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GALATIANS CHAPTER 3 KJV WEB See previous page See also: Trail of good works (Walking by the Spirit) Walking with God; Lk 22,47-53; 126d Gal 3,1-14 (174d) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Self righteousness >> Trying to please God by your own good works – Paul is saying that anyone who tries to justify himself through his own righteousness is practicing a form of witchcraft. Paul thus declared the works of the flesh to be witchcraft if a person has a mind to use them to seek favor with God. The only thing we can do that avoids this pitfall is to obey the Holy Spirit, which we can do only by faith. We need to find out what God wants us to do and do it; we need to discover our ministry and fulfill it. We need to perform the works of God, for this is the only way to avoid walking in darkness. See also: Witchcraft; Gal 3,1-5; 183c / Legalism; Gal 3,1-7; 35g (199c) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Frustrating the grace of God >> Frustrating Jesus >> Frustrating the Holy Spirit Gal 3,1-9 (105g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Led by the Spirit into the will of God >> Led to the right place – The Galatians in the past had suffered, and Paul testified about them that they were walking in the Spirit, suggesting that anyone who walks in the Spirit will suffer persecution. When we walk in the Spirit, there are only three who understand us: we ourselves, God, and the brethren who walk with us in the Spirit. The rest of the world does not understand us; we become loathsome to them. The world understands itself along with many various spirits that control the world, but there is one Spirit the world does not understand—the Holy Spirit, and for this reason the world persecutes those who follow Him. We are foreign to the world, like an alien from another planet. This is what false teachers told the Galatians: if they stopped walking in the Spirit, their suffering would subside, and this is what they tell us, attempting to lead us back in bondage to the elementary principles of the flesh, which is how the world can relate to us. We should listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Him instead of trusting people or circumcision or baptism or whatever else false teachers will use to lead us back to bondage. The only way to attract the blessing of God is to walk in the Spirit as Abraham did, who is the father of all who believe. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,1-7 (3b) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Get out of His way >> Quit believing lies – Paul was telling the Galatians to quit believing lies. They were listening to the wrong people telling them the wrong things that would ensnare them in the flesh. There are things that people would tell us that if we listened to them would lead us away from the freedom of Christ toward bondage, to fear and torment, where there is no rest or peace. The only rest is in Christ doing His will, but first we must discover His will. At some point the Galatians took confidence from the Spirit and handed it to their false teachers who were leading them astray. (35g) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Jesus sends the Holy Spirit – Paul cut to the chase and asked the Galatians, “How did you receive the Spirit?” We must have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us in order to see heaven, making this the most important question in Christianity. It is the very definition of being born-again, and all heaven-bound Christians are born of God. The question “how” is important in that if we receive Him by doing good works or by keeping the Law or by avoiding sin, then we didn't receive Him by faith, but Paul said that we do receive Him “by hearing with faith.” Some think if they keep their sin level low, the Holy Spirit automatically dwells in them, but Paul said He dwells in us by believing in Jesus' blood sacrifice to cleans us from all unrighteousness. The same Spirit who came to dwell in us by faith in Jesus' finished work on the cross will also lead us to fulfill the works of faith that God has prepared for us (Eph 2-10). If we fulfill His calling through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will be saved in this life and in the one to come, and we will produce more fruit and bless more people than we could by the works of the flesh, but if we don't live like we're saved in this life, how do we know we are save for the life to come? See also: Legalism; 132f (56a) Paradox >> Lose by gaining >> Gain your idea of wealth to lose God’s wealth – The Galatians wanted their relationship with God to be deserved, so they could boast in their flesh and choose how to live. That is, they were trying to control their lives after the grave at the cost of the truth and at the cost of the plan and purpose of God for them. They didn’t want to believe that they were so evil they needed God's mercy or that they were incapable of fixing themselves, but man’s sin problem goes far deeper than that. We need something from God that transcends ourselves that we could never deserve that would heal us all the way to our root. We need the blood of Christ, and we need the Holy Spirit to come dwell in us. The Holy Spirit is a gift that we receive “by hearing with faith.” How could we deserve Him? (88b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> Relationship between faith and works >> The work of faith – All the apostles were in agreement with Paul’s version of the gospel, even though he seemed to contradict them, namely James who also quoted this verse. Genesis 15-6 says, “Then [Abraham] believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” James came to the opposite conclusion, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God” (Jm 2,21-23). It would seem there is a contradiction, for they cannot both be right, can they? Actually, they can, for it is just a matter of perspective. The fact is, Abraham had every intension of obeying God when he believed in Him, and this was Paul’s point too: faith implies faithfulness. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,2-14; 205k (117e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Rest in Jesus (Sabbath) >> Let Jesus do the work >> Let Him work on you – Paul talked about hearing with faith, partly because they weren’t able to read it, since the New Testament was written in their hearing. This letter to the Galatians was a single manuscript they read to the assembly, being how they heard the word of God. We read the Bible and believe what it says, and the Holy Spirit works through the true knowledge of God to lead us into His will. We should never replace the Holy Spirit with the most eloquent speakers, for He is our only true teacher. Human teachers encourage us, but that is all they can do. They can't tell us what God wants us to do beyond the Scriptures, and we shouldn't listen to anyone assuming that role. If someone says, ‘This is what you must do to please God…’ if it has nothing to do with the Bible, do not believe him. Scripture speaks the same for each person, but there is also the specific will of God that nobody can tell us but the indwelling Holy Spirit. (132f) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> God gives his spirit as a pledge >> God pledges His Spirit – Jm 2,21-23 says that the reckoning of righteousness was appended to Abraham after he obeyed the word of God, whereas Paul taught that the reckoning of righteousness was declared by simply believing the word of God, "believe" and "obey" being the verbs that distinguish these two seemingly opposite views. Putting them together, then, we say that believing God acts as a pledge of our obedience, while God gives His righteousness (Holy Spirit) as a pledge of our salvation. That