An Overview Of The Book of Galatians
“Most Important Truths To Remember!”
[5-30-21]
Chapter 1, Verses 6-10:
Galatians 1:6-10) [KJV] I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10) For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
IMPORTANT TRUTH: There is only one Gospel! “License” is not the Gospel! “Legalism” is not the Gospel! The Gospel message is simply believe in Jesus and you are saved [John 3:16-17]! If you don’t believe in Jesus you are already condemned [John 3:18]!
Chapter 2, Verses 19-21:
Galatians 2:16-21) [KJV] Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17) But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18) For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
“The edifice which St Paul had pulled down was not, as some suppose, the Levitical law of meats, or the Mosaic ceremonial law, in themselves considered. It was not, as a rule of life, but as a ground of justification, that he utterly repudiated and swept them away” [Cambridge].
19) For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
IMPORTANT TRUTH: We do not become right with God by keeping the Mosaic Law, or by any other standard of conduct; we become right with God by placing our faith in Jesus!
Chapter 3, Verses 1-3:
Galatians 3:1-3) [KJV] O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3) Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
IMPORTANT TRUTH: These three verses give us great insight into understanding what it means to “walk in the flesh” and “walk in the Spirit.” Walking “in the Spirit” [vs. 3] is linked to “the hearing of faith” [vs. 2]. “By the flesh” [vs. 3] is linked to “by the works of the law” [vs. 2].
WHAT DO WE LEARN IN THIS AMAZING PASSAGE? Walking in the flesh is gritting your teeth and trying really hard to keep all of the rules. Walking in the Spirit is believing what God says to you, in His Holy Word, about you. You are not saved because you’ve kept all of, or least most of, the commandments of God; but you are saved because you believed what God said to you, about you!! For example, God said to you, about you, that because you believed in Christ you will not perish but have everlasting life [Jn. 3:16]. He said to you, about you, that because you are now in Christ everything about your life before Christ is gone; and now absolutely everything about you is new [2 Cor. 5:17, [NIV].
Chapter 4, Verses 8-11:
Galatians 4:8-11) [KJV] Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9) But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10) Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11) I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.
IMPORTANT TRUTH: Religion tells us that we must do something for God in order to be a Christian; Christianity tells us that because we are saved the Holy Spirit bears His fruit in us; and because the fruit of the Spirit is in us we do good works.
Chapter 5, Verses 1, 13-14:
Galatians 5:1, 13-14) [KJV] Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
IMPORTANT TRUTH: We must make our stand in the “liberty wherewith Christ has made us free”! But we must never look at Christian liberty as an excuse to sin! If not the Law, then what restrains us from sinning? LOVE!! When we love God and people it restrains us from sin!
Chapter 5, Verses 16-23:
Galatians 5:16-23) [KJV] This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are:
22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
IMPORTANT TRUTH: As Christians we would to God that we would never sin again. We do still occasionally sin; but the way, as Christians, to limit sin is to “walk in the Spirit.” I explained in my “Important Truth” on Galatians 3:1-3 what walking in the Spirit is. We must discover in the beautiful TRUTHS of this New Covenant what God has said to us, about us. Then we must answer back to God, “Lord, I do believe; help thou my unbelief” [Mark 9:24]! Truth is always Truth! The flesh can only produce what the flesh produces! It doesn’t matter if you’re an unbeliever or a Christian; if you walk in the power of your own ability the flesh will produce what the flesh produces! The other Truth that is always Truth is that the Spirit will always produce what the Spirit produces. Do you want to live right? Then walk in the Spirit, which is, believe what God says to you about you!
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