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We first started by talking about book of Galatians, the context for the theme verses Galatians 5:22-23.
Galatians 1:10 “Pleasing God”
4 Reasons Christ Died for Us:
- He wanted to rescue us from evil
- It was his father’s will
- He wanted to bring us to the father
- Because he loves us
--God chose to save us simply because it pleased him!--
As a result of knowing these reasons what else can my response be but to please God: “Seeking people’s approval can lead to sin...[God] never asks anything of us to make Himself look better. The demands He Makes on our lives are NEVER for his personal gain. We cannot make Him any more God than He already is. He would be no less Lord of lords if no one believed...He desires that we have the pleasure of knowing, serving and sharing Him. God reserves the sovereign right to be sole authority over our lives for our good, for our completion, for the conforming of our lives that of His Son...We become immediate slaves to the person from whom we seek approval. You can trust only One to constantly be on the lookout for your best interest. Only One hold the future in his hands and knows your part in that future. Only One cares for you with a perfect and unconditional love. Only One can make “all things work together for good” Only One can safely, yes, gloriously enslave you!”
Galatians 2:20 “Crucified”
10 Characteristics of a Crucified Life
- Few will understand why
- You must abandon your own will and your own agenda
- Your intimate spiritual companions will be few
- Intense times of aloneness with God are required
- You will be constantly on the witness stand
- You must go “outside the camp” (out of your comfort zone)
- There will be times when your dignity is forfeited : “They can take away your dignity. And we’d better learn to walk in Someone’s shadow, because in those moments when we are vulnerable and exposed, the shadow of the Almighty may be the only covering we have.”
- You must forego your rights:But to be crucified with Christ means that you volunteer to forego all your personal rights except one: your right as a believer to be filled and led by the Spirit of Christ who dwells within you. Surrender [your rights] to Christ and ask Him to replace them with a supernatural work of the Spirit: with healing, with power, with wisdom!”
- You must accept that death is painful: “To choose the will of God over our own is excruciating. We love our flesh and it hurts to have its desires crucified! Never misunderstand pain as permission to forego the will of God...But it is all worth it because our Savior agreed to have the sins of the world heaped upon Him and experience separation from the Father, we will never be forsaken!”
- Because he was forsaken, you never will be!
Galatians 3:6 “Credited Righteousness”
Grace and Faith are the two crucial building blocks of our salvation.
Grace: unmerited favor, the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver.
Faith: firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth, reality.
“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it [his faith] was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:20-22
Galatians 4:6 “Abba, Father”
We are added to the family of God by way of blessed adoption. God adopted each of us knowing exctly what was ahead. He knew every time we would: fail Him, deny Him, desert Him, choose someone over Him, or make choices that would break His heart. Jesus knew how difficult it would be to convince us to break old habits and to overcome our previous heritage. He also knew how endless the battle would be with our previous “parent,” the devil, who was so unwilling to give us up. And having this full knowledge, HE DID IT ANYWAY - BECAUSE IT PLEASED HIM!
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