What Were You Thinking?
Notes
Transcript
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? 4 Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing? 5 So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard—6 just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness? 7 You know, then, that those who have faith, these are Abraham’s sons. 8 Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. 9 Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
Paul does not mince words here… he calls the Galatians foolish.
The reason for Paul’s harsh words… the church began to accept a false narrative. This false narrative was causing them to reject what they had heard and seen.
Let us clarify this from the start….
The crucifixion was more than sufficient for our salvation.
The crucifixion was more than sufficient for our salvation.
The completed work of Jesus Christ is all we need for salvation.
I keep using the term completed work… that means there is nothing we need to do or can do to earn salvation.
We are 100% reliant on Jesus.
Our salvation is by faith and it is by faith we receive the Holy Spirit.
Our salvation is by faith and it is by faith we receive the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from God that we receive with salvation.
If our salvation is by faith alone then the only way we can receive the Spirit is through that same faith at salvation.
Our new life began in faith it would be foolish to try and live it in the flesh.
Our new life began in faith it would be foolish to try and live it in the flesh.
Following a bunch of rules is not the way to spiritual maturity.
We will follow the Lord’s commands out of love for the Lord not some vain attempt to earn favor.
We cannot live by our flesh.
Blessings, miracles, spiritual maturity, and our justification cannot be gotten through works - faith alone.
Blessings, miracles, spiritual maturity, and our justification cannot be gotten through works - faith alone.
