A GOOD MINISTER OF CHRIST
1 Timothy 4:1–16 10/2/11
Key Verse: 4:6
“If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.”
In chapter 3, Paul taught, Timothy, that the most noble of vocations is that of overseeing the flock of God as an overseer or a deacon. In our UBF terms it would be like becoming a director of a chapter and a regional coordinator. He also wrote down the simple characteristics of a true Christian leader. The paramount virtue must be that he “keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience” and consequently be “tested” and approved as a true Christian leader through his willingness to “serve” (3:9-13). Paul made it clear to Timothy that the false teachings, which had sprung up in those days, must be extinguished, and those who were spreading the false teachings should be stopped. The best way to purify the fellowship from all ungodly influences was to raise up true Christian leaders and maintain the fellowship by the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus and the devotion of its members.
Part l: Guard Your Heart From Deceiving Spirits (1-5)
Paul begins this chapter with a lamentation. Read verses 1-2. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” In later times, there would be some who will abandon the true Christian faith and will end up following deceiving spirits and demonic teachings. Once, such Christians had received the life-giving gospel with joy. They had found the amazing grace of God. They had found forgiveness for their sins and healing for their souls. They had studied the Bible and had discovered the love of God. Through the Word of life they had met the most gracious Jesus who gave them assurances and promises beyond the human ability to comprehend. At the time, they knew that they had nothing to hold on to except the grace of our Lord and faith in him.
Once they had been promising young Christians who were destined for spiritual greatness in Christ. Surprisingly, however, now they had abandoned the faith. Now they were following deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. They were becoming immersed in unholy doctrine. What happened to them?
Paul tells us that they were deceived. To become deceived, they had to allow themselves to be influenced by wayward and unholy teachings. They could be influenced by false teachings when they made no effort to personally remain rooted in the word of God. Our Lord Jesus once said: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me….If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:4-7) Christians who have been touched by the grace of Jesus must know that it is crucial to remain in Jesus, and to remain in his words. They must continue listening to Jesus’ words day after day and cherish his words. Otherwise, the unthinkable will happen! The world soon enters in and the devil’s teachings overwhelm them until it drains them of all truth.
Some Christians at Ephesus experienced this tragedy first hand. After their conversion, they did not remain steadfast in the word of God. They did not take their Christian life and walk seriously. Finally, when a false teaching tested their hearts, it found an open door and little resistance. So it entered in and took its place amid the truth. One by one, demon teachings entered in until the original truth was driven out and what remained in the end were only lies. Of course, Paul did not leave them the blame alone. Paul pointed out that religious pretenders had found dulled hearts to spread their lies. They took advantage of the unwary and vulnerable flock and had taken as many captives from among them as they could.
What were some of the lies these hypocrites were teaching? Read verses 3-5. “They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” These false teachers could have been Gnostics. They were teaching that the body was evil and that the soul alone was holy and good. They were teaching that a Christian must not engage any physical appetites. They taught that for a man or woman to be acceptable to God, they must deprive their bodies and appease their souls only. In that way, they nullified Jesus’ sacrifice to bring forgiveness and healing, and to recreate a new heart for the believer.
Amazingly, we see that they were not teaching outright evil things. Rather they were teaching that people ought to refrain from marriage, and they ought to stay away from certain foods. To the ears of those who did not study the Bible for themselves, the teachings of these hypocritical liars sounded harsh but gospel-like. These false teachings sounded even more holy than what they were learning from Timothy. But because they did not give priority to the word of God and gospel faith, they were easily deceived to believe the lie.
There was not one but many teachings which sprang up in Paul’s time, and in our own time as well, whose origins comes from man’s philosophy and man made religion. No Christian who has tasted the goodness of God wants to be taken captive again by the lies of the devil. But such things happen. But those who study the word of God from their hearts and who remain bound to Jesus in prayer, faith and obedience, are not easily deceived by demon teachings. They know how to hold on to the grace of our Lord Jesus. They know how to remain alert. They know how to fight the good fight of faith every day.
Some false teachings have swept across our own generation. They have brought about the demise of the potential of so many good Christians. Let’s think of some modern day false teachings that have infiltrated the ranks of our Christian youth. Modern day false teachings are that the visible, organized, church means nothing. What is truly important is our own personal relationship with Jesus. And so promising young Christians are not committed to building up a particular church body or becoming part of a body of believers. Another teaching is that as long as a person is a sincere person then that person will be destined to go to heaven. There are many ways to climb a mountain to get to the top. As a result there are many promising young Christians who don’t think it is necessary to preach the Gospel to anyone, thinking it is only disrupting their lives. They questions the lost-ness of this world and they lose their missionary zeal. Another teaching states that Christians don’t have to cross cultural and language barriers to go and make disciples of all nations. After all, there is enough need here in America, with the Indian reservations, the inner city, the poor everywhere, and the poor people in Appalachia for example. As a result our young people rationalize that they don’t have to obey Jesus’ world mission command to go to the ends of the earth. What about other teachings like, “It is better to live together before marriage?”; “It is OK to have physical relationships as long as you love each other. After all we are fiancés.”; “People don’t have to repent of their sins, they are born that way. It is in their DNA.” As a result some young Christians don’t feel that there is a need to repent. According to Paul, it is not a small thing for a promising Christian to abandon their faith to run after teachings that run contrary to the gospel. It is a tragedy that bleeds the hand and feet heart of our Savior again and again. We must guard our hearts from false teachings and mature in our faith in Christ.
Part ll: How To Be A Good Minister OF Christ Jesus. (6-16)
Paul could despair thinking that he had wasted his time in ministering to the believers in Ephesus. But Paul deeply believed the truth that nothing can separate us from the love of God through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus. For this reason, Paul was willing to educate Timothy in godly matters so that Timothy might help those who have stepped out of the faith. What did he tell young Timothy?
First, Paul charged Timothy to be a good minister of Christ Jesus and showed him two ways to do so, to hold onto the grace of God and train himself to be godly. Paul had raised Timothy in the truth of God as his own son in the faith. He was a young man who had lost his father. His mother had been faithful, but she could not lead him in the way he should go in Christ Jesus. He had taken him as a son when Timothy had no one to mentor him and to serve him until he could become a servant of God. But Paul taught him the Bible until Timothy came to know Jesus personally.
Of all the things Paul taught Timothy he taught him to remain steadfast in the grace of our Lord Jesus, right from the beginning. Look at 1:2, “To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul knew that there would be times when Timothy’s faith would waver, and he would be too weak to fight. But Paul also knew that at the time, only the grace of Jesus would rescue him. So Paul taught him time and again to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. He led him to Christ and made him his close and dear coworker in Christ. Naturally then, Paul reminded him that a good minister of Christ Jesus. Timothy had many weaknesses. But his main strength was that he listened to Paul and remained steadfast in the faith he had learned from Paul, and in the grace which he had received from his Master Jesus.
Second, Paul gave some instructions on how to be a good minister to the church in Ephesus. Read verses 6-11. Especially Paul gave Timothy an important component in how to be a good minister of Christ. Look at verse 7. “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.” Paul knew that Timothy was faithful. He knew that Timothy loved Jesus more than anything in this life. But Paul also knew that Timothy was a young man, and like all other young men, he is easily tempted by the things which lead astray. So he urged him to train himself in godliness. What is godliness? Godliness is the way of holiness and the way of righteousness. Godliness is the way of faith and the way of obedience to Christ. Godliness is the image of God, the image of the servant Christ who came to lay down his life for the sins of the world. Godliness is the way of God, the way which God wants all his children to live.
Ungodly living is the life of ease and comfort, the wide road by which most people choose to walk. (Mtt 7:13-14) It is the way of the world, the way which leads the whole world astray from God. The ungodly way is the way in which people put their own thoughts and feelings above the words of God and are thus led astray by lies and deception. But the godly way is the way which is narrow and the way which binds a man to Christ in a holy walk of life which leads him or her to life, eternity and spiritual prosperity. We must also train ourselves in godliness. Augustine trains in soccer six days a week. He does so to become a better soccer player and an asset to the team. Just as all athletes train themselves to be better athletes, and train their bodies to endure any and all things, so also we must train ourselves in godliness.
What must we do to train ourselves to be godly? Paul teaches Timothy the way of personal training in godliness in verses 12-16. “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Let’s look at each very closely.
FIRST, “Don't let anyone look down on you”. There were some in the church who looked down on Timothy because he was young. He could have questioned whether or not he was actually called to be a servant of God. Timothy needed confidence in his calling. A Christian’s conviction, that he or she is God’s servant, must not be based on others’ view. Conviction must be personal. We must have the personal conviction of Christ’s calling for us to be the ministers of his word. So, whether we are young or old, we must have conviction from God. When we have a personal conviction that God has called us to be a minister of his word, then we also will have the conviction to train ourselves to be a devoted servants of God.
SECOND, “set an example for the believers”. A good minister of Christ must also set an example of godliness through his or her life. When we are aware of the universal truth we influence others in one way or another, then we also realize the importance of setting an example. We must live our lives in a way that blesses others. We can do so when we live as if our lives do not belong to us but to Christ Jesus.
THIRD, “devote yourself “. A good minister of Christ must devote himself to Bible study and to Bible teaching. God called Timothy to be a teacher of the gospel, and a bearer of the truth of God to the world. Timothy must therefore devote himself to studying the Scripture and to teaching it. He must train himself to study the word of God. He must train himself to live every day as a teacher of the truth. Then his life will be a beacon for truth and the devil cannot find a foothold to deceive him. He will be a good minister.
FOURTH, “Do not neglect your gift,” A good minister of Christ Jesus is one who knows the gift that God has given you and then diligently offering up those gifts to God. Timothy obviously had the gift of leadership and the gift of Bible teaching and preaching. What is your gift? Don’t neglect it. Offer it up to Jesus regularly.
FIFTH, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” Being diligent and giving yourself wholly is necessary for ministers of Christ. This is an attitude as we carry out our duties. It is the opposite of a slothful attitude or a “draggin’ it” attitude. It is also not a matter of personal opinion. Others within the church should be able to see your progress. Only those with a personal desire to be a minister of Christ can consistently procure this type of attitude. But ultimately it is all because of the grace of God.
SIXTH, “Watch your life and doctrine closely.” A good minister of Christ Jesus watches their life and doctrine closely. They care about their influence is on others. We transmit more information to others through our actions and our attitudes more than our words. That is why kids end up sounding like their one of their parents or have the mannerisms of one of their parents. These traits last a lifetime. A minister of Christ is mindful about their lifestyle and the effect it has on others. How can you watch your doctrine? Do you know how to do this? It requires disciplined Bible study and prayer. You also need to know what to think about Jesus and the Gospel and the Bible. We can begin to find correct doctrine through adopting the creeds of the Christian church, especially the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. We can also take steps to further our spiritual education.
SEVENTH, “Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” A good minister of Christ Jesus perseveres in their life of faith because they care. They care about their own salvation and also the salvation of others. People need God’s salvation that comes from Jesus alone. People do not get to heaven by being sincere people. Jesus says, in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the narrow way that leads to eternal life. If you know that Jesus is the only way to the Father, and those who don’t believe in Jesus stand condemned already, then we must care about the salvation of the people of this world. That is one reason why we persevere in our discipleship.
EIGHT, “… because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Ministers of Christ Jesus know that the decisions they make today will make a difference in the salvation of others tomorrow. Sometimes we tend to think, it doesn’t matter what we do…God will save whom he wants to save. But according to this verse, it does matter. If we choose to train ourselves to be ministers of Christ Jesus then it makes a difference. Others will be saved.
Through a study of this passage we learn that it is time to make a new decision of faith to train ourselves to be godly until we make visible progress which everyone can see to the glory and honor of God our Father. We must also make a decision of faith to persevere in the grace and truth we found in Christ Jesus. According to Paul, a good minister who trains himself to be godly not only rescues himself from the deceptions of his godless and ungodly generation, but he also blesses those who listen. I pray that each one of us may become a good minister of Christ in this generation. I pray that each one of us also makes a decision of faith to make progress as a minister of Christ Jesus through personal spiritual training. This sounds like some lofty goal. It is not too lofty if we think of it this way. Decide, by faith to train yourselves every day in one thing. Choose something in your life each day which you may conquer and bring under the Lordship and sovereignty of Christ so that your life may be a source of blessing on everyone. Think about Steve’s decision to write testimonies each week. That is the way to take the first steps. Amen.
1. What did the Spirit clearly say would happen in God’s household? (1) What happens to those who abandon the faith and why is this so serious? (1b) How do false teachings get into the church? (2; Mt7:15) In what two ways were people led astray? (3a) What can we learn here about the importance of spiritual discernment for a good minister of Christ Jesus?
2. How did Paul affirm the goodness of everything created by God? (3b–4) What attitude should we have toward God’s creation? If we do so, what happens? (5)
Why is it vital to believe that God created everything for good? (Ge1:29–31; 2:24–25)
3. In addition to discerning false teachings and holding to the truth that everything God created is good, what else must a good minister do? (6a)
What should he continue to do in order to be a good minister? (6b; 1Pe2:2; 2Ti3:14–15)
4. What should a good minister not be involved in? (7a) What should he focus on instead? (7b) What is the value of physical training? (8a) How is training in godliness more valuable? (8b; 1Co9:25) What is the reason that “godliness has value for all things” is a trustworthy saying? (9–10) In terms of training, what do you learn here about being a good minister?
5. As a young minister, how could Timothy build up godly leadership? (11–12)
Especially, consider the importance of setting a good example in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Among many things to do, to what should Timothy devote himself? (13; Ac6:4) How did Paul encourage Timothy regarding his gift and why? (14–15)
6. How did Paul summarize his teachings to young Timothy in this chapter in regards to being a good minister of Christ Jesus? (16) In light of this passage, what is involved in watching one’s life and doctrine? What does it mean to “persevere in them”? How will this affect himself and his hearers?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
1 Timothy 3:1-16
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP—
THE NOBLE TASK
1 Timothy 3:1-16
Key Verse: 3:1
9-26-11
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart
on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.”
Part l: A Short Review Of The First Two Chapters.
I apologize for jumping into chapter three. It is because of upcoming conferences. But let us have a short review of the first two chapters. Paul entrusted Timothy, with the church in Ephesus. Paul had great hope for it to grow as a hub for world missions. They began to obey Jesus’ command to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, (Matt 28: 18-20). Paul was alert for any activity that might hinder the work of God. He foresaw that false teachers would infiltrate the church and sway the new believers away from the Christian faith. And this happened. False teachers came who tried to corrupt the truth about God’s grace of salvation. Paul had taught the Ephesians that salvation was by the grace of God, and that it took pure faith in the grace of God in order for a person to become a member of God’s family. But these people were saying that the grace of God was not enough. They were teaching that salvation still required some form of obeying the laws of God. They also added some of their own ideas alongside the Old Testament Laws. They taught that alongside faith in what Jesus had done us, a Christian’s salvation also hinges on the work of mediators, such as angels, whom we must go through in order to strengthen our relationship with God and receive a better salvation.
What could Paul do to rescue the church? He knew how important the church was in the eyes of God, for he wrote in verses 14-15, “Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” He could not ignore the church problems and things that set themselves to destroy the church. Paul did many things but he also set out to raise up leaders who could hold onto the deep truths of the faith. Among such young leaders was Timothy, a young man whose faith was sound, but who was lacking in spiritual weight. Paul trusted him, and decided to entrust to his leadership, the Church of Ephesus. Paul believed that God would bless Timothy and would help him if Timothy would only accept Paul’s instructions and put them into practice. So Paul ordained him a pastor. There were some members who were not listening to Timothy, believing him to be too young to take care of a church. But in the eyes of Paul and of God, Timothy was the ideal shepherd to be put in charge. So Paul wrote him two letters to instruct him on how to get the church and the members back on gospel track.
In the first chapter, Paul gave Timothy the authority to command false teachers to stop teaching falsehoods. He also reminded him of the grace of God, and the true faith in the work of our Lord Jesus. To demonstrate this, Paul reminded Timothy of God’s powerful work in Paul’s own life. He then urged him to fight the good fight [of faith] to maintain the grace of God. Paul reminded him that the Christian life is a battle, a battle that we must fight every day.
In chapter two Paul showed Timothy the best way to maintain the grace of Jesus in his own life, and in the church. He must learn how to depend on God through prayer. He must also teach everyone to make prayer a priority and a habit. In brief, Paul taught Timothy that prayer is the solution to all things. But for prayer to work, both the men and the women of the church would have to work together to make an environment for the Gospel to grow and to prosper.
In chapter 3 Paul proceeded to reveal one of the main reasons why that particular church was so easily plagued with problems. Our key verse is verse 1. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” Paul brings up the subject of spiritual leadership. There were some in the church who desired the role of spiritual leadership and there also were some who lacked that desire. So in this verse Paul made it clear to Timothy that a desire for leadership in the church is a noble task. Let us, then, give some thought to Paul’s counsel to Timothy.
Part ll: A Noble Task
Apparently, there were no established spiritual leaders in the Ephesian church. Timothy was appointed by Paul. But even that appointment was not respected by the majority of members, simply because Timothy was considered to be too young.
Leadership is extremely important in life. It is important in sports, the society, in the family, and especially in the Christian home, and Christian church. Thus without spiritual leadership, the Christian church is chaotic and problem filled where do as they seem fit. Jesus wanted his disciples to stand up as leaders in his church. Look at what Jesus said: “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16) Look at what Paul says to the church members: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17) When Paul spoke to Timothy about leadership, he wanted him to establish order in the church. He wanted him to be a leader and to establish trustworthy leaders.
Paul encouraged Timothy to direct others in pursuing spiritual leadership. Read verse 1 again. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” There is a hint in this church that some wanted to become leaders. Paul was happy about this. He wanted to encourage their noble desires.
What does “noble” mean, and why is the pursuit of spiritual leadership a “noble task”? Noble is closely related to dignity. Something noble is something dignified, and righteous. There are noble people in the world, and there are noble deeds. It is noble for a person to honor his rival when his rival has won a contest over him. We see this in sports when an opposing team member offers a hand to fallen opposing team member. We see it in the work place when a person congratulates and commits to working under a person who just got “that” promotion. One of the best definitions for the word noble is self-sacrifice. Self sacrifice is by far the most noble thing a person can do in his or her life. We see noble deeds coming out of our war on terror. What about the soldier who went back and forth into an ambush to rescue 36 people from certain death? What about the kid who wants to give his Christmas money to the poor rather than fill his life with more clutter?
