Christ has something to do with it. Obviously this concept of being crucified with Christ also has something to do with dying to self, but what? It seems that the more spiritual fruit we bear, the more dead (or numb) we become to the passions and desires of the flesh. So, we kill the flesh by bearing the fruit of the Spirit, which becomes evidence of our association with the Holy Spirit. These fruits also work to shield us from the temptations of our flesh. The more our minds remain in a spiritual state through bearing the fruit of the Spirit, the less we sense our flesh craving the evil things of our natural desires. By definition, a person who is born again by faith in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit dwells in him or her. So, if we are born of the Spirit, we also live by the Spirit, and if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Gal 5,16-23

· (205g) Salvation Ø Salvation is based on God’s promises Ø New covenant Ø The new one is a better one – Eliminate these verses from the Bible, and we wouldn’t know why Jesus said what He said and why he did what He did on the cross, nor would we understand Paul’s writings in other portions of the New Testament or their significance. For example, these verses tell why Paul wrote his letter to the Romans and why the new covenant is better than the old. The law does not command us to bear the fruit of the spirit, because it didn’t furnish us with the power to do so, but the new covenant gives us that power through the cross. That is, Jesus has created an avenue to channel the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The old covenant law gave us a list of things that we should not do against our fellow man, but it did not provide us with a list of things that we should do, such as what the new covenant has done in the fruit of the Spirit. 

Gal 5,16-21

· (92e) Thy kingdom come Ø The narrow way Ø Trail of good works Ø You cannot walk two trails -- These verses go with verse 25. Paul said, “…You may not do the things that you please.” That doesn’t sound exactly free, which is how Paul started out this chapter saying, “It is for freedom that Christ set us free….” We are like half free. Our spirit is free, but our flesh is in bondage to serve the Lord. The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, so that if we satisfy one, we violate the other. If we seek the fruit of the Spirit in out lives, it’s going to contrast with the desires of our flesh, but if we give into the desires of our flesh, it will resist our efforts to bear the fruits of the Spirit. Anyone who desires to walk by the Spirit must be committed to avoid sin, which has the power to knock down our spiritual fruit production and invade our spiritual environment that we establish as we walk and live for God, because the two of them cannot coexist.

· (162g) Works of the devil Ø Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø Bondage Ø Addicted to sin Ø Being a slave to the sinful nature

Gal 5,16-18

· (105g) Thy kingdom come Ø Led by the Spirit Ø Into The will of God Ø Led to the right place -- These verses go with verse 25

· (113l) Thy kingdom come Ø The anointing Ø Anointing establishes us in His will -- These verses go with verses 22-25

· (118m) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Law of the spirit Ø Newness of the spirit transcends oldness of the letter – Prior to Jesus sending the Holy Spirit, there was nothing we could do to directly fulfill the first commandment to love God, but now that we have the Holy Spirit, we can develop a relationship with Him through the word of God and prayer. However, prior to the Holy Spirit we loved God by not having sex with our neighbor’s wife; we loved God by not killing one anther; we loved God by not coveting our neighbor’s possessions. So, according to the old covenant law, it was all about not doing something in order to love God and our neighbor, but what can you do to love God? The law could not answer that question. The new covenant does away with the indirectness of the law and enables us to directly love God, which equips us to love our neighbor with gifts that we receive directly from the Holy Spirit. How much better is the new covenant than the old? There is no comparison.

· (137e) Temple Ø Building the temple (with hands) Ø Jesus is the foundation Ø Bearing fruit is the foundation of being in the Spirit -- These verses go with verses 22-25. God has given us a list of attributes that we should apply to our character in the fruit of the Spirit. If we walk by the Spirit, God will lead us to bear the fruit of the Spirit, and in this process, we inadvertently will not do the things that the law commands us not to do. For example, by bearing the fruit of the Spirit we will inadvertently not kill our neighbor. We have new interests now. For example, joy is more important to us than your neighbor’s wife or any of his other possessions. The attributes of these fruits create a spiritual environment in our hearts. He desires us to live and walk and dwell in an environment of love and peace. He desires these things to inhabit us, that we should inhabit them. Joy is not an action when you think about it, nor is peace. Rather, the fruits of the Spirit are a state of mind, whereas the law refers to behaviors that God commands us to avoid. Within this environment we are shielded from temptation.

· (192e) Die to self Ø Result of putting off the old man Ø Gain by losing Ø Receiving from God by substitution Ø Committed in the natural to receive in the spiritual

Gal 5-16,17

· (6e) Responsible to advocate God’s cause Ø Rest in Jesus’ yoke – If you will walk by the Spirit, God will cancel out the evil desires in your flesh, so that you will no longer wrestle with the sins of your evil nature, except to continue the uphill struggle of walking with the Spirit.

· (22g) Sin Ø Lust (craving pleasure) Ø Fleshly mind

· (187j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø Separation from the old man Ø Die to the flesh Ø Spirit versus the flesh Ø Trying to work the Spirit by the flesh -- These verses go with verse 13

Gal 5-16

· (119e) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Fences of freedom Ø Freedom in Christ -- This verse goes with verse 18

Gal 5-17

· (14c) Servant Ø Slave is free/free is slave – This verse goes with verses 13,14&25. See 1Cor 7-21,22 for commentary.

