Galatians 6:8
“For
he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
This is the theme of this whole letter. In like manner, he that sows to the flesh - who indulges his sensual and animal appetites
(the old Adam-Satan nature), shall have corruption as the crop: we
cannot expect to lead a bad life and go to heaven at last. According as
our present life is, so will be our eternal life whether our sowing be
to the flesh or to the Spirit (this is the Spirit of Christ which we
receive at the moment of our consummation into His Body through the
revelation of the Pesach Meal or the Last Passover and His sufferings by
way of resurrection into Eternal Life), so will our eternal reaping be.
To sow, here, seems to mean transacting the concerns of a man’s natural
life. To reap, signifies his enjoyment or punishment in eternity be it
good or bad. Probably by flesh and Spirit the apostle means Judaism and
true Christianity. Circumcision of the flesh was the principal rite,
remember that Paul was so hard on and worked so hard to keep those
Gentile converts from, of the former; circumcision in the heart, by the
Holy Spirit, a thing done by the hand of God the Father of spirits and
the chief rite of the latter; hence the one may have been called flesh,
the other, Spirit. He who rejects this Gospel, and trusts only in the
rites and ceremonies of the old law for salvation, or even the blinding
of them will reap endless disappointment and misery. He who trusts
solely in Christ, and receives the gift of Grace and of the Holy Spirit,
shall reap Life Everlasting. Now lets look at Hebrews chapter 12 verse 3
for we need to compare scripture with scripture.
Hebrews 12:3-8
“For
consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against
himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet
resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the
exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise
not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of
him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth (Job 5:17-18; Psalm 94:12, 119:17). If ye endure
chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom
the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof
all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”
Paul
knew well the source of his chastening as did all Israel because of her
rebellion of disobedience. In both we're to learn that when we actually
move into the right relation with God that He'll chasten us as sons for
our good and profit from it all. Now back to Galatians chapter 6 verse
10.
Galatians 6:10
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
We
saw the burden that Paul carried for the Hebrews Christians still in
Jerusalem and how he collected gifts for them wherever he went and so he
is doing here. These gifts are not as we see in our day where church
groups are collecting money and food and clothing for the local assembly
and for the missionaries to take to the pour. But is rather for those
of the family of God who have the same mind set as Christ within the
local assembly, a big difference. This was Paul's
doctrine of meeting the needs of those within the faith who were in need. It may be good to reach outside our assembly but
let the first objects of our regards be those who are of the household
of faith - the members of the Church of Christ, who form one family, of
which Christ is the head. Those have the first claims on our attention,
as our immediate families do but all others have their claims also, and
therefore we should do good unto all. Now moving on to the next verse.
Galatians 6:11
“Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.”
Many
have said that this means the size of the letters he penned but we
think he meant the size or length of his hand written letter as he wrote
it on his own without aid of anyone.
Galatians 6:12-13
“As
many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to
be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross
of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law;
but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.”
Paul
makes this one last appeal to his church to refrain from the pressure
of the Judaizers to abstain from the full requirements of the Laws
keeping. As to fall under that pressure would nullify the Word of God
and the finished work of the cross and thereby render God's Grace and
Faith useless. Then he adds that they only want it as a means to glory
in their flesh.
Galatians 6:14-16
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me (the practical reality of all exterior influences he's dead to), and I unto the world (as an impotent enemy is crucified to him). For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (as a new creature we have no past for all has become new). And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”
Paul
in his usual manor tells us to glory in the cross as it is the power of
God to work the works of our crucifixion in us of both dieing to self
and to the spirit of the world and the power of the prince of the power
of the air, darkness in which both he and we live. Then he tells us the
secret of this power of the cross as it has wrought out a complete
deliverance from the world, and is the means of flesh or heart
circumcision which makes us a new creation in Christ. That its when we
live by this rule that we acquire peace and the mercy of God. When
Christ overcame the world on the cross, He made us over-comers too. He
calls us now, at whatever cost of self-denial, to regard the world, in
its hostility to God and His kingdom, as a crucified enemy over whom the
cross can ever keep us conquerors. Then he closes this letter in a
spiritually strengthening note.
Galatians 6:17-18
“From
henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of
the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit. Amen.”
He's
tired of the Judaizers following him and troubling his assemblies to
come under the now defunct traditions of religion. He goes on to remind
them that he's paid the cost or price in his body for them just as the
Lord has done for them and us. Then the encouragement to keep the faith
and the Grace of Christ Jesus in our hearts.
We'd
like to acknowledge the sources of materials used throughout this study
first and foremost is the Holy Spirit without whom we'd be and do
nothing of this kind. Then Les Feldick as the source of the material of
the outline itself. Then both the Strong's and Thayer's Bible
Dictionaries and Daniel Webster's 1828 Dictionary. Also Adam Clarke's
Commentary, James, Fausset and Brown Commentary, the Treasure of
Scripture Knowledge Commentary. And a host of many other find writers
from the early 1500's on, some of which we listed in the introduction.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Part CXXVII on Galatians Study
Galatians 6:1
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault (some sin suddenly over takes him), ye which are spiritual (those who have the knowledge of God and wisdom in divine things), restore such an one in the spirit of meekness ( he is already deeply humbled and distressed, and needs much encouragement and lenient usage. There is a great difference between a man who being suddenly assailed falls into sin, and the man who transgressed in consequence of having Walked in the counsel of the Ungodly, or Stood in the way of Sinners. So we in the same meekness of Christ or Moses and Paul as
mentioned above are to restore such a person after a period of retraining); considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Now we'll look at James chapter 5 verses 19 and 20:
James 5:19-20
“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” This is in plane enough language and needs no explanation. From here then we'll go to 1 John chapter 5 and verse 16,
1John 5:16
“If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” Each scripture so nicely inter locks with the others. Galatians chapter 5 verse 23 in or with all meekness is here at work in the Spirit of Love. Now moving on the verse 2.
Galatians 6:2-3
“Bear ye one another's burdens (feel for each other; and consider the case of a distressed brother as our own), and so fulfil the law (what is called the royal Law of Love, God's Agape Love) of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
What we have here is a warning not to deceive ourselves for if we have other than honorable or virtuous qualities then. Those who suppose themselves to excel in all others in piety, in understanding, etc., while they are harsh, censorious, and overbearing, prove that they have not the charity that thinks no evil; and in the sight of God are only as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. There are no people more censorious or uncharitable than those among some religious people who pretend to more light and a deeper communion with God. They are generally carried away with a sort of sublime, high sounding phraseology, which seems to argue a wonderfully deep acquaintance with Divine things; stripped of this, many of them are like Samson without his hair. Now verse 4.
Galatians 6:4-5
“But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.”
Let him examine himself and his conduct by the words and example of Christ and Paul; and if he find that they bear this touchstone, then he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, feeling that he resembles his Lord and Master, and not in another - not derive his consolation from comparing himself with another who may be weaker, or less or more instructed than himself. The only rule for a Christian is the Word of Christ as revealed through the Holy Spirit and Paul; the only pattern for his imitation is the example of Christ. He should not compare himself with others; they are not his standard. Christ and Paul have left us an example that we should follow in their fashion or their steps. For we all answer for ourselves and not for our neighbor.
Galatians 6:6
“Let him that is taught in the word (receives spiritual instruction) communicate unto him that teacheth (should be in the ready to aid and held the teacher by way of prayer, encouragement and financial support) in all good things.”
Galatians 6:7
“Be not deceived ( Neither deceive yourselves, nor permit yourselves to be deceived by others. Paul again seems to refer to the Judaizers teachings.); God is not mocked (We cannot deceive Him, and He will not permit us to mock Him with pretensions): for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Darnel (thorns and thistles) will not produce wheat, nor wheat, darnel (thistles). Then Paul repeats the thought again for our attention.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault (some sin suddenly over takes him), ye which are spiritual (those who have the knowledge of God and wisdom in divine things), restore such an one in the spirit of meekness ( he is already deeply humbled and distressed, and needs much encouragement and lenient usage. There is a great difference between a man who being suddenly assailed falls into sin, and the man who transgressed in consequence of having Walked in the counsel of the Ungodly, or Stood in the way of Sinners. So we in the same meekness of Christ or Moses and Paul as
mentioned above are to restore such a person after a period of retraining); considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Now we'll look at James chapter 5 verses 19 and 20:
James 5:19-20
“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” This is in plane enough language and needs no explanation. From here then we'll go to 1 John chapter 5 and verse 16,
1John 5:16
“If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” Each scripture so nicely inter locks with the others. Galatians chapter 5 verse 23 in or with all meekness is here at work in the Spirit of Love. Now moving on the verse 2.
Galatians 6:2-3
“Bear ye one another's burdens (feel for each other; and consider the case of a distressed brother as our own), and so fulfil the law (what is called the royal Law of Love, God's Agape Love) of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
What we have here is a warning not to deceive ourselves for if we have other than honorable or virtuous qualities then. Those who suppose themselves to excel in all others in piety, in understanding, etc., while they are harsh, censorious, and overbearing, prove that they have not the charity that thinks no evil; and in the sight of God are only as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. There are no people more censorious or uncharitable than those among some religious people who pretend to more light and a deeper communion with God. They are generally carried away with a sort of sublime, high sounding phraseology, which seems to argue a wonderfully deep acquaintance with Divine things; stripped of this, many of them are like Samson without his hair. Now verse 4.
Galatians 6:4-5
“But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.”
Let him examine himself and his conduct by the words and example of Christ and Paul; and if he find that they bear this touchstone, then he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, feeling that he resembles his Lord and Master, and not in another - not derive his consolation from comparing himself with another who may be weaker, or less or more instructed than himself. The only rule for a Christian is the Word of Christ as revealed through the Holy Spirit and Paul; the only pattern for his imitation is the example of Christ. He should not compare himself with others; they are not his standard. Christ and Paul have left us an example that we should follow in their fashion or their steps. For we all answer for ourselves and not for our neighbor.
Galatians 6:6
“Let him that is taught in the word (receives spiritual instruction) communicate unto him that teacheth (should be in the ready to aid and held the teacher by way of prayer, encouragement and financial support) in all good things.”
Galatians 6:7
“Be not deceived ( Neither deceive yourselves, nor permit yourselves to be deceived by others. Paul again seems to refer to the Judaizers teachings.); God is not mocked (We cannot deceive Him, and He will not permit us to mock Him with pretensions): for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Darnel (thorns and thistles) will not produce wheat, nor wheat, darnel (thistles). Then Paul repeats the thought again for our attention.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Part CXXVI on Galatians Study
Hebrews 11:6b
"...it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The key to this verse is to seek Him, not for power or worldly things but rather His righteousness, for without His righteousness NO one will see (know) God.Besides He rewards those who do with all due diligence seek Him, or those who study while sitting under God and learning through the Holy Spirit to rightly divide the Word. Now back to the Book of Galatians. We see in chapter 5 now the next one after faith is -
Galatians 5:23a.
"Meekness,..."
We know that a lot of people think to be meek is to be a milquetoast. Someone who never has enough gumption to ever take something up for himself. But that is not what meekness means in Scripture. The best way to explain meekness in Scripture is to look at Moses. Now was Moses a milquetoast where everybody walked on him? No. Moses was a leader, Moses was a man who was highly educated in all the schools of Egypt. He was a military leader. We think he was a civil engineer. Moses did everything, but what does the Bible call him? "The meekest man that every lived." Moses' attitude was such that God could use him, he was pliable, he was someone God could mold, and Moses became a great man because of his being meek. To be meek we have to be pliable and useable just as Saul of Tarsus became on the road to Damascus. Now the next one is -
Galatians 5:23b
"...temperance:..."
Do we know what real temperance is? We think in America at least, it is the fight against alcohol, whiskey and so forth as being temperance. No, temperance goes across the whole of human activity. It merely means to maintain a balance in whatever we do. This is something that is well pleasing in God's sight. We don't slip over to far to the right or to far to the left, but through the basis of the living Word of God, we maintain a balance. In all nine of these fruits of the Spirit, Paul says -
Galatians 5:23b
"...against such there is no law."
Who can fault someone who is the epitome of these nine Graces. Well no one can! We have shown persons with these nine Graces. Now you show us someone who exhibits them in their life and we'll say that this person is to be envied. Because they have God's nature and Christ restored to them, they are truly a God-child.
Galatians 5:24-25
“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh (in Romans 7:18 Paul reveals that: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” and the in chapter 8 verse 7: “ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” When Adam lost the Spirit of God he became flesh. Of this flesh Romans 6:6-7 says: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”)with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” As the disciples on a number of occasions were told by Christ to deny self and to take up their cross, they like the church of our day had no understanding of His request to surrender all to His charge as an accursed thing that was due death's penalty, which He nailed to the cross. It may be that the truth of our being crucified with Christ has not been taught. And many they are who shrink back from the self-denial that it implies, and as a result, where the flesh is allowed in any measure to have its way, the Spirit of Christ cannot exert His power. Only as the flesh is kept in the place of crucifixion can the Spirit guide us in living faith and fellowship with and within Christ Jesus. This is the purpose and meaning of our first estate and what the Holy Spirit equips us for through our passage through this estate. The first crisis is the Lord's Last Passover (Pesach or lamb) meal for it is in it that an exchange is made and then another crisis of consummation is faced, do we surrender our will for God's Will (by taking of the Garden cup) in the form of another crisis death. And this is the cross and our death of self and to the world. This is also revealed by Christ Jesus in Matthew chapter 10 verses 38 and 39:
“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Jesus spoke seed words to His disciples which only after they received the Holy Spirit sent from above did they even begin to understand their meaning. We when we come to the crisis of the requirement placed on all who would accept the mystery of Lord's Passover, New Covenant meal and then the cross' work, the loss of one life and the New Life which is on the other side of it, what we've called the second blessing. Entry into the New Covenant and the power of an Endless Life. And of course this is all received by His faithfulness working within us.