is, God believes in us and we believe in Him. He doesn’t wait to see if we will obey Him before He bestows His Spirit. In contrast, the Galatians were saying they must first show God their works before they could be saved, and Paul said “No!” Paul went to great pains to show the difference between belief and obedience, being critical to understand that God pledges His Spirit before we do any good works. This way, salvation is a gift and not something deserved. Paul was ready to tell the Galatians that if they put the cart before the horse, they have forfeited their salvation both in this life and in the one to come. They will never see the Kingdom of Heaven if they get this wrong; that is the seriousness of the situation; salvation cannot resemble wages for works; it must be a gift; otherwise it would not be according to grace, and we would miss the point of being sinners in need of a savior. See also: Legalism; Gal 3,2-14; 205k (186d) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> The fool >> The fool throws Jesus away for something better >> The world betrayed the Lord (195i) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping other gods >> Worshipping other gods as a god yourself – The relationship between God and man before salvation is that of dirty-rotten sinners, desperately in need of a savior, but the relationship between God and man after salvation is that of sons and daughters. When we get saved, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (eternal life) through a pledge of our obedience. In contrast, the Galatians wanted to see their salvation as something they deserved. Having peace with God is a gift, but the Galatians wanted to receive it based on something they did, and those who believe their salvation is deserved want to be on the same level with God. Ironically, God has “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2-6), but the Galatians wanted this status independent of God. In other words, people who try to reduce Christianity to something that is due them seek to be god; it is idolatry! Outside the terms of justification through faith, Christianity hasn’t solved the problem of sin. Wanting to be like God was the problem with Adam and Eve in the Garden. God wants to develop a people who know their place, who are sons and daughters, receiving that status as a gift, not as something earned. (201h) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Jesus is an offense >> Jesus offends the world >> Faith offends unbelief – There is a difference between "belief" and "faith"; belief is associated with obedience, whereas faith directly interfaces with God. Paul used the word “faith”. Believing is a choice we make to accept a set of facts, suggesting it is a human effort. Paul didn’t say we receive the Holy Spirit by accepting a set of facts outlined in Scripture; he said we receive a God-given ability to believe in Him, called faith, after we have pledged our allegiance to Him. A person who is born-again has made a lifelong commitment to fulfill His calling, and then God imparts His Spirit into the believer to empower his commitment. There is a saying in chemistry, “Like attracts like.” Water-based stains come out with water-based detergents, and oil-based stains come out with oil-based detergents. Like attracts like in the spirit realm too; we cannot apply human beliefs to a divine God; we can only apply a Spirit driven faith to God who is Spirit. We can’t just accept the gospel as a set of facts and expect to go to heaven, much less by doing good works. We must receive the Holy Spirit through a God-given ability to believe in Him, that is, a revelation of these facts through the Spirit, which is faith. See also: Difference between "belief" and "faith"; Eph 6-16,17; 114g KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,1-5 (161k) Works of the devil >> Satan determines the world's direction >> Carried Away >> Carried away by religion (166c) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Wisdom of the world >> Man’s wisdom excuses his sinful nature >> Man’s wisdom wants to earn his ticket to heaven – Paul condemned those who attempt to justify themselves through the law, reminding them that they are putting themselves under a curse (v10). This includes the person who considers himself a good person, yet doesn't believe in Jesus' blood sacrifice for atonement of their sins. Paul is closing the door on justification by law; still there are masses of people both in the world and in the Church hoping to find God’s favor through the law, though probably most don’t even know what the law says. Justification by law was the weed that Paul is trying to uproot in that it is based on our own righteousness, which is unacceptable to God by evidence that He sent His Son to save us from our sins. God seeks faith from us, just as He did from Abraham, whom He declared righteous centuries before the Law of Moses went into effect, but those who seek to be justified by law bypass the cross along with the righteousness of faith. (168a) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> Do not let the world’s approval shape you to itself (176f) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Zeal without knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) >> Fire without faithfulness (183f) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >> Nursery for the Spirit of error >> Ignorance – Paul associated witchcraft with the acquisition of false doctrine, so the untruths we believe about God and their subsequent behaviors are all forms of witchcraft. This shows how easy it is to fall into witchcraft, and explains why the Church doesn’t see many miracles—we cannot move the hand of God through witchcraft. Most people envision the Halloween version of witchcraft as a green lady with a wart on her nose, wearing a pointed hat and a black cape, chanting over a caldron of deadly stew, but people in the Church who lead others into strange doctrines is the true concept of a witch. James said in his book, ‘Teachers need to be very careful what they teach because they will incur a stricter judgment’ (Jm 3-1). God will judge false teachers of His word stricter than those who believe their lies. They should have looked further into the truth before they started teaching, or else sat down and let someone else do the teaching who has investigated the truth. See also: Witchcraft; Gal 3,2-5; 173i (184h) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace of God >> Spending His grace on your pleasures >> Abusing the anointing (185a) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace of God >> Dragging God’s Grace Through The Mud >> Operating His grace through religion (187j) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Spirit versus the flesh >> Trying to work the Spirit by the flesh (198h) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Having evil motives for seeking leadership positions >> Seeking to gratify their flesh through the ministry (202c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running to your sinful nature >> Run from God by running to your flesh Gal 3,1-4 (203h) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Withdraw from obeying God >> Withdrawing from God Gal 3,1-3 (138e) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >> Reprove your brother for spreading false doctrine Gal 3-1 (143e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The public >> Jesus ministered publicly (144b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> It bears witness of the cross (210b) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >> Jesus goes to the cross willingly KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,2-14 (205k) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith versus works >> The faith of God versus the faith of men >> Faith versus the flesh -- These verses go with verses 21-26. The Galatians were going back to the works of the law as a means of justification, which was never the truth even in Old Testament times. Paul made it clear that Abraham was justified by faith apart from the works of the law, thereby proving that the law never justified anyone. The law having power to justify a person before God was an ancient misconception of Israel that held them in bondage for centuries. Had they focused on the father of their nation, Abraham the believer, who acquired his naturalization purely through faith when he heard the voice of God and followed Him, history would have been rewritten. Faith is what justified Abraham and it is what justifies us. Man has tried to please God by fixating on the law through their worship of Moses, though ironically Israel despised Moses when he was alive. Keeping the commandments is not a bad thing, but it is better if we obey them by faith in Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of God's righteousness. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,2-7; 106g / Legalism; Gal 3,2-5; 173i Gal 3,2-7 (54o) Paradox >> Opposites >> Trying to be spiritual through the flesh (106g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Hearing His voice – Paul wrote about the Holy Spirit and hearing with faith. There are three things involved in our justification: (1) the word of God, (2) hearing the Spirit and (3) following Him. When we hear the Holy Spirit speak to us from the Scriptures, responding to Him creates faith by which we are saved. Paul puts the capstone on his argument when he reminded us of Genesis 15-6, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” This is by far the most often quoted verse from the Old Testament, encapsulating both the Old and New Testaments. We are justified by faith in God's willingness to forgive our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He gave His life that we should give our lives to Him in return, fulfilling our end of the blood covenant. We do this by obeying the Holy Spirit as Abraham did. See also: Abraham; Gal 3-3; 118m Gal 3,2-5 (1j) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Carrying a false burden >> Weighs you down as you walk in the flesh – Walking in the flesh as a means of keeping the law is perhaps one of the most deceptive forms of bondage. Most people who spend their whole lives walking in the flesh don’t know they are missing the will of God, because they feel they are doing something for Him. What kind of religion tries to earn God’s favor and deliberately enslaves its members in a ghoulish cult, except that it be orchestrated by Satan and his ilk? (2f) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Keep your commitments in your walk with God (132g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >> Filled with the power of God (159l) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit God >> Counterfeit anointing >> Anointing of the flesh (162d) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> A slave to unbelief >> Bondage to an unwillingness to believe (deception) (173i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >> Penance of following the law (legalism) -- These verses go with verses 10-14. Paul was a stickler about faith being the active ingredient of our salvation and not our works. Works-based salvation is known as legalism. This was the problem with the Pharisees, and Jesus called them open sepulchers. If it weren’t for Paul we might not know the significance of faith. Israel was enormously in bondage to legalism during Paul’s day, which is the opposite of faith. He reiterated the pitfalls of legalism throughout his epistles, and now he is writing to the Galatians reminding them that it wasn’t through the works of the law but hearing with faith that we receive the Holy Spirit. He was astounded that they were falling prey to this bondage again asking them, “Who has bewitched you?” This suggests that legalism is tied to witchcraft as it were an incantation of a highly choreographed ceremony. Many of these images and formulas of black magic we get from TV, but there is a grain of truth to it all, for there really is such a thing as voodoo, summoning demonic spirits. It is really big in some of the most ignorant places in the world, suggesting that ignorance is a necessary ingredient in witchcraft, as it is always present in church legalism. Ignorance breeds superstition, such as the legalistic rule in certain denominations that if a woman wears a certain style of dress, it makes her more pleasing to God. That fits the definition of an incantation or recipe. If we can reduce our theology to various recipes of behavior, our Christianity is more closely related to witchcraft than to the gospel that Paul preached. There are no recipes in the will of God; that is why He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us along God’s specific path that nobody knows but Him, and He wants to reveal it to us, and this path is different for each person, so there can be no recipe. See also: Witchcraft; Gal 3,1-14; 174d / Legalism; Gal 3,1-14; 174d Gal 3-2 (107a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Word creates faith >> Receiving unction from God -- This verse goes with verses 5&6 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,3-5 (103m) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by circumstances >> Purified through faith Gal 3-3 (118m) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Law of the spirit >> Newness of the spirit transcends oldness of the letter – Paul talked about hearing with faith, and James talked about proving our faith through works; the concept of obeying the Holy Spirit marries these two teachings. This is how we please God, by obeying (or walking in) the Spirit. God will teach us all we need to know about Him, and He will empower us to do His will, and we will sojourn in a foreign land as Abraham did who believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Paul taught that faith itself was the active ingredient in our salvation, which is true and good and right, whereas James taught that evidence of our faith was just as imperative to authenticate our faith. Both teachings are true; therefore, we must incorporate them both. Yes, it is faith; we cannot point at any one thing we have done that has found favor with God, only that we believe in Him, but at the same time our works prove our faith, and where there is no proof there is no faith. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith that are the sons of Abraham, the believer who obeyed the Holy Spirit. See also: Abraham; Gal 3-8; 210j / Faith versus works; Gal 5-3,4; 182g (137j) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >> Stages of maturity are levels of accountability >> Maturity is working with God (161b) Works of the devil >> Wandering >> Wander from the character of God >> Wandering from the faith (167e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 5 (238aa) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again by the will of Christ -- This verse goes with verse 29. Paul’s argument was whether the Galatians received the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith. Isn’t it interesting that Paul put it this way, getting to the root of the matter, not asking if they were saved but asking if they received the Spirit. Salvation is defined by the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer; we're not saved by affirming a set of doctrines. Many people think they are going to heaven because they hold certain beliefs dear to their hearts. A person of this order is not an unbeliever but believes what the Bible says, and by that he accumulates various doctrines, but Paul delves beneath these issues and asks