Galatians Part V
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Who is most likely "NOT" to know God?
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Galatians 4:8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.
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Paul was talking about people who had been completely under the bondage of the law—religious people who thought they knew God but were completely oblivious.
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How does God know us now?
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Galatians 4:9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
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God knows us now through Christ and not the law. And Paul labored to help them see what God sees. We are known by God only through the righteousness of Christ. It is by the faith OF Christ as a result of God taking complete control over our redemption.
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Phil 3:9
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: |
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And now I labor to help you see what God sees—that you have a righteousness, which is not of the law or personal performance: you have a righteousness which is of God through the faith of Christ.
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Why Did Paul ask People to be like HIM?
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I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.
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He could do this because he never pointed to himself but always to Christ. Those who claim they have the answers are the ones to be wary of.
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But when someone points to Jesus and Jesus only that is a person to listen to.
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Real blessedness should be found in the church.
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Galatians 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. |
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Paul says they had it but now it was gone, and why? Because they were turning back to the law. Show me a church steeped in law and I will show you a church devoid of blessedness.
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Should telling the truth make one an enemy?
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Galatians 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
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It made Paul an enemy and it will make you an enemy of those who practice law today!
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Does your church exclude or include?
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Galatians 4:17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.
18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. |
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I am not against people going to church. And if you are looking for one make sure that it is a place where everyone is included. You might find that to be a rare place.
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Paul shows us how easy it is to go backward.
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Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you. |
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This is why we need each other. It is so easy to slide back into old bad habits believing that God could not love us unless we live a certain way. Which leads to failing, which leads to mistrusting God………etc.
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We break the cycle when Christ becomes our life and we see that life in everyone and everything.
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The story of Isaac & Ishmael
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Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar — 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband." 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. |
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In the above verses Paul ends the fourth chapter with a clear understanding of the difference in the old way vs the new way.
Ishmael represented the Old way. He was the son born according to the flesh. Abraham and his wife did not trust God and decided God couldn’t accomplish his promise to them without their help. That’s called “Self Righteousness”. Of course God did not need their help to bring them the promised son Isaac. Neither Isaac’s performance, righteousness, faith, nor anything else from him had ANYTHING WHATSOEVER to do with his birth. AND SO IT IS WITH US.
As verse 31 says, “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”
We are children of the FREE!!!!!!! Jesus says the same basic thing in John. Listen:
John 3:6-8 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
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THE SPIRIT GIVES BIRTH TO spirit. We can’t cause it, we can’t see it happen, I don’t even think we can truly comprehend what it really means, BUT IT STILL HAS HAPPENED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, whether we know it or not. It happened on that beautiful CROSS when Jesus was raised from the dead giving birth to an entirely new Human Race, free from sin and the law that defines it.
I AM SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE A CREATOR THAT TRULY CAN BE COUNTED ON TO RESCUE US ALL FROM OUR LIVES OF ILLUSION & PAIN.
Rom 8:31-39 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. More Later |
Cliff,
Thanks for continuing to post this series of your notes. I’m really enjoying reading each installment.
My heart aches to share this freedom with my loved ones and co-workers, but it just seems that most of the folks that I know well enough to have a conversation with, would rather stay in performance based Christianity than to experience any sense of true freedom in Christ. To each his own, I suppose.
Just today, we had a company wide luncheon. Several guys in line right behind me were talking about how many people they’ve had to join their church(es), come forward, get saved, profess Christ…..you know the drill. Their conversation moved on to talk about how they don’t like to see the little kids making public professions, because they doubt their sincerity, they don’t think they will stay “committed to Christ”, etc., but that they felt that they “had to” let the little ones come forward and profess Christ anyway…..blah, blah, blah.
The whole thing just made me sad. I wanted to just blurt out so many things about how Christ accomplished everything the church has been trying to do for thousands of years, and on and on……BUT, I knew it would be cutting my own throat in the process. So, I saved my breath.
Not really making any point here, just venting a little.
Thanks again for posting your notes. Please keep it up.
Jason
Jason, You are always welcome to vent here as much as you want. One of the saddest realizations for me to finnally come to was that I needed to give up on organized religion to be able to keep my peace. I pray that others can have more success then I had but I know that I gave it my very best for over 35 years.
I agree with Jason that these notes are great! I love reading them. They are very helpful