Some of the most noble of people who ever walked on the face of the earth are the men and women of God. They had sacrificed themselves in the cause of the Gospel. Moses sacrificed his palace and princely position in order to identify with the slave Israelites. Daniel was a court official of the highest order. But he was ready to sacrifice that office in order to identify with God’s people. Mother Teresa sacrificed her life in the name of Christ in order to tend to the most needy people of the world. I always thought the missionaries were the most noble people I knew personally, because they were willing to sacrifice time, money, and position in order to reveal Jesus and the love of God to young Canadian students. There are so many in history who have nobly done what was impossible for the ordinary person to do, all for the love of God and for the love of their neighbor. Therefore “noble” is a word reserved mostly for those who are self sacrificing. Who is the most noble person that you know in your life and why?
But Paul recognized “noble” from a spiritual point of view. In the sight of God, the noble are those who do the work of God. Why? Because serving God and God’s cause is the most noble cause a man or woman could every pursue. The work of God is a work of sacrifice. It is a work of love and of compassion. It is the work of service. It is a work which brings life to others. It does not draw attention to one self. It does not reward in a worldly way. It does not bring any human benefit. Rather sometimes it brings sorrow and pain. It brings poverty on those who willingly give up everything in order to serve Jesus. It also brings ridicule from those who can never understand why a man or woman may sacrifice their lives in return for nothing. Still, according to God our Father there can be no more noble thing in life than to serve God and to do his work. It is most noble because it follows in the footsteps of the Most Noble One, Jesus our Lord. Jesus was noble. He was the most noble person who ever walked on the earth. He sacrificed his glory. He sacrificed his position. He sacrificed his comfort, and all. Finally he was willing to sacrifice his very life for the sake of those who did not honor him, nor appreciate him; for those who scorned him and tormented him. Still, Jesus never flinched from his great sacrifice. He set his heart on it because it was God who called him to fulfill this most noble task. Jesus pursued it to the end. And he called us to follow him and to do as he did. He did so in order to gather for himself a family of noble people who can dwell with him in the kingdom of God.
You may think that it is impossible to be a noble leader in the church of God. On our own it is true. It is impossible. But we must begin our quest. It is what is good, and the most blessed task a human being can pursue. God works in the heart, even unholy desires will change to holy desires. Even those who begin with an unholy desire for leadership may learn what it means to be truly noble. Just try by faith.
When God made man in the beginning, God made people to be noble stewards of his creation. He created him from dust to be a child of the king and to walk with their God. From the beginning God told man what he created him for. He tells us in Genesis 1:26-28: “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” In other words, we were all made to be rulers, stewards, caretakers, managers of the world and managers of one another. But sin destroyed this most holy office and desire in man’s heart. We can see it in Cain’s heart who boldly stated, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” He did not want to serve his brother. In order to avoid the responsibility, he killed his Able. Cain did not want anything to do with the nobel task of being his brother’s keeper. He did not want spiritual leadership. It was all about him. He has forever become an example of ignobility.
Part lll: Set Your Heart
Paul taught Timothy something that people must set their hearts on. Read verse 1 again. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” It is not easy to pursue spiritual leadership. We must set out hearts on it. To set your heart on something means to pursue something. To set one’s heart on something is to pursue it with devotion and dedication, with commitment and enthusiasm. It takes a commitment of the heart to pursue that which is in essence difficult. When a lion pursues its prey, it sets its eyes in the prey. When a soccer player faces the opposing team he sets his eyes on the ball and game. Our pursuit of spiritual leadership must be an attitude of wholeheartedness. It takes a willing heart. It takes an obedient heart. It takes a humble spirit willing to learn from others who are spiritually more mature. It takes prayer and most of all it takes a persistent spirit willing to endure the many hardships that come as a result of serving God. But we must pursue it with confidence, with courage and with faith.
Part lV: To Purse Spiritual Leadership Takes holiness.
A leader had to have the right inner qualities. An overseer is like a Pastor, a shepherd of the flock of God. Look at the qualifications of an overseer. Look at verses 2-8, “2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
Paul goes onto to talk about the qualities of a deacon. A deacon is one who takes care of pastors. Look at verses 8-12, “ Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. … 12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” The qualifications set a very high standard for spiritual leadership. Do you have these qualities? Do I have these qualities? We all have some of them, but not all of them. If it were not for the grace of our Lord Jesus I could never be the pastor of this small house church.
We should not despair about our present condition, but have hope in Christ. Jesus came to help us. He is our Savior. Look at verses 16-19, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He[c] appeared in a body,[d] was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” Jesus came into this world to be our Savior. He came in the flesh. He shared in our humanity. He suffered along with us. He understands us. He knows our holy desires and our inability to achieve this on our own. He is more than willing to help us when we live by faith in him and answer his call to be his disciples.
We can see how one man, Peter was changed by Jesus. Peter was a rough and tough and brash fisherman. His name was Simon. He was very emotional and a man who was like sand. (For that is what Simon means, “sand”) But when Jesus called him he called him Cephas, which means Peter or Rock. On Peter’s faith and his confession, Jesus would build his church. Peter would stand up as the leader of the first century church. Jesus called Peter to come and follow him promising to make him a fisher of men. After Peter accepted his mission from God, he was no longer a “sand-like”, emotional person with no clear life direction, but he became a man like Jesus, who wanted to please God with his life. Eventually all the disciples became noble men and women who took upon themselves the task of serving God’s purpose in their lives.
I can see God’s changing work in me. I was far from noble. In fact I was the most ignoble person. I am still very ignoble and under-qualified to be a leader in the work of God. But I have hope in God. I have hope in the life changing power of Jesus and as long as I cling to the cross of Christ I will be changed. And so can you.
We learned that we must have noble desires to be leaders in the work of God. God will change us by his grace, love and power. We must set our hearts on the task. Through our study of this passage may God bless you to set your heart on becoming a spiritual leader. May God bless you to pursue this role until God transforms your inner person. and raises you up as a shepherd for his flock. May God also help you to grow in a noble spirit, the spirit of Jesus. Amen.
1. Read verse 1. What is Paul's trustworthy saying? What is an overseer? In what sense are all Christians leaders? (Mt 5:14)
2. What is the "noble task"? What does it mean to "set his heart on..."? Why must one who would be a leader make such a decision of faith? (Think about some important decisions made by Jesus' disciples in the Bible: Acts 19:21;Jn 6:66-69)
3. Think again about the "noble task." Why is teaching the Bible a most noble task for a Christian leader? (2c; See 2Ti 3:16,17)
4. What are the basic qualifications for a Christian leader? (2-4,12) Why is "the husband of but one wife" repeated? What does this teach us about God's will for Christian families?
5. Read verse 2 again. Think about the meaning and importance (Pr 16:32) of "self-controlled." How is this related to the other qualifications in verses 2-3? (How can people born with sinful natures be self-controlled?)
6. What does it mean to be "hospitable"? Why is showing hospitality important? Can you think of any examples of hospitality?
7. What does it mean to "manage his own family well"? (4,5,12) How can one do this? Why is this necessary for one who would be a leader? What can we learn in verses 6-7 about how to defeat the devil?
8. What kind of persons should deacons be? Why should they be diligent Bible students? (9) Read verses 8-12. (See Jn 8:31,32) What kind of persons should the wives of leaders be? (11) What are the marks of a trustworthy woman?
9. Read verses 14-15. Who belongs to God's household? Why is the church that teaches the Bible called the "pillar and foundation of truth"?
10. Read the doxology in verse 16. Compare with Jn 1:14. How does this poem describe the gospel of Jesus and proclaim its power and glory?
THE NOBLE TASK
1 Timothy 3:1-16
Key Verse: 3:1
9-26-11
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart
on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.”
Part l: A Short Review Of The First Two Chapters.
I apologize for jumping into chapter three. It is because of upcoming conferences. But let us have a short review of the first two chapters. Paul entrusted Timothy, with the church in Ephesus. Paul had great hope for it to grow as a hub for world missions. They began to obey Jesus’ command to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, (Matt 28: 18-20). Paul was alert for any activity that might hinder the work of God. He foresaw that false teachers would infiltrate the church and sway the new believers away from the Christian faith. And this happened. False teachers came who tried to corrupt the truth about God’s grace of salvation. Paul had taught the Ephesians that salvation was by the grace of God, and that it took pure faith in the grace of God in order for a person to become a member of God’s family. But these people were saying that the grace of God was not enough. They were teaching that salvation still required some form of obeying the laws of God. They also added some of their own ideas alongside the Old Testament Laws. They taught that alongside faith in what Jesus had done us, a Christian’s salvation also hinges on the work of mediators, such as angels, whom we must go through in order to strengthen our relationship with God and receive a better salvation.
What could Paul do to rescue the church? He knew how important the church was in the eyes of God, for he wrote in verses 14-15, “Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” He could not ignore the church problems and things that set themselves to destroy the church. Paul did many things but he also set out to raise up leaders who could hold onto the deep truths of the faith. Among such young leaders was Timothy, a young man whose faith was sound, but who was lacking in spiritual weight. Paul trusted him, and decided to entrust to his leadership, the Church of Ephesus. Paul believed that God would bless Timothy and would help him if Timothy would only accept Paul’s instructions and put them into practice. So Paul ordained him a pastor. There were some members who were not listening to Timothy, believing him to be too young to take care of a church. But in the eyes of Paul and of God, Timothy was the ideal shepherd to be put in charge. So Paul wrote him two letters to instruct him on how to get the church and the members back on gospel track.
In the first chapter, Paul gave Timothy the authority to command false teachers to stop teaching falsehoods. He also reminded him of the grace of God, and the true faith in the work of our Lord Jesus. To demonstrate this, Paul reminded Timothy of God’s powerful work in Paul’s own life. He then urged him to fight the good fight [of faith] to maintain the grace of God. Paul reminded him that the Christian life is a battle, a battle that we must fight every day.
In chapter two Paul showed Timothy the best way to maintain the grace of Jesus in his own life, and in the church. He must learn how to depend on God through prayer. He must also teach everyone to make prayer a priority and a habit. In brief, Paul taught Timothy that prayer is the solution to all things. But for prayer to work, both the men and the women of the church would have to work together to make an environment for the Gospel to grow and to prosper.
In chapter 3 Paul proceeded to reveal one of the main reasons why that particular church was so easily plagued with problems. Our key verse is verse 1. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” Paul brings up the subject of spiritual leadership. There were some in the church who desired the role of spiritual leadership and there also were some who lacked that desire. So in this verse Paul made it clear to Timothy that a desire for leadership in the church is a noble task. Let us, then, give some thought to Paul’s counsel to Timothy.
Part ll: A Noble Task
Apparently, there were no established spiritual leaders in the Ephesian church. Timothy was appointed by Paul. But even that appointment was not respected by the majority of members, simply because Timothy was considered to be too young.
Leadership is extremely important in life. It is important in sports, the society, in the family, and especially in the Christian home, and Christian church. Thus without spiritual leadership, the Christian church is chaotic and problem filled where do as they seem fit. Jesus wanted his disciples to stand up as leaders in his church. Look at what Jesus said: “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (Luke 10:16) Look at what Paul says to the church members: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17) When Paul spoke to Timothy about leadership, he wanted him to establish order in the church. He wanted him to be a leader and to establish trustworthy leaders.
Paul encouraged Timothy to direct others in pursuing spiritual leadership. Read verse 1 again. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” There is a hint in this church that some wanted to become leaders. Paul was happy about this. He wanted to encourage their noble desires.
What does “noble” mean, and why is the pursuit of spiritual leadership a “noble task”? Noble is closely related to dignity. Something noble is something dignified, and righteous. There are noble people in the world, and there are noble deeds. It is noble for a person to honor his rival when his rival has won a contest over him. We see this in sports when an opposing team member offers a hand to fallen opposing team member. We see it in the work place when a person congratulates and commits to working under a person who just got “that” promotion. One of the best definitions for the word noble is self-sacrifice. Self sacrifice is by far the most noble thing a person can do in his or her life. We see noble deeds coming out of our war on terror. What about the soldier who went back and forth into an ambush to rescue 36 people from certain death? What about the kid who wants to give his Christmas money to the poor rather than fill his life with more clutter?
Some of the most noble of people who ever walked on the face of the earth are the men and women of God. They had sacrificed themselves in the cause of the Gospel. Moses sacrificed his palace and princely position in order to identify with the slave Israelites. Daniel was a court official of the highest order. But he was ready to sacrifice that office in order to identify with God’s people. Mother Teresa sacrificed her life in the name of Christ in order to tend to the most needy people of the world. I always thought the missionaries were the most noble people I knew personally, because they were willing to sacrifice time, money, and position in order to reveal Jesus and the love of God to young Canadian students. There are so many in history who have nobly done what was impossible for the ordinary person to do, all for the love of God and for the love of their neighbor. Therefore “noble” is a word reserved mostly for those who are self sacrificing. Who is the most noble person that you know in your life and why?
But Paul recognized “noble” from a spiritual point of view. In the sight of God, the noble are those who do the work of God. Why? Because serving God and God’s cause is the most noble cause a man or woman could every pursue. The work of God is a work of sacrifice. It is a work of love and of compassion. It is the work of service. It is a work which brings life to others. It does not draw attention to one self. It does not reward in a worldly way. It does not bring any human benefit. Rather sometimes it brings sorrow and pain. It brings poverty on those who willingly give up everything in order to serve Jesus. It also brings ridicule from those who can never understand why a man or woman may sacrifice their lives in return for nothing. Still, according to God our Father there can be no more noble thing in life than to serve God and to do his work. It is most noble because it follows in the footsteps of the Most Noble One, Jesus our Lord. Jesus was noble. He was the most noble person who ever walked on the earth. He sacrificed his glory. He sacrificed his position. He sacrificed his comfort, and all. Finally he was willing to sacrifice his very life for the sake of those who did not honor him, nor appreciate him; for those who scorned him and tormented him. Still, Jesus never flinched from his great sacrifice. He set his heart on it because it was God who called him to fulfill this most noble task. Jesus pursued it to the end. And he called us to follow him and to do as he did. He did so in order to gather for himself a family of noble people who can dwell with him in the kingdom of God.
You may think that it is impossible to be a noble leader in the church of God. On our own it is true. It is impossible. But we must begin our quest. It is what is good, and the most blessed task a human being can pursue. God works in the heart, even unholy desires will change to holy desires. Even those who begin with an unholy desire for leadership may learn what it means to be truly noble. Just try by faith.
When God made man in the beginning, God made people to be noble stewards of his creation. He created him from dust to be a child of the king and to walk with their God. From the beginning God told man what he created him for. He tells us in Genesis 1:26-28: “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” In other words, we were all made to be rulers, stewards, caretakers, managers of the world and managers of one another. But sin destroyed this most holy office and desire in man’s heart. We can see it in Cain’s heart who boldly stated, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” He did not want to serve his brother. In order to avoid the responsibility, he killed his Able. Cain did not want anything to do with the nobel task of being his brother’s keeper. He did not want spiritual leadership. It was all about him. He has forever become an example of ignobility.
Part lll: Set Your Heart
Paul taught Timothy something that people must set their hearts on. Read verse 1 again. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” It is not easy to pursue spiritual leadership. We must set out hearts on it. To set your heart on something means to pursue something. To set one’s heart on something is to pursue it with devotion and dedication, with commitment and enthusiasm. It takes a commitment of the heart to pursue that which is in essence difficult. When a lion pursues its prey, it sets its eyes in the prey. When a soccer player faces the opposing team he sets his eyes on the ball and game. Our pursuit of spiritual leadership must be an attitude of wholeheartedness. It takes a willing heart. It takes an obedient heart. It takes a humble spirit willing to learn from others who are spiritually more mature. It takes prayer and most of all it takes a persistent spirit willing to endure the many hardships that come as a result of serving God. But we must pursue it with confidence, with courage and with faith.
Part lV: To Purse Spiritual Leadership Takes holiness.
A leader had to have the right inner qualities. An overseer is like a Pastor, a shepherd of the flock of God. Look at the qualifications of an overseer. Look at verses 2-8, “2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
Paul goes onto to talk about the qualities of a deacon. A deacon is one who takes care of pastors. Look at verses 8-12, “ Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. … 12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” The qualifications set a very high standard for spiritual leadership. Do you have these qualities? Do I have these qualities? We all have some of them, but not all of them. If it were not for the grace of our Lord Jesus I could never be the pastor of this small house church.
We should not despair about our present condition, but have hope in Christ. Jesus came to help us. He is our Savior. Look at verses 16-19, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He[c] appeared in a body,[d] was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” Jesus came into this world to be our Savior. He came in the flesh. He shared in our humanity. He suffered along with us. He understands us. He knows our holy desires and our inability to achieve this on our own. He is more than willing to help us when we live by faith in him and answer his call to be his disciples.
We can see how one man, Peter was changed by Jesus. Peter was a rough and tough and brash fisherman. His name was Simon. He was very emotional and a man who was like sand. (For that is what Simon means, “sand”) But when Jesus called him he called him Cephas, which means Peter or Rock. On Peter’s faith and his confession, Jesus would build his church. Peter would stand up as the leader of the first century church. Jesus called Peter to come and follow him promising to make him a fisher of men. After Peter accepted his mission from God, he was no longer a “sand-like”, emotional person with no clear life direction, but he became a man like Jesus, who wanted to please God with his life. Eventually all the disciples became noble men and women who took upon themselves the task of serving God’s purpose in their lives.
I can see God’s changing work in me. I was far from noble. In fact I was the most ignoble person. I am still very ignoble and under-qualified to be a leader in the work of God. But I have hope in God. I have hope in the life changing power of Jesus and as long as I cling to the cross of Christ I will be changed. And so can you.
We learned that we must have noble desires to be leaders in the work of God. God will change us by his grace, love and power. We must set our hearts on the task. Through our study of this passage may God bless you to set your heart on becoming a spiritual leader. May God bless you to pursue this role until God transforms your inner person. and raises you up as a shepherd for his flock. May God also help you to grow in a noble spirit, the spirit of Jesus. Amen.
