Epistle to the Galatians

When Paul wants to explain righteousness by faith, which is the heart and soul of scripture, he refers to Abraham.

In Galatians and in Romans, the finest example of righteousness by faith, Paul refers to Abraham.

And Abraham said, if you were Abraham, Jesus said, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.

But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God.

That is where brother Paul was.

Look at Galatians chapter 1 verse 11.

Let's stress brother Paul and the problem with reading the Bible using the lenses of Moses.

But I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

He tells it in his letter to the Galatians, having spoken to Galatians and explained the mystery of Christ.

Then he said to them, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you only this.

Did you receive the truth of the Spirit by works of the law? or by hearing, with faith.

Are you so foolish, having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Paul saw that the Godhead was veiled in flesh and blood.

Zion, praise your God, who sent his word to renew the earth.

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians.

I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own.

Christ is living in me.

But pray, sir, if I am to give up my friend's doctrine, must I not give up St. Paul also as a deceiver and false apostle? For so he must be if justification is by works.

What are his epistles to the Romans, the Galatians, and Ephesians but so much pains taken to prove that we are saved or justified by faith alone?

I am as much for all St. Paul's doctrine as for any other scripture, and fully believe that he said nothing about faith but what he said by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

But if you believe that St. Paul ever said one single word about faith as it signifies a single act or operation of the mind, or that he ever distinguished or divided Christian faith from Christian works, you may be said to have read him with eyes that see not and ears that hear not.

He's going to make sure they understand he was personally trained by the Spirit of God in Arabia.

He was sequestered away for three years, Galatians chapter 1.

And he had seen the glory of the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus, right? In fact, a little later on in Acts chapter 22, and then again in Acts chapter 29, he makes it clear it wasn't just the vision of light, he saw the Lord.

Now I'm not saying, and Paul never claims to be the 12th man.

So you look for people who are capable of all those different fruits.

As Galatians 5.22 talks about, you know, someone who's capable of being loving and joyful and peaceful and patient and has a lot of self-control and love.

who's good, not nice.

Nice is different than good, but who's good, who has good character that you can rely on to be consistent and be there for you.

We find our identity in Jesus Christ.

When you're little, when you're a teenager, when you're midlife, when you're a senior citizen, we are defined by him.

Galatians tells us that we've been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us.

We need to teach our children well on this.

That's to you.

In Galatians, he says, the fruits of the Spirit are joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, as Father Andy was speaking about.

And another place in Corinthians, he says, the spirits of prophets are subject to the control of the prophets.

Yeah, right? And in Acts, in Acts, it's interesting.