FREEDOM! - Justified by Faith
Freedom - Justified by Faith • Sermon • Submitted
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· 19 viewsIntroduction into Book of Galatians for verse by verse study
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It’s for Freedom that Christ has set you free!
It’s for Freedom that Christ has set you free!
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Gal 4
If you had to pick one verse to summarize the Book of Galatians that would be a good one to pick or maybe even:
16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
As we start a study of the book of Galatians the aims is to help us to grow in our understanding of justification by faith and the freedom we have in that.
(Slide) Tonight we will look at some introduction material and Paul’s introduction of the letter.
There is no doubt we living in troubling times where the gospel is being perverted. Sin is acceptable under the guise of “tolerance.” Heaven is believed, but Hell is not really a subject matter much less the consequence for sin.
(Slide) The problems we face today are much like the first century and Paul could be writing a similar letter today couldn’t he?
(Slide) Immorality runs rampant
(Slide) Good morals, virtue, integrity is not the common
(Slide) Religions are many, yet ineffective and misleading, where souls are misguided or even lead away from the freedom in Christ.
The Author and Recipients
The Author and Recipients
1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
The author identified himself as Paul, this was never contested by anyone regarding authorship until 19th century and then the claims were unfounded and easily put away.
Paul also identifies himself in
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Paul formally Saul of Tarsus as seen in
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Then became the champion of the Gentiles or Apostle to the Gentiles according to
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
hem became the champion of the Gentiles or Apostle to the Gentiles according to
This is the Paul who is credited with writing many of the books of the N.T.
(Slide) Paul identifies himself as an Apostle and tells you more in (v.1), what does he make of point of telling you? - Paul tells you his apostleship is not by man or through man but through Jesus Christ. - Paul starts to make his defense right in the beginning of the letter, so that tells you part of the problem is that some were challenging Paul, his apostleship and in turn his message - justification by faith. Paul goes on still in that same verse and tells you how it is possible he is an apostle, by God raising Jesus from the dead.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
One of the problems that you will see in Galatians is the troublemakers are adding to grace through faith, justification to be coupled with works for salvation and as Paul wrote to the Ephesians it is not by works, so no one can boast.
2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
Paul is not alone, he has unnamed brethren with him. Which means they are followers and believe in the Gospel Paul is preaching.
Then we get to the recipients (v.2b)
To the churches at Galatia, so we know it is more than one, but identifying the churches has been a matter of discussion and debate over the years as to is it to the churches in all Galatia, is it only to the churches Paul established on his missionary journey’s?
It seems the consensus, while still disputed by others is the southern part of Galatia which includes
(Slide) Northern Galatia, to the south, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (as seen in )
Even if you research it and come to believe it is the southern region of Asia minor, it does not change the fact of why the letter is written and our study of it. Just as the letter was applicable to them then, we can glean from the problems and the solutions we will read, study in the book.
Just want to touch on something again about the brethren who could they be?
( Slide) First missionary journey, Barnabas is with Paul when they established the church in Galatia (see Act13:14-14:25)
(Slide) Paul’s second missionary journey, Silas is with him (see Act16:1-5)
(Slide) Who more than likely is not with him is Timothy, for this is where Timothy was from and if he was with him surely he would mention him by name. (see Act16:1-6)
(Slide) While we do not know the exact date of the writing, we can tell it is after the Jerusalem Counsel (Act15; in 48AD); we know it is after the prophesy of Agabus of the famine that occurred under Claudius (41-50AD) -------------what we do know it is after 48AD
II. The Purpose and the Content
II. The Purpose and the Content
The church was being infiltrated by someone bringing a disturbing and distorted gospel
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Paul even calls them fools for believing
1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
We can tell when looking at - that they were Judaizers, believed in Christ and the law must work together
1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
This form of teaching, where Paul calls them a fool, calls the proclaimers disturbing and distorted it is a salvation issue according to
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
(Slide) The letter to the Galatians is the apologists great “Magna Carta of Christian liberty”
(Slide) Paul builds the letter in a strategic way and is broken down into three sections
(Slide) (Paul’s defence of his apostleship (Gal1-2)
(Slide) Paul’s defence of justification by faith (Gal3-4)
(Slide) Paul’s call to stand fast in the liberty of the Gospel (Gal5-6)
III. Freedom! - The Book of Galatians
III. Freedom! - The Book of Galatians
The verse again that could summarize Galatians
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
(Slide) We are freed for a purpose and freed from the previsions of man. The liberty we as Christians have and should remember we have in Christ. The things Paul addresses in this Epistle about freedom are
(Slide) Freedom from bondage of sin - Gal2:16
(Slide) Freedom from the Law of Moses - Gal4:4-5
(Slide) Freedom “to” serve one another in love - Gal5:13
(Slide) Freedom from works of the flesh - Gal5:16-21
(Slide) Freedom “to” show proof of the fruit of the Spirit - Gal5:22-232
This freedom spoken of by Christ
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
This freedom that happened at the death, burial and resurrection of Christ
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
(Slide) This freedom, is also the assurance that we as Christians should have and walk in daily.
Rom8:1-
(Slide) This freedom available to all because of Christ’s completed work.
(Slide) This freedom what has empowered us to walk by faith not by site
Invitation - take a walk into the freedom only found in Christ Jesus today by faith; be reminded of that justification by faith as we study the book of Galatians.