Galatians Study 4 Chapter 3

Review

Last week you talked about the Freedom that comes through the Gospel to share your story, no shame, it doesn’t define us, free from it.

Freedom from the Law, no longer bound to it like slaves with a do this and don’t do that mentality.

Free to minister to whomever God puts in front of you, to do it the way you do it, not having to be like someone else.

Freedom to confront, to not live in fear of judgment or to please certain crowds

Then the word “justified” was defined, who knows how to define it?

Just As If I’d never sinned. In contrast to works of the Law, or earning by performing, this is declared over us.

The legal term, not guilty but also as if we’d never done anything wrong.

This frees us up to be righteous, right with God, and to live righteously, with a clean slate. How, because Jesus became sin for us so we could become the righteousness of God, He has made us righteous.

Obedience vs Compliance, define these, what is at the heart of each? Love or fear, relationship vs religion

This week I want to talk about Faith, let’s look at Galatians 2:15-3:14

What is faith? Belief, trust, confidence

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Confidence assurance, not wishful thinking, not hoping but knowing.

So how does “faith” work? First it’s a gift, then it’s strengthened the more we know the object and the giver.

How does one know if they have faith? It must be tested

Does it matter what your faith is in? Absolutely, misplaced faith can be disastrous.

Let’s look at John 6:22-29

John 6:22–29 ESV

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Work—ergazomai, labor, expending effort, do business, be involved in buying and selling, perform, bring about, make happen

In this story, Jesus changes the word for work, agathoergos to one who does good, how? by believing

It’s not the size of your faith but the object of your faith. Who or what you are believing in.

Let’s look at Matthew 14:23-32

Matthew 14:23–32 ESV

And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

What is significant about this story?

Let’s focus on verse 31, how have we heard this in the past? Peter doesn’t have enough faith, his faith isn’t strong enough.

But why then does Jesus say in the NLT, “Why did you doubt me?” What happened?

It was never Peter walking on water, it was Peter being obedient to Jesus, his faith in Jesus to enable Peter to do what Jesus was doing, this shows tremendous faith.

It’s not that Peter lost faith, it’s that his faith was replaced by fear, which caused him to doubt the object of his faith.

It’s not the size of Peter’s faith, it’s the object, Peter doubted Jesus, He doubted the object of his faith.

What distracted Peter, or better yet, caused him to doubt? His circumstances, the wind and the waves,

But do those things matter? Did they matter to Jesus? How was Peter walking on water? Do you think Peter was trying to prove something to Jesus?

How does this apply to our Galatians passage in regards to righteousness and salvation?? Is God really doing it all? I don’t have to do anything?

Can I truly live by faith? Will that be enough? It will if the object of our faith is Jesus and we trust that if He calls us we can walk on water.

it’s not about me performing for God? Earning, complying, it’s about me loving, obeying, trusting.

Faith brings freedom, not performing for God, but living from who God now says we are.

Living from love, with faith, knowing that I’m pleasing to God because I am in Christ and He is in me, because I’ve believed in Him and He said so.

If you want to have more faith, faith that is evident to others regardless of your circumstances, to live in freedom regardless of your circumstances, get to know the object of your faith better, learn to trust Him more.