Skip to content Galatians 3-4: The Heart of a Pastor's Love Sep 23 · 13 min ...more
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Living by Faith: The Promise Fulfilled 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to stand on the word by faith alone living as children of the promise. We're looking at Galatians chapters 3 and 4, today. Verse 11, chapter 3, but that no0:21 1 is justified by the law on the side of God is evident for the just shall live by faith. Now verse 1 of chapter 3 sums up the problem church in Galatia.0:33 Verse 1. 0, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you or cast a spell upon you, that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?0:46 Now in the first 2 chapters that we looked at yesterday, Paul addressed his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ, pushing back on the false teachers who were challenging his authority. He then discussed the foundation0:57 of the Galatians faith, and that was the grace of God. In these following 2 chapters that we're looking at today, Paul further, I think he he kinda reveals the heart of a pastor. Okay? Wanting to correct1:09 those that he had led into the faith, and we see that he has a greater concern, and this is where pastors should be, okay, and spiritual leaders. He had a greater concern for their spiritual well-being1:21 than a concern that the Galatians might be offended or misunderstand him or dislike him because he was telling them the truth. Right? Paul is exemplifying, I believe, what love looks like.1:33 True love, biblical love, speaking truth for the spiritual benefit of others, even though it may cost him personally in the short term. Now remember, these Gentiles, who unlike1:44 the Jewish who unlike the Jewish believers had never lived under the law. Okay? These were not Jewish converts. These were Gentiles. Okay? These were not Gentiles who became Jewish, and1:56 then became Christian. These were Gentiles. Okay? The they had been pagan pagans, I mean, worshiping idols and pursuing their own human desires. And Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them,2:08 and they were set free from the bondage of sin and death. Now the Judaizers came in, those who say, well, you've gotta you gotta you gotta practice the law too. They came in behind Paul and were2:20 teaching them that they had to perfect their faith through the works of the law. Paul lays out before them that if they are to be children the promise, they must hold to that promise, right,2:32 which is Jesus Christ by faith alone, not replaced by or mixed with the requirements of the law, which they could not keep. None of us can. That's why2:43 Jesus died for us. Verse 2, this only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Did the freedom, he says he said, did the freedom that you2:55 experience when I preach the gospel message, do you come from keeping the law, or did it come by faith? Well, the answer was obvious. It came by faith. Verse 3, 0, you, are you so foolish3:07 having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain? Therefore, he who supplies the3:19 spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith? What purpose then does the law serve? It adds excuse3:31 me. I got ahead of myself. So, apparently, they had seen miracles as Paul preached to them, and he asked, were those by the preaching of the law or the the gospel message3:43 of grace and faith? Verse 6. Just as Abraham believed God and was accounted to him for righteousness, therefore, know that only those who are of faith are sons3:54 of Abraham. See, the Judaizers were claiming to be the children of Abraham, and if you wanted to be a child of Abraham, you had to follow the law. Paul deconstructs that claim by going back to4:06 God's promise to Abraham that preceded the law. Verse 8. And the the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preach the gospel to Abraham beforehand saying in4:18 you all the nations shall be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed by believing Abraham. See, the promise made, Abraham was given the promise of of a4:30 redeemer that would bring mankind back into relationship with God, their creator, by faith. That was that was the promise given to Abraham. Thus, pushing the law I mean,4:41 those pushing the law rather were going backwards. The promise to Abraham was this age of grace that we're now in was going to be made possible by the redeemer, Jesus4:53 Christ. So can't go back. Abraham was looking forward. We're in the time that he was looking forward to the promise that he was given to. So if you wanna be a child of Abraham,5:09 Jesus Christ. Verse 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law5:21 to do them. But that no 1 is justified by the law on the side of God is evident for the just shall live by faith. Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them.5:32 Paul here quotes Habakkuk 2 4, the just shall live by faith. The same verse is also found in Romans chapter 1 verse 17 and Hebrews chapter 10 verse 30. Faith in Jesus5:44 Christ is the way to justification or forgiveness of our sins, and that forgiveness is the key to life. The just shall live by faith. Verse5:56 14 reveals that this promise was not just to Abraham. Verse 14, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith.6:08 So if the promise was before the law, remember the law was given at Sinai to Moses to so the written law came after the promise to Abraham. So if6:20 the promise was before the law and is a part of the law, what is the purpose of the law? Well, look at verse 19. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgression6:33 till the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Verse 23. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept by6:45 the kept for the faith, which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Paul Paul's a6:57 very, very smart man. He's an intellect, and sometimes he's hard to follow. What he's saying here is now let me just kinda break down some of the words here. The the Greek word for tutor here does not mean teacher like a7:08 after school tutor, but rather an attendant, a custodian who was generally a servant responsible for ensuring that the child would arrive at school on time. See, the law served the purpose between the promise made7:20 to Abraham and the fulfillment of the promise of the redeemer that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So the tutor, the law carried us from point a to point b to make sure we showed7:31 up. So what the law did was both reveal and restrain sin. Alright? The law of God, and Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 2, is written on our hearts. It's7:43 the moral law of God. He he says even the Gentiles who did not have the law know the law because it's written on their hearts. However, our hearts, our conscience, have been corrupted and suppressed7:55 by sin. Our our the moral law is suppressed by the sin of our fallen nature, and it's gotten worse. So it was written on a stone to make clear that there is a standard of right and8:07 wrong. So that's what the law was. Didn't save. It was never intended to save, but it was to show that there was a standard that we were going to be held accountable to. So let's look at the promise revealed. Verse 25.8:19 But after faith has come, we are no longer under the tutor. Alright? The tutor brought us to the place of the fulfillment of the promise. For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you8:31 as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alright. Let's go let's jump very quickly to chapter 4 verse 3. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the8:43 world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. So he's using another analogy8:54 here. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out, Abba Father. We've been adopted into the family of God. The and and and and9:06 we know what happened in the New Testament as opposed to the Old Testament. God was the their their their husband. It was that relationship more of a contractual9:17 relationship. But in the New Testament, in fact, this is what was so powerful when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, our father. That was not something that was, common in the Old Testament. He was9:29 not seen as the the father. And so now we have this loving relationship that we we cry out, Abba, father. Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son,9:41 then heir of God through Christ. Now he closes this chapter with the symbolism of the law and faith found in Abraham and his 2 sons. Remember? The 2 sons that he had. Tell9:53 me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had 2 sons, 1 by the bondwoman, Ishmael, the other by the free woman, that was Isaac. But the 2 but he who was of10:05 the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through promise. Which things are symbolic? For these are the 2 covenants, the 1 from Mount Sinai, which gives10:17 birth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is is and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above10:28 is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, rejoice, oh, barren, you who do not bear, break forth and shout, you who are not in labor for the desolate has many more children than10:40 she who has a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of the promise. Isaac was a child of the promise. But as but as he who was born according to the flesh then10:53 persecuted him, who was born according to the spirit, even so now it is. Right? It sure certainly is. Nevertheless, what does the scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for11:05 the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. So here it is. Bottom line, the story11:17 of God's plan of redemption is clear and consistent from the garden to the cross. It is by faith alone. It is the promise that was given to Abraham,11:29 fulfilled at the cross when Jesus died and then raised again from the dead by the father, that it is by believing and then confessing that we11:41 become children of the promise. Father, we thank you that you have made a way for us. Thank you for your plan of salvation. And, lord, if we believe11:53 in our hearts that you raised Jesus from the dead and confess with our mouth, we will be saved. We are children of the promise. We are adopted into the family where we can call upon you as father. Father, hear our12:04 prayers. Lord, we pray for our nation. We pray for our families. We pray for the eyes of those who are closed, those who are living in darkness to be opened. We pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on our nation, on12:15 our families, on our communities, that, lord, that the light might break through at this moment. And use us. Lord, use us. Help us to know your word, to stand upon your word,12:27 to proclaim your word in love that, lord, others might come to know the freedom that is found only in Jesus Christ. For it's in his name we pray. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning,12:39 and until next time, keep standing on the word.12:46 Today's study comes from the stand on the Word Bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you12:57 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Living by Faith: The Promise Fulfilled94K followers
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