Protecting the Foundation Staying Focused on What Matters Most We are Justified by Faith = Paul is going to tell us and tell us Why do we fight it – Freedom Job applications – qualifications Teach our youth – try outs to make a team Job descriptions – expectations “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

The Law 23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 631 Laws Judaizers - A Judaizer taught that, in order for a Christian to truly be right with God, he must conform to the Mosaic Law. Circumcision, especially, was promoted as necessary for salvation. Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes first, and then they could come to Christ. The doctrine of the Judaizers was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law) The Hebrew word for "LAW" is Torah. In its most limited definition it refers to the Pentateuch  Torah basically means "to teach or to instruct". It infers to either human instruction or Divine instruction. Through the Law, God shows His interest in all aspects of man's life. Motivated by love, God instructs His people in the ways of Wisdom and knowledge. Since God's Law is given for our good, its regulations, both negative and positive are for our protection and prosperity.  The Law is the revealed mind of God. His Will is His commandment, and His commandment is His Law. Thus, the Law is Divine since it comes from a Divine source. It is also perfect, as God Himself is perfect. God's Law supersedes all other laws. It transcends all other law, making it the Supreme Law of the entire earth. God's Law is also comprehensive and universal. It speaks to all areas of life, and to every living soul upon the face of the earth. The Law speaks of ceremonial truths, moral truths and dietary truths. It speaks of man's duty toward God, and man's duty toward his fellow man. The Law addresses, philosophy, psychology, biology, physics, all other sciences, economics, ecology, Theology, culture, politics, military relations, international and domestic relations, family life, church life, business, criminal and civil law, and every other aspect of life thinkable. There is nothing that God's Law fails to address specifically. God regulates all life by His perfect Law. Yet Jesus sums up the entire law by two simple things – no wonder it is so hard to do on our own…. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

GOD  7.To love God (Deut. 6:5)  the Law  12.To learn Torah and to teach it (Deut. 6:7)  Prayer and Blessing  22.To pray to God (Ex. 23:25; Deut. 6:13)  Love and Brotherhood  30.Not to cherish hatred in one's heart (Lev. 19:17)  The Poor and Unfortunate 40.Not to afflict an orphan or a widow (Ex. 22:21)  Treatment of the Gentiles 53.To love the stranger (Deut. 10:19) (CCA61).  Marriage, Divorce and Family 59.To honor father and mother (Ex. 20:12)  These are some of the laws to keep us in a right relationship with God – prior to the fulfillment of the promise But the History of Israel – shows it was hard to do “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

This is us when we take the Law and make it into what we want it to be Gen 3 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

This unlocked out cuffs forever “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

This is Who we Are 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Time to Focus on Who we Are 4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Paul is going to try to help them and us understand Roman – Fathers decided when their son was of legal age Prior – Slaves – guardians – trustees – lead the sons – Today the Law says 18 your are an adult “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Remember When 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. Days – Sabbath Months – New Moons Seasons – feasts Years - would be the Sabbatical years These cover roughly 191 laws – Jews never mastered What is going on today? Progressives 1. We embrace the many variations of the view expressed by many great Christian thinkers that “We take the Bible too seriously, to read it all literally.” 2. We don’t think that God wrote the Bible. We think it was written by fallible human beings who were inspired by (not dictated to by) the Holy Spirit. Hence, we don’t consider it to be infallible or inerrant. 5. We seek to apply full attention to Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience (and that includes the insights of contemporary science). 6. We realize that there is no “objective, one, right way” to interpret a passage – and we recognize that there is no reading of any text – including the Bible  – that doesn’t involve interpretation. We also realize that each person interprets the text via their own personal experiences, education, upbringing, socio-political context, and more. Humans are made in God’s image and are essentially good and valuable, while imperfect and needing to grow to full maturity. So we can up with some ideas like today There are many paths to God Humanity is essential good Satan is not real – but a metaphor for all of the bad in the world “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Beware …… 17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! Romans 10:2 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Focus on the Foundation - Faith 21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. 16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant     and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,     for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;     his hand will be against everyone     and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility     toward all his brothers.” 21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Date of the Promise in Gen 12 – 1907 BC Date of Delivery in Gen 21 – 1867 BC “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Focus on the Promise 24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

Even Isiah Understood 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”

The Promise = Justification By Faith 28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”