Galatians 3:1-9

SLIDE 2

Galatians 3:1–3 ESV

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

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SLIDE 3

Galatians 3:4–6 ESV

4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

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SLIDE 4

Galatians 3:7–9 ESV

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

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Read 1-9

Intro:

All of humanity deals with conflict. Our relationships provide conflict. Our jobs provide conflict. The struggle of working and supporting our lives, provides conflict… and our very own bodies provide conflict.

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But, when you become a Christian, a new kind of conflict arises.

And it’s not that becoming a Christians provides more burden. In fact, in our faith, we find reason.. understanding and benefit from many of the conflicts that normally confound us.

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But… before Christ… we are physical beings, conflicting with a physical world.

In Christ, we are born anew, as spiritual beings… - The eternal part of us, awakens in its new found relationship with God, and immediately finds itself at odds with the world around us.

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We are now, as spiritually alive people… designed to work in harmony with the Holy Spirit… and aligned to find purpose, insight and direction from the Scriptures..

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So now… our conflict is different.

The natural drive of our humanity..

and.. the systems of our society..

.. are in conflict.. with the natural drive of the Holy Spirit

And the system’s of God’s Word.

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One of the greatest, and most confounding systems of God… is grace.

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Our physical side, conflicts with the spiritual reality of grace.

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We are satisfied.. when we have earned the things we gain..

But God does not pay us, or reward us in accordance to our works..

We gain from God.. by means of grace..

And if it’s grace.. then we didn’t earn it..

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And that simple little truth..

Confounds us..

We don’t get to earn our salvation.

No.. we get it freely..

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Forgiveness and eternal life.. is ours for the asking..

We merely ask for forgiveness..

And God gives it.. once and for all.

We merely ask for eternal life..

And it ours..

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The greatest difficulty in this whole matter.. is believing it..

And belief is a vital part of receiving salvation..

But once again.. even the ability to believe.. is given to us by grace..

For this too.. is a work of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives..

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We have begun this journey… or, more appropriately.. we have begun this relationship w/God..

By receiving it all freely..

According to His incomprehensible system of grace.

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When you are hired on with a new company..

They hire you.. based on your resume. They look at your: experience, education and your recommendations..

Based on those factors..

They take a chance..

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Your application and your resume have presented unto your employer a promise..

.. and now.. as an employee.. you need to make good on that promise..

You told them that you’re smart, skilled and will work hard…

Now.. you need to prove it..

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That’s a job.. that’s how employment works.. – or at least.. that’s how it should work..

That makes sense..

But salvation.. it doesn’t make sense..

We are brought into this faith.. on the premise of someone else’s resume..

… someone else’s application..

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God received the paper-work concerning our salvation from Jesus..

God reads the application.. and concludes..

That Jesus is the perfect candidate..

With that knowledge in hand..

He looks to us.. and says:

You’re in..

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God reviewed the resume.. the application..

Andis totally impressed..

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Well.. now that we’re in..

We’ve got to prove ourselves right?

That’s what we do.. at work..

We come in under the premise of our application..

Then.. once we get there.. we gotta prove it..

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It must be the same with our salvation…..

But no… it’s not..

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In the employment world.. you’re living up to your own application..

In salvation.. the application that we would have to live up to..

Was submitted by Jesus..

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What’s on that application?

Lived a perfect sinless life…

Fulfilled countless prophecies….

Performed a whole bunch of miracles…

Satisfied God’s need to pour out wrath upon all humanity.. by receiving that wrath upon Himself..

After 3 days in the grave.. rose again..

Visibly ascended into Heaven.. before witnesses.

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God approves us… based on qualifications that we could never fulfill..

No way! It’s impossible..

And yet.. in spite of this.. The Galatian church was beginning to swallow a doctrine..

… that convinced them… that they needed to live up to their own application..

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But.. there’s been a change..

Logically.. if you are saved by Jesus.. then you are maintained by Jesus..

But this is not the logic that the Galatian church was holding onto.

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The Galatian church was being told..

That.. “yes”.. you are saved by Jesus..

But.. you must maintain it..

By the law..

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At work.. your boss expects you to maintain your employment..

based upon the promises on your application.. - You have presented yourself as a fit for the job description…

But.. let’s pretend… that once you’re hired..

He puts together a new job description ..

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And he expects out of you… something that only Albert Einstein can do…

And Arnold Schwartzenagger

And Jackie Chan

And then.. maybe a few gymnasts.. professional skateboarders.. a couple brain surgeons and an airline pilot..

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Your employer melds all the mental and physical abilities of these individuals together..

And presents it to you..

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Yes.. you were hired.. - you gained your job based on your own, personal application..

But.. your job.. it’s maintained..

Based on this new job description.. - You came in knowing some bookkeeping skills… but now, to stay, you must master existential computations of string theory , do flips, and bench press 375 lbs.

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That wouldn’t make sense…

– C’mon..

That would be ridiculous..

No one could fulfill that…

There is no reason.. no sense and no logic in that expectation.

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To a degree… this is Paul’s argument..

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SLIDE 5

Galatians 3:1 ESV

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

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We’ve already concluded.. from previous studies..

that the Galatian church… was setting aside grace….

This is the act of disobedience that verse one is referring to..

They were not obeying the truth..

Instead.. they were embracing..

Laws.. works.. traditions.. and rituals.. +

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The logic behind the truth.. is going to be explained..

for we learn.. that works aren’t bad..

Doing stuff for God.. is not bad.. - it’s actually good.

In many ways.. traditions.. aren’t bad.. - they can be very good.

But.. when we reverse the motivation..

They become bad.. +

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If we are doing the works.. and the rituals.. and the traditions..

Because we think.. that these activities.. will buy us favor with God..

Then our motivation is reversed.. +

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If we think.. that God will only be happy with us..

If we are reading our Bible every day.. praying for an hour straight every morning… doing good deeds for the poor.. attending every Bible study…

Only by doing these things… will God will be happy..

And we will earn His favor..+

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If this is how we think..

We’re wrong..

We are.. in fact.. cheapening the work of the Cross..

We are insulting the work.. that God has done for us..

We are perverting the message of that says (NO SLIDE)

Galatians 2:21 ESV

21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

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BUT… The truth is…

We no longer operate under a “have to” system..

We now operate under a “get to” system.. +

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God wants us to pray.. and study.. and serve.. and worship and be in fellowship..

He wants us to do these things..

Not because we have to..

But rather.. because we get to.. +

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Now.. when we “get to” do things..

They are usually things that we want to do..

They are usually things that are good.. and desirable..

And these things… the works, the traditions… the devotion… they are good and desirable.. .. if… if.. our motivations are going in the right direction.. +

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The Galatians thought that they needed to do stuff to earn God’s favor..

So they set aside grace..

And began to engage in the works of the law… to gain favor with God.. +

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But here’s the reality..

God reveals His grace to us..

So that we will respond..

..with a compulsion and a desire..

To live a spiritually disciplined life.. +

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He has done so much for us..

The gift that we’ve received in Him.. is so incredible..

That we should respond.. with and obsession towards God..

Our lives should be… consumed with God.. +

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But often times... we don’t fully understand how incredible grace is..

It’s hard for us to see..

It’s hard for us to comprehend..

Therefore.. we are not as compelled with thanksgiving to serve.. worship and pray.. +

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We don’t easily see.. how good we’ve got it..

Maybe it’s a personal.. lack of knowledge in the Word..

Maybe it’s an unwillingness to really see how big our salvation is..

maybe it’s due to the fact.. that we’re too busy.. too distracted.. too occupied with the stuff of this world..

We’re like the simpleton.. who looks up at a great sky-scraper..

And walks into the lobby.. looks around..

Sees one room with lots of signs.. a couple doors and a few elevators..

He walks out.. thinking to himself..

That he has seen and understood the sky-scraper.. +

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I have seen the sky-skraper. I went inside.. I looked around.. it was nice.. +

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I still remember.. when I was maybe 9 years old.. going up the elevator in the Sears Tower.. in Chicago..

It was a big elevator..

It went.. really really fast..

And when we came out on the 103rd floor..

Wow.. it was an incredible thing to see.. +

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And there were five more floors above that..

And there were two very large tv anteneas on top of that that reach up another 250 feet..

There was so much more to see.. +

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I only saw the lobby.. the elevator.. and the 103rd floor..

In fact.. when I was 9… the Sears Tower had more square footage floor space in it.. than any other commercial building in the US..

Only the Pentegon beat it..

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Now, it has a different name… The Willis Tower… and it’s no longer second on the list… but 8th. The Palazzo in Las Vegas takes first place, followed by the Pentegon.. followed by the Air Force Plant #4… and four other buildings before the previously named… Sears Tower shows up on the list..

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But it’s still huge.

Just imagine.. how much more there is to learn about that one sky-scraper..

One guy can walk out after seeing the lobby..

And say.. that he understands the building..

And.. he’s not really impressed.+

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I walked out.. after seeing the lobby.. the elevator.. and the 103rd floor..

And I was amazed..

I only saw the tiniest fraction..

But the part I saw..

Made it clear..

That this building.. is huge.. powerful and I’ve barely scratched the surface.+

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Grace is kind of like that sky-scraper..

And many of us.. are still operating under a motivation..

Concerning the things we “have to do”..

Because we’ve merely seen the lobby of grace..+

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And have grown content with that view, looking out the front door of the lobby..