1. Read verse 1. What is Paul's trustworthy saying? What is an overseer? In what sense are all Christians leaders? (Mt 5:14)
2. What is the "noble task"? What does it mean to "set his heart on..."? Why must one who would be a leader make such a decision of faith? (Think about some important decisions made by Jesus' disciples in the Bible: Acts 19:21;Jn 6:66-69)
3. Think again about the "noble task." Why is teaching the Bible a most noble task for a Christian leader? (2c; See 2Ti 3:16,17)
4. What are the basic qualifications for a Christian leader? (2-4,12) Why is "the husband of but one wife" repeated? What does this teach us about God's will for Christian families?
5. Read verse 2 again. Think about the meaning and importance (Pr 16:32) of "self-controlled." How is this related to the other qualifications in verses 2-3? (How can people born with sinful natures be self-controlled?)
6. What does it mean to be "hospitable"? Why is showing hospitality important? Can you think of any examples of hospitality?
7. What does it mean to "manage his own family well"? (4,5,12) How can one do this? Why is this necessary for one who would be a leader? What can we learn in verses 6-7 about how to defeat the devil?
8. What kind of persons should deacons be? Why should they be diligent Bible students? (9) Read verses 8-12. (See Jn 8:31,32) What kind of persons should the wives of leaders be? (11) What are the marks of a trustworthy woman?
9. Read verses 14-15. Who belongs to God's household? Why is the church that teaches the Bible called the "pillar and foundation of truth"?
10. Read the doxology in verse 16. Compare with Jn 1:14. How does this poem describe the gospel of Jesus and proclaim its power and glory?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Galatians 4:1-7
Abba, Father!
Galatians 4:1-7 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Key verse 4:6, 9-4-11
"Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'"
In today's passage Paul develops the idea that we are children of God. He first reminds us of our status as slaves before the coming of Christ. He then teaches us how we became children of God, and what blessings and privileges we receive. Many Christians do not really enjoy the blessings and privileges of being God's children. Even though they call God "Father," they have no sense of intimacy with God. In fact, many feel burdened. Their daily life is more like that of a slave than of a child of God. We need to realize that in Christ we are God's children with great blessings and privileges. Today let's learn to enjoy our Father God and his blessings!
Part l: God Sent His Son (1-5)
Thus far in Galatians, Paul has frequently written about the law. He has been primarily referring to the law of God found in the Old Testament. In chapter 4, Paul begins to refer to the law in Roman terms, which would be more familiar to many of the Galatians. Paul explained the status as slaves in a way that the Gentiles can understand. Then in verses 4-5 Paul tells us what God has done to redeem us from this slavery and to make us his precious and beloved children.
First, slavery under the law (1-3). Look at verses 1-2. Here we find the words, "heir," "child," "slave," "guardian," and "trustee." Paul draws upon the Roman system to explain what kind of slaves we were and how Christ has set us free. Roman families were different than ours. The Roman family was patriarchal. That is, the father governed the lives of family members and all business affairs and property. He had the right to disown his children, or sell them into slavery. When an heir was a child, he was indistinguishable from a slave. Heirs were subject to guardians--usually reliable household slaves--who trained them in many ways. During that training period, the heir had to obey the guardian. Though the heir had a large bank account, he could not spend any money without the permission of his trustee. However, when a set time had passed, the father would terminate the heir's subjection to others. In a single day, the heir's status changed. He was given the full rights of a son to govern the estate. Then he was free from his former guardian and trustee. Typically, the father held a great feast to celebrate.
In verses 3-5, Paul applies the analogy to God's dealing with mankind. Look at verse 3. "So also when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world." When Paul says, "we," he is referring to both Jew and Gentile. As Jews had been under the law of God before Christ's coming, the Gentiles had been under "the elemental spiritual forces of the world" (basic principles). Here the Greek word "stoicheion" literally means "ABC's." This refers to basic education through family, social, educational and religious systems. These things may have been good. However, the problem is that they could not give life. They could not set a person free from the power of sin and death, nor point them to the only Savior, Jesus. What is worse, failure to live up to them brings about its own condemnation.
I was raised as a hedonistic, middle class youth, with a minimal catholic background. I was influenced by the moral teachings of the Catholic subculture and I had my own code of conduct trying to be a cool guy, a nice guy and not hurt others. But I could not live up to my own personal standard that I had set for myself. Because of my sin, I had become the man that did not want to become. I ended up hurting a lot of people in my quest to seek pleasure and fun in this world. I fell into a sense of self condemnation and inadequacy. I knew that I had become a fruitless, junk person who only knew how to have a lot of fun. In my heart I had a sense of vague anxieties and impending doom. But God worked through these feelings and eventually led me to seek Christ. This prepared me to receive the good news of Christ with humility and faith. The point is that we were all in slavery to the elemental spiritual forces of the world in one way or another. No matter if you are a Jew or Gentile, churched or unchurched. There was no way out. We were helpless. Did God abandon us because we were useless? No. Then what did God do?
Second, children of God through the Son (4-5). Look at verse 4. "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law...." Here the words "the set time" tell us that God set a time for sending his Son into the world to be our Savior. According to his time schedule, God sent his Son. The Son's coming is comparable to the day that heirs are liberated from guardians to receive the full rights of sons. So the coming of the Son is the best news to mankind. It was the dawn of a new era. The words "fully come" are also important. They tell us how God fully prepared before sending his Son into the world.
When we refer to the book of Daniel we find that God foretold the events preceding the Son's coming in detail. God is the Sovereign Ruler of all the kingdoms of the world and he uses them for his salvation purpose. He prepared Christ's coming in several ways. The spread of Greek language made international exchange of ideas possible. The rise of the Roman Empire brought order to the world and accelerated worldwide travel and communication. Greco-Roman people were weary of their cruel, “man-made” gods. Jewish people, bound under the law of Moses, longed for freedom. Jewish people who settled in the west, spoke Greek and held onto the Old Testament text. This prepared them to hear the Gospel and many accepted it. People everywhere were thirsty for the truth. When the gospel was proclaimed, it spread rapidly to the whole world in the first century. God is still in control of nations and people. God still uses all things to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Do you think he is doing something through the recent Arab Spring and the fall of dictatorships in Egypt and Lybia? What about the economic problems that America is experiencing? Is there a purpose and a point? And God has set a time for Christ to return, and it will happen! But that is another message.
God loves us. Look at verse 4 again. It says, "God sent his Son." His Son is most precious to God. Yet God was willing to sacrifice his Son for us. It is hard for us to sacrifice time, energy or money for others. Giving a child is unthinkable. God demonstrated his great love by sending his one and only Son. God deeply loves us with immeasurable love, and we should accept this based on the fact, regardless of how we may feel.
God's Son Jesus was born of a woman, the virgin Mary. This fulfilled God's promise to send a Savior from the offspring of a woman (Gen 3:15; 22:18; Isa 7:14). Why did God send him in this way? God wanted to reconcile with mankind. God is holy. Man is an incorrigible sinner. So people cannot come to God by themselves. God, in his mercy, came down into the world to live among us. This is the incarnation. John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." We cannot see God. But through the incarnation people could experience God. In 1 John 1:1, John says, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." This is amazing grace. Even though Jesus is God, he became a man to be with us. In this way he became a mediator between God and man (1 Ti 2:5).
Jesus was also "born under the law." Jesus was subject to the law, and fulfilled the law perfectly in its entirety. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and presented to the Lord according to the requirement of the law (Lk 2:21-24). Jesus lived in obedience to his parents, who taught him the law of God regularly. At the time of his death, Jesus knew that all was completed and that the Scripture had been fulfilled. Finally, he said, "It is finished" (Jn 19:28,30). In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Why did he do that? Verse 5a says, "...to redeem those under the law...." The law had condemned us sinners to death. We had to die, shedding our blood, to pay the demand of the law. But Jesus shed his precious blood on the cross to pay the price for us. Romans 3:25a says, "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith." Hebrews 9:12 tells us that Jesus "entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." Hebrews 10:14 explains the implication of this: "...by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Jesus paid it all through his perfect sacrifice on the cross.
What was God's ultimate purpose? Verse 5b says, "...that we might receive adoption to sonship." God's intention is not just to save us from our miserable situations, (which he may very well do) but most importantly to adopt us as his own children. Here we need to think about the word "adoption." In Roman law it meant that a slave could become a son who would inherit the estate of his master. He received his father's good name as a man of honor in the society. He also received vast property and was granted the right to reign over the household.
The old NIV says in verse 5b, "...that we might receive the full rights of sons." God did not give us half of the rights of sons, but the full rights of sons. We can understand what this means through the prodigal son in Luke 15. When he returned to his father, he was given sandals, a robe, and a ring on his finger. It symbolized the full rights of a son. He did not go through a probationary period, but became a full-fledged son immediately. These days many people adopt children from poor countries. The children's condition suddenly changes from poor, abandoned, and unloved to dearly loved, secure, and wealthy. We were slaves of sin and condemned by the law. We were abandoned, unloved and miserable due to our sins. But God had mercy on us and sent his Son to purchase us through the shedding of his precious blood. Furthermore, he adopted us as his dear children. What a great blessing God bestowed on us! But that is not all. God's blessing is deeper and richer still.
Part II: God Sent The Spirit Of His Son (6-7)
Read verse 6. "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" We were miserable sinners. Now we have become the children of God. Wow! Is it true? How can we know this for sure? Verse 6 says, "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts." The Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and of God. The Spirit is the invisible God who dwells in our hearts. He assures us of God's love by testifying with our spirits that we are children of God (Ro 8:16). This assurance is not something we manufacture. It is the Spirit's own testimony that assures us that we are children of God.
In sending his Spirit into our hearts, God made an intimate love relationship with us. The Spirit enables us to call out, "Abba, Father." "Abba" is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word for "My Father." The NLT says, "My dear Father!" The Message Bible says, "Papa! Father!" This shows us that the relationship between God and people is indeed intimate.
What a great blessing to call God "Abba, Father." God is the Almighty Creator God who made the heavens and the earth. God is the owner of all things. He is ready to answer all our prayers by providing limitless comfort, strength and wisdom. He enables us live as more than conquerors in this hard world. He is always ready to welcome us and to provide mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb 4:16).
However, there is a problem. Some people do not have a good image of a father in their hearts. They think of a runaway father or an abusive father. Then they are rather burdened by the word "father." On the other hand, some people have been so spoiled by their fathers that they never received any basic discipline. Their concept of a father is a vending machine that gives them whatever they need on demand. But our heavenly Father is different. Our Father God is perfect and holy. He always loves us in precisely the way we need. He is almighty. There is nothing he cannot do for us. He is always loving and understanding. He never hurts us or spoils us, but always blesses us and watches over us with great care and affection. He also give us proper discipline. God is our good Father. Moreover, he is our Everlasting Father. Let's come to God, calling, "Abba, Father!"
Verse 7 says, "So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." Romans 8:17a says, "If we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...." As heirs of God we have an inheritance. It is an eternal inheritance. We really need this inheritance. Yesterday, as we walked though Body Worlds, I thought that this can not be the ultimate outcome of our lives, to be plasticized exhibits in a museum. There must be more! There is! God provided us with an eternal inheritance, the glorious kingdom of God. Peter described that this inheritance will never perish, spoil or fade. It is kept in heaven for us (1 Pe 1:3,4). We are children of God, heirs of his kingdom. Let's live with this clear identity and reveal our Father's goodness and love to the world.
Sometimes we forget that we are glorious heirs of God. We wander in the world as spiritual orphans while our heavenly Father is seeking for us and wants to give us all things. Let's accept that we are sons and daughters of God and heirs of God and respond accordingly.
Do you truly enjoy God and delight in his love and blessings? Do you feel loved and wealthy, like the privileged son of a rich father? Or are you burdened by the thought of God? Let's repent of harboring the mentality of a house slave and enjoy God, and his blessings and privileges, as dear children!
1. How did Paul describe people under the law in the Jewish context? (3:23,25) What new analogy does he use to help the Galatians understand this in their context? (1–2) What was the legal status of children named as heirs of an estate? What were the roles of guardians and trustees?
2. How did Paul apply this to our lives before believing in Jesus? (3,9b) (“Elemental spiritual forces” (basic principles) in Greek is “stoicheion,” which is literally “ABC’s,” and can be applied broadly to conscience, ethics, reason, cause and effect, superstition or religious systems, even including demonic forces; see also Col 2:20–23) In what sense did we used to be in slavery to these things?
3. Read verse 4. When and how did Jesus come? What does “God’s set time” imply? What promises of God were fulfilled when Jesus was “born of a woman”? (Gen 3:15; 22:18; Isa 7:14) Why did God send him in this way? (Jn 1:14) Why was he “born under law”? (5a; Lk 2:21–24; Mt 5:17; Heb 2:17)
4. Read verse 5. How miserable was it to be under the law? To release us, what did Christ do? (Rom 3:24–25a; Heb 9:12) What was his ultimate purpose? (5b) What is the fundamental change in status of an adoptee, and what new privileges are bestowed? How can we experience being adopted into God’s family? (Jn 1:12)
5. Read verse 6. What amazing thing happens to us when we are adopted by God? What does it mean to call God “Abba, Father!” (Rom 8:15–16) How does this reflect a change in the way God views us, and in the way we relate to him? How is our identity changed? (7) What does it mean to be an “heir”? (Rom 8:17; 1Pe 1:3–4)
6. Review in these verses the wonderful things Christ has done for you. In what ways are you enjoying the blessings and privileges of being adopted as a child of God?
Galatians 4:1-7 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Key verse 4:6, 9-4-11
"Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'"
In today's passage Paul develops the idea that we are children of God. He first reminds us of our status as slaves before the coming of Christ. He then teaches us how we became children of God, and what blessings and privileges we receive. Many Christians do not really enjoy the blessings and privileges of being God's children. Even though they call God "Father," they have no sense of intimacy with God. In fact, many feel burdened. Their daily life is more like that of a slave than of a child of God. We need to realize that in Christ we are God's children with great blessings and privileges. Today let's learn to enjoy our Father God and his blessings!
Part l: God Sent His Son (1-5)
Thus far in Galatians, Paul has frequently written about the law. He has been primarily referring to the law of God found in the Old Testament. In chapter 4, Paul begins to refer to the law in Roman terms, which would be more familiar to many of the Galatians. Paul explained the status as slaves in a way that the Gentiles can understand. Then in verses 4-5 Paul tells us what God has done to redeem us from this slavery and to make us his precious and beloved children.
First, slavery under the law (1-3). Look at verses 1-2. Here we find the words, "heir," "child," "slave," "guardian," and "trustee." Paul draws upon the Roman system to explain what kind of slaves we were and how Christ has set us free. Roman families were different than ours. The Roman family was patriarchal. That is, the father governed the lives of family members and all business affairs and property. He had the right to disown his children, or sell them into slavery. When an heir was a child, he was indistinguishable from a slave. Heirs were subject to guardians--usually reliable household slaves--who trained them in many ways. During that training period, the heir had to obey the guardian. Though the heir had a large bank account, he could not spend any money without the permission of his trustee. However, when a set time had passed, the father would terminate the heir's subjection to others. In a single day, the heir's status changed. He was given the full rights of a son to govern the estate. Then he was free from his former guardian and trustee. Typically, the father held a great feast to celebrate.
In verses 3-5, Paul applies the analogy to God's dealing with mankind. Look at verse 3. "So also when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world." When Paul says, "we," he is referring to both Jew and Gentile. As Jews had been under the law of God before Christ's coming, the Gentiles had been under "the elemental spiritual forces of the world" (basic principles). Here the Greek word "stoicheion" literally means "ABC's." This refers to basic education through family, social, educational and religious systems. These things may have been good. However, the problem is that they could not give life. They could not set a person free from the power of sin and death, nor point them to the only Savior, Jesus. What is worse, failure to live up to them brings about its own condemnation.
I was raised as a hedonistic, middle class youth, with a minimal catholic background. I was influenced by the moral teachings of the Catholic subculture and I had my own code of conduct trying to be a cool guy, a nice guy and not hurt others. But I could not live up to my own personal standard that I had set for myself. Because of my sin, I had become the man that did not want to become. I ended up hurting a lot of people in my quest to seek pleasure and fun in this world. I fell into a sense of self condemnation and inadequacy. I knew that I had become a fruitless, junk person who only knew how to have a lot of fun. In my heart I had a sense of vague anxieties and impending doom. But God worked through these feelings and eventually led me to seek Christ. This prepared me to receive the good news of Christ with humility and faith. The point is that we were all in slavery to the elemental spiritual forces of the world in one way or another. No matter if you are a Jew or Gentile, churched or unchurched. There was no way out. We were helpless. Did God abandon us because we were useless? No. Then what did God do?
Second, children of God through the Son (4-5). Look at verse 4. "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law...." Here the words "the set time" tell us that God set a time for sending his Son into the world to be our Savior. According to his time schedule, God sent his Son. The Son's coming is comparable to the day that heirs are liberated from guardians to receive the full rights of sons. So the coming of the Son is the best news to mankind. It was the dawn of a new era. The words "fully come" are also important. They tell us how God fully prepared before sending his Son into the world.
When we refer to the book of Daniel we find that God foretold the events preceding the Son's coming in detail. God is the Sovereign Ruler of all the kingdoms of the world and he uses them for his salvation purpose. He prepared Christ's coming in several ways. The spread of Greek language made international exchange of ideas possible. The rise of the Roman Empire brought order to the world and accelerated worldwide travel and communication. Greco-Roman people were weary of their cruel, “man-made” gods. Jewish people, bound under the law of Moses, longed for freedom. Jewish people who settled in the west, spoke Greek and held onto the Old Testament text. This prepared them to hear the Gospel and many accepted it. People everywhere were thirsty for the truth. When the gospel was proclaimed, it spread rapidly to the whole world in the first century. God is still in control of nations and people. God still uses all things to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Do you think he is doing something through the recent Arab Spring and the fall of dictatorships in Egypt and Lybia? What about the economic problems that America is experiencing? Is there a purpose and a point? And God has set a time for Christ to return, and it will happen! But that is another message.
