The Churches Of Galatia
There was no city named Galatia. Galatia was a region in central Asia Minor, mostly identified today with western Turkey. The general purpose of Paul's epistle to the Galatians was to address a damaging conflict raging among the several Galatian Churches, between the Jewish and Gentile Christians regarding circumcision and the keeping of Moses' law. Paul first established his own credentials, then explained that circumcision was NOT necessary under grace, and closed by urging them not to abuse the grace of God by ignoring the laws of God.
Galatians 1:1-2 - "Paul, an apostle, ...unto the churches of Galatia."
Believe No Other Gospel, Whether By Men Or Angels
People are fickle. As Paul established so many churches in Asia Minor, certain Jews declared theological war on the Christians, trying to subvert them. Paul exclaimed, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." Grave deceptions also threaten the Church today. Reject them!
Galatians 1:8 - "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
The Profits Of Religion
Religion was Paul's specialty. He admitted that he "profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." But Jesus appeared to him, "that I might preach him among the heathen." Paul renounced his selfish profit-taking interests in religion to preach Jesus without charge. In our day, "get-rich-quick" preachers are unworthy to be associated with that sacred Apostolic legacy.
Galatians 1:10 - "Do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
I Conferred Not With Flesh And Blood
Paul denounced the false Gospel that was being preached to the Galatians. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another." He said that when God called him to preach, "I conferred not with flesh and blood." Stop listening to men who are not faithfully preaching accurate Biblical truth!
Galatians 1:11-12 - "The gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Paul's Life And Ministry Were Foreordained
Paul emphasized that his ministry as an Apostle was "not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ." Paul had been "exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers," (he was a well-educated Jew), but when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, Paul received a revelation of his divine destiny. Your destiny was known to God before you were born.
Galatians 1:15 - "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen."
The Faceless Preacher
When God called Paul into the ministry, he "conferred not with flesh and blood." Paul's relationship with Jesus was profound. He did not go to Jerusalem to consult the apostles. For three years, he was essentially isolated in Arabia, then in Damascus. Afterward, he spent fifteen days with Peter in Jerusalem. So, for about seventeen years, the great Apostle was unknown by face in Israel. You do not need recognition. Serve God anonymously, if necessary.
Galatians 1:21-22 - "Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea."
I Went Up To Jerusalem By Revelation
Paul preached to Gentiles for at least fourteen years before going to Jerusalem to meet the original Apostles. It may have seemed awkward for Paul to meet them for the first time, but Paul went because the Holy Ghost revealed to him that he should go. Amazingly, he was well-received.
Galatians 2:2,9 - "I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, ...And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship."
High-Profile Individuals Need Privacy To Consider God
Remember how Nicodemus came privately to Jesus by night? People who live high-profile public lives need privacy when it comes to talking about important things of God. Paul recognized that when he had an opportunity to minister to some well-known individuals in Jerusalem. When someone is inquiring about spiritual matters of eternal consequence, it is best that casual observers not be around. Careless or inconsiderate interruptions may sabotage an opportunity to know God.
Galatians 2:2 - "I went up ...privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain."
False Brethren Brought In Unawares
For the first time since his conversion seventeen years earlier, Paul made an open visit to Jerusalem to meet with fellow Apostles and brethren. Barnabas and Titus accompanied him for that watershed event. Paul freely discussed his ministry to the Gentiles with many brethren. Some false brethren were brought to the meetings, who tried to create controversy about circumcision. Paul categorically ignored them. You must learn to shut out the voices of unbelievers in the Church.
Galatians 2:5 - "To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."
The Gospel Was Committed To Peter And To Paul
There are no mistakes with God, and no accidents in His Kingdom. Peter was an eyewitness to the Savior, and was visited repeatedly by angels. Paul was visited by the Lord from Heaven, and angels also appeared to him. In the eternal plan of God, these two had been ordained from the foundation of the earth. Paul said, "the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter."
Galatians 2:8 - "He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles."
Paul, Barnabas, Peter, James And John Together
It is staggering to contemplate the significance of this meeting. Paul and Barnabas met in Jerusalem with Peter, James and John to discuss the future of the Church. Peter became the Patriarch of all Jewish Christians, and Paul the Patriarch of all Gentile Christians. Billions of people have been effected. Never underestimate the potential of consecrated fellowship.