Because of this… grace has become a small thing…

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but, if grace becomes a small thing to us… something else become a small thing..

And that is… the price that was paid.. to freely give us our salvation..

And therefore.. we will still struggle with the inward need..

To satisfy ourselves.. by thinking.. that we are earning our salvation.. +

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SLIDE 7

Galatians 3:2–4 ESV

2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

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In .. Jesus told us.. that the H.S. has come….

to convict the world.. of sin.. of righteousness and of judgment.

That’s His job.. and each of us here today.. who is a believer..

Has experienced that conviction..+

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Before we gave our lives to Jesus..

The need was revealed to our hearts..

We were convicted.. and we understood.. that we needed Jesus.. +

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I was sitting around a campfire in 1984 listening to other kids share their testimonies..

I didn’t receive my conviction because I was obedient to perform some work of the law.. - I RECEIVED IT, because the Holy Spirit gave it by grace. +

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One of the first families in our little church… meeting in my living room in 1999, was Mark and Tamara Mulvahill… I love Mark’s testimony.

He was sitting in his easy-chair.. drinking a beer.. watching Jimmy Swaggert on tv..

I don’t know which part is more amazing:

He got saved while drinking beer or:

He got saved while watching Jimmy Swaggert.. +

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But… the H.S. convicted his heart..

No acts of the law there.. +

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A Calvary Chapel Pastor named Raul Reese.. was at home.. he had just torn his house apart.. he was drunk.. he was stoned.. he had a shot-gun in his hand.

He was going to kill his family and himself..

He was just waiting for them to get home..

And while he waited..

He heard someone share the gospel on tv..

And he was convicted by the H.S…

He prayed for Jesus to forgive him of his sins..

He received Jesus as His Lord..

And gained salvation.+

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No works of the law..+

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There was no work of the law.. that brought the conviction of the H.S. to our hearts..

and by what manner did we respond to this conviction?

By what method.. did we pray that prayer and receive that gift?+

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By faith.

We believed what was revealed..

And we asked for forgiveness..

And it was given to us..+

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We ask.. and we receive.. by faith..

No ritual has been performed..

There has been no baptism.. there has been no communion.. there has been no church attendance..

We haven’t done any good deeds..

We haven’t tithed.. we haven’t joined a church..

We haven’t claimed a denominational preference..

We haven’t proclaimed ourselves Catholic or Prodestant..

None of that stuff matters yet..

It’s not needed to gain salvation.. +

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Salvation.. is a work of the Spirit.. and we experience it.. spiritually.. by faith..

Notice.. it began.. in the spirit..

Just like Paul says here in vs. 3..

It began in the Spirit..

So.. why then.. must it continue.. or be maintained..

In some other fashion?+

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You can go to an amusement park.. pay for your ticket.. and you get in..

But.. that doesn’t insure that you’re in for the rest of the day..+

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They have rules that must be adhered to..

If you go to Kings Dominion and rough-house with the person dressed up like Scooby Doo

Then you’re out.. all year..

We learned this by direct experience in our family…

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For acting goofy with the Scooby Doo..

But, salvation’s not like that..

Once you’re in.. you’re in..

The up-front purchase.. covers everything..

It’s not just your pass at the front gate..

It’s your pass.. to take up permanent residence.. +

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The Judaisers came to the Galatian church..

and told them.. if they wanted to become real serious Christians..

then they would have to prove how serious they were..

by adhering to the law.. +

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Yes.. it began.. in faith..

But.. it must continue.. in works.. +

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You’ll face the same thing now a days.. amongst believers..

For they will say.. they are more serious about Jesus..

Because of their dress code.. because of their strict rules.. because of their dogmatic adherence to these practices..

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They don’t recognize their prideful sense of supremacy as sin… +

.. w/o fail.. is a prideful sense of supremacy.

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Well.. we don’t play cards.. go to movies.. wear short pants.. or miss church ever..

That proves.. that we love Jesus more over at our church.. than you love Jesus.. over at your church.. +

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Hey.. dedication is admirable.. and if a person has strong convictions as unto the Lord about these things..

Then they need to do them.. but they need to do them, with humility in check… otherwise they run the risk of letting their devotion, create other forms sin.

But too often.. that supremacy attitude arises..

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But grace frees us from that..

We can’t think ourselves supreme over other believers..

Why?

When salvation comes freely by grace..

how can anyone say they are better at it than anyone else?+

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We might disagree doctrinally from time to time..

But.. whether it is accompanied by many works of the law.. or whether it is not..

Doesn’t change a thing..

The legalist’s salvation.. is just as good as the non-legalist..

The legalist.. is just doing a bunch of extra stuff..