Before we leave this allow us to look at just one more passage of scripture this is found in Luke chapter 14 and beginning with verse 26-33:
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh (renounces) not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” This is of course our Lord's own words on our subject of study and what do we find in verse 33 but this one word “forsake” or as we've shown “renounces” all that he has, he can not be my disciple. So argue they will over words and their meanings and even doctrines or mans opinion of them but this one thing they can not do deny the LORD His right to intervene or rule those who have put Him in first place.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Part CXXV on Galatians Study
Philippians 4:6
"Be careful for nothing; (or worry about nothing) but in every thing (what ever the need or circumstance) by prayer and supplication (and here's the secret) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God...."
Never ask the Lord something without thanking Him for it in advance.
This is one of the criterias of prayer. Always thank Him for what He's done and going to do with our prayer request. We try to remember to always tell people whether God answers yes, or no, or maybe later, whatever He says, we have an immediate answer in verse 7. The minute we get up from our prayer place we've got our prayers answered because of what this next verse says.
Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, (now we have the peace with God at the moment of receiving our salvation, but now as a believer, and we enter into this Spirit filled walk, now we have the peace of God) which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Whatever the circumstances, God is there calming our situation saying, "I'm in control." Now we all know that it's been hot this summer where we live, and we're getting concerned about grass, and the only hope that we have are these promises that we have the peace with God, and the peace of God, and we can take it to Him in prayer. In fact we were talking to some one and said that we sure hoped it would rain before too long, and he said, "Are you praying?" we said, "You bet we are, absolutely, and we're quite sure that God in His own time is going to answer." But what ever the circumstance we have that peace with God and the peace of God, which rules our heart. Now reading verse 7 again.
Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, (some of these things we sometimes don't comprehend how He answers. Some times He says no. It may not rain, but whether it does or not what do we have? We have the peace of God, which passes all understanding, and it) shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
He is the constant, He never fails, He's always there! Alright now let's come back to Galatians chapter 5. So we've covered love, joy, and peace. Now the next three are more or less an attitude toward our neighbors, or maybe our families, the people around us, and that is -
Galatians 5:22b
"...longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,..."
Another word for longsuffering is patience. And what do these three lead to? Well, they lead to a pretty good happy family environment don't they? If all family members can exemplify these three fruits of the Spirit, patience with one another, gentleness with one another, and goodness, Oh! talk about family - wouldn't that be perfect? What a beautiful family relationship we could enjoy if all members of the family would just practice these three fruits of the Spirit.
Now the last three fruits of the Spirit are pretty much tied to our association with God Himself.
Galatians 5:22b-23
"...faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
And the first thing that God looks for is what? Faith. Let's look at that for a moment in the Epistle of Hebrews chapter 11, and verse 6. We think that's why it's listed first. Also in I Corinthians chapter 13 the love chapter how does God end it?
I Corinthians 13:13
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity,..."
We see faith has to be the first one. Do you see that? But here in Hebrews let's look at verse 6.
Hebrews 11:6a
"But without faith,..."
Remember our definition of faith? Taking God at His Word! Trusting His faithfulness! Believe it from cover to cover. Now granted not all of the Bible is written to us Gentile believers. When Leviticus chapter 5 says, "That anyone who has touched something unclean has to go through the rites of purification, and has to bring a particular offering," Hey we don't do that. And why not, it's in the Bible. See that's what people like to say a lot of the time. "Well it's in the Bible." Well if that's the case we'd better go back and practice Leviticus. Then these same people don't know what to do with it. We have to realize that the Bible is for us, but it's not all to us, nor is it all about us and that makes all the difference in the world. The secret of being able to separate the Scriptures is to see what was written to the Gentile, the Body of Christ, the Church, us today, and that all comes from the pen of the Apostle to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. For he alone raises the Name of Christ above all others. But a great majority of the Bible was written to the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews, and even the Jewish believers in the Four Gospels. So we've got to be careful in how we rightly divide or delineate the Word of God. Now looking at this verse in Hebrews again.
Hebrews 11:6a
"But without faith it is impossible to please him..."
In other words there is no way we can get to first base with God unless He sees faith first. How we might ask, "What about a sinner seeking salvation?" The first article of faith for a lost person seeking salvation is Romans 3:23. And again remember we have to first receive redemption before we enter into the Lord's working His salvation in us.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
We have to believe what the Bible says, and that is "all have sinned, and come short..." Now that's the first step of trust in order to become a true believer. "Yes Lord I'm a sinner, I have fallen short!" Then the next step of trust is to believe this Gospel for our salvation, that "He died for you, was buried, and rose again the third day." But that's all taken by trust which becomes our faith. How? Because we place our trust in His faithfulness, Christ Jesus (because as the son of man trusted God) and Paul (Paul as a man trusted the Word of illumination which he received and then acted upon it in His faith) being our first examples. And that is the key, and without it -
Hebrews 11:6b
"...it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The key to this verse is to seek Him, not for power or worldly things but rather His righteousness, for without His righteousness NO one will see (know) God. Now back to the Book of Galatians. We see in chapter 5 now the next one after faith is -
"Be careful for nothing; (or worry about nothing) but in every thing (what ever the need or circumstance) by prayer and supplication (and here's the secret) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God...."
Never ask the Lord something without thanking Him for it in advance.
This is one of the criterias of prayer. Always thank Him for what He's done and going to do with our prayer request. We try to remember to always tell people whether God answers yes, or no, or maybe later, whatever He says, we have an immediate answer in verse 7. The minute we get up from our prayer place we've got our prayers answered because of what this next verse says.
Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, (now we have the peace with God at the moment of receiving our salvation, but now as a believer, and we enter into this Spirit filled walk, now we have the peace of God) which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Whatever the circumstances, God is there calming our situation saying, "I'm in control." Now we all know that it's been hot this summer where we live, and we're getting concerned about grass, and the only hope that we have are these promises that we have the peace with God, and the peace of God, and we can take it to Him in prayer. In fact we were talking to some one and said that we sure hoped it would rain before too long, and he said, "Are you praying?" we said, "You bet we are, absolutely, and we're quite sure that God in His own time is going to answer." But what ever the circumstance we have that peace with God and the peace of God, which rules our heart. Now reading verse 7 again.
Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, (some of these things we sometimes don't comprehend how He answers. Some times He says no. It may not rain, but whether it does or not what do we have? We have the peace of God, which passes all understanding, and it) shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
He is the constant, He never fails, He's always there! Alright now let's come back to Galatians chapter 5. So we've covered love, joy, and peace. Now the next three are more or less an attitude toward our neighbors, or maybe our families, the people around us, and that is -
Galatians 5:22b
"...longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,..."
Another word for longsuffering is patience. And what do these three lead to? Well, they lead to a pretty good happy family environment don't they? If all family members can exemplify these three fruits of the Spirit, patience with one another, gentleness with one another, and goodness, Oh! talk about family - wouldn't that be perfect? What a beautiful family relationship we could enjoy if all members of the family would just practice these three fruits of the Spirit.
Now the last three fruits of the Spirit are pretty much tied to our association with God Himself.
Galatians 5:22b-23
"...faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
And the first thing that God looks for is what? Faith. Let's look at that for a moment in the Epistle of Hebrews chapter 11, and verse 6. We think that's why it's listed first. Also in I Corinthians chapter 13 the love chapter how does God end it?
I Corinthians 13:13
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity,..."
We see faith has to be the first one. Do you see that? But here in Hebrews let's look at verse 6.
Hebrews 11:6a
"But without faith,..."
Remember our definition of faith? Taking God at His Word! Trusting His faithfulness! Believe it from cover to cover. Now granted not all of the Bible is written to us Gentile believers. When Leviticus chapter 5 says, "That anyone who has touched something unclean has to go through the rites of purification, and has to bring a particular offering," Hey we don't do that. And why not, it's in the Bible. See that's what people like to say a lot of the time. "Well it's in the Bible." Well if that's the case we'd better go back and practice Leviticus. Then these same people don't know what to do with it. We have to realize that the Bible is for us, but it's not all to us, nor is it all about us and that makes all the difference in the world. The secret of being able to separate the Scriptures is to see what was written to the Gentile, the Body of Christ, the Church, us today, and that all comes from the pen of the Apostle to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. For he alone raises the Name of Christ above all others. But a great majority of the Bible was written to the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews, and even the Jewish believers in the Four Gospels. So we've got to be careful in how we rightly divide or delineate the Word of God. Now looking at this verse in Hebrews again.
Hebrews 11:6a
"But without faith it is impossible to please him..."
In other words there is no way we can get to first base with God unless He sees faith first. How we might ask, "What about a sinner seeking salvation?" The first article of faith for a lost person seeking salvation is Romans 3:23. And again remember we have to first receive redemption before we enter into the Lord's working His salvation in us.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
We have to believe what the Bible says, and that is "all have sinned, and come short..." Now that's the first step of trust in order to become a true believer. "Yes Lord I'm a sinner, I have fallen short!" Then the next step of trust is to believe this Gospel for our salvation, that "He died for you, was buried, and rose again the third day." But that's all taken by trust which becomes our faith. How? Because we place our trust in His faithfulness, Christ Jesus (because as the son of man trusted God) and Paul (Paul as a man trusted the Word of illumination which he received and then acted upon it in His faith) being our first examples. And that is the key, and without it -
Hebrews 11:6b
"...it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The key to this verse is to seek Him, not for power or worldly things but rather His righteousness, for without His righteousness NO one will see (know) God. Now back to the Book of Galatians. We see in chapter 5 now the next one after faith is -
Friday, July 13, 2012
Part CXXIV on Galatians Study
Philippians 2;18
"For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me." Now come on over to verse 28, and let's look at another one, and here Paul is speaking of Epaphroditus, his brother in the Lord..
Philippians 2:28
"I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful." Well then come down into chapter 3.
Philippians 3:1-3
"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, (those that would attack them) beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
Did you notice the sequence of the Lord's names? It is now Christ Jesus, distinguishing Him as LORD where as to say simply Jesus or Jesus Christ relegates Him to His earthly ministry as the Son of man. For as we've revealed some time ago He's no longer in His earthy roll, but since His ascension is NOW both Christ and LORD of spirits. To keep Him in His earthy ministry name is to malign or make light of and even to use His name in vain. And is the position that Enoch knew Him as and showed great respect for. Now come on over to chapter 4, and we can see this joy and peace again.They just jump off the page, we can't miss them.
Philippians 4:1
"Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy (now we've maintained that Paul had a special feeling for the Philippian believers. Remember it was in Philippi that he was sick in bed, almost unto death. And the Philippian believers nourished him and brought him through, so we think he always had a real tender spot in his heart for them) and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved."
Now another point as we stated, it was the Philippians who nursed Paul back to health. If many preach a healing gospel such as the Son of man healed,that healing is for our time, what was wrong with Paul? We know that the Lord confirmed His message by signs and wonders, through Paul's hand on more than one occasion. Why not heal Paul? Do you see our point and get the drift of our thought? Times and things change as God chooses, not us. Now come on down to verse 4 for another one.
Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
See Paul repeats rejoice again, and we've said that repetition in Scripture is for emphasis. The whole emphasis in this entire Book of Philippians is that in spite of their trials and their sufferings they would still have joy. Well now verse 10.
Philippians 4:10
"But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity."
There may be others in Philippians as we have just grabbed them as they jumped off the page at us. But this joy is one of the fruits we saw in Galatians chapter 5. Now coming back to the Book of Galatians 5:22. First we have love for all that we come into contact with, and especially believers. Love remember is that which seeks the other person's highest good. Then we can have joy in spite of adversity, or persecution. and the third one is "peace." Now in order to understand the word "peace" we've got to come back to Romans chapter 5. Remember it's why peace isn't listed in the activities of the unbeliever. The unbeliever has never experienced this, and he can have no peace. The Scripture speaks of them like the waves roaring, their lives are filled with turmoil, but look what verse 1 says.
Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, (that puts us back like Adam was before the fall. When we become believers, God reckons the old sin nature, the old Adam-Satan nature dead and gone, and God looks at us as if we have never sinned, as a God-child. We must understand the significance of the Lord's Last Supper and our consummation of the New Covenant in and through it, and even to our ascension with and in Him. By this then therefore since we've been declared as if we've never sinned, and the slate has been wiped clean) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Did you know that Israel never did consummated its covenant with God? Instead it turned from Him and sought other gods and goddesses. By that they said no to God [Psalm 14:1 and 53:1, Matthew 22:5 and of course these tie to Romans 3:12]. Now the unbeliever can never experience that peace, in fact Romans 8:7 tells us that the unbeliever of this Gospel is an enemy of God. You see that we don't have to be in a constant turmoil, and wonder, "Oh, is God going to zap me? Is God all of a sudden going to disown me? Is He going to cast me out?" No! Because we have that abiding peace with God. Let's go to Philippians chapter 4 and look at the peace of God. Now justification brings about the peace with God, then we are no longer an enemy. We are now His, and we can enjoy His fellowship moment by moment, regardless of what else goes on in our lives. We still have that constant fellowship because of our justification which gave us the peace with God and more. Here we have the other peace that is spoken of and that is in verses 6 and 7. When someone calls with an urgent prayer request these are the two verses we should give them. These are the best two verses in all of Scripture for someone in need, and look what it says.