Galatians 2:9 - "When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."
Sometimes, Men Of God Should Correct Their Fellows
Solomon said, "Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee," Proverbs 9:8. He also said, "It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools," Ecclesiastes 7:5. Paul found Peter sending conflicting messages; eating with Gentiles on one occasion, and forbidding to eat with Gentiles on another. "I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed."
Galatians 2:14 - "I said unto Peter... If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, ...why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
What Will It Be? Law, Or Grace?
The epochs of time have been prophetically divided into dispensations of God's judgment. First, He judged Adam by his innocence. After sin, He judged mankind by his conscience. Beginning with Noah, He judged human governance. With Abraham, His promise became the standard. From Moses, He judged by His law. Since Calvary, God judges by His grace. Paul rebuked Peter for stepping back into the wrong dispensation.
Galatians 2:16,21 - "A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, ...for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
We Seek To Be Justified
Paul contrasted the difference between the Law and Grace. He had an impeccable education in the Law by Gamaliel, the great Hebrew scholar. He was tutored in Grace by revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul knew that keeping the Law cannot save you; but neither does Grace allow you to continue in sin. Seek to be justified. Turn from sin.
Galatians 2:17 - "If, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor."
I Am Crucified
We mourn the crucifixion of our own flesh, presuming it to be a loss. A lost possession, a lost love, a lost job -- any or all material losses are perceived to be sorrowful, if not tragic. In God's economy, however, it is merely the removal of an obstacle to the revelation of divine providence. Without death to self we cannot see the stupendous infinity of His life. Better to live in Him than in oneself.
Galatians 2:20 - "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
He Is Trustworthy
The differences between trusting our own humanity and trusting God's Spirit are shocking. He knows everything. We know almost nothing. He sees all. We have very limited vision. He hears all. We don't. He has all power in heaven and earth. We have almost none. He can heal, save, deliver and do miracles. We can't. So why do we trust ourselves yet struggle to trust God? God will always lead us right.
Galatians 3:3 - "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"
The True Children Of Abraham
Paul admonished the Churches in Galatia that their spiritual heritage was not born of the flesh by the Law, but of the Spirit by faith. Abraham's legacy was not law-keeping, but having faith toward God. "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, ...Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ...Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Those who believe the Gospel and obey it are the true Children of Abraham.
Galatians 3:7 - "They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
The Scriptures Foresaw Justification Through Faith
The theology of Dispensationalism names eight stages of human relationships with God. INNOCENCE in the Garden. CONSCIENCE until the Great Flood. HUMAN GOVERNMENT until Abraham. PROMISE until Moses. LAW until Christ. GRACE BY FAITH until THE MILLENIAL KINGDOM of Christ, leading to the ETERNAL KINGDOM of Heaven. God always planned this day of Grace through Faith in Christ. Jesus paid off the Law by dying for sinners. Believe and obey the Gospel.
Galatians 3:8 - "The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."
In Thee Shall All Nations Be Blessed
"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, ...unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, ...and thou shalt be a blessing: ...and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed," Genesis 12:1-3. That ancient prophecy meant that salvation would come through Abraham's seed, Jesus Christ. Salvation through Christ was the prophesied blessing.
Galatians 3:8 - "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."
Faithful Abraham
Faith is not an ethereal, mystical force. Faith is more synonymous with "obedience" than perhaps any other word. Abraham believed God, and demonstrated it by getting up and getting out of his country and away from his family, according to God's commandment. Your faith is proven by your obedience and your willingness to do whatever God requires of you. Faith without works is dead; it just does not exist.
Galatians 3:7,9 - "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. ...they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."
The Curse
The doctrine of hell is controversial to some people (probably because they do not want to believe it exists). But since the Garden, God swore that if they sinned, Adam and Eve would die. Ezekiel said, "The SOUL that sinneth, it shall die." Jesus said, "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell," (Matthew 10:28). Every man is cursed unless he repents, and receives pardon by grace.
Galatians 3:10 - "It is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
The Just Shall Live By Faith
When the Apostles began proselyting non-Jews (Gentiles), people asked, "Must we keep Moses' Law?" Martin Luther (16th Century) criticized those who taught that salvation was by grace alone, and that commandments were irrelevant. He called them "Antinomians," (against the Law). But John said that Jesus is coming back for those "that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," (Revelation 14:12). You must have faith, AND keep His commandments (John 14:15).
Galatians 3:11 - "That no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."
The Promise Saw Beyond The Law To The Day Of Grace
If God's promise to Abraham had not preceeded the law, we might never have come to grace. But because of the promise, Jesus came to redeem us from the condemnation of the law.
Galatians 3:18,21 - "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. ...if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
Jesus Christ Is The Promised Seed Of Abraham
Abraham lived long before the Law was given to Moses. Abraham was not an heir by the Law, but by the Promise of God. Abraham never knew the Law. God made covenant with Abraham because "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." "To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. ...And to thy seed, which is Christ."
Galatians 3:21-22 - "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: ...the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
The Law Was Our Schoolmaster
Where there is no law, there is no sin. God introduced the law to show us our sins. The law indicts and condemns both sin and the sinner. It made nothing perfect. But the law showed our need for repentance, and Jesus came that those who repent might find redemption from sin.
Galatians 3:24-27 - "The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ...For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Putting On Christ In Baptism
Every single verse in the Bible has to be reconciled with every other verse. We cannot claim salvation on one verse alone. Jesus said that we must be born of the water and the Spirit. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." If you have not yet been baptized in water and Spirit, you have not yet put on Christ.
Galatians 3:29 - "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Jesus Came When The Fulness Of Time Was Come
The basis of sacred prophecy is that God knows the end from the beginning. God says that a certain thing will happen at a certain time because He sees and knows it, even though the TIME for it to occur has not yet arrived. God is not constrained to time. He dwells in infinity, so the past, present and future are simultaneous to Him. When God reveals a coming event by prophecy, it will certainly appear "in the fulness of time."
Galatians 4:4 - "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman."
The Son Of God, Made Of A Woman
A son is a male child. Jesus is the male child of God. God the Father is the eternal, indivisible Holy Spirit that overshadowed Mary (Luke 1:35), and incarnated Himself in the Christ. There has NEVER been a deity born. God never sired a deity. "My glory will I not give to another," Isaiah 42:8. There is NO eternal Son. The Son was born in the fulness of TIME, and MADE of a woman.
Galatians 4:4 -"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."
The Servant, Adopted As A Son, Becomes The Heir
A child usually cannot inherit until he attains full age. In that respect, a son is no different from a servant. While we were learning the law, (which was our schoolmaster, showing us our sins, and subsequently pointing us to Christ), we were slaves, and not heirs. But when we attained to Christ and His redemption, God delivered us from the slavery of sin, and adopted us into sonship.
Galatians 4:4 - "God sent forth his Son, ...that we might receive the adoption of sons. ...thou art no more a servant, but a son; ...an heir of God through Christ."
The Redeemer
Redemption is a foreign concept to most people, especially personal redemption. What does it mean? "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: ...That the blessing of Abraham might come..." If Jesus had not come to bear the curse of sin for us at Calvary, we would all be sentenced to death and damnation. He redeemed us from that. Redemption means rescue by pay-off or ransom.
Galatians 4:4-5 - "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, ...To redeem them that were under the law."
The Spirit Of His Son In You Cries "Abba, Father"
Jesus was referring to His own Spirit when He told His disciples that the Spirit of truth "dwelleth with you, and shall be in you," (John 14:17). It happened at Pentecost. When you receive the Holy Ghost, you discover that God has conceived something eternal within your mortality. I remember, at the age of eleven, being filled with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. For days, I was overwhelmed. "God is in me!" It was an epiphany.
Galatians 4:6 - "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Consulting Prognosticators Instead Of God?
It is shocking to see professing Christians consulting horoscopes and astrological prognosticators. Those things come from superstitious soothsayers, fortune-tellers, and other deceivers. God rules the stars! The stars rule nothing.
Galatians 4:8-10 - "When ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, ...how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."