the Galatians whether they received the Holy Spirit. A person can believe anything he wants, but he will never go to heaven by anything he believes but by the indwelling Holy Spirit. By no other means shall we enter the Kingdom of Heaven, except that we be born-again. Paul was saying, who has bewitched you that you have begun by the Spirit and now you are trying to work your way to heaven through the flesh? If we were born of the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. See also: Obeying the Holy Spirit; Eph 1-19,20; 113k Gal 3-4 (99j) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance >> Enduring circumstances >> Endurance that fails (170k) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Vanity >> Vain effort >> Effort frustrated by failure – Living and walking by the Spirit brings about suffering in the flesh. People in the world do not understand us when we live and walk by the Spirit, nor do they particularly like us. Everything about us is alien to them; we don’t have to preach Jesus to offend them; we only need to live for Him in front of them. They are jealous of our faith, though we invite them to believe in Jesus with us; no one is stopping them but them. They would never want to be us, but in a way they wish they could believe in God and have the hope of eternal life. The Galatians started in the Spirit and veered into the flesh from certain persons who crept into their numbers unnoticed, and were leading them to put their trust in certain ceremonies, such as circumcision, instead of trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The legalistic mindset says, ‘I have been circumcised, therefore I have God’s favor,’ but Paul kept telling them there was nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. Once we are saved, though, the works He calls us to do in His name are holy to the Lord. We who are born of God have a designated tail of good works God wants us to walk throughout our lives without veering one way or the other. This trail describes what we do with our lives after we're saved, and this is what the Galatians were doing when they met these legalists who tried to convince them to be circumcised to find favor with God. (188f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering >> Suffering righteousness KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,5-7 (230j) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Mystery of the trinity >> Word of God is the mystery godliness Gal 3-5,6 (107a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Word creates faith >> Receiving unction from God -- These verses go with verse 2 Gal 3-5 (30a) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> God knows our needs >> He is our provider (146h) Miracles, Signs And Wonders (Key verse) (147e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Divine works of God >> Signs and wonders (167e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 3 Gal 3,6-14 (142b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> Prophesy about the dispensation >> Gentiles are included Gal 3,6-9 (12c) Servant >> Examples of God’s people >> Abraham is our example of faith Gal 3-6 (41fa) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Righteousness of faith >> Example of Abraham -- This verse goes with verses 13&14 Gal 3-7,8 Don’t worry, this is not a mistake! Gal 3-7 (36l) Gift of God >> Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 9 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3-8 (150j) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word >> Preaching the word to the Church (152ka) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> True prophets >> Called as prophets (210j) Salvation >> Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >> God welcomes the Gentiles to the promise of Israel -- This verse goes with verse 14. Salvation of the gentiles comes through the faith of Abraham, evidenced by Scripture that says, “All the nations shall be blessed in you [Genesis 12-3; 22:18]. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer,” referring to both Jews and gentiles. The main change in the new covenant is that God combined both the Jew and the gentile into one group without erasing the line between them, because He plans to use the Jew at the end of the age to reintroduce the gospel in a purified version to the gentiles. Otherwise, Paul made no distinction between Jew and gentile, both have a common salvation in the atonement blood of Jesus’ body on the cross, sufficient to cleans us from all unrighteousness. Afterward, we walk in our salvation through faith as Abraham did, the believer. See also: Abraham; Gal 3-13,14; 41fa Gal 3-9 (36l) Gift of God >> Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit -- This verse goes with verses 23-26 Gal 3,10-14 (41b) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Jesus is without sin >> He fulfilled the law – God used Jesus' victory over sin to judge Satan, and He uses us to do the same, even as God used Job during his days of trial and temptation. Job was a righteous man, and Satan came to God asking permission to test him in anticipation to his reaction that he would curse God to His face. God argued that Job was fully devoted to Him, and so the gauntlet was thrown between God and Satan with Job in the middle. God allowed Satan to test Job, so that His servant would prove to Satan that his heart was wholly devoted to Him. Apparently this has been an ongoing debate between God and Satan for millennia with mankind in the middle. Lucifer must have told God after his fall that he had no choice but to sin, arguing that God set him in such a lofty place that it made him want to be like the Most High, as though he had no choice but to become full of sinful pride, but God said ‘No.’ He did have a choice, and God used Job to prove it, and then He used Jesus to prove it, and He has been using His Church ever since proving to Satan that he did have a choice and made the wrong one. Our victory over sin disproves Satan's stance every time we make right choices, putting the exclamation point on the fact that he was wrong. Often as God can use us to disprove Satan determines the severity of his judgment; consequently, Satan desperately wants to see us fall into sin to lessen his own judgment and so use us to prove to God that he had no choice but to sin. See also: God allows suffering and evil to test us like He tested Job; 2The 1,3-7; 71d (52d) Judgment >> Judging Church w ith world >> Law judges sin >> Law finds all men guilty of sin -- These verses go with verses 19-22. Paul was a stickler in his epistles about warning us not to follow the law as a means of gaining favor with God, reminding us that the law is a curse. God gave Israel Ten Commandments to follow, yet the only promise He gave them for following them was that they would be blessed in this life only, with no mention at all of the afterlife (Deuteronomy chapter 28), revealing Paul's point, that though following the law may attract God's blessing in this life, it holds no promise for eternal life. (173i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >> Penance of following the law (Legalism) -- These verses go with verses 2-5. Believe it or not, there are a lot of psychopaths and serial killers who don’t consider themselves particularly bad people, partly because they don't measured themselves against the law, but we do. So now we see the reason for the law; it was made to expose sinners (1Tim 1,7-11). These people don’t know the difference between righteousness and evil, so for us to seek justification by law is to shake hands with liars and murderers. This is obviously not going to justify us before God. Rather, we are justified by faith in the voice of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that Abraham followed. His voice is described in other parts of the Scripture as the law written in our hearts. The Holy Spirit would never lead us to do anything against the Ten Commandments, so we can follow Him and be assured that we are inadvertently fulfilling the requirements of the law at the same time. In this way the law has been made obsolete. Obeying the Holy Spirit is a better covenant not only because it is a better way to follow the law, but also because the Holy Spirit is able to lead us into God’s specific will for our lives. (227g) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Depending on Jesus to have compassion >> Depending on Jesus to deliver us Gal 3,10-12 (27d) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Knowledge can bring a curse if you don’t walk in it Gal 3,13-29 (78l) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind >> Abiding in Jesus KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3-13,14 (27b) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Curse >> Deeds that return to the doer >> Blood of Jesus (37a) Judgment >> The cross >> God judged the sin of the world through Christ (41fa) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Righteousness of faith >> Example of Abraham -- These verses go with verses 21&22. God established a means of rewarding man in this life for his righteousness through the Law of Moses, but His reward of eternal life comes only through the obedience of faith (Rom 1-5;16-26). For this reason we say that Abraham’s blessing was an eternal one, illustrated in his obedience to the voice of God. He knew it was God speaking to him, and he intrinsically knew that He was the one and only true God of heaven, who created all things, being a concurrent understanding that started with Abraham and descended to the sons of Israel. The fact that Paul speaks about the blessing of Abraham, suggests that obedience must be present in order to receive the promise of the Spirit, not obedience to the law but obedience to the Spirit. See also: Abraham; 107d (45e) Judgment >> God’s Judgment >> On believer’s sin >> Through His Son >> On the cross (58l) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Introduced to salvation / Introduced to the Kingdom of God (107d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Word creates faith >> Believing the word creates faith – Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by providing us a new and better way to believe in God: obeying the Holy Spirit, which is defined as "faith". It is interesting that faith and the Spirit are interrelated. It is ironic that we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, and we receive faith through the Spirit. They work hand-in-hand in that faith leads to the Spirit, and the Spirit leads to faith. The Holy Spirit is involved by the very mention of Abraham, who not only heard the voice of God, but also obeyed Him. Paul was careful to instruct that we don’t receive the promise of the Spirit through obedience but through faith, suggesting there is a difference between obedience and faith; there’s also a difference between faith and believing. Believing is related to obedience, while faith is related to the Spirit. Therefore, those who receive the Spirit have faith, which is the substance of heaven, and those who possess this substance increase in faith as they walk in the Spirit as Abraham did. See also: Abraham; 114g (114g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Implementing the revelation of the Holy Spirit – When God spoke to Abraham, in Gen 18,10-12, Sarah overheard the conversation and realized that her husband was following an audible voice; however, we follow an inaudible voice. Abraham’s relationship with God was external, whereas God speaks in our heart. Perhaps there are people in the Church today who wished they had an external relationship with God, so they could be more sure that it was God speaking to them. Being unable to tell that God is speaking to them is a problem. The times that God spoke to Abraham were relatively few, whereas God speaks to us on a daily basis, either convicting us of sin or nudging us in a certain direction, teaching us the word of God or instilling hope in us through His counsel. Everyone has a conscience, even unbelievers, though they mostly abuse it, being why they are unbelievers. Therefore, when God convicts us of sin, He acts as a supercharger of our conscience. These are things Abraham did not have. Jesus called Him the comforter and promised He would be with us always, “even to the end of the age” (Mat 28-20). See also: Abraham; 119l (119l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Curse of God is broken >> Curse of the law is broken – The blessing appended to the law did not follow man into eternity but was confined to this life, whereas the blessing given to Abraham was eternal. This was a problem. The gentiles could not tap into Abraham's blessing, for if they blessed Abraham, again, God's promise to them referred to this life. Therefore, God's eternal blessing to Abraham was proprietary to Israel only. However, after Christ shed His blood as a means for God to choose people from the world to populate His kingdom, it says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (v28). Therefore, what God promised Abraham and to his seed belongs to all who have the faith of Abraham, who will blossom into a kingdom that will never end. The Kingdom of Heaven that God started in Abraham is based on the fact that God spoke to him and on his subsequent obedience, and this will remain the platform of His eternal kingdom. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,15-18; 206g (132a) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> spirit of God in the spirit of man >> Spirit of the Father (209i) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >> Jesus paid the price for us >> Jesus paid our ransom with His own blood Gal 3-13 (136e) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Jesus’ fleshly body >> The flesh of Jesus’ sacrifice (167e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 26 Gal 3-14 (136g) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Jesus’ spiritual body (210j) Salvation >> Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >> God welcomes the Gentiles to the promise of Israel KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,15-29 (144h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Trinity bears witness of Jesus >> Word of God bears witness to Jesus Gal 3,15-22 (151b) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> New Testament bears witness of the Old >> The Patriarchs >> Abraham >> Promises to Abraham -- These verses go with verse 29 Gal 3,15-18 (206g) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to promises >> Conditions to the gifts of God >> Conditions to the promises of God – Paul speaks singularly regarding the seed (heir) of Abraham, referring to Christ, so that Abraham is seen with Christ through the centuries. Abraham believed God with the kind of faith that justified Him before God, even as Christ justifies the person who believes in His blood sacrifice to fully atone for his sin. God was pleased with Abraham because he listened and obeyed, but think if Abraham had launched on his own and followed the same path without the Lord instructing him; it would not have been by faith, and so we see that "faith" is defined at least in part by trust. This suggest that it wasn't what Abraham did or where he went that pleased God but that he trusted God as a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Together then, Christ and Abraham represent the origin and the process of justification, meaning there are two things happening simultaneously: Christ introduces us to the grace of God, while Abraham teaches us how to walk in His grace. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,16-18; 250g Gal 3-15 (177b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Distorting Scripture >> Distorting Scripture to avoid the truth Gal 3,16-18 (250g) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> Spiritual then the natural – Had Jesus offered His disciples a spiritual kingdom with no intensions of building a physical one, they would have rejected it; in fact, Israel hung Him on a cross because He refused to immediately make His kingdom appear in the natural realm. They thought He was wrong for making them accept a spiritual kingdom for now and essentially told Him that. They wanted a physical kingdom, and God said, ‘Not yet;’ Abraham wanted to see His kingdom too, but he never did. God wanted to see if man would believe in Him before He brought it to pass; in other words, God is in the business of mining faith from His people. Getting what he wanted when he wanted it was not Abraham's experience, and it is not ours. God wants people who will serve Him on His terms, and for this reason He has made mankind wait 2000 years for the sake of creating a mature people who love God and are ready to do His will. He is establishing parameters before the Kingdom of God is revealed, showing His people that He is God in charge and not them. If they must be in charge, calling the shots, telling God what to do, they simply will not be part of His kingdom, and this is the criterion He uses to choose those who are enrolled in heaven, who worship Him in Spirit and in truth. God is testing us, for if we are willing to serve Him under duress, then we will serve Him all the more when His physical kingdom finally comes. Once He manifests His kingdom, it will remain forever, so we will get what we want, but we must wait for it. For those who love God, not that much will change for them when He establishes His kingdom in the natural realm, for they are already experiencing the very essence of His kingdom in their hearts. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,1-7; 88b Gal 3-16 (255i) Trinity >> Father, Son and Holy Spirit >> Three in one >> God is one -- This verse goes with verse 20 Gal 3-17 (108d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith is the balance between freedom and law -- This verse goes with verse 21. Paul pitted Moses against Abraham to show that faith is the balance between freedom and law, in that faith by-bypasses the Law and instead uses freedom to serve Christ. We are not without law, but we don’t use the Law to determine our behavior; instead, the Holy Spirit leads us into the will of God and by that we inadvertently fulfill the Law. The Law does not nullify Abraham’s faith; rather, it came as a tutor to lead us to Christ; and now that we have come to believe in Jesus, the Law has been made obsolete. We don’t use our freedom as an occasion to sin; rather, we’re free to do righteousness. Faith does not abuse freedom but uses it to serve Christ, and faith does not fall under bondage to rules given to regulate our flesh but walks by the Spirit. See also: Abraham; Gal 3,24-26; 90d (150e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >> Making the good confession (Son of God) -- This verse goes with verse 21 (155j) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> The word of God bears witness of the believer -- This verse goes with verse 21 (214e) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> Dispensation of God’s revelations >> Dispensations of revelation knowledge (234c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 21 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,19-22 (52d) Judgment >> Judging Church with world >> Law judges sin >> Law finds all men guilty of sin -- These verses go with verses 10-14 Gal 3-19,20 (83f) Thy kingdom come >> Intercession >> Jesus stands in the gap >> He is our mediator Gal 3-19 (15h) Servant >> Angels have authority >> They have power to decree an order – The fact that the law was ordained by angels was made clear by Steven to his enemies who were about to kill him for believing in the promises made to the fathers that Christ fulfilled (Act 7-53). What does it mean that the law was ordained by angels? Didn’t God ordain the law through Moses? Didn't God write the law on stone tablets on Mount Sinai and give them to Moses? Yes, the Bible clearly says that Moses spoke face to face with God, reiterating this many times. However, there are a couple passages in the Old Testament that speaks about God delegating His authority to a mighty angel to lead the children of Israel in the days of their wanderings, meaning they were not led by God Himself (Exodus 23,20-23 and Exodus 33,1-5), and God stood behind the scene to supervise the progress. The Israelites were so rebellious that God didn’t have enough patience for them. God is not the kind of person we can transgress in His very presence and get away with it, for He knows His own perfection and greatness and simply refuses to be treated with distain. Infinitely great and powerful, God has limited patience; “He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever” (Psalm 103-9); He would have destroyed the Israelites before He would have forgiven them, so He gave the job to a mighty and powerful angel, and Paul is referring to this when he said that the law was ordained through angels, that they were directly involved in the days when the law was given, during the days of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness and in their entering the promise land. Gal 3-20 (255i) Trinity >> Father, Son and Holy Spirit >> Three in one >> God is one -- This verse goes with verse 16. The children of God belong to Jesus; they are His brethren and we are His Church. We belong to Jesus and the Father is fine with that; He is in no way jealous, because God is one. All three members of the trinity have exactly one experience, not three. The Father shares in the Son; the Son shares in the Father, and the Holy Spirit is the link between them, and so there is no cause for jealousy. The children of God belong to Jesus, for the Father was pleased to give us to Him. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,21-26 (205k) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith versus works >> The faith of God versus the faith of men >> Faith versus the flesh -- These verses go with verses 2-14. There is no disparity between the law and the promise. Rather, the law complements the promise, yet God never called us to live according to the law but according to the promise. The law and the promise are like a set of railroad tracks; they are parallel. We are called to walk on the rail of promise, and when we do, we find that the promise takes us in the same direction as following the law. We see that the other rail is always beside us; it never veers; God will never call us to do anything contrary to the law. See also: Analogies (Using a map in the woods); Jm 1,22-25; 94o Gal 3-21,22 (41fa) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Righteousness of faith >> Example of Abraham -- These verses go with verse 6 (205g) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> New covenant >> The new one is a better one – When Paul mentioned the Law, he was talking about the old covenant, asking if it were contrary to the new, and his answer was NO; the New Testament dovetails with the Old. The Old Testament spoke of the promise of sending His Son to die on a cross to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind through all the temple services that Israel performed for hundreds of years before Jesus came, indicating that Jesus was anything but a contradiction of the Law. The use of the word "Law" can be interpreted as paper and ink (2Cor 3-6), whether it be the Old or New Testament. Words written on a page cannot impart life or set us free; rather, God imparts his righteousness through faith, which must have an object, and the cross of Jesus Christ is that object. Gal 3-21 (75g) Thy kingdom come >> Motives >> Being manipulative >> Questioning God from a good heart (108d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith is the balance between freedom and law -- This verse goes with verse 17. The righteousness of God is a gift; we don’t have to work for it, but that is not to say we have no righteousness of our own; it has a place. Our righteousness plays a role in proving our faith. It doesn’t save us, but the Bible says that if we can’t prove our faith, then how does it exist? Our righteousness proves to our fellow man that we believe in God, faith being the vehicle He uses to impart His righteousness. Our righteousness says that we choose not to live in sin; instead, we are striving for freedom. The plethora of references in the New Testament that speak of using the freedom of Christ to do His will proves that our righteousness is important; it proves first to ourselves that we believe in God. Man is very capable of self-deception; therefore, proving our faith is more important to us than it is to anyone else. We hear the word of God; we believe it; we live by it, and at some point we realize it. The revelation of God’s word is the goal of faith, while our righteousness serves as evidence that we have received God's righteousness, who comes to dwell in us through the Holy Spirit, and Paul says there is no law that can impart this. See also: Righteous deception; Heb 12,15-17; 161n (150e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >> Making the good confession (Son of God) -- This verse goes with verse 17 (155j) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> The word of God bears witness of the believer -- This verse goes with verse 17 (234c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 17 (254f) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus is the manifestation of God’s life KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,22-26 (250f) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> Natural then the spiritual (obedience then anointing) – Earlier, Paul said that faith came through Abraham, then the law came 430 years later (Vs16-18), according to the following sequence: (Abraham > the law > Jesus Christ). The law is sandwiched between the Abraham and Christ. Gal 3,22-25 (61a) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Church shall leave—The law (her tutor) / The world (her tyrant) – The law is able to discriminate between good and evil, but it has never justified anyone before God. Consequently, the law pointed us in the direction of Christ and exposed us as sinners in need of a Savior, and so the law has done a great service, yet faith is greater, promising eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord, who has given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our eternal inheritance, whereas the law promises nothing. Hence, the law's usefulness has ended for those who believe, suggesting that it is still in effect for those who do not believe in Jesus. For this reason, when we evangelize the heathen, they bring up the law, admitting they are proponents of it, but the law was meant to lead them to Christ, and if they don’t listen to the gospel, it only proves they do not listen to the law either. The law is holy, righteous and good, but it proves those just the opposite when they violate it, for the law does not speak unless it is violated. That is, it does not reward those who fulfill its mandates; it only condemns those who don't. So, the law exposes the sinner, while the gospel reveals the Savior, and if they don’t listen to the preacher, they will remain under condemnation, and if they don’t receive Christ before their death, the law will condemn them to hell before a righteous and a holy God. (208jb) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being married to God >> Knowing God >> We are bonded to Him – When the law leads us to faith in Jesus, it plays the role of our parents at our wedding, who gives their son or daughter in marriage. Our parents lead us in the right direction during our formative years, having trained us to know the difference between good and evil, but then they leave us at the altar to come into the hand of another when we believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit into our heart. We are married to Christ, as it says in Eph 5-31,32, “For his reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the Church.” It also says in 1Cor 6-17, “The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” We leave the law to be led by the Spirit, who convicts us of sin, so we no longer need the law to tell us right from wrong, and at the same time we leave the world in our marriage to Christ and cleave to the Church (Heb 8-6). Gal 3-22,23 (153d) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Shame >> Hiding under a cloud of guilt >> Your sin will find you out – Ironically, the law and sin are one and the same: the law was given to expose the extent of man’s sin, seen through the eyes of God. The law is like the axe used to chop off the heads of condemned criminals, the scene immersed in fresh blood and other bodily fluids, having the stains of past executions, seeped into every cranny. Organic matter becomes a ladder for bacteria to grow to putrefaction, turning the area into a biohazard zone with the characteristic stench of death, yet the axe is not used for evil but for defending righteousness and maintaining law and order. Gal 3-22 (108e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Balance >> God's sovereignty balances good from evil – We have no potential to justify ourselves by law, because we have all violated it. Even walking with God we often sin, but it is the fact that we believe in Him that cleanses us from unrighteousness. All men have succumbed to sin buried in the flesh, requiring us to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ for the hope of eternal life. (165c) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world is wicked KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3,23-26 (36l) Gift of God >> Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit -- These verses go with verse 29 Gal 3,23-25 (208bb) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> You can be saved without ever hearing about Jesus – Paul is talking about receiving the grace of God through the Spirit, and we all know that His grace does not rest upon us based on a fallacious understanding of God. Rather, He is attracted to the truth in us. Does this then mean that if the Bible is unavailable to a person, he cannot be saved? No, the truth is actually intuitive to those who are willing to obey it. God gave His word to man for the same reason He gave the law to Israel, to confirm what we already know. We don’t need the Bible to know that God loves us, anymore than we need the law to know about sin (Rom 2,14-16). We only need to look to the heavens to know that God exists; someone had to make it. Based on a couple other logical assumptions, we can derive the truth with no trouble, such as the observation that sin has a deleterious effect on anyone who harbors it; that would also include God. Therefore, for God to have created the universe, He must be without sin, which means God is a good person and therefore loves us. Contrary to this, sinful man imagines that God is no different from him, but God will judge man for believing this, because in his heart he knows better, for if God were sinful like us, He couldn't have made the universe. Again, how could God righteously judge anyone for not knowing about Jesus if the Bible were never available to him? Gal 3,24-26 (90d) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It takes Jesus’ place until He arrives – Before Christ, Israel was held in custody under the tutelage of the law being shut up to the faith that was later to be revealed in Christ. Until then Israel had the example of Abraham, who was an old covenant example of the faith that was to come. At the time, God spoke to Israel only through His prophets, who paralleled the law and wrote about the righteousness that was to come. Had Israel believed their prophets, God would have reckoned it to them as righteousness, but as we know they did not obey them, but martyred most of them. The law was meant to keep us from living a debauched life, for law breakers find it difficult to come to Christ; for this reason the law was given as our tutor to lead us to Christ. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor; we no longer use the law to measure our conduct, for the Holy Spirit teaches us about God. Gal 3-24 (90b) Law Is Our Tutor (Key verse) Gal 3-26,27 (136a) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Similarity in the body >> The things we have in common >> Common faith Gal 3-26 (167e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Walking outside the realm of faith -- This verse goes with verse 13 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Gal 3-27 (4g) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> He who is faithful in little is also faithful in much (113d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >> Garments of power – This concept of clothing ourselves with Christ refers to the anointing, which is defined as the manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to come and live in our heart, but our extremities are the subject matter of this verse. We put our clothes on our extremities in the same way that this verse says we clothe ourselves with Christ. The anointing is how we are able to express our faith to the world. (191b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Baptism symbolizes death, burial and resurrection >> Baptism is a sign of obedience (254k) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Power of Jesus’ Spirit Gal 3-28 (14c) Servant >> Serve God >> Slave is free/free is slave – Paul is describing heaven, saying that whatever heaven is like, we need to emulate it here on earth, renewing our mind to accommodate this new life that we have received in Christ. Indentured servants in Bible times were very common; when a person wasn’t able to support himself, he would attach himself and his family to a master on a volunteer basis, who would support them for payment of service. There were many laws governing the indentured servant in the Old Testament, but in heaven we are all free. In this life a master may own us, but we are free just the same; and if we are free and don’t have a master, Jesus taught that we could be slaves to sin, so the person who thinks he is free may be in bondage, and the person who appears to be in bondage may actually be free. (131jb) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Many members but one body >> Many titles but one entity (136c) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Similarity in the body >> No distinction between male and female – Paul always kept everything in perspective, saying that in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, but we are all one in Christ. Since this will be our circumstance in heaven, we should consider ourselves in these terms now, suggesting that we should not take our gender and sexuality too seriously. We should not consider ourselves Jew nor gentile, and we should not consider our vocation so important. There is only one thing that matters and that is Christ and our relation to Him and His Kingdom in eternity. There won't be an opposite sex in heaven, and we won't get married. For most people to lose their gender and sexuality is like losing their identity. Some people feel it wouldn’t be worth living anymore, but they fail to recognize that God gave them their sexuality, and He still knows what He is doing and He will replace it with something better that will please us even more. Our gender and sexuality play a large part in our lives, yet heaven is better than this life, so with whatever He replaces our sexuality will be better. We don’t know how he will replace it, but we do know that we will be married to Christ. The Church as a whole is the bride of Christ, and so the consummation of the marriage occurs through unity, because it happens collectively to all members of the Church as one. He doesn’t have many brides; He only has one, and so the consummation of the marriage is in relation to unity. (211a) Salvation >> Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles included >> Fellow heirs with Israel (Spiritual Jew) >> We are one in Christ (225b) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> Equality in heaven Gal 3-29 (36l) Gift of God >> Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 7. If we belong to Christ, whether Jew or gentile, we are Abraham’s descendents, heirs according to promise. A gentile who believes in Jesus is more a descendant of Abraham than an unbelieving Jew who can literally trace his bloodline to Abraham. This is the power of faith. That doesn’t mean the genealogy of the Jewish race means nothing; the Jewish race matters greatly, because the Bible says that in the last days God will redeem the Jew, so their genealogy is still significant, though their genealogy has no power to justify them before God. (151b) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> New Testament bears witness of the Old >> The Patriarchs >> Abraham >> Promises to Abraham -- This verse goes with verses 15-22. Paul was writing to gentiles about becoming spiritual Jews, saying that if we are believers in the blood covenant of Jesus Christ, then we belong to Him and are therefore Abraham’s descendents, heirs according to promise. How little does it matter if we are male or female, slave or free? When we think of being Abraham’s descendents, we know that according to the flesh we had to be Hebrew, but Paul says not anymore, for God has made us Abraham's descendents through faith, even if we came from a completely different nation and heritage. When we think of God fitting us into Abraham’s family, descendents according to promise, we picture God performing some kind of miracle, transforming our genes into conformity with the Hebrew nation; that is how profound the miracle of being members of the body of Christ through promises that God made to Israel. We may not be literal Jews, but there is something very literal about our faith. It seems nebulous to us that we believe in a set of doctrines and strive to live according to them, yet it causes us to think and act like Jews. They were persecuted and hated; so are we. They were misunderstood; so are we. They went to war against the heathen, and so we are spiritual warriors against sin and Satan. They struggle with God; we struggle with God. They strove to fulfill a plan and purpose that God had prepared for them, so we strive to fulfill a plan and purpose that God has prepared for us. We are spiritual Jews in every respect, except physically, but we are members of a spiritual kingdom, so it doesn't matter, and in time God will clothe His kingdom with a physical exterior. A day is coming when we will enter the gates of heaven and the figurative becomes literal as members of the body of Christ, who are neither male nor female, bond nor free, Jew nor gentile, for we are all one in Christ. (213i) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> Jesus owns you >> His will becomes our will >> We are God’s property (238aa) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again by the will of Christ -- This verse goes with verse 3 See next page