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Galatians:Starting Over {Yet Again}
The Promiser
The Ultimatum…How did it work out?
When love and acceptanceAre conditional commoditiesThat can be withheld
Grace suffers and Damage is done
Last week:God designed the GospelTo apply to all of life
Jesus is enough
We've believed in Something Greater
Than Old Testament LawOr Man-made Religion
And Christ calls us to createRelationships that mirror His grace
Why Faith is superior to Law
Unconditional vs. ConditionalPrecedence
With God vs. With ManCure vs. Diagnostic
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law,
for “The righteous shall live by faith”
- Gal. 3
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring
There is a Covenant in placeAnd it's not man-made
God has made a PromiseAnd it is unconditional
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring- Land- People- Redemption
“By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son…
I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as
the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore
…and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed- Genesis 22
Everything after thisPoints to Jesus
- Circumcision- Passover angel
- Sacrificial system- Sabbath
- Firstfruits- Jubilee
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a SabbathMosaic Law
These are a shadow of the things to come, but the
substance belongs to Christ- Colossians 2
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities…
…it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually
offered every year, make perfect those who draw near
- Hebrews 10
Judaizers:"Follow the shadowOr you won't find reality"
Paul:"You have the reality in Jesus"
"You can't be accepted by God and…"
"You can't be accepted by God and…"
"Jesus is your acceptanceAnd his cross guarantees it"
Christ calls us to createRelationships that mirror His grace
Now the promises were made to
Abraham and to his offspring
It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ
So God the FatherMakes a Promise to Abraham
Concerning & with God the Son
That we get in on By grace through faith in Jesus
Put another wayGod's unconditional covenant Is not with you
But with his Son
You can't mess it upIf you are in Christ…
Jews:
Priority of the FirstbornAdvantages and Promises
This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years
afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified
by God, so as to make the Promise void
God keeps his Covenant
Which came first:God’s Promise to AbrahamOr the Jewish Law?
Judaizers look at The Faith - Gentile Christians-
As unplanned, unaccepted…new
And point back to the LawAs the original standard
But Faith is the standardThe Law came 430 years later
So God's Covenant of FaithTakes Precedence over the Law
Did God accept you fullyWhen you placed your faith
In Jesus?
Did God accept you fullyWhen you placed your faith
In Jesus?
Then why accept religious rulesAs a basis for God's acceptance?
Christ calls us to createRelationships that mirror His grace
For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by
promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise
If you have to earn itIt's contingent upon you
If God promises itIt's contingent uponHis willingness to keep his Word
So grace is betterBecause it came first and
Because we can’t screw it upBy not doing enough
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions,
until the offspring should come to whom the promise
had been made…
To keep sin in check
To expose sin and name itAnd show our need for Forgiveness
Fall: Life will war against you
- Spouse- Ground
- Body"thorns and thistles"
Gift:If we're paying attention… Shows us our constant needFor Christ
Mission Drift
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions,
until the offspring should come to whom the promise
had been made…
…and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one
Mosaic Law= Mediator plusGod and man/Conditional
Blessings and CursingsTied to Land
…but God is one
Promise is to AbrahamBetween Father and Son
And we get in on it
Christ calls us to createRelationships that mirror His grace
- The Mosaic Law:
Comes laterIs conditionalComes through a man(Rather than straight from God)
Abrahamic Covenant:
Comes from GodRatified by GodBased on Faith
We can't mess it up
Abrahamic CovenantKills fear because it's Not performance-oriented
When you follow Jesus:
You are called to Create the same type
of relationships
Unconditional loveNot performance-based Grace over rules
I'm not your judge-I have lumber in my eye
How might that change:Marriage?Parenting?
Friends?Work?
Family?
The people who have hadThe greatest impact in my life
Have been unconditionalIn their love and acceptance- Be that person -
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not!
For if a law had been given that could give life, then
righteousness would indeed be by the law
But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law,
imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed
Kept on short leashFor our own protection
Noah, anyone?
So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came,
in order that we might be justified by faith
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith
Guardian= Paidagogos
House slave for Greeks/Romans6-16 yrs old
Take to the place where taughtBut did not teach
Couldn't do what was neededBut simply show the need
And bring to the OneWho could do it
The Law was a Diagnostic:
Shows the need for a cureUntil the Cure is here
No more need for a diagnostic
Diagnostic:MarriageKidsJobHealthMoney
If I solve it outside of JesusI missed the point
And the blessingGod had for me
In seeking Christ
Relationship: I just want it to be better
God: I just want you to rely on Me
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have
put on Christ
Judaizers: Conversion to Jewish Faith- Circumcision- Offer Sacrifice- Be baptized
Cut hair and nails, undressConfession of faith before
3 fathers of baptismIn water- Law, encouragement
Then…new garment
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ
Jesus is your new garmentYour new life
When we put on Christ…It changes all relationships
Including marriage/romanticParentalFriends
I'm not your judge
I don't put your weaknessesUp against my strengthsAnd find you lacking
I don't keep accountOf the wrongs you've done
I forgive quickly and completely Because I need
The same forgiveness
If this Faith doesn't affectMy relationships
It's not real
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise- Galatians 3:15-29
Are my relationshipsBuilt on Law? Or Grace?
What needs to change?
Am I trying to earn whatJesus has already given?
Am I making people earnMy love and favor?
Let's Pray…
Questions, CommentsDisagreements
BaptismLayman Family
MCWMen's Retreat
iMarriage