They Who Zealously Affect You Do You No Good
Paul was heartbroken about Judaizers who were ravaging his converts from the Gospel back to Judaism. "They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them." The CEV says, "Those people may be paying you a lot of attention, but it isn't for your good. They only want to keep you away from me, so you will pay them a lot of attention. ...My children, I am in terrible pain until Christ may be seen living in you."
Galatians 4:19 - "I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."
I Desire To Be With You, For I Stand In Doubt Of You
The Galatians had once honored Paul, receiving him as an angel of God, even while he suffered many infirmities of the ministry. They would have plucked out their own eyes for him, if needed. But things changed. "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" When people do not want a message, they turn against the messenger.
Galatians 4:19-20 - "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you."
We Are The Children Of The Promise
Sarah gave her bondmaid, Hagar, to Abraham, because she did not think she could bear the child God promised her. But a carnal mind can NEVER do the work of God. "The flesh profiteth nothing. It is the Spirit that quickeneth (gives life)," John 6:63. Ignore the barren womb. Believe the promise of God.
Galatians 4:27-28 - "For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."
The Son Of The Bondwoman Shall Not Be Heir
Two covenants: The Law, replaced by Grace. Mount Sinai, replaced by Mount Zion (heavenly Jerusalem). Ishmael, replaced by Isaac. Hagar, replaced by Sarah. Bondwoman, replaced by free woman. The flesh, replaced by the Spirit. Abraham had to cast out the old. We must reject the law as a means unto salvation. Still, we must obey God's laws, but understand that salvation can only come by grace.
Galatians 4:30-31 - "The son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free."
Be Not Entangled Again With The Yoke Of Bondage
Paul urged the Colossians to cast out the "bondwoman" (trusting in the flesh), and live as children of the free woman (trusting in God). This verse is malignantly misapplied by some who deviously misbrand the lifestyle of holiness and separation from the world as bondage. That is outrageous, illogical heresy. Holy, separated, spiritual living unto Christ is our only freedom. Entanglement with the world, flesh and devil is deadly bondage. Cast THAT out.
Galatians 5:1 - "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Christ - The Terminus Of Circumcision
God required Abraham and his descendants to be circumcised in the foreskin of the flesh as a token of the Covenant of Promise. In Romans 15:8, Paul explained that Jesus "was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." His own circumcision confirmed that Jesus descended from Abraham, and was the Promise fulfilled. Circumcision was never needed again. Everyone who is baptized into Christ (water and Spirit) inherits the Promise.
Galatians 5:6 - "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."
Leaven In The Lump (Sin, Carnality, Worldliness)
Unleavened bread is flat and tasteless - a very simple food. Leavening changes bread into a light, soft, enjoyable food. False doctrine and lies effect our flesh like leavening. "Itching ears" want things that satisfy the carnal mind and its lusts. We should be pure-minded, spiritually-minded, walk in the Spirit, and do His will. But the world's leavening spoils, ferments, and drunkens our minds.
Galatians 5:7-9 - "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."
I Would That They Were Cut Off Which Trouble You
The Church in Galatia was particularly tormented by Jews who refused to abandon the doctrine of circumcision. They tried to entangle the new Christians in some of the old ceremonial rites of the Old Testament. The whole issue threatened the survival of Christianity in those parts. As their Apostle, Paul could have excommunicated them, but false teachers are pernicious, and will not leave people alone. He desired that they would be cut off (Greek: "amputated") from the believers. Sometimes we should pray for troublemakers to be removed.
Galatians 5:12 - "I would they were even cut off which trouble you."
Use Not Liberty For An Occasion To The Flesh
Many people think that the grace of Christ excuses them from accountability to the laws of God. They mistakenly believe that they can live lives of hapless behavior without facing any consequences. Martin Luther said, "You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil if you do not desire to live according to it." Christ frees us from the sins of our past, but we are still accountable to every word of God.
Galatians 5:13 - "Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh."
The Entire Law Is Fulfilled In One Word: LOVE
Consider the Ten Commandments: Worship God and no other. No idols. Do not take His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath. Honor your parents. Do not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet. It you truly love God, and love your neighbor as yourself, you will certainly not transgress against any of those commandments. Love is the fulfillment of the law.