"For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me." Now come on over to verse 28, and let's look at another one, and here Paul is speaking of Epaphroditus, his brother in the Lord..
Philippians 2:28
"I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful." Well then come down into chapter 3.
Philippians 3:1-3
"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, (those that would attack them) beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
Did you notice the sequence of the Lord's names? It is now Christ Jesus, distinguishing Him as LORD where as to say simply Jesus or Jesus Christ relegates Him to His earthly ministry as the Son of man. For as we've revealed some time ago He's no longer in His earthy roll, but since His ascension is NOW both Christ and LORD of spirits. To keep Him in His earthy ministry name is to malign or make light of and even to use His name in vain. And is the position that Enoch knew Him as and showed great respect for. Now come on over to chapter 4, and we can see this joy and peace again.They just jump off the page, we can't miss them.
Philippians 4:1
"Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy (now we've maintained that Paul had a special feeling for the Philippian believers. Remember it was in Philippi that he was sick in bed, almost unto death. And the Philippian believers nourished him and brought him through, so we think he always had a real tender spot in his heart for them) and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved."
Now another point as we stated, it was the Philippians who nursed Paul back to health. If many preach a healing gospel such as the Son of man healed,that healing is for our time, what was wrong with Paul? We know that the Lord confirmed His message by signs and wonders, through Paul's hand on more than one occasion. Why not heal Paul? Do you see our point and get the drift of our thought? Times and things change as God chooses, not us. Now come on down to verse 4 for another one.
Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
See Paul repeats rejoice again, and we've said that repetition in Scripture is for emphasis. The whole emphasis in this entire Book of Philippians is that in spite of their trials and their sufferings they would still have joy. Well now verse 10.
Philippians 4:10
"But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity."
There may be others in Philippians as we have just grabbed them as they jumped off the page at us. But this joy is one of the fruits we saw in Galatians chapter 5. Now coming back to the Book of Galatians 5:22. First we have love for all that we come into contact with, and especially believers. Love remember is that which seeks the other person's highest good. Then we can have joy in spite of adversity, or persecution. and the third one is "peace." Now in order to understand the word "peace" we've got to come back to Romans chapter 5. Remember it's why peace isn't listed in the activities of the unbeliever. The unbeliever has never experienced this, and he can have no peace. The Scripture speaks of them like the waves roaring, their lives are filled with turmoil, but look what verse 1 says.
Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, (that puts us back like Adam was before the fall. When we become believers, God reckons the old sin nature, the old Adam-Satan nature dead and gone, and God looks at us as if we have never sinned, as a God-child. We must understand the significance of the Lord's Last Supper and our consummation of the New Covenant in and through it, and even to our ascension with and in Him. By this then therefore since we've been declared as if we've never sinned, and the slate has been wiped clean) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Did you know that Israel never did consummated its covenant with God? Instead it turned from Him and sought other gods and goddesses. By that they said no to God [Psalm 14:1 and 53:1, Matthew 22:5 and of course these tie to Romans 3:12]. Now the unbeliever can never experience that peace, in fact Romans 8:7 tells us that the unbeliever of this Gospel is an enemy of God. You see that we don't have to be in a constant turmoil, and wonder, "Oh, is God going to zap me? Is God all of a sudden going to disown me? Is He going to cast me out?" No! Because we have that abiding peace with God. Let's go to Philippians chapter 4 and look at the peace of God. Now justification brings about the peace with God, then we are no longer an enemy. We are now His, and we can enjoy His fellowship moment by moment, regardless of what else goes on in our lives. We still have that constant fellowship because of our justification which gave us the peace with God and more. Here we have the other peace that is spoken of and that is in verses 6 and 7. When someone calls with an urgent prayer request these are the two verses we should give them. These are the best two verses in all of Scripture for someone in need, and look what it says.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Part CXXIII on Galatians Study
Galatians 5:22b
"...love, joy, peace,..."
These three things that just simply come from within when we're a true believer. We talked about the agape love, and the definition of it which is "seeking that other person's highest good." Can we imagine living in a family, (we know that would be impossible for a whole community,) but wouldn't it be great to live in a family where all the members of that family all the way down to the grandchildren, and maybe even great-grandchildren would do everything with the idea that they wanted to bring about their highest good for their fellow family members? Wouldn't that be something? We wouldn't find teenagers in the drug culture, because that doesn't bring about the family's highest good. We wouldn't find teenagers dropping out of school, we wouldn't find members of the family getting into trouble, or our young girls getter pregnant in their youth, because of real love. And when we seek the other persons highest good it does nothing but enhance the things that are good.
So love is that Agape Love that comes as a result of the indwelling and outworking of the Holy Spirit, and it's going to have an effect on our life style. We're going to be fulfilling of the whole of God's Law by virtue of our operating in His Love. Now the next one is joy. We use that word too often times flippantly. But do we know the difference between joy and happiness? Lot's of people think it's the same thing, and it's not. Joy is that which comes from within as a result of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, as a result of what God has done on our behalf and is doing through us. We have joy unspeakable because regardless of what may happen to us in this life, we have Life Eternal and more abundantly. We have the promises of all the things that God has prepared for us. Now that is what precipitates real joy.
Happiness on the other hand is the result of our circumstances. In other words if everything is going well, and we're healthy, the bills are all paid, and we've got a little money in the bank, and we're driving a decent car, and we have a nice home, all these things contribute to happiness. But we see they are just circumstantial, they have nothing to do with that which is in the inner life. So always remember that. Joy is that which is within whether we have money in the bank, have trials and tribulations, we can still have joy. But we won't be happy, we mean that stands to reason. When things are going wrong it's pretty hard to be happy, but we can still have joy. Now one of Paul's letters is just packed with this concept of joy and rejoice. Who knows what it is? Philippians. All right let's go and look at it for a moment. Turn ahead a few pages to Philippians, and we'll just skim through the letter right now. Now right off the bat in chapter 1 verse 18 we find one.
Philippians 1:18
"What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."
Now remember the things Paul is talking about just ahead of this verse is that his adversaries were constantly giving him a bad time. This was not a place of happiness for Paul, but he had joy. So he could rejoice even though he had all that opposition. Now come on down to verse 25.
Philippians 1:25
"And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;"
Now listen, were these Philippians believers living in a happy environment? No, but rather they were under constant pressure, and persecution, and yet Paul could say that they had joy because of their faith. It was an inner thing with them. Now moving on into chapter 2.
Philippians 2:2
"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, (see how all these things fit together?) being of one accord, of one mind." Now skip across the page to verse 16 and we find another one.
Philippians 2:16-18
"Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me."
Isn't that something, and the man himself was under constant pressure. We looked at that in 1st and 2nd Corinthians, how he suffered for the sake of this Gospel. He was under trials and tribulations constantly, and yet the man was full of joy and was able to rejoice. Now we can see we're spoiled, and we have to tell the Lord that every once in awhile. We're so spoiled, and we think we are. We've all got it so good. What if all of a sudden the tables would turn and there would be a knock on our door at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, and someone says, "You're under arrest." "For what?" "For being a Christian." Hey what would happen? We think we'd all almost panic that our world is coming apart, but listen this was routine for these people. They and Paul were under constant persecution, and yet the man could be full of joy. Now we need to remind ourselves of that. If all of a sudden our little world should start falling apart could we still be joyful? Now we don't expect anyone to be happy, but we are to be joyful. Now looking at verse 18 again.
"...love, joy, peace,..."
These three things that just simply come from within when we're a true believer. We talked about the agape love, and the definition of it which is "seeking that other person's highest good." Can we imagine living in a family, (we know that would be impossible for a whole community,) but wouldn't it be great to live in a family where all the members of that family all the way down to the grandchildren, and maybe even great-grandchildren would do everything with the idea that they wanted to bring about their highest good for their fellow family members? Wouldn't that be something? We wouldn't find teenagers in the drug culture, because that doesn't bring about the family's highest good. We wouldn't find teenagers dropping out of school, we wouldn't find members of the family getting into trouble, or our young girls getter pregnant in their youth, because of real love. And when we seek the other persons highest good it does nothing but enhance the things that are good.
So love is that Agape Love that comes as a result of the indwelling and outworking of the Holy Spirit, and it's going to have an effect on our life style. We're going to be fulfilling of the whole of God's Law by virtue of our operating in His Love. Now the next one is joy. We use that word too often times flippantly. But do we know the difference between joy and happiness? Lot's of people think it's the same thing, and it's not. Joy is that which comes from within as a result of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, as a result of what God has done on our behalf and is doing through us. We have joy unspeakable because regardless of what may happen to us in this life, we have Life Eternal and more abundantly. We have the promises of all the things that God has prepared for us. Now that is what precipitates real joy.
Happiness on the other hand is the result of our circumstances. In other words if everything is going well, and we're healthy, the bills are all paid, and we've got a little money in the bank, and we're driving a decent car, and we have a nice home, all these things contribute to happiness. But we see they are just circumstantial, they have nothing to do with that which is in the inner life. So always remember that. Joy is that which is within whether we have money in the bank, have trials and tribulations, we can still have joy. But we won't be happy, we mean that stands to reason. When things are going wrong it's pretty hard to be happy, but we can still have joy. Now one of Paul's letters is just packed with this concept of joy and rejoice. Who knows what it is? Philippians. All right let's go and look at it for a moment. Turn ahead a few pages to Philippians, and we'll just skim through the letter right now. Now right off the bat in chapter 1 verse 18 we find one.
Philippians 1:18
"What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."
Now remember the things Paul is talking about just ahead of this verse is that his adversaries were constantly giving him a bad time. This was not a place of happiness for Paul, but he had joy. So he could rejoice even though he had all that opposition. Now come on down to verse 25.
Philippians 1:25
"And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;"
Now listen, were these Philippians believers living in a happy environment? No, but rather they were under constant pressure, and persecution, and yet Paul could say that they had joy because of their faith. It was an inner thing with them. Now moving on into chapter 2.
Philippians 2:2
"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, (see how all these things fit together?) being of one accord, of one mind." Now skip across the page to verse 16 and we find another one.
Philippians 2:16-18
"Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me."
Isn't that something, and the man himself was under constant pressure. We looked at that in 1st and 2nd Corinthians, how he suffered for the sake of this Gospel. He was under trials and tribulations constantly, and yet the man was full of joy and was able to rejoice. Now we can see we're spoiled, and we have to tell the Lord that every once in awhile. We're so spoiled, and we think we are. We've all got it so good. What if all of a sudden the tables would turn and there would be a knock on our door at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, and someone says, "You're under arrest." "For what?" "For being a Christian." Hey what would happen? We think we'd all almost panic that our world is coming apart, but listen this was routine for these people. They and Paul were under constant persecution, and yet the man could be full of joy. Now we need to remind ourselves of that. If all of a sudden our little world should start falling apart could we still be joyful? Now we don't expect anyone to be happy, but we are to be joyful. Now looking at verse 18 again.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Part CXXII on Galatians Study
Matthew 24:37-38
"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,"
Now stop for a moment. There's nothing wrong with that is there? No, there is nothing wrong with our daily supply of food and drink. There's nothing wrong with marrying, and weddings and starting families. So that wasn't the problem, it doesn't show it as that's what brought God's wrath upon them, but they were so occupied with all of these human mundane events that they didn't have time to listen until the day that Noah entered into the ark. Don't loose sight of the fact that Noah preached a last days message for at least 115 years and then even while building the ark which took five years he still preached salvation but no one listen to him. He was mocked at every turn can you imagine people saying, Noah your crazing for what is rain? What do you mean a flood, what is that? You see they didn't know what rain was back then because the ground was watered by the mist which raised up out of it. Now here's the revelation of what the Lord of spirits [Christ] has revealed. It's found in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 5, those people of Noah's day mocked him and so does the world now mock Him [the Lord of spirits] again by making light of Him [Christ] and His Gospel. So all they had is what we might call dry ground. Ever think on that? Now verse 39.
Matthew 24:39
"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Now you have to compare the Lord's statements in that they were so busy with their daily, materialistic activity they did not have time for the things of God. For its not until Seth Adams third recorded son that we find man worshiping God for its through this man Seth that Noah comes. Which such men as Mahalalee [praiser of God] and Enoch [dedicated to God] and Methuselah and then Noah comes in these are all recorded as men who walked with God. All were known as righteous men.In Luke chapter 21 it says they were also building, and doesn't that fit so perfectly with today. We think for those of us who are looking for the departure, we will find at that time such a world-wide economic activity as we're seeing it even today. People are so caught up in this today and that is the reason we can't get them interested in Spiritual things. Hey they've got it too good! They're making big bucks, the stock market is roaring, who's got time for eternity?
So that's why we have to feel that the world economy didn't collapse January 1, 2000 with this Y2K thing. Now we're not going to knock the idea, and ridicule that it's of no count, but it just doesn't seem to fit that the world can be in the situation that Jesus described so far as their materialism is bent, and their wicked activity, which of course they couldn't do if they couldn't travel, they wouldn't have all this opportunity for the sinfulness that we see in the Scripture. So we have to feel most of this activity will keep going up until at least the mid-point of the Tribulation. And at that time is when the sky is going to fall. Everything at that time is going to go into a chaotic condition, there's no doubt about it. But we can foresee nothing to indicate the world is going to fall apart, or stop all their materialistic activity before the Lord comes. So keep these things in mind. Always remember that Genesis tells us that the world was filled with violence. All they could conceive of were things that were wicked an irritant to God. But at the same time they were doing all the things that are part and parcel of everyday living as today, and so we believe that the time is short, the Lord's coming is seconds away in the view of the whole time period. Everything is getting ready for the Lord's soon return. BUT, First for the Church when we meet Him in the air at the departure, and then 7 years later when we come back with Him at His second coming.
Galatians 5:22-23
"But (here we have a total flip side. We talked about something that's a flip side, this is. This is just a total inversion of all of the activity of those previous verses we looked at. And now we'll read them all and come back and comment. But) the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Now there are nine fruits listed here, and we're going to divide them into three segments of three each. So the first part of the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy and peace. Peace is the inner results of Salvation in the life of the true believer. This is what we can experience just simply as a result of having believed and then received this Gospel for our salvation. We've always made the statement that we aren't saved as a fire escape. We're not saved just to escape Hellfire, not at all, but we're also saved to do as Jesus said. "to have life and have it more abundantly."
Now we're going to see in these nine fruits of the Spirit, that this is the abundant life. it's not as the worlds church of materialism teaches and spreads it's false doctrines. And that's why Paul says, "against these things there is nothing that can oppose them." There is no law that says, "Well there's nothing good about love, there's nothing good about joy, and so forth." No way, these are all attributes of the power of an Endless Life that enhances the believer. We have to look at it this way. Wouldn't it be great to live in a community where everybody lived this kind of a life, as opposed to living in a community where everybody practices what we see around us. Well we see those other practices too often, and it's pandemonium, the police blotters are full of people who practice those things and so we have churches are full of it.
We don't see people named on the police blotters who practice these fruits of the Spirit in verses 22 and 23, at least not very often. It probably can happen, but it's not routine. We feel sorry for policemen and law enforcement in general. Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like to be a policemen and be confronted with this stuff? Why we mean they're putting up with all these things that we looked at our daughter-in-law is a corrections officer for the county where we live and she sees this stuff every day. They never have to put up with people who are in trouble because of the fruit of the Spirit. OK now here we go.
"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,"
Now stop for a moment. There's nothing wrong with that is there? No, there is nothing wrong with our daily supply of food and drink. There's nothing wrong with marrying, and weddings and starting families. So that wasn't the problem, it doesn't show it as that's what brought God's wrath upon them, but they were so occupied with all of these human mundane events that they didn't have time to listen until the day that Noah entered into the ark. Don't loose sight of the fact that Noah preached a last days message for at least 115 years and then even while building the ark which took five years he still preached salvation but no one listen to him. He was mocked at every turn can you imagine people saying, Noah your crazing for what is rain? What do you mean a flood, what is that? You see they didn't know what rain was back then because the ground was watered by the mist which raised up out of it. Now here's the revelation of what the Lord of spirits [Christ] has revealed. It's found in Matthew chapter 22 and verse 5, those people of Noah's day mocked him and so does the world now mock Him [the Lord of spirits] again by making light of Him [Christ] and His Gospel. So all they had is what we might call dry ground. Ever think on that? Now verse 39.
Matthew 24:39
"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Now you have to compare the Lord's statements in that they were so busy with their daily, materialistic activity they did not have time for the things of God. For its not until Seth Adams third recorded son that we find man worshiping God for its through this man Seth that Noah comes. Which such men as Mahalalee [praiser of God] and Enoch [dedicated to God] and Methuselah and then Noah comes in these are all recorded as men who walked with God. All were known as righteous men.In Luke chapter 21 it says they were also building, and doesn't that fit so perfectly with today. We think for those of us who are looking for the departure, we will find at that time such a world-wide economic activity as we're seeing it even today. People are so caught up in this today and that is the reason we can't get them interested in Spiritual things. Hey they've got it too good! They're making big bucks, the stock market is roaring, who's got time for eternity?
So that's why we have to feel that the world economy didn't collapse January 1, 2000 with this Y2K thing. Now we're not going to knock the idea, and ridicule that it's of no count, but it just doesn't seem to fit that the world can be in the situation that Jesus described so far as their materialism is bent, and their wicked activity, which of course they couldn't do if they couldn't travel, they wouldn't have all this opportunity for the sinfulness that we see in the Scripture. So we have to feel most of this activity will keep going up until at least the mid-point of the Tribulation. And at that time is when the sky is going to fall. Everything at that time is going to go into a chaotic condition, there's no doubt about it. But we can foresee nothing to indicate the world is going to fall apart, or stop all their materialistic activity before the Lord comes. So keep these things in mind. Always remember that Genesis tells us that the world was filled with violence. All they could conceive of were things that were wicked an irritant to God. But at the same time they were doing all the things that are part and parcel of everyday living as today, and so we believe that the time is short, the Lord's coming is seconds away in the view of the whole time period. Everything is getting ready for the Lord's soon return. BUT, First for the Church when we meet Him in the air at the departure, and then 7 years later when we come back with Him at His second coming.
Galatians 5:22-23
"But (here we have a total flip side. We talked about something that's a flip side, this is. This is just a total inversion of all of the activity of those previous verses we looked at. And now we'll read them all and come back and comment. But) the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Now there are nine fruits listed here, and we're going to divide them into three segments of three each. So the first part of the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy and peace. Peace is the inner results of Salvation in the life of the true believer. This is what we can experience just simply as a result of having believed and then received this Gospel for our salvation. We've always made the statement that we aren't saved as a fire escape. We're not saved just to escape Hellfire, not at all, but we're also saved to do as Jesus said. "to have life and have it more abundantly."
Now we're going to see in these nine fruits of the Spirit, that this is the abundant life. it's not as the worlds church of materialism teaches and spreads it's false doctrines. And that's why Paul says, "against these things there is nothing that can oppose them." There is no law that says, "Well there's nothing good about love, there's nothing good about joy, and so forth." No way, these are all attributes of the power of an Endless Life that enhances the believer. We have to look at it this way. Wouldn't it be great to live in a community where everybody lived this kind of a life, as opposed to living in a community where everybody practices what we see around us. Well we see those other practices too often, and it's pandemonium, the police blotters are full of people who practice those things and so we have churches are full of it.
We don't see people named on the police blotters who practice these fruits of the Spirit in verses 22 and 23, at least not very often. It probably can happen, but it's not routine. We feel sorry for policemen and law enforcement in general. Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like to be a policemen and be confronted with this stuff? Why we mean they're putting up with all these things that we looked at our daughter-in-law is a corrections officer for the county where we live and she sees this stuff every day. They never have to put up with people who are in trouble because of the fruit of the Spirit. OK now here we go.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Part CXXI on Galatians Study
Genesis 6:5
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Now does that tell you something? Evil and unrighteous things were all they could think about, and we're not too far from that in today's world. Now verse 6.
Genesis 6:6
"And it repented the LORD (or made Him sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Now drop on down to verse 11 and 12 of this same chapter.
Genesis 6:11-13
"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
Well that's what led up to Noah's flood, but we're also approaching the same kind of a judgment when God will pour out His wrath and vexation on Christ-rejecting men, in what we call the final seven years of Tribulation. Now another place where Paul lists all these deeds of the ungodly is in Romans chapter 3. Now we hate to deal with negatives, and it's almost depressing we know, but on the other hand we have to realize what we are seeing in the world around us. And listen, it's not limited to just America. We've always given America credit, we're still better than most places in the world. But this whole idea of wickedness and unrighteousness is not limited to the western hemisphere whatsoever.
Romans 3:12
"They are all (the whole human race outside of salvation) gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; (that is to God) there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Now look at the picture, and remember before redemption which is to bring us to salvation this is where we were in God's eyes.
Romans 3:13-18
"Their throat is an open sepulchre (remember John the Baptist said a similar thing to the priest's who came to him to check him out); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: (now look at verse 18, and doesn't that say it all?) There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now that's the world in general. Matthew chapter 22 verse 5 says they make light of Christ and His Gospel which we share. They don't even give God five minutes of their time. Now let's come back to our text. And let's look at verse 21 again.
Galatians 5:21
"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Such wickedness we have today, and we're so busy. Let us look at Matthew chapter 24:37-39. And here Jesus is speaking, He was God, He was the Creator, He knows the end from the beginning. He knew exactly what was coming on the earth. So He says explicitly -
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Now does that tell you something? Evil and unrighteous things were all they could think about, and we're not too far from that in today's world. Now verse 6.
Genesis 6:6
"And it repented the LORD (or made Him sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Now drop on down to verse 11 and 12 of this same chapter.
Genesis 6:11-13
"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
Well that's what led up to Noah's flood, but we're also approaching the same kind of a judgment when God will pour out His wrath and vexation on Christ-rejecting men, in what we call the final seven years of Tribulation. Now another place where Paul lists all these deeds of the ungodly is in Romans chapter 3. Now we hate to deal with negatives, and it's almost depressing we know, but on the other hand we have to realize what we are seeing in the world around us. And listen, it's not limited to just America. We've always given America credit, we're still better than most places in the world. But this whole idea of wickedness and unrighteousness is not limited to the western hemisphere whatsoever.
Romans 3:12
"They are all (the whole human race outside of salvation) gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; (that is to God) there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Now look at the picture, and remember before redemption which is to bring us to salvation this is where we were in God's eyes.
Romans 3:13-18
"Their throat is an open sepulchre (remember John the Baptist said a similar thing to the priest's who came to him to check him out); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: (now look at verse 18, and doesn't that say it all?) There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now that's the world in general. Matthew chapter 22 verse 5 says they make light of Christ and His Gospel which we share. They don't even give God five minutes of their time. Now let's come back to our text. And let's look at verse 21 again.
Galatians 5:21
"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Such wickedness we have today, and we're so busy. Let us look at Matthew chapter 24:37-39. And here Jesus is speaking, He was God, He was the Creator, He knows the end from the beginning. He knew exactly what was coming on the earth. So He says explicitly -
Monday, July 9, 2012
Part CXX on Galatians Study
Galatians 5:20
"Idolatry, witchcraft, (that's associated again with the powers of Satan, and it's a form of worship, a form of false religion the different gospel) hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies."
Israel, who we just saw in Jeremiah chapter 44, was trying to elevate the worship of this female goddess. What was it? That was heresy and apostasy, it was idolatry and fornication spiritually. That was absolutely false, and yet they were falling for it. They were so blinded that they thought that it was because they weren't doing enough to please this female goddess, was the reason they were having problems. It never entered their mind that it was God who was displeased with them, because they were so steeped in idolatry.
And of course we in America are getting to that place fast. We thank God for a few men in high places that still call upon God, but for the most part when dilemmas come upon our nation, for most of the general population it never enters their mind that maybe God's got something to do with that particular dilemma, and maybe God's trying to get our attention, but that doesn't even enter their minds. Even the standing President took a silent clocked trip to Haiti to a witchdoctor to conjure up a win in the next elections, wonder if that's how he won the last. Then too there's one or two of his chiefs of staff that have invoked the curses of Israel upon this nation. and these are found in the harbingers (9 in number which are warning of judgment) of Isaiah chapter 9 verse 10.These things happen because God is so far removed from the thinking of the majority anymore that it doesn't bother them. Now let's move on into verse 21.
Galatians 5:21a
"Envying, murders,..."
See this is all tied together. Just as soon as we have sexual immorality, what does it trigger? Jealousy, envying, murders and so forth. My lands how many "love triangles" have ended up in a murder or one or more. It all comes together.
Galatians 5:21b
"...drunkenness,..."
Now we don't like to quote statistics because we never know how accurate other people are. We have read already that we would probably be shocked at the percentage of our prison inmates because of alcoholism. It's alcohol that got them in trouble in the first place. Of course now we have the drug culture that feeds in as well. We remember a long time ago we were visiting with a group of young medical interns (as our aunt was in nursing student back then), and at that time interns just barely had enough money to buy their toothpaste, and they were getting along on something like $25.00 a month. We'll never forget one of those interns made this statement. "Fellows let's face it, there's really only one place to make a lot of money, and that would be anything that would degrade society." We had a teacher back in political science class that had said much the same thing so this just sort of stuck. And we've never forgotten that statement. Now we know how true it is. Anything that degrades society will create wealth for those people, it's just one of the facts of life. And that is what Paul is bringing out here. These people thrive on these iniquitous activities.
Galatians 5:21a
"Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings,...""
Now what does revelings imply? What do they think they're having? A good time. Oh they think they're having a good time and for the moment maybe they are. But oh listen what does it invariably lead to? Just the opposite. It leads to misery, broken homes, broken health, and just about anything else bad we can think of, and yet they continue on in this life style of the old Adam nature which remember, we've said over and over, it's the playground of old Satan himself. Natural mans intelligence and wisdom. Now Paul says-
Galatians 5:21b
"...revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
That's plan enough every one should take hold of what Paul is here saying. But do they? No, because most don't get this far or even read his epistles any longer. They might pick their conscientiousness. Now let's go back again to the Book of Romans chapter 1, because Galatians and Romans fit hand and glove anyway so it's only natural that we keep going back to Romans. Here Paul, for the first time in the Biblical order of his letters, begins to lay out the picture of this Adam-Satan nature.
Romans 1:28-29
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, (they have no concept of the things of God. They have no concept of eternity. They're just living for the here and now So) God gave them over to a reprobate mind, (God says `If that's the way you want to live, then have at it.") to do those things which are not convenient; (not normal, or natural. Now look at the picture and it fits right with Galatians chapter 5.) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers,"
This isn't pretty is it? We'd rather skip verses like this, but listen, this exposes the true sin nature of man. Now granted the vast majority of people are able to keep these things under control, but when they lose control what happens? Any of these can happen, and our newspapers and television news programs are full of it. Now verse 30.
Romans 1:30a
"Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,..."
Now that reminds us of something. Keep your place here but come all the way back to Genesis chapter 6, and as we read this for goodness sake remember what the Lord Jesus Himself said about the days of Noah. "For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." And again all we have to do is look around us, read our paper, listen to our news, and it's obvious. Now Genesis 6:5, now the setting here is just before the flood by about 500 years or so.
"Idolatry, witchcraft, (that's associated again with the powers of Satan, and it's a form of worship, a form of false religion the different gospel) hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies."
Israel, who we just saw in Jeremiah chapter 44, was trying to elevate the worship of this female goddess. What was it? That was heresy and apostasy, it was idolatry and fornication spiritually. That was absolutely false, and yet they were falling for it. They were so blinded that they thought that it was because they weren't doing enough to please this female goddess, was the reason they were having problems. It never entered their mind that it was God who was displeased with them, because they were so steeped in idolatry.
And of course we in America are getting to that place fast. We thank God for a few men in high places that still call upon God, but for the most part when dilemmas come upon our nation, for most of the general population it never enters their mind that maybe God's got something to do with that particular dilemma, and maybe God's trying to get our attention, but that doesn't even enter their minds. Even the standing President took a silent clocked trip to Haiti to a witchdoctor to conjure up a win in the next elections, wonder if that's how he won the last. Then too there's one or two of his chiefs of staff that have invoked the curses of Israel upon this nation. and these are found in the harbingers (9 in number which are warning of judgment) of Isaiah chapter 9 verse 10.These things happen because God is so far removed from the thinking of the majority anymore that it doesn't bother them. Now let's move on into verse 21.
Galatians 5:21a
"Envying, murders,..."
See this is all tied together. Just as soon as we have sexual immorality, what does it trigger? Jealousy, envying, murders and so forth. My lands how many "love triangles" have ended up in a murder or one or more. It all comes together.
Galatians 5:21b
"...drunkenness,..."
Now we don't like to quote statistics because we never know how accurate other people are. We have read already that we would probably be shocked at the percentage of our prison inmates because of alcoholism. It's alcohol that got them in trouble in the first place. Of course now we have the drug culture that feeds in as well. We remember a long time ago we were visiting with a group of young medical interns (as our aunt was in nursing student back then), and at that time interns just barely had enough money to buy their toothpaste, and they were getting along on something like $25.00 a month. We'll never forget one of those interns made this statement. "Fellows let's face it, there's really only one place to make a lot of money, and that would be anything that would degrade society." We had a teacher back in political science class that had said much the same thing so this just sort of stuck. And we've never forgotten that statement. Now we know how true it is. Anything that degrades society will create wealth for those people, it's just one of the facts of life. And that is what Paul is bringing out here. These people thrive on these iniquitous activities.
Galatians 5:21a
"Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings,...""
Now what does revelings imply? What do they think they're having? A good time. Oh they think they're having a good time and for the moment maybe they are. But oh listen what does it invariably lead to? Just the opposite. It leads to misery, broken homes, broken health, and just about anything else bad we can think of, and yet they continue on in this life style of the old Adam nature which remember, we've said over and over, it's the playground of old Satan himself. Natural mans intelligence and wisdom. Now Paul says-
Galatians 5:21b
"...revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
That's plan enough every one should take hold of what Paul is here saying. But do they? No, because most don't get this far or even read his epistles any longer. They might pick their conscientiousness. Now let's go back again to the Book of Romans chapter 1, because Galatians and Romans fit hand and glove anyway so it's only natural that we keep going back to Romans. Here Paul, for the first time in the Biblical order of his letters, begins to lay out the picture of this Adam-Satan nature.
Romans 1:28-29
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, (they have no concept of the things of God. They have no concept of eternity. They're just living for the here and now So) God gave them over to a reprobate mind, (God says `If that's the way you want to live, then have at it.") to do those things which are not convenient; (not normal, or natural. Now look at the picture and it fits right with Galatians chapter 5.) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers,"
This isn't pretty is it? We'd rather skip verses like this, but listen, this exposes the true sin nature of man. Now granted the vast majority of people are able to keep these things under control, but when they lose control what happens? Any of these can happen, and our newspapers and television news programs are full of it. Now verse 30.
Romans 1:30a
"Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,..."
Now that reminds us of something. Keep your place here but come all the way back to Genesis chapter 6, and as we read this for goodness sake remember what the Lord Jesus Himself said about the days of Noah. "For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." And again all we have to do is look around us, read our paper, listen to our news, and it's obvious. Now Genesis 6:5, now the setting here is just before the flood by about 500 years or so.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Part CXIX on Galatians Study
Jeremiah 44:18
"But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, (that was one of the pagan goddesses, Ishtar from which the pagan churches of the world get Easter, you know the ones who make light of Christ and His Gospel) and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine."
The Israelites weren't reckoning that God was trying to deal with them, but what were they trying to say? The reason we're having all our problems is we have quit worshiping the queen of heaven. Imagine, the Hebrews were saying that. Now verse 19.
Jeremiah 44:19-21
"And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?" (In other words the women were the primary culprits here.) Then Jeremiah saith unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?"
Now we can see from verse 21 how far pagan worship had penetrated the Jewish community? It wasn't just a few of them, but rather the whole. Men and women, places of authority, kings, and government people, they were all worshiping false idols and pagan gods. In other words they were in spiritual fornication, for even they're hot cross buns has the pagan goddesses image. These replaced the matzo bread or show beard in the temple. Now verse 22.
Jeremiah 44:22a
"So that the LORD could no longer bear,..."
The Lord couldn't take it any more. That scares us doesn't it? Most people can realize that America can be identified with ancient Israel over and over. We're not the first one's to say that. We mean we see so much that God has to look down on America, who at one time as a nation, was steeped in the Word of God, our founding fathers based everything on the Word of God. The Constitution was almost, we might say, Biblically oriented, and now what are we seeing? The making light of Christ's Gospel and even Christ Himself by the wickedness of so called spiritual leaders. And the constant tearing down of all these principles. And Israel went through these same things. Now reading verse 22.
Jeremiah 44:22-23
"So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day." (Isaiah 1:11-15, 66:3)
It wasn't because they had quit worshiping the female goddesses. It was because they turned against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then in verse 24 Jeremiah the prophet says -
Jeremiah 44:24-25
"Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: Thus saith the LORD of host, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her; ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.(Amos 5:21)
Jeremiah goes on to warn them that God is not going to continue to deal with them except in gross judgment and punishment. God won't stand for that kind of behavior. Now let's come back to Galatians. Fortunately we're still in the Age of Grace, and God is not pouring out His wrath on the wickedness of men, but their day is coming, and we're getting closer and closer. We think the world is getting more and more aware of the trials and tribulations that are going to come upon this planet. We think all of our weird weather is just a little bit of a fore warning of what the world has ahead of them. We think there's no doubt about it the whole world is having a complete upset of normal weather patterns and of course the tremendous increase in earthquakes which are multiplying every year. There are many, many earthquakes that take place everyday that the press doesn't even bother to report on. The only ones we hear about are the ones that cause damage, the real strong ones. In fact we believe that we're in the closing seconds, not minutes, not hours, of this Age of Grace. We don't believe we have a lot of time left. Back to Galatians chapter 5, and remember all of these in verse 20 can all be lumped into false worship.
Galatians 5:20
"Idolatry, witchcraft, (that's associated again with the powers of Satan, and it's a form of worship, a form of false religion the different gospel) hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies."
"But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, (that was one of the pagan goddesses, Ishtar from which the pagan churches of the world get Easter, you know the ones who make light of Christ and His Gospel) and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine."
The Israelites weren't reckoning that God was trying to deal with them, but what were they trying to say? The reason we're having all our problems is we have quit worshiping the queen of heaven. Imagine, the Hebrews were saying that. Now verse 19.
Jeremiah 44:19-21
"And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?" (In other words the women were the primary culprits here.) Then Jeremiah saith unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?"
Now we can see from verse 21 how far pagan worship had penetrated the Jewish community? It wasn't just a few of them, but rather the whole. Men and women, places of authority, kings, and government people, they were all worshiping false idols and pagan gods. In other words they were in spiritual fornication, for even they're hot cross buns has the pagan goddesses image. These replaced the matzo bread or show beard in the temple. Now verse 22.
Jeremiah 44:22a
"So that the LORD could no longer bear,..."
The Lord couldn't take it any more. That scares us doesn't it? Most people can realize that America can be identified with ancient Israel over and over. We're not the first one's to say that. We mean we see so much that God has to look down on America, who at one time as a nation, was steeped in the Word of God, our founding fathers based everything on the Word of God. The Constitution was almost, we might say, Biblically oriented, and now what are we seeing? The making light of Christ's Gospel and even Christ Himself by the wickedness of so called spiritual leaders. And the constant tearing down of all these principles. And Israel went through these same things. Now reading verse 22.
Jeremiah 44:22-23
"So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day." (Isaiah 1:11-15, 66:3)
It wasn't because they had quit worshiping the female goddesses. It was because they turned against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then in verse 24 Jeremiah the prophet says -
Jeremiah 44:24-25
"Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: Thus saith the LORD of host, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her; ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.(Amos 5:21)
Jeremiah goes on to warn them that God is not going to continue to deal with them except in gross judgment and punishment. God won't stand for that kind of behavior. Now let's come back to Galatians. Fortunately we're still in the Age of Grace, and God is not pouring out His wrath on the wickedness of men, but their day is coming, and we're getting closer and closer. We think the world is getting more and more aware of the trials and tribulations that are going to come upon this planet. We think all of our weird weather is just a little bit of a fore warning of what the world has ahead of them. We think there's no doubt about it the whole world is having a complete upset of normal weather patterns and of course the tremendous increase in earthquakes which are multiplying every year. There are many, many earthquakes that take place everyday that the press doesn't even bother to report on. The only ones we hear about are the ones that cause damage, the real strong ones. In fact we believe that we're in the closing seconds, not minutes, not hours, of this Age of Grace. We don't believe we have a lot of time left. Back to Galatians chapter 5, and remember all of these in verse 20 can all be lumped into false worship.
Galatians 5:20
"Idolatry, witchcraft, (that's associated again with the powers of Satan, and it's a form of worship, a form of false religion the different gospel) hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies."
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Part CXVIII on Galatians Study
Romans 7:6a
"But now we are delivered from the law, (and that means exactly what it says.) that being dead (death) wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit,..."
Now that word "newness" means exactly what it says. A whole new ball game. When we become a believer and receive this new nature it's completely different. We don't care what prime time of life we're in. Whether we're a teenager or middle age or in the advanced years it's the whole idea is that regardless where we are in our life, once we enter into this Spirit-led life, we're not under the Law, we're under Grace. Now back to the Book of Galatians. Now we get into the part that really gets explicit. There are no punches pulled here. There are no ifs, ands, or buts, there's no question. Now verse 19.
Galatians 5:19a
"Now the works of the flesh (of old Adam-Satan nature, and Satan's playground) are manifest, (in other words there's no hiding it, there's no doubting it. It's just like looking in a microscope again and seeing everything exposed by that bright light from below) which are these; (and what does it start with? Sexual sins or wrong beliefs, spiritual wickedness) Adultery,..."
We know as we look at the world all the way back through history, what has always been the most hideous of mankind's sin? Sexual and spiritual immorality! The pagans were rampant and Israel became rampant as well, in it as we expressed that in our look at Corinthians. We saw some of the places in the Mediterranean where Paul was confronted with this type of gross immorality. So it's always been that way, and we think even going as far back as Ishmael, and Esau - in fact let's look at Esau's result in Hebrews chapter 12. Even all the way back to Esau, and remember he was one of the twins of Isaac and Rebecca. We want us to see this because this has always been, the most crucial shortcoming of the human race. And we're seeing it explode all around us even here in the 2000's.
Hebrews 12:16
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, (now the two go hand and hand. When you have someone who is immoral, he's also profane irreverent toward God) as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."
This now relates to Matthew chapter 22 verse 5 doesn't it. Now do we get the make of the man's personality. Number one, he was destitute of faith. Those of us who were with us when we were in Genesis remember we pointed out when he came in hungry as a bear, and he smelled that bean soup cooking what did he tell old Jacob? "Give me a bowl of your bean soup." Well old Jacob wasn't about to give it free, so Jacob said "I will in turn for your birthright." Remember Esau saw absolutely nothing of any kind of worth in the birthright. He'd rather have that bowl of bean soup. Why didn't he see any value in the birthright? It was something to be appropriated by faith, as it remained not in his physical reach and how much faith did he have. NONE! Esau was destitute of faith. Consequently what kind of a man was he sexually? Immoral! Irreverent toward God and His promises, he carried God's wrath.