God loves us. Look at verse 4 again. It says, "God sent his Son." His Son is most precious to God. Yet God was willing to sacrifice his Son for us. It is hard for us to sacrifice time, energy or money for others. Giving a child is unthinkable. God demonstrated his great love by sending his one and only Son. God deeply loves us with immeasurable love, and we should accept this based on the fact, regardless of how we may feel.
God's Son Jesus was born of a woman, the virgin Mary. This fulfilled God's promise to send a Savior from the offspring of a woman (Gen 3:15; 22:18; Isa 7:14). Why did God send him in this way? God wanted to reconcile with mankind. God is holy. Man is an incorrigible sinner. So people cannot come to God by themselves. God, in his mercy, came down into the world to live among us. This is the incarnation. John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." We cannot see God. But through the incarnation people could experience God. In 1 John 1:1, John says, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." This is amazing grace. Even though Jesus is God, he became a man to be with us. In this way he became a mediator between God and man (1 Ti 2:5).
Jesus was also "born under the law." Jesus was subject to the law, and fulfilled the law perfectly in its entirety. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and presented to the Lord according to the requirement of the law (Lk 2:21-24). Jesus lived in obedience to his parents, who taught him the law of God regularly. At the time of his death, Jesus knew that all was completed and that the Scripture had been fulfilled. Finally, he said, "It is finished" (Jn 19:28,30). In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Why did he do that? Verse 5a says, "...to redeem those under the law...." The law had condemned us sinners to death. We had to die, shedding our blood, to pay the demand of the law. But Jesus shed his precious blood on the cross to pay the price for us. Romans 3:25a says, "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith." Hebrews 9:12 tells us that Jesus "entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." Hebrews 10:14 explains the implication of this: "...by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Jesus paid it all through his perfect sacrifice on the cross.
What was God's ultimate purpose? Verse 5b says, "...that we might receive adoption to sonship." God's intention is not just to save us from our miserable situations, (which he may very well do) but most importantly to adopt us as his own children. Here we need to think about the word "adoption." In Roman law it meant that a slave could become a son who would inherit the estate of his master. He received his father's good name as a man of honor in the society. He also received vast property and was granted the right to reign over the household.
The old NIV says in verse 5b, "...that we might receive the full rights of sons." God did not give us half of the rights of sons, but the full rights of sons. We can understand what this means through the prodigal son in Luke 15. When he returned to his father, he was given sandals, a robe, and a ring on his finger. It symbolized the full rights of a son. He did not go through a probationary period, but became a full-fledged son immediately. These days many people adopt children from poor countries. The children's condition suddenly changes from poor, abandoned, and unloved to dearly loved, secure, and wealthy. We were slaves of sin and condemned by the law. We were abandoned, unloved and miserable due to our sins. But God had mercy on us and sent his Son to purchase us through the shedding of his precious blood. Furthermore, he adopted us as his dear children. What a great blessing God bestowed on us! But that is not all. God's blessing is deeper and richer still.
Part II: God Sent The Spirit Of His Son (6-7)
Read verse 6. "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'" We were miserable sinners. Now we have become the children of God. Wow! Is it true? How can we know this for sure? Verse 6 says, "God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts." The Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and of God. The Spirit is the invisible God who dwells in our hearts. He assures us of God's love by testifying with our spirits that we are children of God (Ro 8:16). This assurance is not something we manufacture. It is the Spirit's own testimony that assures us that we are children of God.
In sending his Spirit into our hearts, God made an intimate love relationship with us. The Spirit enables us to call out, "Abba, Father." "Abba" is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word for "My Father." The NLT says, "My dear Father!" The Message Bible says, "Papa! Father!" This shows us that the relationship between God and people is indeed intimate.
What a great blessing to call God "Abba, Father." God is the Almighty Creator God who made the heavens and the earth. God is the owner of all things. He is ready to answer all our prayers by providing limitless comfort, strength and wisdom. He enables us live as more than conquerors in this hard world. He is always ready to welcome us and to provide mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb 4:16).
However, there is a problem. Some people do not have a good image of a father in their hearts. They think of a runaway father or an abusive father. Then they are rather burdened by the word "father." On the other hand, some people have been so spoiled by their fathers that they never received any basic discipline. Their concept of a father is a vending machine that gives them whatever they need on demand. But our heavenly Father is different. Our Father God is perfect and holy. He always loves us in precisely the way we need. He is almighty. There is nothing he cannot do for us. He is always loving and understanding. He never hurts us or spoils us, but always blesses us and watches over us with great care and affection. He also give us proper discipline. God is our good Father. Moreover, he is our Everlasting Father. Let's come to God, calling, "Abba, Father!"
Verse 7 says, "So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." Romans 8:17a says, "If we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...." As heirs of God we have an inheritance. It is an eternal inheritance. We really need this inheritance. Yesterday, as we walked though Body Worlds, I thought that this can not be the ultimate outcome of our lives, to be plasticized exhibits in a museum. There must be more! There is! God provided us with an eternal inheritance, the glorious kingdom of God. Peter described that this inheritance will never perish, spoil or fade. It is kept in heaven for us (1 Pe 1:3,4). We are children of God, heirs of his kingdom. Let's live with this clear identity and reveal our Father's goodness and love to the world.
Sometimes we forget that we are glorious heirs of God. We wander in the world as spiritual orphans while our heavenly Father is seeking for us and wants to give us all things. Let's accept that we are sons and daughters of God and heirs of God and respond accordingly.
Do you truly enjoy God and delight in his love and blessings? Do you feel loved and wealthy, like the privileged son of a rich father? Or are you burdened by the thought of God? Let's repent of harboring the mentality of a house slave and enjoy God, and his blessings and privileges, as dear children!
1. How did Paul describe people under the law in the Jewish context? (3:23,25) What new analogy does he use to help the Galatians understand this in their context? (1–2) What was the legal status of children named as heirs of an estate? What were the roles of guardians and trustees?
2. How did Paul apply this to our lives before believing in Jesus? (3,9b) (“Elemental spiritual forces” (basic principles) in Greek is “stoicheion,” which is literally “ABC’s,” and can be applied broadly to conscience, ethics, reason, cause and effect, superstition or religious systems, even including demonic forces; see also Col 2:20–23) In what sense did we used to be in slavery to these things?
3. Read verse 4. When and how did Jesus come? What does “God’s set time” imply? What promises of God were fulfilled when Jesus was “born of a woman”? (Gen 3:15; 22:18; Isa 7:14) Why did God send him in this way? (Jn 1:14) Why was he “born under law”? (5a; Lk 2:21–24; Mt 5:17; Heb 2:17)
4. Read verse 5. How miserable was it to be under the law? To release us, what did Christ do? (Rom 3:24–25a; Heb 9:12) What was his ultimate purpose? (5b) What is the fundamental change in status of an adoptee, and what new privileges are bestowed? How can we experience being adopted into God’s family? (Jn 1:12)
5. Read verse 6. What amazing thing happens to us when we are adopted by God? What does it mean to call God “Abba, Father!” (Rom 8:15–16) How does this reflect a change in the way God views us, and in the way we relate to him? How is our identity changed? (7) What does it mean to be an “heir”? (Rom 8:17; 1Pe 1:3–4)
6. Review in these verses the wonderful things Christ has done for you. In what ways are you enjoying the blessings and privileges of being adopted as a child of God?
Galatians 3:15-29
WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH FAITH
Galatians 3:15–29 Lesson 5
Key Verse: 3:26 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-14-11
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith..."
In today's passage Paul helps us to see a bird's eye view of God's salvation work. When we do, we can find three main pillars: Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. Through these three figures, God's plan is progressively revealed. God started salvation work through Abraham when he promised that all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring. God fulfilled this promise through Jesus Christ. As God's salvation history unfolded, some 400 years later, God gave the law through Moses. The purpose of the law is to expose sin as sin, and lead us to salvation in Christ. Both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. However, God's history is based on his promise to Abraham, not the law. Paul explained God's history to the Galatians so that they might know God's intention to make people of all nations his children through faith in Christ. We must know that in Christ, there is no distinction based on race, gender, or social status. We are all children of God through faith in Christ. When we have this clear identity, we are blessed and can embrace all kinds of people in Christ.
Part l: “The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise” (15-18)
In order to illustrate his point, Paul shared the example of a human covenant, and related it to God's promise. The word "covenant" in verse 15 comes from a rather technical Greek word (diatheke) which can be translated "last will and testament." We are familiar with a will. It is a legal document that governs the distribution of a deceased person's estate to his heirs. While the estate owner is alive, he can revise his will as he pleases. He may want to reduce or increase the inheritance of heirs based on their behavior. However, after he dies, his will cannot be changed. Nothing can be added or taken away. It must be executed as written by the deceased. And so is the covenant of God, it is a promise that can not be added to or taken away. It can not be changed. What are some of the promised of God that we Christians hold onto? What about the promise of the forgiveness of sins to all who repent and believe in Jesus? What about the promise of the resurrection? What about the promise to bear much fruit for the glory of God, in this life, as we follow Jesus? There are so many promises that God has given us that can not be added or taken away. Praise God.
In verses 16-18, Paul teaches that the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise; it comes by God's grace alone (18). Paul related this truth to God's promise to Abraham. God gave many promises to Abraham, such as, "I will make you into a great nation...I will make your name great," and, "...to your offspring I will give this land..." (Gen 12:2-3; 7). Yet, as Paul explains in Galatians, these promises all converge into one: "...though your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed..." (Gen 12:3; 22:18). Paul says that "offspring" is not plural but singular, and refers to one person, who is Christ (16). In giving his promise to Abraham, God looked forward to Christ. It was the promise to bring the gospel of grace, through the Savior, to all nations. God wanted Abraham and his descendants to realize that he would keep this promise without fail. So he swore an oath.
Usually, we swear by someone greater than ourselves. In a courtroom, witnesses put their hand on the Bible and swear “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." But God had no one greater to swear by. So he swore by himself. Hebrews 6:17 says, "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." God seriously and absolutely committed himself to keep his promise. The law came 430 years later. It does not set aside the promise (17). And so the point Paul is making is, the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise. It comes by God's grace alone (18).
Since Paul took great pains to distinguish the promise and the law, it is worthwhile for us to consider the nature of both. In the promise God said, "I will...I will...I will...." But in the law of Moses, God said, "You shall...You shall not...You shall...." Upon this basis, John Stott commented: "The promise sets forth a religion of God--'God's plan,' 'God's grace,' 'God's initiative.' But the law sets forth a religion of man--'man's duty,' 'man's works,' 'man's responsibility.' The promise had only to be believed. But the law had to be obeyed. God's dealings with Abraham were in the category of 'promise,' 'grace' and 'faith.' But God's dealings with Moses were in the category of 'law,' 'commandments,' and 'works.' The conclusion to which Paul is leading is that the Christian religion is the religion of Abraham and not Moses, of promise and not law; and that Christians are enjoying today the promise which God made to Abraham centuries ago" Martin Luther said, "For unless the gospel be plainly discerned from the law, the true Christian doctrine cannot be kept sound and uncorrupt. But if this difference be well known, then is the true manner of justification also known, and then it is an easy matter to discern faith from works, Christ from Moses...." So, it is important for us to distinguish between law and promise.
[John Robert Walmsley Stott, CBE (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In 2005, Time magazine ranked Stott among the 100 most influential people in the world.] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stott
This salvation of God, based on the promises of God, and which God himself fulfills in our lives, is purely the wonderful grace of Jesus freely given to all who believe. God's grace is the "safety net" of our soul, and the "bottom line" beyond which nothing can pass. God's grace will not allow us to fall beyond remedy. We go up and down, rise and fall, succeed and fail. Yet, through it all, God holds us in his arms of grace. This is our blessed assurance. This gives us hope, like an anchor for our souls, that is steadfast and certain no matter how stormy our lives may be (Heb 6:19).
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
In verses 19-25 there are two questions. These questions were probably raised by the Judaizers. In order to answer them, Paul taught the Galatians the role of the law in God's work and history. Let’s see what Paul has to teach us…
The first question is, "Why, then, was the law given at all?" Actually, many of us have this question. Jennifer even posed this question one day during our group Bible study. We may even ask ourselves, "If we are saved only by faith in Jesus, why do we need the law? Why do have I struggled so hard to live a holy life? Why did I receive so much divine discipline in life in order to live rightly before God? Has it all been in vain?" With these questions in mind, let's see why the law was given.
Paul's answer was very clear. Look at verse 19b. "…It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come." In order to understand this verse it helps to know when the law was given to Israel, and what their national situation was. According to Genesis, God led the Israelites to Egypt in Jacob's time. God's purpose was to make them a great nation that could declare his praises to the whole world. The people suffered as slaves under Pharaoh. Then God delivered them by his mighty acts of judgment, some 430 years later (Ex 12:41). God led his redeemed people to Mount Sinai and gave them the law in order to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6). They needed the law, because even though they were free, they still had the mentality of slaves. In reviewing Exodus, we find that they were ungrateful and ready to complain. They were impatient, easily angered, and often fought each other. They were greedy and sexually immoral in many ways. God gave them laws against incest, and physical relationships with animals. But they quickly forgot God, fell into idolatry, and even indulged in revelry. (Ex 32:6) What was their problem? Their main problem was that they did not have a consciousness of sin. They can be compared to people with a terminal disease who are totally unaware of it. They did not know themselves or see themselves from God’s point of view.
They were in desperate need of God and God so came to rescue them. He set out to make them his holy people. The first step was to give them the law to help them recognize sin as sin. If you know anything about medicine, when they properly diagnosed the problem in their hearts, they could realize that only God could help them. They could come to God, humbly as sinners for forgiveness and cleansing, which was offered through the sacrificial system. This sacrificial system was a shadow of Jesus' atonement for sin. The role of the law was not to save them from their sins, but to provoke, expose, and condemn sin so that they might come to God for help. As they did so, they could be trained and sanctified and grow as God's holy people. Now we understand why God gave them the law.
The promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness. In verses 19c-20 Paul draws out a contrast between the law and the promise. This sharpens his argument that the promise is weightier than the law. First, the law required a mediator, the promise did not. In the NLT, (New Living Translation), these verses read, "God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham." We can find two points of contrast. First of all, the law was given indirectly through angels and a mediator, before it finally came to the people. At that time there was a great chasm between God and his people, because of their sin. God warned Moses not to let the Israelites go up the mountain to see him, or he would break out against them and many would perish (Ex 19:20-22). God is holy. If sinful men meet the holy God directly, they will perish. So they needed a mediator. The need for a mediator emphasizes the distance between God and man. However, God spoke the promise to Abraham directly. God was close to Abraham and so he gave his promises directly.
As a second contrast, the law was conditional. Within the covenant of the law, God and the people both had something to fulfill. If either party failed, the covenant would be nullified. On the other hand, God's promise to Abraham was unconditional. God did not require anything more of Abraham than that he believe the promise. God took full and one-sided responsibility to fulfill the promise. God kept his promise by sending Jesus Christ.
Because the promise is personal and unconditional for all who believe, it can not fail. It is based on the all mighty God and his unconditional love for sinner. Therefore, the promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness.
The second question is, "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God?" The implication of this question is that if we are saved by faith alone, the law is in opposition to the promise and we can disregard it totally. What does Paul say? "Absolutely not!" The law and the promise are not opposed to each other. In fact, they work together according to God's intended purpose. Yet the role of each is different. The law does not produce righteousness, but conviction of sin and condemnation. The law brings a guilty verdict to all people on earth, so that mankind may realize there is no way out apart from the Savior. Verse 22a says, "Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin...." Romans 3:10b says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:20 says, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." This leads to the promise.
The promise is that salvation will be given freely by grace to anyone who believes in Christ (22b-23). While the power of sin and the law are like a prison, faith in Christ is like a key. Faith opens the door and sets the prisoner free. Verse 24 says, "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith." When we have faith in Jesus, we are no longer under the law (25). So we see that the law and the promise are not contradictory, they are complimentary; we need both. But the promise came first and is foundational to understand the purpose of the law.
Part III: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26-29)
Thus far Paul has reviewed how God worked through the promise to Abraham and the law of Moses. We have seen how both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. Now we will consider what Christ has done.
Paul proclaims a marvelous blessing on those who believe. Let's read verse 26. "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...." It is an amazing proclamation! According to the law, it was impossible for anyone to become a child of God. People are born as slaves to sin. Their position as a slave cannot be changed. Though their living situation may improve, their slave status cannot be changed. The point is, without Jesus, we are always under the condemnation of the law. We are guilty and fearful without remedy. This is still the present condition of those who don't believe in Jesus. They try to be saved by works: like daily prayer, almsgiving, (which is giving to the poor), fasting, going on pilgrimages, and so on. However, they are greatly burdened in spirit, without peace or joy. This is the condition of all who rely on keeping the law to be righteous.
But now, in the Gospel, faith has come (25). Through faith we are set free from bondage to sin and the law. Through faith we become children of God. In Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith (26). When we simply believe in Christ Jesus, God gives us amazing grace to become his children. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...."
The greatest blessing through faith in Christ Jesus is to become children of God. God not only forgives all our sins, but makes us his children. This is not just the improvement of our situation, such as becoming rich, getting accepted to Harvard University, being healed from a disease, winning a prestigious award, or marrying the most suitable person. But it is a fundamental change within us which brings us out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of light. It also changes us from being like poor beggars into privileged children of God. Our status is changed from slaves to children. Sure, we have many ups and downs. Sometimes we make mistakes and fail. However, God never cuts us off from being his children. Even though we fall short, we are still his precious children. This happens when we just believe in Jesus alone. It is totally out of God's love for us. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are!" What a blessing to become his children!
Verse 27 further explains the meaning of faith in Christ through the metaphors of baptism and changing our clothing: "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Baptism into Christ, as explained in Romans 6:3-5, means we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. It means the death of our old sinful nature and the birth of a new life through the power of the Risen Christ. Our inner person has fundamentally changed through a new spiritual birth as God's children. Though this new birth has happened by God's grace, we need to live out our faith in daily life. It is like changing clothes. We take off our old dirty garments and put on new clean garments (Ro 13:14). Just as we change our clothes every day, we can put on Christ every day and live a new life in him. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." God sees us as his children through faith in Christ.
Now we can see ourselves as God's children through faith in Christ also. We must also see others in the same way. So verses 28-29 say, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Our new identity as God's children supersedes any other human consideration. Distinctions based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, social status, wealth, education, appearance and so on become like spices. They make life spicy and interesting. But they are secondary. In essence, all who have faith in Christ are God's children and dear family members. It is wonderful, but not always easy to practice.
Dr. John Perkins, an African American, was born in New Hebron, Mississippi in 1930. His family members were sharecroppers and he grew up in grinding poverty. His brother died in his arms after being shot by a white deputy for no good reason. After moving to California, he met Jesus personally and began to live a Christian life. Later, he returned to Mississippi to work for the social and spiritual progress of his people. One night he was arrested without a charge and brutally beaten almost to death by white deputies. He said that at that moment, if he had had an atomic bomb, he would have blown up everyone around him out of his sense of vengeance. He realized that in his own soul there was a monster of racism and hatred. He could see the image of Satan in himself. So he began to seek Christ's grace for his own inner transformation. Through painful struggle, Christ began to set him free. Eventually, he could look upon white people with understanding and compassion. He often sings, "Red, yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." And he ministers to many different people throughout the USA with the love of God. Today, even among Christians, there is still discrimination based on race, gender and social status. This does not please God. God wants all of his children to be one in Christ Jesus, not just in theory but in truth and practice.
In today's passage we have learned that God's promise of salvation gives us undying hope and is fundamental to our relationship with him. We also learned that we are all children of God through faith in Christ. Let's accept this grace with faith. Let's see other believers as precious family members in the family of God, our Father.
Part 1: The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise (15–18)
1. A. What is the nature of a human covenant? (3:15) B. What were God’s promises to Abraham, and how were they fulfilled in Christ? (3:16; 3:8; Gen 22:18) C. When was the law introduced, and why did it not do away with God’s promise? (3:17) D. On what basis did God give his promised inheritance to Abraham? (3:18)
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
2. A. For what purpose did God add the law? (3:19a; Rom 7:7,13) B. Why did God have to give his law to his sinful people through angels and a mediator? (3:19b–20; Ex 19:21–22) C. What did Paul say about the relationship between the law and God’s promise? (3:21a) D. What is the law’s limitation? (3:21b)
3. A. What does it mean that “Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin”? (3:22a; Rom 3:10–20) B. Who alone receives what was promised? (3:22b) C. What was our situation before faith in Christ was revealed to us? (3:23) D. What is the ultimate purpose of the law? (3:24) E. In Christ, what is our new relationship to the law? (3:25)
Part lll: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26–29)
4. A. Read 3:26–27. What is our new identity in Christ Jesus? B. Why is this so amazing and graceful? (1Jn 3:1; 1Pe 2:10) C. How does this happen to us? (3:27) D. What is the spiritual meaning of “baptized into Christ”? (Rom 6:3–5) E. What does it mean to be “clothed with Christ”? (Rom 13:13–14; Eph 4:22–24) F. What does it mean to you to be a child of God?
5. A. In Christ, what is our new relationship with other believers, regardless of human distinctions? (3:28) B. How can we accept all kinds of people into our community, and why should we? (Rom 15:7; Rev 7:9) C. How did Paul emphasize the new status of those who belong to Christ, Jew or Gentile? (3:29)
Galatians 3:15–29 Lesson 5
Key Verse: 3:26 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-14-11
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith..."
In today's passage Paul helps us to see a bird's eye view of God's salvation work. When we do, we can find three main pillars: Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. Through these three figures, God's plan is progressively revealed. God started salvation work through Abraham when he promised that all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring. God fulfilled this promise through Jesus Christ. As God's salvation history unfolded, some 400 years later, God gave the law through Moses. The purpose of the law is to expose sin as sin, and lead us to salvation in Christ. Both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. However, God's history is based on his promise to Abraham, not the law. Paul explained God's history to the Galatians so that they might know God's intention to make people of all nations his children through faith in Christ. We must know that in Christ, there is no distinction based on race, gender, or social status. We are all children of God through faith in Christ. When we have this clear identity, we are blessed and can embrace all kinds of people in Christ.
Part l: “The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise” (15-18)
In order to illustrate his point, Paul shared the example of a human covenant, and related it to God's promise. The word "covenant" in verse 15 comes from a rather technical Greek word (diatheke) which can be translated "last will and testament." We are familiar with a will. It is a legal document that governs the distribution of a deceased person's estate to his heirs. While the estate owner is alive, he can revise his will as he pleases. He may want to reduce or increase the inheritance of heirs based on their behavior. However, after he dies, his will cannot be changed. Nothing can be added or taken away. It must be executed as written by the deceased. And so is the covenant of God, it is a promise that can not be added to or taken away. It can not be changed. What are some of the promised of God that we Christians hold onto? What about the promise of the forgiveness of sins to all who repent and believe in Jesus? What about the promise of the resurrection? What about the promise to bear much fruit for the glory of God, in this life, as we follow Jesus? There are so many promises that God has given us that can not be added or taken away. Praise God.
In verses 16-18, Paul teaches that the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise; it comes by God's grace alone (18). Paul related this truth to God's promise to Abraham. God gave many promises to Abraham, such as, "I will make you into a great nation...I will make your name great," and, "...to your offspring I will give this land..." (Gen 12:2-3; 7). Yet, as Paul explains in Galatians, these promises all converge into one: "...though your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed..." (Gen 12:3; 22:18). Paul says that "offspring" is not plural but singular, and refers to one person, who is Christ (16). In giving his promise to Abraham, God looked forward to Christ. It was the promise to bring the gospel of grace, through the Savior, to all nations. God wanted Abraham and his descendants to realize that he would keep this promise without fail. So he swore an oath.
Usually, we swear by someone greater than ourselves. In a courtroom, witnesses put their hand on the Bible and swear “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." But God had no one greater to swear by. So he swore by himself. Hebrews 6:17 says, "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." God seriously and absolutely committed himself to keep his promise. The law came 430 years later. It does not set aside the promise (17). And so the point Paul is making is, the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise. It comes by God's grace alone (18).
Since Paul took great pains to distinguish the promise and the law, it is worthwhile for us to consider the nature of both. In the promise God said, "I will...I will...I will...." But in the law of Moses, God said, "You shall...You shall not...You shall...." Upon this basis, John Stott commented: "The promise sets forth a religion of God--'God's plan,' 'God's grace,' 'God's initiative.' But the law sets forth a religion of man--'man's duty,' 'man's works,' 'man's responsibility.' The promise had only to be believed. But the law had to be obeyed. God's dealings with Abraham were in the category of 'promise,' 'grace' and 'faith.' But God's dealings with Moses were in the category of 'law,' 'commandments,' and 'works.' The conclusion to which Paul is leading is that the Christian religion is the religion of Abraham and not Moses, of promise and not law; and that Christians are enjoying today the promise which God made to Abraham centuries ago" Martin Luther said, "For unless the gospel be plainly discerned from the law, the true Christian doctrine cannot be kept sound and uncorrupt. But if this difference be well known, then is the true manner of justification also known, and then it is an easy matter to discern faith from works, Christ from Moses...." So, it is important for us to distinguish between law and promise.
[John Robert Walmsley Stott, CBE (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In 2005, Time magazine ranked Stott among the 100 most influential people in the world.] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stott
This salvation of God, based on the promises of God, and which God himself fulfills in our lives, is purely the wonderful grace of Jesus freely given to all who believe. God's grace is the "safety net" of our soul, and the "bottom line" beyond which nothing can pass. God's grace will not allow us to fall beyond remedy. We go up and down, rise and fall, succeed and fail. Yet, through it all, God holds us in his arms of grace. This is our blessed assurance. This gives us hope, like an anchor for our souls, that is steadfast and certain no matter how stormy our lives may be (Heb 6:19).
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
In verses 19-25 there are two questions. These questions were probably raised by the Judaizers. In order to answer them, Paul taught the Galatians the role of the law in God's work and history. Let’s see what Paul has to teach us…
The first question is, "Why, then, was the law given at all?" Actually, many of us have this question. Jennifer even posed this question one day during our group Bible study. We may even ask ourselves, "If we are saved only by faith in Jesus, why do we need the law? Why do have I struggled so hard to live a holy life? Why did I receive so much divine discipline in life in order to live rightly before God? Has it all been in vain?" With these questions in mind, let's see why the law was given.
Paul's answer was very clear. Look at verse 19b. "…It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come." In order to understand this verse it helps to know when the law was given to Israel, and what their national situation was. According to Genesis, God led the Israelites to Egypt in Jacob's time. God's purpose was to make them a great nation that could declare his praises to the whole world. The people suffered as slaves under Pharaoh. Then God delivered them by his mighty acts of judgment, some 430 years later (Ex 12:41). God led his redeemed people to Mount Sinai and gave them the law in order to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6). They needed the law, because even though they were free, they still had the mentality of slaves. In reviewing Exodus, we find that they were ungrateful and ready to complain. They were impatient, easily angered, and often fought each other. They were greedy and sexually immoral in many ways. God gave them laws against incest, and physical relationships with animals. But they quickly forgot God, fell into idolatry, and even indulged in revelry. (Ex 32:6) What was their problem? Their main problem was that they did not have a consciousness of sin. They can be compared to people with a terminal disease who are totally unaware of it. They did not know themselves or see themselves from God’s point of view.
They were in desperate need of God and God so came to rescue them. He set out to make them his holy people. The first step was to give them the law to help them recognize sin as sin. If you know anything about medicine, when they properly diagnosed the problem in their hearts, they could realize that only God could help them. They could come to God, humbly as sinners for forgiveness and cleansing, which was offered through the sacrificial system. This sacrificial system was a shadow of Jesus' atonement for sin. The role of the law was not to save them from their sins, but to provoke, expose, and condemn sin so that they might come to God for help. As they did so, they could be trained and sanctified and grow as God's holy people. Now we understand why God gave them the law.
The promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness. In verses 19c-20 Paul draws out a contrast between the law and the promise. This sharpens his argument that the promise is weightier than the law. First, the law required a mediator, the promise did not. In the NLT, (New Living Translation), these verses read, "God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham." We can find two points of contrast. First of all, the law was given indirectly through angels and a mediator, before it finally came to the people. At that time there was a great chasm between God and his people, because of their sin. God warned Moses not to let the Israelites go up the mountain to see him, or he would break out against them and many would perish (Ex 19:20-22). God is holy. If sinful men meet the holy God directly, they will perish. So they needed a mediator. The need for a mediator emphasizes the distance between God and man. However, God spoke the promise to Abraham directly. God was close to Abraham and so he gave his promises directly.
As a second contrast, the law was conditional. Within the covenant of the law, God and the people both had something to fulfill. If either party failed, the covenant would be nullified. On the other hand, God's promise to Abraham was unconditional. God did not require anything more of Abraham than that he believe the promise. God took full and one-sided responsibility to fulfill the promise. God kept his promise by sending Jesus Christ.
Because the promise is personal and unconditional for all who believe, it can not fail. It is based on the all mighty God and his unconditional love for sinner. Therefore, the promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness.
The second question is, "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God?" The implication of this question is that if we are saved by faith alone, the law is in opposition to the promise and we can disregard it totally. What does Paul say? "Absolutely not!" The law and the promise are not opposed to each other. In fact, they work together according to God's intended purpose. Yet the role of each is different. The law does not produce righteousness, but conviction of sin and condemnation. The law brings a guilty verdict to all people on earth, so that mankind may realize there is no way out apart from the Savior. Verse 22a says, "Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin...." Romans 3:10b says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:20 says, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." This leads to the promise.
The promise is that salvation will be given freely by grace to anyone who believes in Christ (22b-23). While the power of sin and the law are like a prison, faith in Christ is like a key. Faith opens the door and sets the prisoner free. Verse 24 says, "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith." When we have faith in Jesus, we are no longer under the law (25). So we see that the law and the promise are not contradictory, they are complimentary; we need both. But the promise came first and is foundational to understand the purpose of the law.
Part III: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26-29)
Thus far Paul has reviewed how God worked through the promise to Abraham and the law of Moses. We have seen how both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. Now we will consider what Christ has done.
Paul proclaims a marvelous blessing on those who believe. Let's read verse 26. "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...." It is an amazing proclamation! According to the law, it was impossible for anyone to become a child of God. People are born as slaves to sin. Their position as a slave cannot be changed. Though their living situation may improve, their slave status cannot be changed. The point is, without Jesus, we are always under the condemnation of the law. We are guilty and fearful without remedy. This is still the present condition of those who don't believe in Jesus. They try to be saved by works: like daily prayer, almsgiving, (which is giving to the poor), fasting, going on pilgrimages, and so on. However, they are greatly burdened in spirit, without peace or joy. This is the condition of all who rely on keeping the law to be righteous.
But now, in the Gospel, faith has come (25). Through faith we are set free from bondage to sin and the law. Through faith we become children of God. In Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith (26). When we simply believe in Christ Jesus, God gives us amazing grace to become his children. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...."
The greatest blessing through faith in Christ Jesus is to become children of God. God not only forgives all our sins, but makes us his children. This is not just the improvement of our situation, such as becoming rich, getting accepted to Harvard University, being healed from a disease, winning a prestigious award, or marrying the most suitable person. But it is a fundamental change within us which brings us out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of light. It also changes us from being like poor beggars into privileged children of God. Our status is changed from slaves to children. Sure, we have many ups and downs. Sometimes we make mistakes and fail. However, God never cuts us off from being his children. Even though we fall short, we are still his precious children. This happens when we just believe in Jesus alone. It is totally out of God's love for us. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are!" What a blessing to become his children!
Verse 27 further explains the meaning of faith in Christ through the metaphors of baptism and changing our clothing: "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Baptism into Christ, as explained in Romans 6:3-5, means we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. It means the death of our old sinful nature and the birth of a new life through the power of the Risen Christ. Our inner person has fundamentally changed through a new spiritual birth as God's children. Though this new birth has happened by God's grace, we need to live out our faith in daily life. It is like changing clothes. We take off our old dirty garments and put on new clean garments (Ro 13:14). Just as we change our clothes every day, we can put on Christ every day and live a new life in him. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." God sees us as his children through faith in Christ.
Now we can see ourselves as God's children through faith in Christ also. We must also see others in the same way. So verses 28-29 say, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Our new identity as God's children supersedes any other human consideration. Distinctions based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, social status, wealth, education, appearance and so on become like spices. They make life spicy and interesting. But they are secondary. In essence, all who have faith in Christ are God's children and dear family members. It is wonderful, but not always easy to practice.
Dr. John Perkins, an African American, was born in New Hebron, Mississippi in 1930. His family members were sharecroppers and he grew up in grinding poverty. His brother died in his arms after being shot by a white deputy for no good reason. After moving to California, he met Jesus personally and began to live a Christian life. Later, he returned to Mississippi to work for the social and spiritual progress of his people. One night he was arrested without a charge and brutally beaten almost to death by white deputies. He said that at that moment, if he had had an atomic bomb, he would have blown up everyone around him out of his sense of vengeance. He realized that in his own soul there was a monster of racism and hatred. He could see the image of Satan in himself. So he began to seek Christ's grace for his own inner transformation. Through painful struggle, Christ began to set him free. Eventually, he could look upon white people with understanding and compassion. He often sings, "Red, yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." And he ministers to many different people throughout the USA with the love of God. Today, even among Christians, there is still discrimination based on race, gender and social status. This does not please God. God wants all of his children to be one in Christ Jesus, not just in theory but in truth and practice.
In today's passage we have learned that God's promise of salvation gives us undying hope and is fundamental to our relationship with him. We also learned that we are all children of God through faith in Christ. Let's accept this grace with faith. Let's see other believers as precious family members in the family of God, our Father.
Part 1: The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise (15–18)
1. A. What is the nature of a human covenant? (3:15) B. What were God’s promises to Abraham, and how were they fulfilled in Christ? (3:16; 3:8; Gen 22:18) C. When was the law introduced, and why did it not do away with God’s promise? (3:17) D. On what basis did God give his promised inheritance to Abraham? (3:18)
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
2. A. For what purpose did God add the law? (3:19a; Rom 7:7,13) B. Why did God have to give his law to his sinful people through angels and a mediator? (3:19b–20; Ex 19:21–22) C. What did Paul say about the relationship between the law and God’s promise? (3:21a) D. What is the law’s limitation? (3:21b)
3. A. What does it mean that “Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin”? (3:22a; Rom 3:10–20) B. Who alone receives what was promised? (3:22b) C. What was our situation before faith in Christ was revealed to us? (3:23) D. What is the ultimate purpose of the law? (3:24) E. In Christ, what is our new relationship to the law? (3:25)
Part lll: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26–29)
4. A. Read 3:26–27. What is our new identity in Christ Jesus? B. Why is this so amazing and graceful? (1Jn 3:1; 1Pe 2:10) C. How does this happen to us? (3:27) D. What is the spiritual meaning of “baptized into Christ”? (Rom 6:3–5) E. What does it mean to be “clothed with Christ”? (Rom 13:13–14; Eph 4:22–24) F. What does it mean to you to be a child of God?
5. A. In Christ, what is our new relationship with other believers, regardless of human distinctions? (3:28) B. How can we accept all kinds of people into our community, and why should we? (Rom 15:7; Rev 7:9) C. How did Paul emphasize the new status of those who belong to Christ, Jew or Gentile? (3:29)
Matthew 6:5-18
“Your Kingdom Come”
Matthew 6:5-18 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-21-11
Key Verse: 6:9b,10
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Do you known what the best thing ever is? Is spending eternity with Jesus in the Kingdom of God as his child! Jesus’ main concern was always to glorify his Father in heaven and expand the territory of the Kingdom of God. From the onset of his ministry he preached the message, “The kingdom of heaven is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) He chose his disciples and helped each of them to see the kingdom of God. He wanted to work through them to share the Gospel so that the Kingdom of God may grow in the hearts of the people. This is a great task….too great a task for these disciples to accomplish through their own human efforts. They need to do much more than just preach, teach and serve others basic needs. How could they do it? Only through prayer. That is why Jesus presents a model prayer for his disciples of all time. When Jesus’ disciples pray personally before God a genuine motivation to glorify God in all that they do grows in them. Then the Kingdom of God can grow to others. Let’s examine this model prayer.
