Galatians is a small however valuable epistle. It is filled with treasures. It has 149 verses and in my forthcoming ebook, The Grace Bible: Galatians, I unpack each one in all them.
Right here’s a style:
I’ve been crucified with Christ; and it’s now not I who reside, however Christ lives in me; and the life which I now reside within the flesh I reside by religion within the Son of God, who liked me and gave himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)
I’ve been crucified with Christ. My outdated self – the one which was involved with guidelines and sin – died with Christ (Rom. 6:3). It’s no extra.
Many Christians try to crucify the flesh or their outdated self, however the excellent news declares, “You died.” That is nearly a very powerful factor that occurred to you, but many Christians are unaware of it. They have no idea that after they had been baptized, or positioned into Jesus, his historical past turned their historical past. His loss of life and resurrection are your loss of life and resurrection (Rom. 6:4). The outdated has gone and the brand new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).
It’s now not I who reside. The self-serving individual you as soon as had been now not lives.
As soon as upon a time, Saul had been a zealous Pharisee intent on destroying the church. However when he met the Lord, that individual died and a brand new individual, Paul the beloved son of God, was born.
Not. Paul repeats the “now not” phrase to emphasise the change between the outdated and the brand new. Your outdated self now not lives (Gal. 2:20). We’re now not beneath the guardianship of the regulation (Gal. 3:25). You might be now not a slave however a son (Gal. 4:7).
Christ lives in me. The Spirit of Christ dwells throughout the believer (John 14:17, 1 John 4:13).
Christianity will not be a faith of guidelines and rituals. Christianity is Christ residing in you. That is the beating coronary heart of Paul’s message. As a result of Christ lives in you, you might be holy and righteous. As a result of Christ lives in you, you might be free and fruitful. Christ isn’t just your Savior and Healer. Christ is your Life (Col. 3:4).
Within the flesh. On this earthly physique.
Religion within the Son of God. The first name to motion of Galatians is to reside by religion in Jesus (Gal. 3:11). We obtain the gospel by religion (Gal 3:2), we’re justified by religion (Gal. 2:16), and we’re adopted into the household of God by religion in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26). Actual life comes from trusting the Lord.
The King James Model and different translations translate this verse because the “religion of the Son of God”. (The KJV additionally refers to “the religion of Jesus Christ in Galatians 2:16 and three:22.) We who’ve been justified by the religion of Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16) now reside by the religion of Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:20). If this was Paul’s that means, we are able to say that we had been justified and declared righteous as a result of Jesus was trustworthy unto loss of life, and we’re empowered to reside in Christ as a result of he’s, and can at all times stay, trustworthy.
Son of God. Jesus is the Christ (the anointed one; Gal. 1:1), and the Lord (supreme above all; Gal. 1:3), however finally, he’s the Son of God. His relationship to God the Father defines him (and us; Gal. 3:26).
Who liked me. The love of God is revealed to us by his Son Jesus Christ (see entry for John 17:26).
Artifical faith portrays God as capricious. “Typically he loves you, generally he doesn’t.” However the gospel of grace declares God’s love for you is fixed and shadowless (Ps. 136, Jas. 1:17).
Faith prostitutes the love of God by placing worth tags on his affection. “It’s a must to earn his favor.” However the gospel of grace declares that God liked you whilst you had been a sinner and nothing can separate you from his love (Rom. 5:8, 8:38–39).
Faith calls for that you simply impress God with the fervency of your love, however the gospel of grace conjures up you to belief in your heavenly Father who loves you with out restrict (Eph. 3:17–19).
God’s love adjustments us. It turns sinners into saints, haters into lovers, church wreckers into church planters. Every little thing that’s good about the excellent news—his forgiveness, acceptance, and righteousness—is sweet and true as a result of your heavenly Father loves you. He at all times has and he at all times will. God by no means adjustments.
Gave himself up for me. The cross proves that God loves you unconditionally.
The sacrificial love of God is the guts of the excellent news (John 15:13, Eph. 5:2). God didn’t watch for us to repent or get cleaned up earlier than he liked us. Whereas we had been within the filth of our sin and self-righteousness, he got here and hugged us. God justifies the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).
God won’t ever make you leap by hoops to earn his love. He gained’t love you any extra in the event you succeed and he gained’t love you any much less in the event you fail. In the event you lead thousands and thousands to Christ or none in any respect, he’ll love you simply the identical. There’s nothing you are able to do to make him love you extra, and nothing you are able to do to make him love you much less.
His love endures eternally.
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In the event you appreciated that, you’ll love what I wrote for the opposite 148 verses! The Grace Bible: Galatians shall be launched in July, however in subsequent week’s put up, I’ll to let you know how one can get an advance copy a month earlier than it goes on sale.
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