Galatians 3:1-14; 5:1-12 Question Your Faith

Galatians 3:1-5 “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing-if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?”

Questions of the Cross Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? How will you be completed? How will you be completed? “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:3

Questions of the Cross Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? How will you be completed? How will you be completed? “... he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Questions of the Cross Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? How will you be completed? How will you be completed? “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.” Galatians 5:4-5

Questions of the Cross Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? How will you be completed? How will you be completed? Have you suffered/sacrificed for nothing? Have you suffered/sacrificed for nothing?

Questions of the Cross Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? How will you be completed? How will you be completed? Have you suffered/sacrificed for nothing? Have you suffered/sacrificed for nothing? Is it your goodness or God’s greatness at work? Is it your goodness or God’s greatness at work? “Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” Galatians 3:5

Questions of the Cross Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? Did your goodness or God’s grace save you? How will you be completed? How will you be completed? Have you suffered/sacrificed for nothing? Have you suffered/sacrificed for nothing? Is it your goodness or God’s greatness at work? Is it your goodness or God’s greatness at work? “Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you?” Galatians 3:5 in The Message

Galatians 3:6-14 “Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.

Galatians 3:6-14 “Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3: All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them.”

Galatians 3: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

It has always been about faith. Abraham lived before the Law. Abraham lived before the Law. Love and salvation come before the law. Love and salvation come before the law.

Galatians 5:1-12 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1-12 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Galatians 5: But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5: You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Galatians 5: Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

All or Nothing You can’t add to grace without losing it. You can’t add to grace without losing it. You have to choose: Christ or the law. You have to choose: Christ or the law.

Challenge: Are you free or a slave?