The works that old Adam-Satan nature promotes, the playground of old Satan himself, or old Adam-bestial nature, which is the only nature that a lost person has, and that's why the world is so saturated with immorality and wickedness of every sort. We know some of the lost are inhibited to a certain degree by their background and training, but they still can't be victorious over that old Adam-bestial nature because that takes the power of God. So whether it's in the life of the believer, who in a moment of weakness let's old Adam-bestial nature take over, or in this case, Paul is dealing mostly with the unbeliever and his lifestyle here.
The works of old Adam-bestial nature are made manifest. They're obvious, and we covered the first one in adultery, and fornication. In other words sexual immorality. We looked at the picture of old Esau who was a fornicator, he was irreverent and destitute of faith. And the one before Esau was Ishmael who also did not have that will to be obedient to the Will of God. So even Ishmael went and married an Egyptian which was contrary to what God wanted for the offspring of Abraham when He had instructed that they not marry the Canaanite. And remember Esau married two Hittite women who were already steeped in immorality and idolatry and profane wickedness.
Genesis 26:34-35
"And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah."
So this sexual immorality is one of the first things that Paul mentions, and it isn't just here, in some of his other classification of human sins, the sexual things are almost always number one as they in many cases are idolatry irreverence toward God. Now let's go into the next area because verse 19 for the most part is dealing with sexual sins of adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, but now look at verse 20.
Galatians 5:20
"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,"
Now all of those can be lumped together when we get into the area of idolatry or pagan worship. Now let's go back to the Book of Jeremiah chapter 44 as this is one example that we can turn to quite quickly, and we think you'll appreciate what we're trying to show. This too has been plaguing the human race ever since the Tower of Babel and before, and that is that we're bent to worship a false god. It's just about automatic in the human nature to want to follow that drawing power to worship a false god, idols of one sort or another. Even the Nation of Israel, who had the proof of the Living God all the way back from their beginning, and they should have known better, but here they would follow after these pagans and we remember that was the controversy that Elijah had with King Ahab upon Mount Caramel with all the prophets of Baal, because Israel had also been following Baal. But here in Jeremiah it lays it out so plain and distinctly as what the results are going to be if a people or a nation are going to go into the worship of false idol gods. Here in Jeremiah the Israelites are speaking back and say -
"But now we are delivered from the law, (and that means exactly what it says.) that being dead (death) wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit,..."
Now that word "newness" means exactly what it says. A whole new ball game. When we become a believer and receive this new nature it's completely different. We don't care what prime time of life we're in. Whether we're a teenager or middle age or in the advanced years it's the whole idea is that regardless where we are in our life, once we enter into this Spirit-led life, we're not under the Law, we're under Grace. Now back to the Book of Galatians. Now we get into the part that really gets explicit. There are no punches pulled here. There are no ifs, ands, or buts, there's no question. Now verse 19.
Galatians 5:19a
"Now the works of the flesh (of old Adam-Satan nature, and Satan's playground) are manifest, (in other words there's no hiding it, there's no doubting it. It's just like looking in a microscope again and seeing everything exposed by that bright light from below) which are these; (and what does it start with? Sexual sins or wrong beliefs, spiritual wickedness) Adultery,..."
We know as we look at the world all the way back through history, what has always been the most hideous of mankind's sin? Sexual and spiritual immorality! The pagans were rampant and Israel became rampant as well, in it as we expressed that in our look at Corinthians. We saw some of the places in the Mediterranean where Paul was confronted with this type of gross immorality. So it's always been that way, and we think even going as far back as Ishmael, and Esau - in fact let's look at Esau's result in Hebrews chapter 12. Even all the way back to Esau, and remember he was one of the twins of Isaac and Rebecca. We want us to see this because this has always been, the most crucial shortcoming of the human race. And we're seeing it explode all around us even here in the 2000's.
Hebrews 12:16
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, (now the two go hand and hand. When you have someone who is immoral, he's also profane irreverent toward God) as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."
This now relates to Matthew chapter 22 verse 5 doesn't it. Now do we get the make of the man's personality. Number one, he was destitute of faith. Those of us who were with us when we were in Genesis remember we pointed out when he came in hungry as a bear, and he smelled that bean soup cooking what did he tell old Jacob? "Give me a bowl of your bean soup." Well old Jacob wasn't about to give it free, so Jacob said "I will in turn for your birthright." Remember Esau saw absolutely nothing of any kind of worth in the birthright. He'd rather have that bowl of bean soup. Why didn't he see any value in the birthright? It was something to be appropriated by faith, as it remained not in his physical reach and how much faith did he have. NONE! Esau was destitute of faith. Consequently what kind of a man was he sexually? Immoral! Irreverent toward God and His promises, he carried God's wrath.
The works that old Adam-Satan nature promotes, the playground of old Satan himself, or old Adam-bestial nature, which is the only nature that a lost person has, and that's why the world is so saturated with immorality and wickedness of every sort. We know some of the lost are inhibited to a certain degree by their background and training, but they still can't be victorious over that old Adam-bestial nature because that takes the power of God. So whether it's in the life of the believer, who in a moment of weakness let's old Adam-bestial nature take over, or in this case, Paul is dealing mostly with the unbeliever and his lifestyle here.
The works of old Adam-bestial nature are made manifest. They're obvious, and we covered the first one in adultery, and fornication. In other words sexual immorality. We looked at the picture of old Esau who was a fornicator, he was irreverent and destitute of faith. And the one before Esau was Ishmael who also did not have that will to be obedient to the Will of God. So even Ishmael went and married an Egyptian which was contrary to what God wanted for the offspring of Abraham when He had instructed that they not marry the Canaanite. And remember Esau married two Hittite women who were already steeped in immorality and idolatry and profane wickedness.
Genesis 26:34-35
"And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah."
So this sexual immorality is one of the first things that Paul mentions, and it isn't just here, in some of his other classification of human sins, the sexual things are almost always number one as they in many cases are idolatry irreverence toward God. Now let's go into the next area because verse 19 for the most part is dealing with sexual sins of adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, but now look at verse 20.
Galatians 5:20
"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,"
Now all of those can be lumped together when we get into the area of idolatry or pagan worship. Now let's go back to the Book of Jeremiah chapter 44 as this is one example that we can turn to quite quickly, and we think you'll appreciate what we're trying to show. This too has been plaguing the human race ever since the Tower of Babel and before, and that is that we're bent to worship a false god. It's just about automatic in the human nature to want to follow that drawing power to worship a false god, idols of one sort or another. Even the Nation of Israel, who had the proof of the Living God all the way back from their beginning, and they should have known better, but here they would follow after these pagans and we remember that was the controversy that Elijah had with King Ahab upon Mount Caramel with all the prophets of Baal, because Israel had also been following Baal. But here in Jeremiah it lays it out so plain and distinctly as what the results are going to be if a people or a nation are going to go into the worship of false idol gods. Here in Jeremiah the Israelites are speaking back and say -
Part CXVII on Galatians Study
Romans 8:4a
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,..."
Now we need to stop here for a moment. When we start talking about Law and Grace we can't be confused. The Law from God's view point is perfect! It was the very mind of God, it was spiritual. God expressed so far as being the best for mankind's benefit and his own good. But from the human standpoint the Law was weak and beggarly, it was a yoke. Because natural man, those unredeemed can only see it as an outward expression, external worldly and of mans sufficiency of the works of his flesh. Which means man fails to comprehend its true meaning and purposes. Now why those two seemingly contradictory statements of the same Ten Commandments? Well we can see God revealed His righteousness and His Holiness when He gave those Ten Commandments. But man over there without the power of the Holy Spirit and in his own flesh couldn't begin to keep that perfect Law. It became to him a corral or tutor as an aid to keep sinful man inline. But they failed because they tied to do it under a system of self sufficiency or works of the flesh which in no way pleased God.
And so it became weak and beggarly, a yoke that old Israel just chafed under constantly. So here's the whole concept: Yes the Law is perfect, spiritual but we can not keep it in the flesh because it had no power to impart to man to keep it. Now we hope we've made that plain. The Law had no power to help mortal men to keep it. That was its weakness! And consequently man couldn't keep the Law, in fact they couldn't even come close to keeping it. But now under our new economy of Grace we've been given something far better. It was good under the Law but under Grace it's far BETTER! Now looking at verse 4 again.
Romans 8:4
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Now that the Law might be fulfilled in us, not that we're better at Law-keeping than Israel was, but because of our position, because of the power of an Endless Life and the Holy Spirit we no longer walk after the flesh or after old Adam, but after the Spirit. Now here it is - Just as soon as old Adam-Satan nature is crucified in our flesh, and in God's eyes he's completely dead, he's out of the picture, but in our experience he's still here, but he's defeated. He's not to remain uppermost. If he remains uppermost it means we're not fighting the battle, we're not totally or truly born again and separated from the spirit of the world. We have no illumination of the power of this Gospel in us and so we remain weak and beggarly and so we seek and search for the light. And thereby we don't make light of this Gospel of Christ. Its usually during the seeking that we stumble into the Holy Spirits operating and ask Him to do His works in us. And this He then does. But without the help of the Holy Spirit empowering our spirit we can't live victoriously, but always remember that old Adam-Satan nature is powerful and he will come to the forefront at times, and that is where the warfare exists, and there would be no warfare if it weren't for the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we didn't have Him helping us there wouldn't even be a battle line. We wouldn't stand a chance against the forces of old Adam-Satan nature, and forces of Satan if we didn't have the Holy Spirit. That's the secret. New Life through death (John12:24).
In fact the word Pneuma Hagion in the Greek, do you know what it really means? In the English it is that Power from on High. That's what this is. The Holy Spirit is the Person of Holiness, but when He gives us that which we need to confront the old nature and its desires, to live victoriously in the flesh we can't do it without the Pneuma Hagion which is the Power from on High that is exercised through the Person of the Holy Spirit. And we have to understand we take it all in by Faith - "But Lord I have the Holy Spirit, I can draw on Him, and I don't have to force myself to be a law keeper." It just simply now comes naturally to let the Spirit run the race for us. All right while we're here in Romans chapter 8 and this fits with Galatians so perfectly come on down to verse 5.
Romans 8:5
"For they that are after the flesh (they're still living in the realm of old Adam-Satan nature, and know nothing of God's saving Grace) do mind the things of the flesh; (now you want to remember that's the grand majority of the world's population. All the lost and unbelieving out in the world today are there for this to gratify their flesh. They have no concept of eternity, they have no concept of Spiritual things, and all they are concerned about is to gratify the flesh. Oh they may do it with pomp and circumstance. They may do it in high echelons of society, but it's still just the gratification of the flesh. Now on the other hand the flip side of that is ) but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." A thought just came to us that they have no understanding of Matthew chapter 22 verses 1 through 4 for they are guilty of verse 5. Lets take a quick look at it:
Matthew 22:1-4
"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king (God the Father of spirits), which made a marriage for his son (Christ Jesus), And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding (Israel): and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." Now here's the verse of interest verse 5:
Matthew 22:5 -7
"But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city." Do you see the word "made light of it" they did not believe the servants words to be those of the Fathers. Many of our day are in the same boat as Israel was and still is because this parable was spoken directly to them. The to see what saw instore for them and the rest who refused this Gospel read the next few verses. Now picking up where we were:
Galatians 5:18
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
Now that's what the Book says. Remember we're not saying them, but rather the Bible is, God's Word says it. When we're under Grace and under the working and power of this Pneuma Hagion this power from on High, then we're not under the Law. In other words we don't have to check the Ten Commandants every day to see if we've broken one or more today. See, that's not the way we're to look at it, that doesn't even enter our minds that we have to keep the Law, because the Holy Spirit is in place of the Law. Well we've got to look at another verse in Romans chapter 7 verse 6 and this says it better than we can. We're going to keep on repeating it, and repeating it until people know it forward and backwards.
Romans 7:6
"But now we (as believers) are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Well what are the two concepts there? Are we going to work and live under the idea of the new nature who is being prompted and encouraged by the Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, or are we going to still try and satisfy the old Adam-Satan nature by some sort of religious works. See, old Adam knows enough that maybe he should try to keep the Law, as a lot of people realize that it's wrong to steal, it's wrong to do those things, and so old Adam can recognize that, but we see on the other hand he knows he can't keep the Law anyway so pretty soon he gives up. But we see the new nature doesn't have that problem. Our new nature under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, realizes that we can't keep the law by the energy of the flesh. It's impossible. So when we let Him lead us and guide us and direct us then the Law takes care of itself. Read that verse again.
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us,..."
Now we need to stop here for a moment. When we start talking about Law and Grace we can't be confused. The Law from God's view point is perfect! It was the very mind of God, it was spiritual. God expressed so far as being the best for mankind's benefit and his own good. But from the human standpoint the Law was weak and beggarly, it was a yoke. Because natural man, those unredeemed can only see it as an outward expression, external worldly and of mans sufficiency of the works of his flesh. Which means man fails to comprehend its true meaning and purposes. Now why those two seemingly contradictory statements of the same Ten Commandments? Well we can see God revealed His righteousness and His Holiness when He gave those Ten Commandments. But man over there without the power of the Holy Spirit and in his own flesh couldn't begin to keep that perfect Law. It became to him a corral or tutor as an aid to keep sinful man inline. But they failed because they tied to do it under a system of self sufficiency or works of the flesh which in no way pleased God.