Part l: The Attitude Of Prayer To God (5-8).
First, the attitude of prayer. Look at verse 5. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” We can approach prayer with various attitudes. There is the attitude of, “here we go again.” There is the sleepy attitude where we doze off in the holy sleeping position. At least they are trying to pray. There are good attitudes, that make a person say, “I can’t wait to talk to God” or “I need God’s help.” or “I want to get to know my Heavenly Father more deeply.”
In Jesus’ time there was another attitude among some of the people. There were hypocrites who tried hard to make people notice they were praying to God, but they are actually putting on a display for people to see. They sought human recognition. Would you ever do this? I don’t think many of us try to show off our spirituality by praying publically. In any case, the prayers born out of such motives are not directed vertically, to God, but horizontally, to other people.
Jesus says that such people forfeit the blessing of genuine fellowship with God through prayer. Verse 5b reads, “…I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” What is their reward? Their reward is having a few people say, “Wow! That person is really holy!” They get a momentary feeling of self satisfaction. Or they get a sense of relief that their being asked to pray is all over for now. They will get no reward from God. No peace of; no affirmation that their hearts are right before him; no praise from Jesus when they see him face to face in the heavenly kingdom. We must have the right attitude in prayer. But how?
First, our prayers must be directed vertically to God, in private. Look at verse 6. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus is emphasizing a personal, intimate conversation with God. We Christians have a great privilege of prayer to God. When Jesus died on the cross the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The way to the most holy place was wide open. No longer did the people require a High Priest to pray for them, they could approach the throne of God, through faith. They could come to God and cry, “Abba, Father!” This is a great privilege given to us Christians. It was a costly privilege. The cost was the suffering and death of Jesus. This privilege was given to us. Jesus urges us to exercise this privilege in secret. We can make a personal relationship with God through prayer when we have the right attitude. So often we pray at meetings, two by two, or before meals, but go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen! Where your favorite place to pray in private to Jesus?
We always like to knock the younger generation, thinking of all their bad qualities. I think that our young people are not far from learning personal prayer. They already are accustomed to go into their rooms, closing their doors, and spending time on the computer or on an iPod. They know how to text to their friends, read texts and listen to music, via virtual reality. This is just a step away from the life of prayer. Can you see it? A rich prayer life is just around the corner for many of them.
Second, we must be confident that our Father in heaven knows our every need and wants to intervene. Look at verses 7-8. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Pagans pray to idols which are not real. They babble repeated prayers thinking that these idols will be moved and give them blessings. Buddhist’s have found a way to increase the frequency of their formalistic prayers. When they are too tired to pray any longer, they can go to their prayer wheels and spin a prayer wheel. But prayer for Christians is not just endless, formalistic babblings. We have heartfelt prayer to our Father God, who is living. More than that, he listens and is very concerned as he watches over us each moment of the day. He understands us and knows exactly what we need. He answers our prayers. I can guarantee you that God will answer any prayer you send him. His answer will be “Yes”, “No” or “wait”.
Sometimes we don’t know what we need. All we know is that we need something. We can only groan before God in ways that words cannot express. But God hears and understands our groans. He is happy when we turn to him for help in our time of need. In 1986 at the age of 22, I was groaning because of my emptiness and my meaningless life as a student hedonist. One night I felt so bored, all alone and meaningless, that I went into my room and cried in my pillow, “Oh God!” It was more of a groan than a prayer. But it was a prayer uttered in the privacy of my own room. God heard my prayer. And he sent Christians to me who tried to preach the Gospel to me. Eventually I met Msn Ruth Hwang and I came to meet Jesus personally. Recently, I battled despair and depression. Many of my prayers were groanings pointed towards God. But God heard these groaning prayers and he is filling my heart with new hope and new vision. I don’t know if any of you noticed a difference in me lately. But there is a difference. We don’t have to wait until we are in a spiritual crisis to pray privately to God.
Part ll: Father In Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name! (9)
First, “Our Father in heaven.” (9) Jesus taught us to call God “Father.” This was a revolutionary teaching in the ancient world. Until this time, no one would call God “Father.” The Jews knew God as the Almighty Creator God, the holy God who demanded their obedience. If they met the holy God in their sinful state, they would die immediately. It would be like finding yourself in the middle of a nuclear reactor. They had such an awesome respect for God that they would not say his name, and so they made up a name for God, that could not be verbalized, YHWH. (Which was Yahweh without the vowels.)
Jesus wanted his disciples to call God “Father.” They could do so because Jesus gave them the right to call God their father, for faith in him made each believer into a child of God. (Jn 1:12) How is this possible? Jesus offered his body and shed his blood at the cross to purchase for us another privilege, the privilege to call God “Father”. Through Jesus’ sacrifice our sins are forgiven and we are purified. Now, through faith, we can stand before God as holy children of God. This all comes through receiving Jesus and believing in his name. Wow! What a great gift.
When we call God “Father” we must recognize God’s love for all people. When we call God “Father,” we recognize that we are all part of his spiritual family which is made up of people from every language and nation who have been saved by Jesus’ blood. In God our Father, we have so many brothers and sisters. Several of us have come from Korea to be missionaries. They are all our brothers and sister in the Lord. Another young man grew up in the suburbs and has recently dedicated his life to Christ. He is a brother in the Lord. Suzie is a believer from Heidelberg Germany. She is a sister in the Lord. Red, yellow, black and white we are all precious in his sight for we are all part of the family of God. We can even think of unbelievers as our prodigal brothers and sisters in the sense they were all created by our heavenly Father who is their creator God. They just don’t know it. So, let’s decide to love our neighbors as ourselves no matter who they may be.
Second, “Hallowed be your name.” Hallowed means to be sanctified, consecrated, highly venerated. (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/hallowed) In a word, respected. Although God is our Father, we must remember whom we are coming to and not just come to him flippantly nor relate to him as many young people relate to their parents. Our relationship must be different. Why? God is the Almighty Creator God. He is holy. He is the Judge of all mankind. It is right for his name to be exalted above every name. It starts with hallowing God in our own hearts first.
As we pray, “Hallowed be your name,” we must also desire to bring honor to his name by the way we live in this world. How can we do this? Study hard in school and reveal God’s grace by trying your best to get great marks. Excel at work so that other employees may see God’s glory and honor him. Make our homes places of worship, love and praise to the holy God. Our ministries must maintain the highest moral standard and reveal the Spirit of the Holy God at work among us. When we pray “Hallowed be your name”, then God’s name will be hallowed through our lives, families and ministries and among the people of the campus’ we are praying for.
Part lll: Your Kingdom Come!
One of the most powerful portions of this model prayer is, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Since the Fall, this world has been a battlefield between the God and the devil. This battle has been going on for millennia. God has always been near to those who had faith, but in the perfect time, God sent Jesus, our savior and king, who would destroy the devil and restore God’s rightful rule in the hearts of his people. This is great news, for in the kingdom of Satan, there is only condemnation, fear, despair, worries, anxieties, slow erosion and degradation of the soul, mind and heart. There is death. But in the Kingdom of God there is God’s healing, hope, mission, spiritual joy, love, peace, room to grow, security, spiritual growth and strength and of course eternal life. When we accept Jesus as our Savior King, we are saved from the devil and become God’s children. We effectively come out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light life, the Kingdom of God.
However, the battle is not over. It is going on in us and around us and throughout this world. Just examine your own heart and watch the news. The Bible teaches that he devil is prowling around like a roaring lion. He blinds the eyes people so they can not see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 2:4, 1 John 2:11).
The same is true even for more seasoned Christians. They too can loose sight of the kingdom of God. For years they serve Jesus, but one thing after another strike their hearts like the constant barrage of punches from a boxing opponent. The bad economy, work hassles, weakness of the body, constant rejections to our efforts to evangelize, constant calls to sacrifice, loved ones who don’t share our faith, sins and temptations, all take their toll on us until we can not see the kingdom of God any longer. We know that going back to the world is not an option, but we loose our joy of living by faith. Has this happened to you? Maybe we think that we can never tasted the joy, love and peace of the Kingdom of God again. But the truth is, experiencing the kingdom of God can be as new and fresh an experience to us as it is to new believers.
How do we dwell in the kingdom of God? We need to repent and believe the Gospel. Think about Nicodemis. Nicodenus had everything, the highest education, the respect of his peers, a high position in society. He had it all by this world’s standard, but he was not happy. He came to Jesus at night and asked him many spiritual questions. He was missing something. There was a “God sized hole in his heart”. Jesus saw pasts his words to see the true problem in his heart. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (Jn 3:3) According to the spiritual doctor, Jesus, the cure to Nicodmuses’ problem is that he needed to see and experience and live in the kingdom of God. Then the emptiness and meaningless of life he was feeling would be eradicated and he would find new joy, new life and salvation. We all need to repent and believe and have the Kingdom of God come into our hearts.
There are several other reasons why we must pray, “Your Kingdom Come?” First, The task is too big for us to accomplish. We try, but we are helpless. We fail to create an environment where we can reveal the kingdom of God. Our hearts may also be in such turmoil that we feel far from the kingdom of God. We need God’s help. Second, we need to pray because people really need the kingdom of God. They need heavenly citizenship fast! We try our best, but we will reach our limits. Praying is all we can do sometimes. But it is the best and most important thing to do. Third, God wants to work through us and co-work with us. This requires communication and collaboration with God through prayer. Can you think of any other reasons to pray?
God’s kingdom is spreading in many hearts and among us. We heard Matt’s message yesterday. It was delivered with spirit, power and personal conviction. We heard the personal testimonies of Sarah and Hope. That was there own testimonies born out of their living faith. We see all the humble co-working between all of us to make this Bible school possible. We experienced the joyful snack time with Subway sandwiches. The willing, open hearts of so many children of God, is proof that the kingdom of God is growing. May God’s kingdom advance in our campus’ until Jesus comes.
Part lV: Other Things To Pray For In God’s Kingdom (11-15)
Children of God, who pray for the advancement of the Father’s Kingdom, also pray for their daily bread, forgiveness and protection from sin. First, “Give us today our daily bread.” (11) Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily bread. Through prayer, we learn to depend on God and realize that God is the giver of our daily bead. And he does provide. He doesn’t always give us what we want, but he surely gives us what we need. People are so afraid of not having their daily needs met. But worrying never helped anyone. We need to stop worrying, and ignoring Jesus in our quest to “survive”. Rather we need to pray for our daily bread knowing that we are children of our Father God and he will supply our needs. We may pray for delicious steak but God knows what’s best because sometimes, whole wheat bread, and a simple diet is healthier for you.
Second, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (12) Here, the word "debt" has the same meaning as "sin." Living in this world, we need the forgiveness of our sins every day. Why? Because we sin everyday. Our sin problem is very serious. It is keeping our eyes blinded to the reality of the Kingdom of God. That is why Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “The time has come,’ he said, ‘The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Therefore, we must repent and ask God's forgiveness of our sin. Next, we must forgive others who have sinned against us. Then our spiritual eyes will be open and we can enter the kingdom of God. Forgiving others is so important that Jesus emphasizes it again. Look at verses 14 and 15. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." This is a serious matter. Is there anyone in your life whom you need to forgive? Do it now…don’t wait.
Sixth, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (13) Here, "the evil one" is the devil. There are many who say, "I don’t believe in the devil.” They these, Christianity faith is all about psychology and the power of positive thinking only. The battle is in your own thoughts. But I say, the evil one is a real enemy and the devil’s greatest weapon is making people believe he doesn’t exist. (Then he can do what ever he wants to.) Some say that they are not afraid of the evil one. Such people don’t know themselves and they surely don’t know that consequences of falling into the evil one’s grip. The devil's temptation is like sugared poison. No one can run away from the devil's pursuit. We must acknowledge that we are completely helpless, and pray earnestly to our Father in heaven to protect us from the devil and keep us then near him. "Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Today Jesus teaches us that, as Jesus’ disciples, we must build up a secret prayer life, calling God, “Father”. We must hallow his holy name and promote the reverence and worship of God around us. When we do, God’s kingdom will come into our hearts, grow among us, on our campus’, across our nation and the world. A genuine motivation to glorify God in all that we do will grows in us. As we pray for God’s kingdom to come, he will provide for our physical and spiritual needs. We will be free from anxieties and insecurities. There will be an abundance of grace, love and forgiveness. There will be protection from sin and temptation when we dwell in the Kingdom of our heavenly Father. The Kingdom of God sounds pretty good. Let’s pray earnestly for its advancement.
Matthew 6:5-18 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-21-11
Key Verse: 6:9b,10
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Do you known what the best thing ever is? Is spending eternity with Jesus in the Kingdom of God as his child! Jesus’ main concern was always to glorify his Father in heaven and expand the territory of the Kingdom of God. From the onset of his ministry he preached the message, “The kingdom of heaven is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) He chose his disciples and helped each of them to see the kingdom of God. He wanted to work through them to share the Gospel so that the Kingdom of God may grow in the hearts of the people. This is a great task….too great a task for these disciples to accomplish through their own human efforts. They need to do much more than just preach, teach and serve others basic needs. How could they do it? Only through prayer. That is why Jesus presents a model prayer for his disciples of all time. When Jesus’ disciples pray personally before God a genuine motivation to glorify God in all that they do grows in them. Then the Kingdom of God can grow to others. Let’s examine this model prayer.
Part l: The Attitude Of Prayer To God (5-8).
First, the attitude of prayer. Look at verse 5. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” We can approach prayer with various attitudes. There is the attitude of, “here we go again.” There is the sleepy attitude where we doze off in the holy sleeping position. At least they are trying to pray. There are good attitudes, that make a person say, “I can’t wait to talk to God” or “I need God’s help.” or “I want to get to know my Heavenly Father more deeply.”
In Jesus’ time there was another attitude among some of the people. There were hypocrites who tried hard to make people notice they were praying to God, but they are actually putting on a display for people to see. They sought human recognition. Would you ever do this? I don’t think many of us try to show off our spirituality by praying publically. In any case, the prayers born out of such motives are not directed vertically, to God, but horizontally, to other people.
Jesus says that such people forfeit the blessing of genuine fellowship with God through prayer. Verse 5b reads, “…I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” What is their reward? Their reward is having a few people say, “Wow! That person is really holy!” They get a momentary feeling of self satisfaction. Or they get a sense of relief that their being asked to pray is all over for now. They will get no reward from God. No peace of; no affirmation that their hearts are right before him; no praise from Jesus when they see him face to face in the heavenly kingdom. We must have the right attitude in prayer. But how?
First, our prayers must be directed vertically to God, in private. Look at verse 6. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus is emphasizing a personal, intimate conversation with God. We Christians have a great privilege of prayer to God. When Jesus died on the cross the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The way to the most holy place was wide open. No longer did the people require a High Priest to pray for them, they could approach the throne of God, through faith. They could come to God and cry, “Abba, Father!” This is a great privilege given to us Christians. It was a costly privilege. The cost was the suffering and death of Jesus. This privilege was given to us. Jesus urges us to exercise this privilege in secret. We can make a personal relationship with God through prayer when we have the right attitude. So often we pray at meetings, two by two, or before meals, but go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen! Where your favorite place to pray in private to Jesus?
We always like to knock the younger generation, thinking of all their bad qualities. I think that our young people are not far from learning personal prayer. They already are accustomed to go into their rooms, closing their doors, and spending time on the computer or on an iPod. They know how to text to their friends, read texts and listen to music, via virtual reality. This is just a step away from the life of prayer. Can you see it? A rich prayer life is just around the corner for many of them.
Second, we must be confident that our Father in heaven knows our every need and wants to intervene. Look at verses 7-8. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Pagans pray to idols which are not real. They babble repeated prayers thinking that these idols will be moved and give them blessings. Buddhist’s have found a way to increase the frequency of their formalistic prayers. When they are too tired to pray any longer, they can go to their prayer wheels and spin a prayer wheel. But prayer for Christians is not just endless, formalistic babblings. We have heartfelt prayer to our Father God, who is living. More than that, he listens and is very concerned as he watches over us each moment of the day. He understands us and knows exactly what we need. He answers our prayers. I can guarantee you that God will answer any prayer you send him. His answer will be “Yes”, “No” or “wait”.
Sometimes we don’t know what we need. All we know is that we need something. We can only groan before God in ways that words cannot express. But God hears and understands our groans. He is happy when we turn to him for help in our time of need. In 1986 at the age of 22, I was groaning because of my emptiness and my meaningless life as a student hedonist. One night I felt so bored, all alone and meaningless, that I went into my room and cried in my pillow, “Oh God!” It was more of a groan than a prayer. But it was a prayer uttered in the privacy of my own room. God heard my prayer. And he sent Christians to me who tried to preach the Gospel to me. Eventually I met Msn Ruth Hwang and I came to meet Jesus personally. Recently, I battled despair and depression. Many of my prayers were groanings pointed towards God. But God heard these groaning prayers and he is filling my heart with new hope and new vision. I don’t know if any of you noticed a difference in me lately. But there is a difference. We don’t have to wait until we are in a spiritual crisis to pray privately to God.
Part ll: Father In Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name! (9)
First, “Our Father in heaven.” (9) Jesus taught us to call God “Father.” This was a revolutionary teaching in the ancient world. Until this time, no one would call God “Father.” The Jews knew God as the Almighty Creator God, the holy God who demanded their obedience. If they met the holy God in their sinful state, they would die immediately. It would be like finding yourself in the middle of a nuclear reactor. They had such an awesome respect for God that they would not say his name, and so they made up a name for God, that could not be verbalized, YHWH. (Which was Yahweh without the vowels.)
Jesus wanted his disciples to call God “Father.” They could do so because Jesus gave them the right to call God their father, for faith in him made each believer into a child of God. (Jn 1:12) How is this possible? Jesus offered his body and shed his blood at the cross to purchase for us another privilege, the privilege to call God “Father”. Through Jesus’ sacrifice our sins are forgiven and we are purified. Now, through faith, we can stand before God as holy children of God. This all comes through receiving Jesus and believing in his name. Wow! What a great gift.
When we call God “Father” we must recognize God’s love for all people. When we call God “Father,” we recognize that we are all part of his spiritual family which is made up of people from every language and nation who have been saved by Jesus’ blood. In God our Father, we have so many brothers and sisters. Several of us have come from Korea to be missionaries. They are all our brothers and sister in the Lord. Another young man grew up in the suburbs and has recently dedicated his life to Christ. He is a brother in the Lord. Suzie is a believer from Heidelberg Germany. She is a sister in the Lord. Red, yellow, black and white we are all precious in his sight for we are all part of the family of God. We can even think of unbelievers as our prodigal brothers and sisters in the sense they were all created by our heavenly Father who is their creator God. They just don’t know it. So, let’s decide to love our neighbors as ourselves no matter who they may be.
Second, “Hallowed be your name.” Hallowed means to be sanctified, consecrated, highly venerated. (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/hallowed) In a word, respected. Although God is our Father, we must remember whom we are coming to and not just come to him flippantly nor relate to him as many young people relate to their parents. Our relationship must be different. Why? God is the Almighty Creator God. He is holy. He is the Judge of all mankind. It is right for his name to be exalted above every name. It starts with hallowing God in our own hearts first.
As we pray, “Hallowed be your name,” we must also desire to bring honor to his name by the way we live in this world. How can we do this? Study hard in school and reveal God’s grace by trying your best to get great marks. Excel at work so that other employees may see God’s glory and honor him. Make our homes places of worship, love and praise to the holy God. Our ministries must maintain the highest moral standard and reveal the Spirit of the Holy God at work among us. When we pray “Hallowed be your name”, then God’s name will be hallowed through our lives, families and ministries and among the people of the campus’ we are praying for.
Part lll: Your Kingdom Come!
One of the most powerful portions of this model prayer is, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Since the Fall, this world has been a battlefield between the God and the devil. This battle has been going on for millennia. God has always been near to those who had faith, but in the perfect time, God sent Jesus, our savior and king, who would destroy the devil and restore God’s rightful rule in the hearts of his people. This is great news, for in the kingdom of Satan, there is only condemnation, fear, despair, worries, anxieties, slow erosion and degradation of the soul, mind and heart. There is death. But in the Kingdom of God there is God’s healing, hope, mission, spiritual joy, love, peace, room to grow, security, spiritual growth and strength and of course eternal life. When we accept Jesus as our Savior King, we are saved from the devil and become God’s children. We effectively come out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light life, the Kingdom of God.
However, the battle is not over. It is going on in us and around us and throughout this world. Just examine your own heart and watch the news. The Bible teaches that he devil is prowling around like a roaring lion. He blinds the eyes people so they can not see the glory of God in Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 2:4, 1 John 2:11).
The same is true even for more seasoned Christians. They too can loose sight of the kingdom of God. For years they serve Jesus, but one thing after another strike their hearts like the constant barrage of punches from a boxing opponent. The bad economy, work hassles, weakness of the body, constant rejections to our efforts to evangelize, constant calls to sacrifice, loved ones who don’t share our faith, sins and temptations, all take their toll on us until we can not see the kingdom of God any longer. We know that going back to the world is not an option, but we loose our joy of living by faith. Has this happened to you? Maybe we think that we can never tasted the joy, love and peace of the Kingdom of God again. But the truth is, experiencing the kingdom of God can be as new and fresh an experience to us as it is to new believers.
How do we dwell in the kingdom of God? We need to repent and believe the Gospel. Think about Nicodemis. Nicodenus had everything, the highest education, the respect of his peers, a high position in society. He had it all by this world’s standard, but he was not happy. He came to Jesus at night and asked him many spiritual questions. He was missing something. There was a “God sized hole in his heart”. Jesus saw pasts his words to see the true problem in his heart. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (Jn 3:3) According to the spiritual doctor, Jesus, the cure to Nicodmuses’ problem is that he needed to see and experience and live in the kingdom of God. Then the emptiness and meaningless of life he was feeling would be eradicated and he would find new joy, new life and salvation. We all need to repent and believe and have the Kingdom of God come into our hearts.
There are several other reasons why we must pray, “Your Kingdom Come?” First, The task is too big for us to accomplish. We try, but we are helpless. We fail to create an environment where we can reveal the kingdom of God. Our hearts may also be in such turmoil that we feel far from the kingdom of God. We need God’s help. Second, we need to pray because people really need the kingdom of God. They need heavenly citizenship fast! We try our best, but we will reach our limits. Praying is all we can do sometimes. But it is the best and most important thing to do. Third, God wants to work through us and co-work with us. This requires communication and collaboration with God through prayer. Can you think of any other reasons to pray?
God’s kingdom is spreading in many hearts and among us. We heard Matt’s message yesterday. It was delivered with spirit, power and personal conviction. We heard the personal testimonies of Sarah and Hope. That was there own testimonies born out of their living faith. We see all the humble co-working between all of us to make this Bible school possible. We experienced the joyful snack time with Subway sandwiches. The willing, open hearts of so many children of God, is proof that the kingdom of God is growing. May God’s kingdom advance in our campus’ until Jesus comes.
Part lV: Other Things To Pray For In God’s Kingdom (11-15)
Children of God, who pray for the advancement of the Father’s Kingdom, also pray for their daily bread, forgiveness and protection from sin. First, “Give us today our daily bread.” (11) Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily bread. Through prayer, we learn to depend on God and realize that God is the giver of our daily bead. And he does provide. He doesn’t always give us what we want, but he surely gives us what we need. People are so afraid of not having their daily needs met. But worrying never helped anyone. We need to stop worrying, and ignoring Jesus in our quest to “survive”. Rather we need to pray for our daily bread knowing that we are children of our Father God and he will supply our needs. We may pray for delicious steak but God knows what’s best because sometimes, whole wheat bread, and a simple diet is healthier for you.
Second, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (12) Here, the word "debt" has the same meaning as "sin." Living in this world, we need the forgiveness of our sins every day. Why? Because we sin everyday. Our sin problem is very serious. It is keeping our eyes blinded to the reality of the Kingdom of God. That is why Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “The time has come,’ he said, ‘The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Therefore, we must repent and ask God's forgiveness of our sin. Next, we must forgive others who have sinned against us. Then our spiritual eyes will be open and we can enter the kingdom of God. Forgiving others is so important that Jesus emphasizes it again. Look at verses 14 and 15. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." This is a serious matter. Is there anyone in your life whom you need to forgive? Do it now…don’t wait.
Sixth, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (13) Here, "the evil one" is the devil. There are many who say, "I don’t believe in the devil.” They these, Christianity faith is all about psychology and the power of positive thinking only. The battle is in your own thoughts. But I say, the evil one is a real enemy and the devil’s greatest weapon is making people believe he doesn’t exist. (Then he can do what ever he wants to.) Some say that they are not afraid of the evil one. Such people don’t know themselves and they surely don’t know that consequences of falling into the evil one’s grip. The devil's temptation is like sugared poison. No one can run away from the devil's pursuit. We must acknowledge that we are completely helpless, and pray earnestly to our Father in heaven to protect us from the devil and keep us then near him. "Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Today Jesus teaches us that, as Jesus’ disciples, we must build up a secret prayer life, calling God, “Father”. We must hallow his holy name and promote the reverence and worship of God around us. When we do, God’s kingdom will come into our hearts, grow among us, on our campus’, across our nation and the world. A genuine motivation to glorify God in all that we do will grows in us. As we pray for God’s kingdom to come, he will provide for our physical and spiritual needs. We will be free from anxieties and insecurities. There will be an abundance of grace, love and forgiveness. There will be protection from sin and temptation when we dwell in the Kingdom of our heavenly Father. The Kingdom of God sounds pretty good. Let’s pray earnestly for its advancement.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Galatians 3:15-29
WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH FAITH
Galatians 3:15–29 Lesson 5
Key Verse: 3:26 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-14-11
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith..."
In today's passage Paul helps us to see a bird's eye view of God's salvation work. When we do, we can find three main pillars: Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. Through these three figures, God's plan is progressively revealed. God started salvation work through Abraham when he promised that all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring. God fulfilled this promise through Jesus Christ. As God's salvation history unfolded, some 400 years later, God gave the law through Moses. The purpose of the law is to expose sin as sin, and lead us to salvation in Christ. Both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. However, God's history is based on his promise to Abraham, not the law. Paul explained God's history to the Galatians so that they might know God's intention to make people of all nations his children through faith in Christ. We must know that in Christ, there is no distinction based on race, gender, or social status. We are all children of God through faith in Christ. When we have this clear identity, we are blessed and can embrace all kinds of people in Christ.
Part l: “The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise” (15-18)
In order to illustrate his point, Paul shared the example of a human covenant, and related it to God's promise. The word "covenant" in verse 15 comes from a rather technical Greek word (diatheke) which can be translated "last will and testament." We are familiar with a will. It is a legal document that governs the distribution of a deceased person's estate to his heirs. While the estate owner is alive, he can revise his will as he pleases. He may want to reduce or increase the inheritance of heirs based on their behavior. However, after he dies, his will cannot be changed. Nothing can be added or taken away. It must be executed as written by the deceased. And so is the covenant of God, it is a promise that can not be added to or taken away. It can not be changed. What are some of the promised of God that we Christians hold onto? What about the promise of the forgiveness of sins to all who repent and believe in Jesus? What about the promise of the resurrection? What about the promise to bear much fruit for the glory of God, in this life, as we follow Jesus? There are so many promises that God has given us that can not be added or taken away. Praise God.
In verses 16-18, Paul teaches that the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise; it comes by God's grace alone (18). Paul related this truth to God's promise to Abraham. God gave many promises to Abraham, such as, "I will make you into a great nation...I will make your name great," and, "...to your offspring I will give this land..." (Gen 12:2-3; 7). Yet, as Paul explains in Galatians, these promises all converge into one: "...though your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed..." (Gen 12:3; 22:18). Paul says that "offspring" is not plural but singular, and refers to one person, who is Christ (16). In giving his promise to Abraham, God looked forward to Christ. It was the promise to bring the gospel of grace, through the Savior, to all nations. God wanted Abraham and his descendants to realize that he would keep this promise without fail. So he swore an oath.
Usually, we swear by someone greater than ourselves. In a courtroom, witnesses put their hand on the Bible and swear “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." But God had no one greater to swear by. So he swore by himself. Hebrews 6:17 says, "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." God seriously and absolutely committed himself to keep his promise. The law came 430 years later. It does not set aside the promise (17). And so the point Paul is making is, the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise. It comes by God's grace alone (18).
Since Paul took great pains to distinguish the promise and the law, it is worthwhile for us to consider the nature of both. In the promise God said, "I will...I will...I will...." But in the law of Moses, God said, "You shall...You shall not...You shall...." Upon this basis, John Stott commented: "The promise sets forth a religion of God--'God's plan,' 'God's grace,' 'God's initiative.' But the law sets forth a religion of man--'man's duty,' 'man's works,' 'man's responsibility.' The promise had only to be believed. But the law had to be obeyed. God's dealings with Abraham were in the category of 'promise,' 'grace' and 'faith.' But God's dealings with Moses were in the category of 'law,' 'commandments,' and 'works.' The conclusion to which Paul is leading is that the Christian religion is the religion of Abraham and not Moses, of promise and not law; and that Christians are enjoying today the promise which God made to Abraham centuries ago" Martin Luther said, "For unless the gospel be plainly discerned from the law, the true Christian doctrine cannot be kept sound and uncorrupt. But if this difference be well known, then is the true manner of justification also known, and then it is an easy matter to discern faith from works, Christ from Moses...." So, it is important for us to distinguish between law and promise.
[John Robert Walmsley Stott, CBE (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In 2005, Time magazine ranked Stott among the 100 most influential people in the world.] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stott
This salvation of God, based on the promises of God, and which God himself fulfills in our lives, is purely the wonderful grace of Jesus freely given to all who believe. God's grace is the "safety net" of our soul, and the "bottom line" beyond which nothing can pass. God's grace will not allow us to fall beyond remedy. We go up and down, rise and fall, succeed and fail. Yet, through it all, God holds us in his arms of grace. This is our blessed assurance. This gives us hope, like an anchor for our souls, that is steadfast and certain no matter how stormy our lives may be (Heb 6:19).
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
In verses 19-25 there are two questions. These questions were probably raised by the Judaizers. In order to answer them, Paul taught the Galatians the role of the law in God's work and history. Let’s see what Paul has to teach us…
The first question is, "Why, then, was the law given at all?" Actually, many of us have this question. Jennifer even posed this question one day during our group Bible study. We may even ask ourselves, "If we are saved only by faith in Jesus, why do we need the law? Why do have I struggled so hard to live a holy life? Why did I receive so much divine discipline in life in order to live rightly before God? Has it all been in vain?" With these questions in mind, let's see why the law was given.
Paul's answer was very clear. Look at verse 19b. "…It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come." In order to understand this verse it helps to know when the law was given to Israel, and what their national situation was. According to Genesis, God led the Israelites to Egypt in Jacob's time. God's purpose was to make them a great nation that could declare his praises to the whole world. The people suffered as slaves under Pharaoh. Then God delivered them by his mighty acts of judgment, some 430 years later (Ex 12:41). God led his redeemed people to Mount Sinai and gave them the law in order to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6). They needed the law, because even though they were free, they still had the mentality of slaves. In reviewing Exodus, we find that they were ungrateful and ready to complain. They were impatient, easily angered, and often fought each other. They were greedy and sexually immoral in many ways. God gave them laws against incest, and physical relationships with animals. But they quickly forgot God, fell into idolatry, and even indulged in revelry. (Ex 32:6) What was their problem? Their main problem was that they did not have a consciousness of sin. They can be compared to people with a terminal disease who are totally unaware of it. They did not know themselves or see themselves from God’s point of view.
They were in desperate need of God and God so came to rescue them. He set out to make them his holy people. The first step was to give them the law to help them recognize sin as sin. If you know anything about medicine, when they properly diagnosed the problem in their hearts, they could realize that only God could help them. They could come to God, humbly as sinners for forgiveness and cleansing, which was offered through the sacrificial system. This sacrificial system was a shadow of Jesus' atonement for sin. The role of the law was not to save them from their sins, but to provoke, expose, and condemn sin so that they might come to God for help. As they did so, they could be trained and sanctified and grow as God's holy people. Now we understand why God gave them the law.
The promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness. In verses 19c-20 Paul draws out a contrast between the law and the promise. This sharpens his argument that the promise is weightier than the law. First, the law required a mediator, the promise did not. In the NLT, (New Living Translation), these verses read, "God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham." We can find two points of contrast. First of all, the law was given indirectly through angels and a mediator, before it finally came to the people. At that time there was a great chasm between God and his people, because of their sin. God warned Moses not to let the Israelites go up the mountain to see him, or he would break out against them and many would perish (Ex 19:20-22). God is holy. If sinful men meet the holy God directly, they will perish. So they needed a mediator. The need for a mediator emphasizes the distance between God and man. However, God spoke the promise to Abraham directly. God was close to Abraham and so he gave his promises directly.
As a second contrast, the law was conditional. Within the covenant of the law, God and the people both had something to fulfill. If either party failed, the covenant would be nullified. On the other hand, God's promise to Abraham was unconditional. God did not require anything more of Abraham than that he believe the promise. God took full and one-sided responsibility to fulfill the promise. God kept his promise by sending Jesus Christ.
Because the promise is personal and unconditional for all who believe, it can not fail. It is based on the all mighty God and his unconditional love for sinner. Therefore, the promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness.
The second question is, "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God?" The implication of this question is that if we are saved by faith alone, the law is in opposition to the promise and we can disregard it totally. What does Paul say? "Absolutely not!" The law and the promise are not opposed to each other. In fact, they work together according to God's intended purpose. Yet the role of each is different. The law does not produce righteousness, but conviction of sin and condemnation. The law brings a guilty verdict to all people on earth, so that mankind may realize there is no way out apart from the Savior. Verse 22a says, "Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin...." Romans 3:10b says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:20 says, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." This leads to the promise.
The promise is that salvation will be given freely by grace to anyone who believes in Christ (22b-23). While the power of sin and the law are like a prison, faith in Christ is like a key. Faith opens the door and sets the prisoner free. Verse 24 says, "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith." When we have faith in Jesus, we are no longer under the law (25). So we see that the law and the promise are not contradictory, they are complimentary; we need both. But the promise came first and is foundational to understand the purpose of the law.
Part III: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26-29)
Thus far Paul has reviewed how God worked through the promise to Abraham and the law of Moses. We have seen how both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. Now we will consider what Christ has done.
Paul proclaims a marvelous blessing on those who believe. Let's read verse 26. "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...." It is an amazing proclamation! According to the law, it was impossible for anyone to become a child of God. People are born as slaves to sin. Their position as a slave cannot be changed. Though their living situation may improve, their slave status cannot be changed. The point is, without Jesus, we are always under the condemnation of the law. We are guilty and fearful without remedy. This is still the present condition of those who don't believe in Jesus. They try to be saved by works: like daily prayer, almsgiving, (which is giving to the poor), fasting, going on pilgrimages, and so on. However, they are greatly burdened in spirit, without peace or joy. This is the condition of all who rely on keeping the law to be righteous.
But now, in the Gospel, faith has come (25). Through faith we are set free from bondage to sin and the law. Through faith we become children of God. In Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith (26). When we simply believe in Christ Jesus, God gives us amazing grace to become his children. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...."
The greatest blessing through faith in Christ Jesus is to become children of God. God not only forgives all our sins, but makes us his children. This is not just the improvement of our situation, such as becoming rich, getting accepted to Harvard University, being healed from a disease, winning a prestigious award, or marrying the most suitable person. But it is a fundamental change within us which brings us out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of light. It also changes us from being like poor beggars into privileged children of God. Our status is changed from slaves to children. Sure, we have many ups and downs. Sometimes we make mistakes and fail. However, God never cuts us off from being his children. Even though we fall short, we are still his precious children. This happens when we just believe in Jesus alone. It is totally out of God's love for us. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are!" What a blessing to become his children!
