Part CVIII on Galatians Study

Romans 3:23-24
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without a cost) by his grace through the redemption (the process of buying us back) that is in Christ Jesus."  Now we're going to skip verse 25 because of that great big word "propitiation." come down now to verse 26.
 
Romans 3:26a
"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, (or fair) and the justifier (the One who will declare that sinner justified) of him which (joins the Church? Speaks in tongues? Gets baptized? All these other things? No, but which) believeth..." Believe what? This Gospel, God's Word His spoken will through His hand picked Apostle Paul.
Now, we're not an easy believer, and we never teach easy believeism, but what we do maintain is that when we totally believe that Romans 3:23 is speaking about us and that we're sinners by virtue of us being sons of Adam as Satan's-child. And when we believe or rather receive that with all our heart and that the work of the Lord's Last Supper together with the Cross has done everything we need not only for our redemption but also our salvation - then at that point God justifies us, He changes us, He declares us righteous, and then He places us into the Body of Christ, where He sanctifies us, He glorifies, and makes us holy unto Him. For He has His own system of baptism by the Holy Spirit. This then is a brief explanation of the second blessing and our Gospel where in God takes it upon Himself to finish His works in us as adopted sons. This is also our point of entry into, by receiving through death the promised Eternal Life through which power Christ was raised and demonstrated its power within Himself by the works of wonder, signs and miracles and the transformation. All for our benefit not just the disciples or Israel's.

I Corinthians 12:13a
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,..."
He does all this simply because we believe this Gospel of our salvation. See there's no legalism tied to that, that's pure Grace. Now let's come back to Galatians Chapter 5.


Galatians 5:4
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; (or works) ye are fallen from grace."
Now we know a lot of people think that they've been in Grace and fell out. No, that's not what the Apostle Paul is talking about. We haven't been in and fell out, but what he's really referring to is this. If we're going to put all those man made attachments and amendments on this Gospel, then we have literally turned our back on Grace. You're saying, "Thanks but no thanks I'll work for it, I'll take my chances;" and then you're not in Grace. Grace is when we just simply throw ourselves at His feet. And admit our bankruptcy and our total in ability to save our selves that He hears us through the Holy Spirit who is in us. Then Grace says that there's nothing that I merit. Grace says there is nothing that I can do. It is this that Israel rejected and continues rejecting because of hardness of heart or unbelief.

When we talk about Grace we always like to talk about Israel on the shores of the Red Sea with the Egyptians right behind them, mountains on the left and right and the Red Sea in front of them. The Israelites are trapped with no place to go. Did God scream at Moses, "Tell the people to do something." No, but rather God said, "Stand still!" Why? God would evidence His power. And as Israel by faith stood still, and didn't try to do anything, but rather just waited for the Grace of God to open the Red Sea. And listen that's where we are today. We are up against impossible odds of escaping. We are surrounded by the enemy, with a formidable Red Sea in front of us, and what does God say? Do nothing but BELIEVE this Gospel and God opens everything up. God breaks the chains of Satanic power. God makes us a whole new person, a God-child. Now verse 5.


Galatians 5:5
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith."
This is the key to the second blessing and our being made righteous by the righteousness of God, through death. Now we don't want someone to misconstrue the word "Hope." Hope in Scripture does not mean "I hope it rains tomorrow because we could use some." No that's not the hope of Scripture. The hope of Scripture is first receiving and then believing in an absolute fact or Truth. And that is that this Gospel is true, it's secure, and when we receive it we're counted as believing it and we can claim all the promises that God has given in His Word. It's not something like, "Well I hope I can get there." We know that we have eternal life. So this whole idea through the Spirit is not just the hope of righteousness but it is that bonafide assurance that when we receive this Gospel and the righteousness of Christ as imputed to us, it literally becomes the clothing of righteousness that Adam and woman first experienced, and what we find in Isaiah 61:10: