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

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