Verse 27 further explains the meaning of faith in Christ through the metaphors of baptism and changing our clothing: "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Baptism into Christ, as explained in Romans 6:3-5, means we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. It means the death of our old sinful nature and the birth of a new life through the power of the Risen Christ. Our inner person has fundamentally changed through a new spiritual birth as God's children. Though this new birth has happened by God's grace, we need to live out our faith in daily life. It is like changing clothes. We take off our old dirty garments and put on new clean garments (Ro 13:14). Just as we change our clothes every day, we can put on Christ every day and live a new life in him. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." God sees us as his children through faith in Christ.
Now we can see ourselves as God's children through faith in Christ also. We must also see others in the same way. So verses 28-29 say, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Our new identity as God's children supersedes any other human consideration. Distinctions based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, social status, wealth, education, appearance and so on become like spices. They make life spicy and interesting. But they are secondary. In essence, all who have faith in Christ are God's children and dear family members. It is wonderful, but not always easy to practice.
Dr. John Perkins, an African American, was born in New Hebron, Mississippi in 1930. His family members were sharecroppers and he grew up in grinding poverty. His brother died in his arms after being shot by a white deputy for no good reason. After moving to California, he met Jesus personally and began to live a Christian life. Later, he returned to Mississippi to work for the social and spiritual progress of his people. One night he was arrested without a charge and brutally beaten almost to death by white deputies. He said that at that moment, if he had had an atomic bomb, he would have blown up everyone around him out of his sense of vengeance. He realized that in his own soul there was a monster of racism and hatred. He could see the image of Satan in himself. So he began to seek Christ's grace for his own inner transformation. Through painful struggle, Christ began to set him free. Eventually, he could look upon white people with understanding and compassion. He often sings, "Red, yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." And he ministers to many different people throughout the USA with the love of God. Today, even among Christians, there is still discrimination based on race, gender and social status. This does not please God. God wants all of his children to be one in Christ Jesus, not just in theory but in truth and practice.
In today's passage we have learned that God's promise of salvation gives us undying hope and is fundamental to our relationship with him. We also learned that we are all children of God through faith in Christ. Let's accept this grace with faith. Let's see other believers as precious family members in the family of God, our Father.
Part 1: The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise (15–18)
1. A. What is the nature of a human covenant? (3:15) B. What were God’s promises to Abraham, and how were they fulfilled in Christ? (3:16; 3:8; Gen 22:18) C. When was the law introduced, and why did it not do away with God’s promise? (3:17) D. On what basis did God give his promised inheritance to Abraham? (3:18)
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
2. A. For what purpose did God add the law? (3:19a; Rom 7:7,13) B. Why did God have to give his law to his sinful people through angels and a mediator? (3:19b–20; Ex 19:21–22) C. What did Paul say about the relationship between the law and God’s promise? (3:21a) D. What is the law’s limitation? (3:21b)
3. A. What does it mean that “Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin”? (3:22a; Rom 3:10–20) B. Who alone receives what was promised? (3:22b) C. What was our situation before faith in Christ was revealed to us? (3:23) D. What is the ultimate purpose of the law? (3:24) E. In Christ, what is our new relationship to the law? (3:25)
Part lll: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26–29)
4. A. Read 3:26–27. What is our new identity in Christ Jesus? B. Why is this so amazing and graceful? (1Jn 3:1; 1Pe 2:10) C. How does this happen to us? (3:27) D. What is the spiritual meaning of “baptized into Christ”? (Rom 6:3–5) E. What does it mean to be “clothed with Christ”? (Rom 13:13–14; Eph 4:22–24) F. What does it mean to you to be a child of God?
5. A. In Christ, what is our new relationship with other believers, regardless of human distinctions? (3:28) B. How can we accept all kinds of people into our community, and why should we? (Rom 15:7; Rev 7:9) C. How did Paul emphasize the new status of those who belong to Christ, Jew or Gentile? (3:29)
Galatians 3:15–29 Lesson 5
Key Verse: 3:26 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-14-11
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith..."
In today's passage Paul helps us to see a bird's eye view of God's salvation work. When we do, we can find three main pillars: Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. Through these three figures, God's plan is progressively revealed. God started salvation work through Abraham when he promised that all nations on earth would be blessed through his offspring. God fulfilled this promise through Jesus Christ. As God's salvation history unfolded, some 400 years later, God gave the law through Moses. The purpose of the law is to expose sin as sin, and lead us to salvation in Christ. Both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. However, God's history is based on his promise to Abraham, not the law. Paul explained God's history to the Galatians so that they might know God's intention to make people of all nations his children through faith in Christ. We must know that in Christ, there is no distinction based on race, gender, or social status. We are all children of God through faith in Christ. When we have this clear identity, we are blessed and can embrace all kinds of people in Christ.
Part l: “The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise” (15-18)
In order to illustrate his point, Paul shared the example of a human covenant, and related it to God's promise. The word "covenant" in verse 15 comes from a rather technical Greek word (diatheke) which can be translated "last will and testament." We are familiar with a will. It is a legal document that governs the distribution of a deceased person's estate to his heirs. While the estate owner is alive, he can revise his will as he pleases. He may want to reduce or increase the inheritance of heirs based on their behavior. However, after he dies, his will cannot be changed. Nothing can be added or taken away. It must be executed as written by the deceased. And so is the covenant of God, it is a promise that can not be added to or taken away. It can not be changed. What are some of the promised of God that we Christians hold onto? What about the promise of the forgiveness of sins to all who repent and believe in Jesus? What about the promise of the resurrection? What about the promise to bear much fruit for the glory of God, in this life, as we follow Jesus? There are so many promises that God has given us that can not be added or taken away. Praise God.
In verses 16-18, Paul teaches that the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise; it comes by God's grace alone (18). Paul related this truth to God's promise to Abraham. God gave many promises to Abraham, such as, "I will make you into a great nation...I will make your name great," and, "...to your offspring I will give this land..." (Gen 12:2-3; 7). Yet, as Paul explains in Galatians, these promises all converge into one: "...though your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed..." (Gen 12:3; 22:18). Paul says that "offspring" is not plural but singular, and refers to one person, who is Christ (16). In giving his promise to Abraham, God looked forward to Christ. It was the promise to bring the gospel of grace, through the Savior, to all nations. God wanted Abraham and his descendants to realize that he would keep this promise without fail. So he swore an oath.
Usually, we swear by someone greater than ourselves. In a courtroom, witnesses put their hand on the Bible and swear “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." But God had no one greater to swear by. So he swore by himself. Hebrews 6:17 says, "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath." God seriously and absolutely committed himself to keep his promise. The law came 430 years later. It does not set aside the promise (17). And so the point Paul is making is, the inheritance God gives does not depend on the law, but on a promise. It comes by God's grace alone (18).
Since Paul took great pains to distinguish the promise and the law, it is worthwhile for us to consider the nature of both. In the promise God said, "I will...I will...I will...." But in the law of Moses, God said, "You shall...You shall not...You shall...." Upon this basis, John Stott commented: "The promise sets forth a religion of God--'God's plan,' 'God's grace,' 'God's initiative.' But the law sets forth a religion of man--'man's duty,' 'man's works,' 'man's responsibility.' The promise had only to be believed. But the law had to be obeyed. God's dealings with Abraham were in the category of 'promise,' 'grace' and 'faith.' But God's dealings with Moses were in the category of 'law,' 'commandments,' and 'works.' The conclusion to which Paul is leading is that the Christian religion is the religion of Abraham and not Moses, of promise and not law; and that Christians are enjoying today the promise which God made to Abraham centuries ago" Martin Luther said, "For unless the gospel be plainly discerned from the law, the true Christian doctrine cannot be kept sound and uncorrupt. But if this difference be well known, then is the true manner of justification also known, and then it is an easy matter to discern faith from works, Christ from Moses...." So, it is important for us to distinguish between law and promise.
[John Robert Walmsley Stott, CBE (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In 2005, Time magazine ranked Stott among the 100 most influential people in the world.] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stott
This salvation of God, based on the promises of God, and which God himself fulfills in our lives, is purely the wonderful grace of Jesus freely given to all who believe. God's grace is the "safety net" of our soul, and the "bottom line" beyond which nothing can pass. God's grace will not allow us to fall beyond remedy. We go up and down, rise and fall, succeed and fail. Yet, through it all, God holds us in his arms of grace. This is our blessed assurance. This gives us hope, like an anchor for our souls, that is steadfast and certain no matter how stormy our lives may be (Heb 6:19).
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
In verses 19-25 there are two questions. These questions were probably raised by the Judaizers. In order to answer them, Paul taught the Galatians the role of the law in God's work and history. Let’s see what Paul has to teach us…
The first question is, "Why, then, was the law given at all?" Actually, many of us have this question. Jennifer even posed this question one day during our group Bible study. We may even ask ourselves, "If we are saved only by faith in Jesus, why do we need the law? Why do have I struggled so hard to live a holy life? Why did I receive so much divine discipline in life in order to live rightly before God? Has it all been in vain?" With these questions in mind, let's see why the law was given.
Paul's answer was very clear. Look at verse 19b. "…It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come." In order to understand this verse it helps to know when the law was given to Israel, and what their national situation was. According to Genesis, God led the Israelites to Egypt in Jacob's time. God's purpose was to make them a great nation that could declare his praises to the whole world. The people suffered as slaves under Pharaoh. Then God delivered them by his mighty acts of judgment, some 430 years later (Ex 12:41). God led his redeemed people to Mount Sinai and gave them the law in order to make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6). They needed the law, because even though they were free, they still had the mentality of slaves. In reviewing Exodus, we find that they were ungrateful and ready to complain. They were impatient, easily angered, and often fought each other. They were greedy and sexually immoral in many ways. God gave them laws against incest, and physical relationships with animals. But they quickly forgot God, fell into idolatry, and even indulged in revelry. (Ex 32:6) What was their problem? Their main problem was that they did not have a consciousness of sin. They can be compared to people with a terminal disease who are totally unaware of it. They did not know themselves or see themselves from God’s point of view.
They were in desperate need of God and God so came to rescue them. He set out to make them his holy people. The first step was to give them the law to help them recognize sin as sin. If you know anything about medicine, when they properly diagnosed the problem in their hearts, they could realize that only God could help them. They could come to God, humbly as sinners for forgiveness and cleansing, which was offered through the sacrificial system. This sacrificial system was a shadow of Jesus' atonement for sin. The role of the law was not to save them from their sins, but to provoke, expose, and condemn sin so that they might come to God for help. As they did so, they could be trained and sanctified and grow as God's holy people. Now we understand why God gave them the law.
The promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness. In verses 19c-20 Paul draws out a contrast between the law and the promise. This sharpens his argument that the promise is weightier than the law. First, the law required a mediator, the promise did not. In the NLT, (New Living Translation), these verses read, "God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham." We can find two points of contrast. First of all, the law was given indirectly through angels and a mediator, before it finally came to the people. At that time there was a great chasm between God and his people, because of their sin. God warned Moses not to let the Israelites go up the mountain to see him, or he would break out against them and many would perish (Ex 19:20-22). God is holy. If sinful men meet the holy God directly, they will perish. So they needed a mediator. The need for a mediator emphasizes the distance between God and man. However, God spoke the promise to Abraham directly. God was close to Abraham and so he gave his promises directly.
As a second contrast, the law was conditional. Within the covenant of the law, God and the people both had something to fulfill. If either party failed, the covenant would be nullified. On the other hand, God's promise to Abraham was unconditional. God did not require anything more of Abraham than that he believe the promise. God took full and one-sided responsibility to fulfill the promise. God kept his promise by sending Jesus Christ.
Because the promise is personal and unconditional for all who believe, it can not fail. It is based on the all mighty God and his unconditional love for sinner. Therefore, the promise is superior to the law both in substance and effectiveness.
The second question is, "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God?" The implication of this question is that if we are saved by faith alone, the law is in opposition to the promise and we can disregard it totally. What does Paul say? "Absolutely not!" The law and the promise are not opposed to each other. In fact, they work together according to God's intended purpose. Yet the role of each is different. The law does not produce righteousness, but conviction of sin and condemnation. The law brings a guilty verdict to all people on earth, so that mankind may realize there is no way out apart from the Savior. Verse 22a says, "Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin...." Romans 3:10b says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:20 says, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." This leads to the promise.
The promise is that salvation will be given freely by grace to anyone who believes in Christ (22b-23). While the power of sin and the law are like a prison, faith in Christ is like a key. Faith opens the door and sets the prisoner free. Verse 24 says, "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith." When we have faith in Jesus, we are no longer under the law (25). So we see that the law and the promise are not contradictory, they are complimentary; we need both. But the promise came first and is foundational to understand the purpose of the law.
Part III: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26-29)
Thus far Paul has reviewed how God worked through the promise to Abraham and the law of Moses. We have seen how both the promise and the law point to Jesus Christ. Now we will consider what Christ has done.
Paul proclaims a marvelous blessing on those who believe. Let's read verse 26. "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...." It is an amazing proclamation! According to the law, it was impossible for anyone to become a child of God. People are born as slaves to sin. Their position as a slave cannot be changed. Though their living situation may improve, their slave status cannot be changed. The point is, without Jesus, we are always under the condemnation of the law. We are guilty and fearful without remedy. This is still the present condition of those who don't believe in Jesus. They try to be saved by works: like daily prayer, almsgiving, (which is giving to the poor), fasting, going on pilgrimages, and so on. However, they are greatly burdened in spirit, without peace or joy. This is the condition of all who rely on keeping the law to be righteous.
But now, in the Gospel, faith has come (25). Through faith we are set free from bondage to sin and the law. Through faith we become children of God. In Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith (26). When we simply believe in Christ Jesus, God gives us amazing grace to become his children. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...."
The greatest blessing through faith in Christ Jesus is to become children of God. God not only forgives all our sins, but makes us his children. This is not just the improvement of our situation, such as becoming rich, getting accepted to Harvard University, being healed from a disease, winning a prestigious award, or marrying the most suitable person. But it is a fundamental change within us which brings us out of the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of light. It also changes us from being like poor beggars into privileged children of God. Our status is changed from slaves to children. Sure, we have many ups and downs. Sometimes we make mistakes and fail. However, God never cuts us off from being his children. Even though we fall short, we are still his precious children. This happens when we just believe in Jesus alone. It is totally out of God's love for us. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are!" What a blessing to become his children!
Verse 27 further explains the meaning of faith in Christ through the metaphors of baptism and changing our clothing: "...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Baptism into Christ, as explained in Romans 6:3-5, means we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. It means the death of our old sinful nature and the birth of a new life through the power of the Risen Christ. Our inner person has fundamentally changed through a new spiritual birth as God's children. Though this new birth has happened by God's grace, we need to live out our faith in daily life. It is like changing clothes. We take off our old dirty garments and put on new clean garments (Ro 13:14). Just as we change our clothes every day, we can put on Christ every day and live a new life in him. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." God sees us as his children through faith in Christ.
Now we can see ourselves as God's children through faith in Christ also. We must also see others in the same way. So verses 28-29 say, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Our new identity as God's children supersedes any other human consideration. Distinctions based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, social status, wealth, education, appearance and so on become like spices. They make life spicy and interesting. But they are secondary. In essence, all who have faith in Christ are God's children and dear family members. It is wonderful, but not always easy to practice.
Dr. John Perkins, an African American, was born in New Hebron, Mississippi in 1930. His family members were sharecroppers and he grew up in grinding poverty. His brother died in his arms after being shot by a white deputy for no good reason. After moving to California, he met Jesus personally and began to live a Christian life. Later, he returned to Mississippi to work for the social and spiritual progress of his people. One night he was arrested without a charge and brutally beaten almost to death by white deputies. He said that at that moment, if he had had an atomic bomb, he would have blown up everyone around him out of his sense of vengeance. He realized that in his own soul there was a monster of racism and hatred. He could see the image of Satan in himself. So he began to seek Christ's grace for his own inner transformation. Through painful struggle, Christ began to set him free. Eventually, he could look upon white people with understanding and compassion. He often sings, "Red, yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." And he ministers to many different people throughout the USA with the love of God. Today, even among Christians, there is still discrimination based on race, gender and social status. This does not please God. God wants all of his children to be one in Christ Jesus, not just in theory but in truth and practice.
In today's passage we have learned that God's promise of salvation gives us undying hope and is fundamental to our relationship with him. We also learned that we are all children of God through faith in Christ. Let's accept this grace with faith. Let's see other believers as precious family members in the family of God, our Father.
Part 1: The Law Does Not Set Aside The Promise (15–18)
1. A. What is the nature of a human covenant? (3:15) B. What were God’s promises to Abraham, and how were they fulfilled in Christ? (3:16; 3:8; Gen 22:18) C. When was the law introduced, and why did it not do away with God’s promise? (3:17) D. On what basis did God give his promised inheritance to Abraham? (3:18)
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Law (19-25)
2. A. For what purpose did God add the law? (3:19a; Rom 7:7,13) B. Why did God have to give his law to his sinful people through angels and a mediator? (3:19b–20; Ex 19:21–22) C. What did Paul say about the relationship between the law and God’s promise? (3:21a) D. What is the law’s limitation? (3:21b)
3. A. What does it mean that “Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin”? (3:22a; Rom 3:10–20) B. Who alone receives what was promised? (3:22b) C. What was our situation before faith in Christ was revealed to us? (3:23) D. What is the ultimate purpose of the law? (3:24) E. In Christ, what is our new relationship to the law? (3:25)
Part lll: We Are All One In Christ Jesus (26–29)
4. A. Read 3:26–27. What is our new identity in Christ Jesus? B. Why is this so amazing and graceful? (1Jn 3:1; 1Pe 2:10) C. How does this happen to us? (3:27) D. What is the spiritual meaning of “baptized into Christ”? (Rom 6:3–5) E. What does it mean to be “clothed with Christ”? (Rom 13:13–14; Eph 4:22–24) F. What does it mean to you to be a child of God?
5. A. In Christ, what is our new relationship with other believers, regardless of human distinctions? (3:28) B. How can we accept all kinds of people into our community, and why should we? (Rom 15:7; Rev 7:9) C. How did Paul emphasize the new status of those who belong to Christ, Jew or Gentile? (3:29)
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