And so it became weak and beggarly, a yoke that old Israel just chafed under constantly. So here's the whole concept: Yes the Law is perfect, spiritual but we can not keep it in the flesh because it had no power to impart to man to keep it. Now we hope we've made that plain. The Law had no power to help mortal men to keep it. That was its weakness! And consequently man couldn't keep the Law, in fact they couldn't even come close to keeping it. But now under our new economy of Grace we've been given something far better. It was good under the Law but under Grace it's far BETTER! Now looking at verse 4 again.
Romans 8:4
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Now that the Law might be fulfilled in us, not that we're better at Law-keeping than Israel was, but because of our position, because of the power of an Endless Life and the Holy Spirit we no longer walk after the flesh or after old Adam, but after the Spirit. Now here it is - Just as soon as old Adam-Satan nature is crucified in our flesh, and in God's eyes he's completely dead, he's out of the picture, but in our experience he's still here, but he's defeated. He's not to remain uppermost. If he remains uppermost it means we're not fighting the battle, we're not totally or truly born again and separated from the spirit of the world. We have no illumination of the power of this Gospel in us and so we remain weak and beggarly and so we seek and search for the light. And thereby we don't make light of this Gospel of Christ. Its usually during the seeking that we stumble into the Holy Spirits operating and ask Him to do His works in us. And this He then does. But without the help of the Holy Spirit empowering our spirit we can't live victoriously, but always remember that old Adam-Satan nature is powerful and he will come to the forefront at times, and that is where the warfare exists, and there would be no warfare if it weren't for the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we didn't have Him helping us there wouldn't even be a battle line. We wouldn't stand a chance against the forces of old Adam-Satan nature, and forces of Satan if we didn't have the Holy Spirit. That's the secret. New Life through death (John12:24).
In fact the word Pneuma Hagion in the Greek, do you know what it really means? In the English it is that Power from on High. That's what this is. The Holy Spirit is the Person of Holiness, but when He gives us that which we need to confront the old nature and its desires, to live victoriously in the flesh we can't do it without the Pneuma Hagion which is the Power from on High that is exercised through the Person of the Holy Spirit. And we have to understand we take it all in by Faith - "But Lord I have the Holy Spirit, I can draw on Him, and I don't have to force myself to be a law keeper." It just simply now comes naturally to let the Spirit run the race for us. All right while we're here in Romans chapter 8 and this fits with Galatians so perfectly come on down to verse 5.
Romans 8:5
"For they that are after the flesh (they're still living in the realm of old Adam-Satan nature, and know nothing of God's saving Grace) do mind the things of the flesh; (now you want to remember that's the grand majority of the world's population. All the lost and unbelieving out in the world today are there for this to gratify their flesh. They have no concept of eternity, they have no concept of Spiritual things, and all they are concerned about is to gratify the flesh. Oh they may do it with pomp and circumstance. They may do it in high echelons of society, but it's still just the gratification of the flesh. Now on the other hand the flip side of that is ) but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." A thought just came to us that they have no understanding of Matthew chapter 22 verses 1 through 4 for they are guilty of verse 5. Lets take a quick look at it:
Matthew 22:1-4
"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king (God the Father of spirits), which made a marriage for his son (Christ Jesus), And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding (Israel): and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." Now here's the verse of interest verse 5:
Matthew 22:5 -7
"But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city." Do you see the word "made light of it" they did not believe the servants words to be those of the Fathers. Many of our day are in the same boat as Israel was and still is because this parable was spoken directly to them. The to see what saw instore for them and the rest who refused this Gospel read the next few verses. Now picking up where we were:
Galatians 5:18
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
Now that's what the Book says. Remember we're not saying them, but rather the Bible is, God's Word says it. When we're under Grace and under the working and power of this Pneuma Hagion this power from on High, then we're not under the Law. In other words we don't have to check the Ten Commandants every day to see if we've broken one or more today. See, that's not the way we're to look at it, that doesn't even enter our minds that we have to keep the Law, because the Holy Spirit is in place of the Law. Well we've got to look at another verse in Romans chapter 7 verse 6 and this says it better than we can. We're going to keep on repeating it, and repeating it until people know it forward and backwards.
Romans 7:6
"But now we (as believers) are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Well what are the two concepts there? Are we going to work and live under the idea of the new nature who is being prompted and encouraged by the Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, or are we going to still try and satisfy the old Adam-Satan nature by some sort of religious works. See, old Adam knows enough that maybe he should try to keep the Law, as a lot of people realize that it's wrong to steal, it's wrong to do those things, and so old Adam can recognize that, but we see on the other hand he knows he can't keep the Law anyway so pretty soon he gives up. But we see the new nature doesn't have that problem. Our new nature under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, realizes that we can't keep the law by the energy of the flesh. It's impossible. So when we let Him lead us and guide us and direct us then the Law takes care of itself. Read that verse again.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Part CXVI on Galatians Study
This is where we like to depict the two natures of the
believer. We know a lot of folks have no concept of the two natures.
But when we become a believer the old sin nature, the old Adam, the
Adam-Satan nature or as one well know author put the bestial nature that
we're born with has to be crucified, it/he had to be literally put to
death in the realm of the unredeemed soul/spirit. Now that is done
when we believe within our heart this Gospel. We then receive our
salvation, that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again. When we do that then Christ reckons that old nature crucified, and we'll see that in Romans again in just a moment.
After salvation then immediately God replaces that old Adamic nature with His Divine nature, for through the Lord's Last Supper we become a God-child. Just as the Greek word for father means and we maintain that new nature cannot sin because it's now divine. So when we, as a true believer, sin it's just the simple matter that old Adam has taken control for a moment, and it's through the old nature that we continue to sin, but always remember that as far as God is concerned the old Adam is dead. That's why God can declare us "justified," and it's just as if we've never sinned, because old Adam is dead and gone so far as God is concerned. But experience tells us that in our every day life old Adam is still there lurking in the shadows but we are to keep it/him suppressed.This is our warfare daily.
The new nature is imparted by a divine act of God. So in this area between the old sin nature and the new divine nature, which is now receiving its prompting and power from the Holy Spirit, we now learn how to live through obedience or submission to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit at the same time came in and indwells and takes up residence, as well as regenerates our spirit (imparts the power of an Endless Life into us) which in Adam's case died the moment he sinned. So with the Holy Spirit now in consort or in complete agreement with our spirit, we once again have the means of fellowship (intimacy) with God through the Spirit, and then, here is the crucial part. The Holy Spirit working on our spirit is going to influence the New nature and this New nature in turn is going to control the acts of the physical body (our intellect or human wisdom is changed to the mind of Christ). So as long as we're led by the Spirit the body is going to find itself in complete agreement with the divine laws of God that are good for society, good for family, they're good for material relationships, all of these things prompted by this God-child part of us makes the difference.
Like we said, we as humans are going to sin, occasionally. We all fail, and it's when this part of us, the new nature suddenly withdraws and comes away from the battle line, and old Adam immediately jumps at the opportunity and immediately begins to control the acts of the body, then, of course we find ourselves as believers, sinning. We mean believers sin, and we can't get away from that. But the whole idea is that we keep that spirit part of us literally exercised by the Word, by prayer, by Christian fellowship through our mediator and High Priest Christ Jesus, and then He can pretty much control the activity of the body. As we're to grow in the knowledge of Him and His Spirit is to grow stronger and mature within us. For His Grace and Love are infused into us and we begin to take on His divine nature which was lost. Now let's look at verse 17 and 18 and then we can go back and compare Scripture with Scripture.
Galatians 5:17-18
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one with the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law."
Now let's show this from Scripture. First and foremost we cannot do the things that we would do, let's not find ourselves beating our breast and saying, "Oh, I'm without hope, I can't seem to win," because the Apostle Paul went through that same thing. Now let's look at his dilemma in Romans chapter 7 first, and maybe that will give us some comfort. See we're not alone when we know we should do something and we just don't do it. We know we shouldn't do certain things, but the first thing we know, we've done it. All right in Romans chapter 7 let's just drop down to verse 15. We mean this just says it all.
Romans 7:15a
"For that which I do I allow not:..."
Well what does he mean? Well that's what Paul is doing in the body and flesh, this new nature prompted by the Holy Spirit tells him that it's wrong. Do you see that? So he says, "the things that I do I know better. I don't want to do them." Now move on in the verse.
Romans 7:15b
"...for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
What's he's saying? The things that now the Spirit and his new nature hate he's finding that old Adam nature is still slipping in and getting the job done, whatever it is. But in order to control the failures of the body this new divine nature has to be strengthened and becomes uppermost in all of our thoughts, acts, and deeds. We have to constantly keep that old Adam-Satan nature in suppression or under in submission. Now, we've all heard the expression, "Well the Devil made me do it." That's not very often the case, rather it's old Adam who makes us do it, but let's not leave Satan out of the picture entirely. Where does Satan work? Through that old nature and in the mind and our imaginations. That's his playground, that's where he loves to fulfill his desires. He loves for our old Adam-Satan nature to control, and to exercise the desires of the old bestial nature, and that mostly is in the area of our intellect and mans earthy wisdom, but we have in I John, this:
I John 4:4b
"...because greater is he that is in you, than he that is the world."
So we have this comfort to always rely upon. For we now live in a four dimensional world, no longer the three dimensional of nature man. For this is the meaning of Ephesians chapter3. Now let's turn a page to Romans chapter 8. We like to show that Paul doesn't just write these things in one place and leave it, but it's a constant repetition of these things. Let' just start with verse 1.
Romans 8:1a
"There is therefore (in spite of our dilemma in chapter 7 that the things we know we shouldn't do, we find ourselves doing them sometimes, but in spite of that there is therefore) now no condemnation (how can anybody twist that? That's what it says, that in spite of our dilemma, in spite of our failures, God has promised that there is no condemnation, but what's the criteria?) to them which are in Christ Jesus,..."
Now remember no unbeliever is in Christ. Oh, he may try to walk like a Christian, he may try to behave like one, but unless he's in Christ, he's not one. But for those of us who are in Christ, and remember we get to that position by faith and death, and then faith alone in believing and receiving by way of illumination this Gospel. (Ref. I Corinthians 11:23-32; 15:1-4) And that's an act of God. Now we're going to leave the last part of that verse because we would rather pick it up in verse 4. But now for verse 2.
Romans 8:2-3
"For the law (remember we've explained that the word `law' doesn't always mean the Ten Commandments, but in this case it means a fact of life. For the law, or fact of life, the teaching) of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from (another fact of life, and that is the) the law of sin and death. For what the law (now we're coming back to the Mosaic Law) could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God (now God takes precedence. We can't do it but He can by) sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, (to take care of that problem of old Adam nature) condemned sin in the flesh:" Now here's the verse we came for.
After salvation then immediately God replaces that old Adamic nature with His Divine nature, for through the Lord's Last Supper we become a God-child. Just as the Greek word for father means and we maintain that new nature cannot sin because it's now divine. So when we, as a true believer, sin it's just the simple matter that old Adam has taken control for a moment, and it's through the old nature that we continue to sin, but always remember that as far as God is concerned the old Adam is dead. That's why God can declare us "justified," and it's just as if we've never sinned, because old Adam is dead and gone so far as God is concerned. But experience tells us that in our every day life old Adam is still there lurking in the shadows but we are to keep it/him suppressed.This is our warfare daily.
The new nature is imparted by a divine act of God. So in this area between the old sin nature and the new divine nature, which is now receiving its prompting and power from the Holy Spirit, we now learn how to live through obedience or submission to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit at the same time came in and indwells and takes up residence, as well as regenerates our spirit (imparts the power of an Endless Life into us) which in Adam's case died the moment he sinned. So with the Holy Spirit now in consort or in complete agreement with our spirit, we once again have the means of fellowship (intimacy) with God through the Spirit, and then, here is the crucial part. The Holy Spirit working on our spirit is going to influence the New nature and this New nature in turn is going to control the acts of the physical body (our intellect or human wisdom is changed to the mind of Christ). So as long as we're led by the Spirit the body is going to find itself in complete agreement with the divine laws of God that are good for society, good for family, they're good for material relationships, all of these things prompted by this God-child part of us makes the difference.
Like we said, we as humans are going to sin, occasionally. We all fail, and it's when this part of us, the new nature suddenly withdraws and comes away from the battle line, and old Adam immediately jumps at the opportunity and immediately begins to control the acts of the body, then, of course we find ourselves as believers, sinning. We mean believers sin, and we can't get away from that. But the whole idea is that we keep that spirit part of us literally exercised by the Word, by prayer, by Christian fellowship through our mediator and High Priest Christ Jesus, and then He can pretty much control the activity of the body. As we're to grow in the knowledge of Him and His Spirit is to grow stronger and mature within us. For His Grace and Love are infused into us and we begin to take on His divine nature which was lost. Now let's look at verse 17 and 18 and then we can go back and compare Scripture with Scripture.
Galatians 5:17-18
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one with the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law."
Now let's show this from Scripture. First and foremost we cannot do the things that we would do, let's not find ourselves beating our breast and saying, "Oh, I'm without hope, I can't seem to win," because the Apostle Paul went through that same thing. Now let's look at his dilemma in Romans chapter 7 first, and maybe that will give us some comfort. See we're not alone when we know we should do something and we just don't do it. We know we shouldn't do certain things, but the first thing we know, we've done it. All right in Romans chapter 7 let's just drop down to verse 15. We mean this just says it all.
Romans 7:15a
"For that which I do I allow not:..."
Well what does he mean? Well that's what Paul is doing in the body and flesh, this new nature prompted by the Holy Spirit tells him that it's wrong. Do you see that? So he says, "the things that I do I know better. I don't want to do them." Now move on in the verse.
Romans 7:15b
"...for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
What's he's saying? The things that now the Spirit and his new nature hate he's finding that old Adam nature is still slipping in and getting the job done, whatever it is. But in order to control the failures of the body this new divine nature has to be strengthened and becomes uppermost in all of our thoughts, acts, and deeds. We have to constantly keep that old Adam-Satan nature in suppression or under in submission. Now, we've all heard the expression, "Well the Devil made me do it." That's not very often the case, rather it's old Adam who makes us do it, but let's not leave Satan out of the picture entirely. Where does Satan work? Through that old nature and in the mind and our imaginations. That's his playground, that's where he loves to fulfill his desires. He loves for our old Adam-Satan nature to control, and to exercise the desires of the old bestial nature, and that mostly is in the area of our intellect and mans earthy wisdom, but we have in I John, this:
I John 4:4b
"...because greater is he that is in you, than he that is the world."
So we have this comfort to always rely upon. For we now live in a four dimensional world, no longer the three dimensional of nature man. For this is the meaning of Ephesians chapter3. Now let's turn a page to Romans chapter 8. We like to show that Paul doesn't just write these things in one place and leave it, but it's a constant repetition of these things. Let' just start with verse 1.
Romans 8:1a
"There is therefore (in spite of our dilemma in chapter 7 that the things we know we shouldn't do, we find ourselves doing them sometimes, but in spite of that there is therefore) now no condemnation (how can anybody twist that? That's what it says, that in spite of our dilemma, in spite of our failures, God has promised that there is no condemnation, but what's the criteria?) to them which are in Christ Jesus,..."
Now remember no unbeliever is in Christ. Oh, he may try to walk like a Christian, he may try to behave like one, but unless he's in Christ, he's not one. But for those of us who are in Christ, and remember we get to that position by faith and death, and then faith alone in believing and receiving by way of illumination this Gospel. (Ref. I Corinthians 11:23-32; 15:1-4) And that's an act of God. Now we're going to leave the last part of that verse because we would rather pick it up in verse 4. But now for verse 2.
Romans 8:2-3
"For the law (remember we've explained that the word `law' doesn't always mean the Ten Commandments, but in this case it means a fact of life. For the law, or fact of life, the teaching) of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from (another fact of life, and that is the) the law of sin and death. For what the law (now we're coming back to the Mosaic Law) could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God (now God takes precedence. We can't do it but He can by) sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, (to take care of that problem of old Adam nature) condemned sin in the flesh:" Now here's the verse we came for.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Part CXV on Galatians Study
Galatians 5:15b
"...take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."
Literally just eaten up by those to whom we are being an adversary. Though the mainline and non-denominational church systems tolerate eat other they still bite and devour each other in the news paper and other media. Even the church membership just tolerate each other until board elections or stewardship meetings and drives. At which times they drop their guard and at times it seems all hell breaks loose. The air is just charged with the friction, bitterness and rage even when there's not another body in the auditorium. Been to some where we've just did get out of the car when we could feel these things even in the air around the building. Not good! Now let's move on.
Galatians 5:16
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
In other words, to keep from fulfilling the lust of the flesh we must walk in the power and the control of the Holy Spirit. Now that makes sense doesn't it? When the Holy Spirit is operating within us we're not going to go out and steal, the Holy Spirit will never tell a believer to go and steal or do anything contrary to the Word. So when we walk in the Spirit and He is in complete control then these things of old Adam-Satan nature, which is still lurking there in the background, won't come to the front. Now verse 17.
Galatians 5:17a
"For the flesh (old Adam, that old Adam-Satan nature) lusteth (or declares war on our new nature or) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;..."
So it's a constant battle. The battle lines are defined from the very moment we're saved until we leave this life by death and sin. This is not the physical death but the reverse a death to the old Adam-Satan nature in our flesh and to the spirit of the world this presence darkness into New Life in Christ Jesus or we trust one day soon, through the Departure. But until one or the other happens we are in a constant warfare. Now reading on in verse 17.
Galatians 5:17b
...and these (two forces within each believer) are contrary (they are at total odds) the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
These two natures can't agree on anything because the New Nature has a whole new set of values that are in compliance with the righteousness, and the Holiness, and the law of God. And the old nature, whose god is Satan, and the god of this world, this nature is bent in rebellion, and unbelief, and so they are two totally opposites, and they war constantly.This we can see and hear by what people post and say here even on Face book. Many don't even know or understand what it that their doing because of a double mindedness.
Now if you will draw three circles one within each other, the three circles have helped so many folks, and clarify our make up. Now the outer circle represents our own individual body. And as we've pointed out from Corinthians the body is just the exercise of the five senses, and it's merely the temporary dwelling place for the next circle the "soul," which we usually refer to as the "personality," the real us. It's our personality, and is made up of the mind, the will, and the emotions in each person. Now that's what really makes us click. It's our mind that does the thinking, its the place of our intellect and formulates every thing. The will is what carries out the thinking, and then we have our make-up of emotions which is our love and anger, joy and what have you. Then we have the third part that Adam was first created with, body, soul, and spirit, whereby he had spiritual fellowship, and communion with the Creator, called the seed. Now we know that as soon as Adam sinned his intellect took over and he know he was naked. Up until then he was covered by the glory of God, as God had said -
Genesis 2:17b
"...for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
And so Adam didn't die physically for 930 years, but his spirit, that part of him with which he had been having fellowship, intimacy with His Creator died, and became dormant (as a seed). His spirit was still there but was dead like a car battery that has been run down, and it will remain dead until some outside power source comes in and regenerates it. Then at the same time with Adam, another thing happened to him. His personality, by which he was created (from the dust), became then a sin nature. We refer to it as our old Adam or Adam-Satan nature. It had only one thing upon which it is bent and that is rebellion against everything that God has spoken and instructed or taught, it would say no. In fact all we have to do is just stop and think for a moment.
When we look at the world around us and it's been this way all the way back through history. Every thing that God says, "This do" for our own good what does Satan say? Well just the opposite. Satan is always telling the human race just the opposite of what God has instructed us to do. On the other hand every thing that God says we shouldn't do, what does the Devil say? Do it. So this has been the conflict then between man and God ever since Adam became that original "sin nature" and his spirit or the place of fellowship was put out of commission, it was made dormant.
So now when we come into the human experience, yes we're living in that same body of flesh, blood, and bones which operates the five senses and it's in that body that now our old personality, this sin nature, is operating, and that's as much as we've got. We've got no way of communicating with God while in that condition. Now people don't like for us to say that, we know. When that old GI in the fox hole would cry out for God to help him, God didn't hear that unless he cried out for salvation. That's the prayer of an unbeliever that God hears, because you see there's no means of communication for the lost person and God. There is none. Romans 8:7-8 makes it so plain that the lost person and those who by way of personal choice turn from Him and go against Him are an enemy of God. We don't deal with our enemy if we've got one.
So here we are a race of people living in the flesh with an old sin nature, a personality that is an enemy or in enmity against God, and with nothing to keep us in communication with God. But now for the flip side. Here comes the the Lord's Last Supper and then the Cross, and Paul teaches so explicitly for the first time in Scripture about this whole idea of a sin nature, and that is that if this sin nature can be crucified, and literally by faith committed to God to have Him put it to death (because this old sin nature has to be declared dead, at least so far as God is concerned), although it remains a viable force in our flesh, but the minute God reckons old Adam as crucified, God then puts within us a New Nature, His divine nature which is the very mind and nature of Christ Himself. And that's what we mean when we become Christ-like or a true Christian.
But never lose sight of the fact that even though God reckons old Adam as dead, and God sees him no more, that's justification, that righteousness. It's just as if we've never sinned so far as God is concerned. So it's just as if old Adam has been completely put out of God's sight, but in our experience as a believer, he's still there. The only hope we have is that God has intervened with something that will help us control this old Adam and we can keep him defeated. In His Grace we have that victory through the Spirit.
"...take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."
Literally just eaten up by those to whom we are being an adversary. Though the mainline and non-denominational church systems tolerate eat other they still bite and devour each other in the news paper and other media. Even the church membership just tolerate each other until board elections or stewardship meetings and drives. At which times they drop their guard and at times it seems all hell breaks loose. The air is just charged with the friction, bitterness and rage even when there's not another body in the auditorium. Been to some where we've just did get out of the car when we could feel these things even in the air around the building. Not good! Now let's move on.
Galatians 5:16
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
In other words, to keep from fulfilling the lust of the flesh we must walk in the power and the control of the Holy Spirit. Now that makes sense doesn't it? When the Holy Spirit is operating within us we're not going to go out and steal, the Holy Spirit will never tell a believer to go and steal or do anything contrary to the Word. So when we walk in the Spirit and He is in complete control then these things of old Adam-Satan nature, which is still lurking there in the background, won't come to the front. Now verse 17.
Galatians 5:17a
"For the flesh (old Adam, that old Adam-Satan nature) lusteth (or declares war on our new nature or) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;..."
So it's a constant battle. The battle lines are defined from the very moment we're saved until we leave this life by death and sin. This is not the physical death but the reverse a death to the old Adam-Satan nature in our flesh and to the spirit of the world this presence darkness into New Life in Christ Jesus or we trust one day soon, through the Departure. But until one or the other happens we are in a constant warfare. Now reading on in verse 17.
Galatians 5:17b
...and these (two forces within each believer) are contrary (they are at total odds) the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
These two natures can't agree on anything because the New Nature has a whole new set of values that are in compliance with the righteousness, and the Holiness, and the law of God. And the old nature, whose god is Satan, and the god of this world, this nature is bent in rebellion, and unbelief, and so they are two totally opposites, and they war constantly.This we can see and hear by what people post and say here even on Face book. Many don't even know or understand what it that their doing because of a double mindedness.
Now if you will draw three circles one within each other, the three circles have helped so many folks, and clarify our make up. Now the outer circle represents our own individual body. And as we've pointed out from Corinthians the body is just the exercise of the five senses, and it's merely the temporary dwelling place for the next circle the "soul," which we usually refer to as the "personality," the real us. It's our personality, and is made up of the mind, the will, and the emotions in each person. Now that's what really makes us click. It's our mind that does the thinking, its the place of our intellect and formulates every thing. The will is what carries out the thinking, and then we have our make-up of emotions which is our love and anger, joy and what have you. Then we have the third part that Adam was first created with, body, soul, and spirit, whereby he had spiritual fellowship, and communion with the Creator, called the seed. Now we know that as soon as Adam sinned his intellect took over and he know he was naked. Up until then he was covered by the glory of God, as God had said -
Genesis 2:17b
"...for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
And so Adam didn't die physically for 930 years, but his spirit, that part of him with which he had been having fellowship, intimacy with His Creator died, and became dormant (as a seed). His spirit was still there but was dead like a car battery that has been run down, and it will remain dead until some outside power source comes in and regenerates it. Then at the same time with Adam, another thing happened to him. His personality, by which he was created (from the dust), became then a sin nature. We refer to it as our old Adam or Adam-Satan nature. It had only one thing upon which it is bent and that is rebellion against everything that God has spoken and instructed or taught, it would say no. In fact all we have to do is just stop and think for a moment.
When we look at the world around us and it's been this way all the way back through history. Every thing that God says, "This do" for our own good what does Satan say? Well just the opposite. Satan is always telling the human race just the opposite of what God has instructed us to do. On the other hand every thing that God says we shouldn't do, what does the Devil say? Do it. So this has been the conflict then between man and God ever since Adam became that original "sin nature" and his spirit or the place of fellowship was put out of commission, it was made dormant.
So now when we come into the human experience, yes we're living in that same body of flesh, blood, and bones which operates the five senses and it's in that body that now our old personality, this sin nature, is operating, and that's as much as we've got. We've got no way of communicating with God while in that condition. Now people don't like for us to say that, we know. When that old GI in the fox hole would cry out for God to help him, God didn't hear that unless he cried out for salvation. That's the prayer of an unbeliever that God hears, because you see there's no means of communication for the lost person and God. There is none. Romans 8:7-8 makes it so plain that the lost person and those who by way of personal choice turn from Him and go against Him are an enemy of God. We don't deal with our enemy if we've got one.
So here we are a race of people living in the flesh with an old sin nature, a personality that is an enemy or in enmity against God, and with nothing to keep us in communication with God. But now for the flip side. Here comes the the Lord's Last Supper and then the Cross, and Paul teaches so explicitly for the first time in Scripture about this whole idea of a sin nature, and that is that if this sin nature can be crucified, and literally by faith committed to God to have Him put it to death (because this old sin nature has to be declared dead, at least so far as God is concerned), although it remains a viable force in our flesh, but the minute God reckons old Adam as crucified, God then puts within us a New Nature, His divine nature which is the very mind and nature of Christ Himself. And that's what we mean when we become Christ-like or a true Christian.
But never lose sight of the fact that even though God reckons old Adam as dead, and God sees him no more, that's justification, that righteousness. It's just as if we've never sinned so far as God is concerned. So it's just as if old Adam has been completely put out of God's sight, but in our experience as a believer, he's still there. The only hope we have is that God has intervened with something that will help us control this old Adam and we can keep him defeated. In His Grace we have that victory through the Spirit.
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