Stuff God didn’t intend.. +

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Rituals.. that were ordained and created by men.. not God..

Practices and law.. that were passed down by way of tradition and denomination..

Not.. God’s Word..

Why will some think their salvation is better?

Because they’ve tried to add value to it..

… by works..

No no no no no no..

You can’t add value to grace..

It’s already as valuable as it’s going to get.. +

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SLIDE 8

Galatians 3:5–9 ESV

5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

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By the hearing of faith..

that’ how we’ve received the Spirit..

That’s how many have experienced miracles..

That’s how all of us.. experience the miracle of salvation..

Did Jesus ever perform a miracle.. in and through… and the result of.. an adherence to the law?

I can’t think of any miracle.. that was conjured up..

By the law.. +

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Jesus had one on one interventions with people..

He showed love and compassion..

He had a genuine interaction.. genuine conversation..

This was the environment of His miracles..

This was the environment.. of our salvation..+

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… when the H.S. first indwelled these hearts of ours..

It wasn’t the response to some ritualistic mantra..

It wasn’t the response of some verse that is recited just right.. +

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God hasn’t called us to ritual.. God hasn’t called us to religion..

God has called us to relationship..

God had a relationship with Abraham.. and it existed with him..

because Abraham was a man of faith..

he believed in God..

and that’s what God wants out of people..+

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He wants them to hear what He has to say.. and believe Him.. and trust Him..

God promised a justification.. to all the nations of the earth.. through the seed of Abraham..

God was really pleased with Abraham..

And it wasn’t for another 430 years.. before the law was even given..

No law yet..

Just faith..

And still.. God was pleased..

Why?

Because of faith… +

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The Galatian church.. - they were Gentiles..

and they were being told.. by Jewish believers..

that they needed to practice a little Jewish law..

to really know salvation…+

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Paul uses Abraham, who also, was a Gentile… a man of no significant birth… through whom, the Hebrew nation would be created… God used his example… to support his argument..

No.. it’s not works.. it’s faith.. +

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Conclusion.

Folks.. God wants us to live lives.. that are consumed with Him..

He wants us to serve Him.. be in fellowship.. pray.. give.. worship…

He wants us to do things.. that could be seen.. as works.. +

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These spiritual disciplines.. that some folks have made out to be … works..

But they are not works..

They are provided as our means of responding..

To grace.. +

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And you can set aside grace..

By using it as our excuse to live a sinful life..

Or.. we can set aside grace..

In exchange for a life of works.. where we feel like our actions are creating a greater favor with God.. +

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Grace should not promote either reaction.. +

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If we are lax with our sinful behavior.. that means.. we don’t understand grace..

If we are given to works, tradition and ritual..

That means.. we are trying to gain a greater favor w/God..

.. one that is greater.. than that which was originally given..

Here’s the reality..

From the very first second of our salvation..

.. we have gained the full favor with God.. +

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We’re not going to add to it..

God is happy with us.. because He is happy with Jesus..

And if we think we can add to God’s favor for Jesus..

By our good works..

We can just forget it..

We’re not going to out-do Jesus.+

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Today.. you might fall in one of three categories..

number one…

You might have a reversed motivation.. where you think that you must do things to gain God’s favor.. +

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Number two

You might have a “lobby view” of grace..

You’ve merely glimpsed a tiny fraction of it..

And yet.. you’re content with that view..

In that view.. grace is nice..

But it’s not.. huge. It’s not colossal. It’s not awesome..

And because your view on grace is not amazing… you fail to find a motivation in thanksgiving

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Number 3

You have a hard time doing the right thing….

You’re not motivated by amazed thanksgiving..

Because.. you fail to be amazed..

Or.. maybe today.. you’ve never experienced the grace of God in your life..

You’ve never received freely.. the ultimate gift of salvation..

You’ve never had the H.S. weigh heavy upon your heart..

And reveal to you.. that you have a need.+

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Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and the light.. no man gets to the father.. except by me..

Scripture says: If you confess w/your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.. you will be saved..

For by grace, you are saved.. through faith.. it is a gift of God.. not of works.. lest any man should boast.. +

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If something’s nagging in your heart about this topic..

That’ the H.S. – He’s talking to you.. - He’s convicting you..

He’s not telling you why you believe it..

He’s just showing you.. that you do believe it..

You believe.. that you need to be redeemed.. bought back..

Into a place of fellowship w/God.. +

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Today.. if you are in one of these three places..

I encourage you… to follow the leading of that conviction in your heart. Ask the person next to you to pray for you… during this closing song… or after we close… just don’t let the conviction pass…

pray.

Let’s stand.. let’s quietly pray for each other..

Let’s set our hearts upon the Lord..

And as we sing…

I encourage you..

Come forward.. and let your brother and your sister pray with you..