Galatians 5:13-14 - "Use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Trusting Idols, Consulting Witches Ends In Damnation
Among the works of the flesh that Paul listed, are these two: "idolatry, witchcraft." Both are increasingly pervasive in modern society, from Europe, to North America, Africa, and many other hot-beds around the world. Vast segments of society engage in idolatry because of Roman Catholicism, Hinduism and others. Witchcraft is almost universally accepted in "Harry Potter" books and movies, Disney themes, voodoo, and more. God utterly hates those who consult or trust in false gods and unclean spirits. Reject and denounce idols and witchcraft.
Galatians 5:21 - "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Let Us Not Desire Things We Should Not Desire
Throughout the scriptures, you will find a certain amount of similarity of these keywords: prayer, wish, desire, would God, yearn, covet (good things). You do not always have to speak a prayer, because God knows the desires of your heart. A good desire is a good prayer. An evil desire is an evil wish, or an evil prayer. From the heart, the mouth speaketh. If you desire the wrong thing, God knows it before you ask, whether or not you ever say it.
Galatians 5:26 - "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."
In Meekness, Restore One Who Is Overtaken In A Fault
The Church is a many-membered body - the body of Christ. When one member has a problem, the others should care for him. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." The word "restore" comes from a Greek word meaning "complete thoroughly, repair" or "join together" (as in putting a joint back into place). If possible, help your fallen brother return to normal.
Galatians 6:2 - "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
Prove Your Own Work, Bear Your Own Burden
If you fellowship a thriving congregation of godly Christian believers, you are extremely privileged. Cherish the inspiration and spiritual strength you draw from brothers and sisters in the Lord. But know this: God expects you to stand on your own two feet whether you have a friend or a brother in the world. God called out Abraham ALONE and blessed him. Most of the greatest saints walked alone.
Galatians 6:4-5 - "Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden."
Him That Is Taught In The Word
Nothing encourages a preacher or a teacher more than a responsive audience. Every good sermon or good lesson naturally has its high points, its major points. When the hearers let those points pass without responding, the preacher wonders if he has communicated effectively. Be a keen, responsive listener. Recognize the high points. Say, "Amen!" Afterward, communicate your appreciation for what you heard. That is good for everybody. A preacher with a responsive audience will certainly become a better preacher.
Galatians 6:6 - "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things."
Sow To The Flesh And Die, Sow To The Spirit And Live
Sowing is the planting of seeds. When you are carnal, worldly and sinful, you are sowing to the flesh. When you are godly, obedient to the Word, and doing God's will, you are sowing to the Spirit. Sowing to the flesh will yield a corrupt harvest to be destroyed. The seeds you sow to the Spirit, for the grand purposes of God and His Kingdom, will yield an endless, eternal harvest.
Galatians 6:8 - "He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
You Will Reap What You Sow
God says that you will reap what you sow. It is as true with the brier, as with the lily; good seed or bad seed. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Sow sin, reap death. Sow righteousness unto God, reap eternal life!
Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Appointed Seasons
Seasons of life run in cycles. Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. Then they repeat. The Word speaks of "due" season and "appointed" seasons. The cold death of winter is no tragic curse. It is appointed. Some think spring's warmth causes sap to rise in dormant trees, but actually it is the cold of winter that triggers the hormones that cause sap to rise. All seasons are good. Rejoice in whatever season you are.
Galatians 6:9: "...let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
The Cross Of Jesus Christ - Glory Of The Saints
Paul refuted the preachers of circumcision. They wanted "to make a fair shew in the flesh," to look religious. But apart from circumcision, they largely ignored the law. "They constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." That is the real reason so many people resist truth. They refuse to bear His reproach. They refuse to take up the cross.
Galatians 6:14 - "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
A New Creature
Many years ago, a man asked me, "What do I need to do to become a preacher?" I answered, "Do you have the Holy Ghost?" He did not even know what I meant. He had never read the Bible, and was not faithful to Church. "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." You may be a master of religion, but worthless to the Kingdom of God. Christ in you is your only hope of glory.
Galatians 6:15 - "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
I am continually writing new content for this site.
Please return often for more material,
and tell your friends about
www.kenraggio.com
, too!
THANKS!
And God bless you!
Ken Raggio
|
|
