- You Never Leave it Behind
Sunday, September 29th
Galatians 3:1-14
3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
3:7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Reflection Questions
- Are you in danger of forgetting that the gospel is the source of your ongoing acceptance? How, and why?
- How do you “re-depict” Christ to yourself? Could you do this more?
- Think of a sin that you regularly commit. What are you worshipping more than Jesus that causes you to decide to disobey Him? How will you replace that false savior with your true Savior next time you’re tempted?
- How does having righteousness credited to us change the way we see ourselves? Our Christian lives? Jesus Christ?
- Have you experience, or witnessed others experiencing, the psychological “curse” of living by the law?
- Which truth in Galatians 3:13-14 excites you most today?
- Why is it important for Christians to study the Old Testament? What are some of the dangers of ignoring the Old Testament?
- How did God’s promise to Abraham highlight the need for faith? What is the relationship between faith and obedience?
Exercise - List out 3-5 ongoing sins and journal on their roots and effects in your heart.