Gal 5-18

· (119e) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Fences of freedom Ø Freedom in Christ -- This verse goes with verses 22&23

Gal 5,19-23

· (129a) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Bearing fruit Ø Evidence of your fruit Ø The type of fruit indicates who you are serving

· (51c) Judging the Church with the world Ø God warns the Church

· (64d) Paradox Ø Anomalies Ø Limits of God Ø God cannot help but judge sin

· (156K) Witness Ø Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of being hell-bound Ø Living an ungodly lifestyle Ø Practicing sin

· (167j) Works of the devil Ø Manifestations of the devil Ø Do not conform to the world Ø The world of sin 

· (183a) Works of the devil Ø The origin of lawlessness Ø Spirit of error Ø Witchcraft Ø Sin is the incubator of witchcraft Ø Through rebellion

· (221j) Kingdom of God Ø The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world Ø God hides from sin Ø He hides behind disobedience – Fear was not covered by the law or in the fruits of the Spirit, and it wasn’t even mentioned in regard to the deeds of the flesh. Paul was completely silent about the dynamics of fear, how it operates in the background of all forms of evil. So, what is fear? Fear is the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit, and if the opposite, then also the arch-nemesis of the fruits of the Spirit. That means the deeds of the flesh outlined in Galatians, though they may oppose the fruits of the Spirit, are not exact opposites, in that the deeds of the flesh are actions, whereas the fruits of the Spirit are states of mind. Those are two different things like apples and oranges, but fear is also a state of mind. Fear is not an action, any more than love depicts a specific action. Rather, God wants us to perform our good works through an environment of love, joy, peace, etc. All sin and disobedience and all evil operates through an environment of fear, so that the deeds of the flesh that are regulated by law act as evidence of fear, allowing it to manifest and become visible, whereas the fruits of the Spirit act as evidence of faith. For this reason God hides from all sin, because He is the exact opposite of fear. 

· (250h) Lists (Key verse)

· (250i) Priorities Ø God’s prerequisites Ø Lists Ø List of traits that can be found in man Ø List of deeds of the body 

Gal 5-20,21

· (24h) Sin Ø Poverty (Forms of fear) Ø Being envious toward your brother

Gal 5-21

· (36i) Gift of God Ø Inheritance Ø Our inheritance can be withheld

· (238h) Kingdom of God Ø Pursuing the kingdom Ø Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom Ø Teachers Ø Teachers "remind" their students Ø Strong reminders

Gal 5,22-26

· (42g) Judgment Ø Satan destroyed Ø Transformation Ø Conform to the Love of Christ

· (124d) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Acts of love Ø Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit

Gal 5,22-25

· (113l) Thy kingdom come Ø The anointing establishes us in His will -- These verses go with verses 5&6

· (137e) Temple Ø Building the temple (with hands) Ø Jesus is the foundation Ø Bearing fruit is the foundation of being in the Spirit -- These verses go with verses 16-18

Gal 5-22,23

· (118k) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Law of the spirit Ø Law of liberty -- These verses go with verse 13

· (119e) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Freedom Ø Fences of freedom Ø Freedom in Christ -- These verses go with verse 6

· (128c) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Goodness Ø Doing good transcends the law

· (250k) Priorities Ø God’s prerequisites Ø Lists Ø Terms of graduating to the next level Ø List of spiritual traits in descending order

Gal 5-22

· (127a) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Kindness Ø Be kind like God Ø Practice the kindness of God

Gal 5-24

· (213i) Sovereignty Ø God is infinite Ø Jesus owns you Ø His will becomes our will Ø We are God’s property

Gal 5-25,26

· (95h) Thy kingdom come Ø Attitude Ø Having an obedient attitude Ø Ready to do God’s will

Gal 5-25

· (14c) Servant Ø Slave is free/free is slave – This verse goes with verses 13,14&17

· (92e) Thy kingdom come Ø The narrow way Ø Trail of good works Ø You cannot walk two trails -- This verse goes with verses 16-21

· (105g) Thy kingdom come Ø Led by the Spirit Ø Into The will of God Ø Led to the right place -- This verse goes with verses 16-18

· (144f) Witness Ø Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø The Church Bears Witness of Jesus Ø Of the Holy Spirit

· (155g) Witness Ø Validity of the believer Ø Witness of the believer Ø Holy Spirit bears witness of the believer

· (206b) Salvation Ø God makes promises on His terms Ø Conditions to promises Ø Conditions to living in the spirit Ø Conditions to participating in the spirit -- The promise is encouraging and full of good hope, but walking by the Spirit inspires God's enemies to hate you. If you abide in Jesus you will expect persecution, and rejection even from some of  those of your own brothers who don't share the same intimacy with God as you do. It therefore boils down to whether you are content with persecution and hardship for the sake of interacting spiritually in you relationship with God, or whether you will abandon His purpose for your life because of a fear of man. Too often, when the heat is on, we settle for walking by the letter of the law in the flesh so we don't offend anyone. 

Gal 5-26

· (11i) Servant Ø We are not our own standard for each other – See 2Cor 10-12 for commentary.

· (22m) Sin Ø Pride glorifies self Ø Comparing yourself with others

· (23c) Sin Ø Pride is defensive

· (130j) Thy kingdom come Ø Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø Accept one another Ø Accepting the great and the small Ø Small people cannot accept great leaders -- This verse goes with verse 15

· (158f) Works of the devil Ø Essential characteristics Ø Divide and conquer Ø Division (Cliques) Ø Jealously seeking prominence in the body

· (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 -- This verse goes with verses 7-9

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