COUNCIL of JERUSALEM
§ Acts 15
§ It is important to start here in order
to understand what the church leaders had decided before the writing of this
letter.
GOSPEL of GRACE to the GENTILES
§ Galatians 2:1-10
§ What is this gospel of grace going to the Gentiles?
o Gift from God.
o The true Christian has experienced an inner
circumcision of the heart and does NOT need to submit to any physical operation.
o We all come to Jesus through faith alone.
o Grace is the same Hebrew word as “FAVOR”.
§ It can only be received and never earned.
o The enemies of the gospel of grace tell us that man is
saved by faith in Christ PLUS something:
§ 1. Good works
§ 2. 10 Commandments
§ 3. Baptism
§ 4. Church Membership
§ 5. Religious Ritual
PETER and PAUL
§ Galatians 2:11-14
o Peter begins to act like the “older
brother”.
§ Pauls’ Rebuke
o Peter was denying the
unity of the church.
o Peter was denying that
faith was enough for acceptance.
o Peter was denying freedom
from the law, the truth of the gospel and even grace itself.
JUSTIFIED by FAITH
§ Galatians 2:15-21
§ Old Line: just-as-if-I’d never sinned
§ Galatians 2:19 – Is very strong
o Belief is all that matters.
o We must NOT downplay what Jesus did
for us.
o We must NOT try to just “be”.
JUSTIFICATION/JUSTIFIED ~ WIMBER
§ “Justification
by faith” has 2 parts:
o 1st – God forgives the sins that
we have committed, so we no longer have to live in bondage with guilt and fear.
o 2nd – God declares us righteous with the same righteousness
as that of His own Son.
JUSTIFICATION/JUSTIFIED ~ MIRROR
§ What Jesus believes concerning our
innocence matters most; HE is persuaded that HE did enough to declare man
righteous.
§ Our best intentions to do good,
cannot add any weight to our righteousness.
§ Righteousness – Is not a reward for our good
behavior.
JUSTIFICATION/JUSTIFIED ~ BE FREE
§ Justification – Is the act of God whereby He
declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ.
o An act NOT a process.
o An act of God.
o An act of God declaring the believing
sinner righteous.
o NOT simply forgiveness or a pardon,
but the act of God remembering our sins no more.
SCRIPTURES
§ Colossians 2:10-11
§ Philippians 3:1-3
§ Ephesians 2:1-10
§ Galatians 5:6
§ Colossians 3:11
§ Philippians 3:8-10
§ Galatians 3 ~ Parallels very well
with 2 as Paul continues his legal argument
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
How
did Jesus’ death break down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles?
2.
What
does justification by faith mean?
3.
How
is justification different from forgiveness and pardon?
4.
What
does the “liberty of grace” mean to you?
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