GALATIANS THE GOOD NEWS
RECOGNISE THE POWER BEHIND SELF-INTEREST 4:3,9 BASIC/ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD - ‘GODS’ THAT COULD ONLY DEMAND BUT NOT HELP POWERS THAT ENCOURAGE ISOLATION, COMPETITION, SELF-GRATIFICATION THAT MAKE US VICTIMS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT THAT PUT US AT THE MERCY OF OUTSIDE FORCES, INFLUENCES OVER WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL
NORMAL BEHAVIOUR 5:19-21 IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, SENSUALITY, IDOLATRY, SORCERY, ENMITY, STRIFE, JEALOUSY, FITS OF ANGER, RIVALIES, DISSENSIONS, DIVISIONS, ENVY, DRUNKENNESS, ORGIES SUCH BEHAVIOUR WILL BAR US FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD
RETURN TO SELF- EFFORT 4:9-11 WE WILL END UP BACK UNDER THE CONTROL OF OLD ‘GODS’ BACK UBDER THE CONTROL OF THE OLD LIFE-STYLE 5:4 ANY FAITH IN CHRIST WILL THEN DO US NO GOOD GRACE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP US
A NEW SPIRIT IS NEEDED ONLY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST LIVING IS US CAN SAVE US ROMANS 8:9 WITH THE COMING OF THE SPIRIT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS CHANGED 4:5-7 ADOPTION AS SONS
ADOPTION OF SONS A ROMAN PRACTICE WHEREBY ONE [MALE OR FEMALE] WAS LEGALY MADE ONE WITH SOME ONE SENIOR IT WAS A FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP IN WHCH THE NEW SON BECAME A SHARER IN THE FATHER’S CIVIL STATUS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILIYIES THUS BECAME A PARTNER WITH THE FATHER, HIS OTHER SELF
SONSHIP SHARERS IN THE TRINITY GOD OUR FATHER, JESUS OUR BROTHER, THE SPIRIT OUR ENABLER SHARERS IN THEIR LIFE, THEIR RELATIONSHIPS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT 5:22-23 LOVING EACH OTHER ENJOYING EACH OTHER HARMONISING WITH EACH OTHER
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT BEING PATIENT WITH EACH OTHER BEING KIND TO EACH OTHER BEING GOOD TO EACH OTHER BEING FAITHFUL TO EACH OTHER BEING GENTLE WITH EACH OTHER EACH BEING SELF-CONTROLLED AND NOT CONTROLLING THE OTHERS
THE GOD-PLEASING LIFE BEGINS WITH CRUCIFICTION CRUCIFICTION THAT FREES 2:20 CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST 5:24 HAVE CRUCIFIED THE SELF-SERVING LIFE 6:14 THE WORLD AND THE CHRISTIAN MUTUALLY SEPARATED BY CRUCIFICTION 3:27 BAPTISED INTO CHRIST - PUT ON CHRIST HIS CRUCIFICTION AND NEW LIFE
GOD-PLEASING LIFE CONTINUES BY WALKING IN THE SPIRIT 5:16-18 WALKING = LIFESTYLE LET THE SPIRIT LEAD HE IS THE NAVIGATOR LISTEN TO HIM
THE OVERCOMING CHRISTIAN IS COMMITED TO PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRINITY SEES INDEPENDENT SELF-DERTERMINED ACTION AS SIN IS LEARNING THE ART OF BEING A SHEEP JOHN 10:27-28 MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, AND I KNOW THEM AND THEY FOLLOW ME. I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE