Chapter 2

GRACE TO YOU

(Galatians 1:1-5)

Before we begin our study let us pray,

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father we ask that you would please bless this time of study. Father please open our ears, our eyes and our hearts so we can better understand and comprehend Your Word. We ask this so we can come to know You and Your ways better. Thank You Lord for hearing our prayer.

Amen

Let us begin our study by reading the following Scriptures,

Galatians 1:1-5

"[1] Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- [2] and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: [3] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

As we reflect upon the above Scriptures we notice that, through the apostle Paul, God extended to the churches in Galatia and now to us His Grace and Peace.

Question: Is this just a nice salutation or greeting or is there more to it? And if there is more to it, what is the Lord telling us?

To find out, let us begin by exploring God's Grace.

INTRODUCTION

Question: What is Grace? What does it mean?

According to Webster's New World Dictionary, as applied to religious matters, it means,

      1. Unmerited love and favor of God.

      2. God's influence acting upon us to make us pure and morally strong.

Question: Given this definition, how has God extended and extends His Grace to you and I?

To find out let us go back and reread the following verses from the theme of this chapter … specifically, let us read from,

Galatians 1:3-4

"[3] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,"

Let us notice the following verse,

4 … Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from this present evil age.

Question: How did Jesus do this?

The answer to this question lies in,

HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

To see this let us consider what Jesus said as the time of His crucifixion was drawing near.

Luke 18:31-34

[31] Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. [32] He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. [33] On the third day he will rise again." [34] The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."

Question: Why did Jesus have to be killed? What was/is the significance of His crucifixion on the cross?

To find out it will be helpful for us to go back into the Old Testament and read about,

THE LAW OF ATONEMENT, THAT IS FORGIVENESS OF SIN

To do this let us read from,

Leviticus 4:27-31

""'[27] If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. [28] When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering for the sin he committed a female goat without defect. [29] He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. [30] Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. [31] He shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven."

Let us notice the following verses,

28 … When a person became aware that they had committed a sin they had to bring a female goat that was without blemish, that is in perfect condition, as an offering for their sin.

29(a) … He is to lay his hand on the goat. This was done to symbolically transfer that person's sin to the goat.

29(b) … The individual who sinned had to slaughter the goat. This was to make it clear that it was because of their sin that this innocent goat was being sacrificed. In other words, the goat was taking the consequence that really belonged to the person who sinned.

30 … It was the priest who offered the blood of the sacrificed goat to God.

31 … The priest also offered what was considered the best part of the goat, that is the fat, to God. After the blood and fat were offered atonement, that is amends, was made for the sin committed by the individual and he was forgiven.

But, as we read the New Testament we find that the Old Testament Law was only a shadow of what was to come. In other words, the Bible teaches us that the Law was instituted to teach us about and point us to the time when the Messiah, that is Jesus Christ, would come and make atonement for you and I once and for all. To see this let us read from,

Hebrews 10:1-10

"[1] The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. [2] If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. [3] But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, [4] because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. [5] Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; [6] with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. [7] Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'" [8] First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). [9] Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. [10] And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Let us notice the following verses,

1 … The law was only a shadow of what was to come. Consequently, all the sacrifices demanded by the law could not perfect a person, that is they could not change them or their sinful nature.

2 … If the law could change an individual's sinful nature then ultimately there would come a time when there will no longer be a need for the sacrifices.

4… The reason for this is because the blood of animals can not take away sins.

5 … However, Jesus Christ came into the world with a body prepared for Him to offer unto God the Father on our behalf.

9 … Jesus came to fulfill God the Father's will. Since Jesus came to fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament Law for us, He set aside those laws, which can not change us, and established a new covenant, that is the one of Grace and Mercy, which as we will see can and will change us.

10 … The atonement that Jesus made for us was once and for all. In other words there is no longer any need for us to continually offer scarifies unto to God for our sins. In addition He also made this atonement available for all mankind, that is both Jew and Gentile alike.

With all this in mind, let us now explore in a bit more depth how Jesus Christ accomplished all this for you and I by examining,

      1. THE OFFERING OF JESUS CHRIST

First of all we find that the laying on of the hand to symbolically transfer sin upon the animal that was to be slain, is a foreshadowing to teach us that,

Jesus Actually Took Our Sin Upon Himself

To see this let us read from,

2 Corinthians 5:21

"[21] God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

As the blood and the best portion of the animal was offered up to God, we find in like manner,

Jesus Christ Shed His Blood And Gave His Body

Hence atonement, that is amends, was made and we are forgiven. To see this let us read from,

Ephesians 1:7-8

"[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace [8] that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

Question: Why Grace?

To find out let us consider what the Holy Spirit said in,

Romans 5:6-8

"[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

No wonder the Holy Spirit prompted the apostle Paul to pray for us to grasp the great love that our Lord Jesus Christ has for us. In fact, let us go and read his prayer in,

Ephesians 3:16-19

"[16] I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

However, we also find that God's Grace does not stop here with forgiveness. Let us recall the other portion of Webster's definition of Grace. Specifically,

"God's influence acting upon us to make us pure and morally strong."

With this in mind let us now go and review how God's Grace has,

DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF SIN

To see this let us read what the Holy Spirit said through the apostle Peter in,

1 Peter 2:22-25

""[22] He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." [23] When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

Let us notice the following verses,

24 … He bore our sins so we can now live for righteousness. In other words through faith in Jesus Christ we become born again and have the Holy Spirit living within us. Hence, we now have the power, that is the power of the Holy Spirit, to help us overcome sin. Hence, we have been healed from the disease of sin.

25 … Through faith in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection we have now returned to our Lord and God.

Question: As one reflects upon verse 24 above, one may ask: "How can we die to sin and live for righteousness?"

The answer to this question goes back to the fact that,

      1. JESUS IS NOT DEAD, JESUS IS ALIVE

        2. To see this let us read from,

        1 Corinthians 15:1-8

        "[1] Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. [2] By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. [3] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. [6] After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, [8] and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."

        Consequently, when we live by faith in Jesus Christ we find that,

      2. HE WILL LIVE HIS LIFE IN AND THROUGH US

To see this let us read how the apostle Paul described his new life in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:20

"[20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

In other words, by faith, Jesus Christ will live His life in and through the born again believer. He will do this through the Holy Spirit living within them. Thus, when the born again believer places their faith in Jesus Christ to do this, then the fruits of the Holy Spirit will become manifest from within them. Hence, they will have died to sin and are now living for righteousness. To see this let us read from,

Galatians 5:22-25

"[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

When we live by faith in Jesus Christ to live His life from within us and the fruits of the Holy Spirit are manifesting themselves, we are now living in God's Grace to make us pure and morally strong.

CLOSING

With all this in mind let us now return to our theme and reread from,

Galatians 1:1-5

"[1] Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- [2] and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: [3] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Shall We Pray?

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