Cocoa

The Israel of God today are those, who as Abraham did, "believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." They are those, both Jew and Gentile, who accept that their own righteousness "is as filthy rags" and believe that their salvation is by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ. Those who are excluded from this group are those who walk according to the flesh; to the standards of their own righteousness. We are grafted into Abraham's lineage and become children of God and co-heirs with Christ not from our own source, but from the Jewish lineage. Praise God!

Q4. (Galatians 6:15) What characterizes this "new creation" that Paul talks about? The Spirit filled life, this “new creation”, is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. We are representatives of our gracious, forgiving, loving Father; we are co-heirs with Christ. What does the "old creation" look like in contrast? As with the Galations, it looks like people-pleasing, law following rather than Christ following, and self-righteous attempts at salvation which produces arrogance and judgement on others who don’t make the grade. What does the old creation lack that the new creation possesses? The Spirit of God. How does Jesus' saying, "You must be born again" (John 3:3-8) relate to this concept of the new creation? We are born of the Spirit as new creations; we walk according to the Spirit of God. We accept this rebirth into God's Spiritual kingdom, and us as co-heirs of Christ, when we nail our flesh to the cross of Jesus and by faith, accept who we are IN CHRIST, not of our own doing, but by faith in the Son of God.

Q3. (Galatians 6:9-10) Why do we tend to become weary living out our faith? Because we are not walking in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit we will live Psalm 23. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside he still waters, He restores my soul.” Jesus took time communing with God and His disciples to strengthen Him. Jesus knew His humanity and knew the weaknesses of His flesh needed to be strengthened with the Holy Spirit and with friends who loved and worshiped God, His Father. What promise does Paul give us in 6:9 to forestall this weariness? “In DUE season we SHALL reap”. When the Father rewards us, it will be according to His timing, not our own impatience. God is faithful, He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him – Hebrews 11:6. Why should our "doing good" begin with our spiritual family, not with the non-Christians? “So that all men shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. John 13:35. Jesus communed with his inner circle of disciples as well as the Father, giving Him strength to face the cross that was set before Him.

. (Galatians 6:7-8) What does it mean to "sow to the flesh"? To indulge in fleshly desires and passions which produce sin. In many circumstances, sowing to the flesh may actually appear righteous, but our aim is to please ourselves, not God. What does this look like? Contentions amongst believers, “biting and devouring one another”, and as Galations 5: 19 -21 states “19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like What synonyms does Paul use for "sow to the Spirit" in Galatians? (Hint: see 5:16, 18, 25). Walking in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, living in the Spirit. What does sowing to the Spirit look like in a congregation? Peace is evident. The fruits of the Spirit are evident. What are the results in a congregation of sowing to the flesh? Sin in the younger generation, pride in the “established” members of the Church, an unwillingness to share the gospel, and an accumulation of wealth for self; in short, the fruits ot selfishness which lead into evident sin such as are listed in Galations 5: 19-21.

. (Galatians 6:1-5) What does Paul mean, "caught in a sin"? That the sin trips the believer up by surprise, and is overtaken by the sin. What would restoration of a such brother or sister look like in his or her life? Acknowledgement of the sin – confession, repentance, restitution to the ones to whom the sin harmed and reunification with the body of Christ –as sin alienates the believer from those who are filled with the Spirit. Who should restore this person? Someone who is filled with the loving kindness of Jesus, who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit. In what spirit should it be done? “In a spirit of gentleness.” What is the result of trying to restore a person without humility? Further alienation from God’s people for the fallen brother. Also the risk of falling into the sin of pride and therefore alienation, for the “restorer”, from Jesus, the God of all grace.

Q4. (Galatians 5:24-25) What does it mean to "crucify the flesh with its passions and desires"? It means to not gratify, not satisfy, and not attend to that which is opposed to the leading of God’s Spirit in your life. This means that we need to be in communion with His Spirit at all times, walking in the Spirit so that we will recognize when we are stepping over into the flesh. Can a person be a Christian without "crucifying the flesh"? Maybe a Christian in name, but hardly a disciple of Christ. How have we produced such a crop of lukewarm Christians? By not discipling new Christians so they grow up in the truth of God’s Word. Our daily lives are so busy that time for God is often delegated to Sunday. Home groups, or house Churches, with small groups encouraging accountability and discipleship would be of benefit so that young Christians can know the Word and know Him!

Q3. (Galatians 5:22-23) How does the Holy Spirit produce this fruit in our lives? Temperance is produced by being open to the Holy Spirit at all times and relying on His grace when we most feel like living like the world. The Holy Spirit produces this fruit by teaching us. Teaching is a process of learning, making mistakes, and giving it another go. As Titus 2:11 -12 states, “ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” As Romans 12: 2 instructs us, we need to constantly renew our mind and rely on the grace of God who fills us with love, power and a sound mind. What theological term would you use to identify this process? Sanctification. We are sanctified by the truth and God’s Word is truth. Therefore, sanctification is a result of knowing the scriptures and of knowing Jesus, the resurrected Word! How can it be that a person who has been a "Christian" for years displays few or none of these fruits? As for myself for so many years, I did not prioritize a relationship with Jesus above all else. Are they saved, but just immature? Perhaps. God’s grace is sufficient for us to be sanctified but God will not push Himself against our will so it stands to reason that some people prefer to follow their own will rather than pursue the will of the Father. What does James 2:17-19 say about this? Is that too harsh? This scripture indicates that faith is a “doing” result of our relationship with Jesus. Our “doing” is our thermometer of our closeness with Him. We will act and do as He directs, not as our own will thinks is best.

Forbearance is an important characteristic because when to live in forbearance, we demonstrate that we are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Impatience is of the flesh. Forbearance is of the Spirit. Galations 5: 16 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the lu st of the flesh." Forbearance is so important in the Christian community so that peace will reign. Galations 5: 15 states, "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another"

Joy and peace are inseparable from love. If we know God, we know love and Christ's love . As Ephesians 3:19 states, "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." The fullness of God is joy and peace. Inseparable attributes of a loving God. Christ died for the ungodly. He endured the cross for the "joy set before Him". As we love our neighbour, we may suffer persecution but joy, and peace, will sustain us as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

I have been this person who has lived in dishonour of God's Word. My excuse was, "God understands, my situation is unique." Praise God for 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." If these people could reword the scripture they may say, "As long as you believe it is okay for you and is not obviously detrimental to yourself or others, go ahead, live life as you please. And by the way, God is forgiving and He understands."

Galations 5: 16 - 18 teach us that if we walk unhindered in our relationship with Jesus, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh and so, not sin. As we get to know Him intimately, day by day, step by step, we will find the lusts of the flesh distasteful. Paul is telling us to know if we are led by the flesh or the Spirit in our daily walk. \Yes, Christian's sin when they put the flesh first. In the case of the Galations they sinned because they chose their own path to salvation by adopting the law and so rejected the truth. As they accepted other's - the Jews -evaluations of themselves rather than God's they fell into sin. We sin by trying to do it ourselves and by going the way of man rather than the way of the Father. God is gracious and he shows us where we have fallen short. Yielding to the Spirit CRUCIFIES the old nature and crucifixion is painful. Galations 2:20 states "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." People claim it is impossible not to sin because our human selfishness has not been crucified. As I was pondering this question, I had a thought ; would I die for a particular person who classes me as disdainful? I shuddered at the thought of this person and then realized that if my flesh had been truly crucified, and Christ was living in me, all consuming, I would do whatever Christ asked of me for this person. I have sin that God is working on in my life. Praise God, Jesus has already died for the sinner!

Q1. (Galatians 5:13-15) Have you ever seen Christians act as if they were lawless? Sadly I have lived the lawless life. I was not in sweet communion with Jesus. How do Spirit-led Christians fulfill the spirit of the law? Jeremiah 31:33 states “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” We fulfil the spirit of the law by knowing the Word: Jesus and His written Word. What does backbiting and rudeness in a congregation say about the spiritual climate of that congregation (5:15)? Backbiting and rudeness show that the truth of the Word of God is not being preached. Most likely, it is a tickled-ears church.

Q5. (Galatians 5:11) What is "the offense of the cross" that offended the Jews? The Jews had to acknowledge that following Jewish tradition – inclusive of circumcision, was not the way to the Father, and that their works were as “filthy rags”. In essence, that they have it wrong. Acknowledging Jesus as the way to the Father meant relinquishing their “right” as the only children of God. The offense of the cross is that 1) they had to admit that they were sinners both by not being able to be justified by the law and by killing Jesus, 2) that Jesus has risen again and sits at the right hand of the Father, and 3)that they lost the hold of exclusivity of being God’s chosen. How does the cross offend people in our day? Offense occurs when people have to face the truth that they are sinners as everyone can justify their sinful actions and that Jesus DID rise again, and DOES sit at the right hand of the Father to judge the living and the dead. It is not popular to be liberally minded and not judge other people and their lifestyle, therefore it is an offense to know Jesus as a judge. Unfortunately, the offended do not see Jesus as their saviour. Have you noticed Christians softening their proclamation of the cross? Sadly, yes. I heard a hospital Chaplain undermining that Jesus was the only way to salvation, and that any of the chaplains under his leadership caught proselytizing would be dealt with severely. Does this help them communicate more clearly to our age or does it compromise the true message? No, it just means that our age cannot be at peace knowing that Jesus has forgiven them of their sins.

Q4. (Galatians 5:5-6) Circumcision had been the primary "mark of identity" for a believer in God. In what way has the Spirit become the new "mark of identity" for the believer? The believer’s mark of identity is our faith in Jesus Christ, expressing our Sonship, just as Jesus would. Our “mark” is that we hear from the Father constantly as we abide in fellowship with Him. "In Him we live and breathe and have our being " Acts 17:28. What is the evidence of the Spirit's presence in a believer's life according to verse 6? Expressing our faith in Jesus through love.

Q3. (Galatians 5:4) Exactly what does Paul mean by "fall from grace" here? What has occurred that has caused this fall? How can present-day Christian legalism cause such a "fall from grace"? We know Jesus by His grace. When we aim for righteousness through tradition, law-keeping, and man made rituals we estrange ourselves from Him. We fall from grace by "doing it ourselves', by having a fear of man greater than a fear of God, by people pleasing (such as circumcision) in order to not be estranged from man. In so doing, we estrange ourselves from Jesus.

We know Jesus by His grace. When we aim for righteousness through tradition, law-keeping, and man made rituals we estrange ourselves from Him. We fall from grace by "doing it ourselves', by having a fear of man greater than a fear of God, by people pleasing (such as circumcision) in order to not be estranged from man. In so doing, we estrange ourselves from God.

Q2. (Galatians 4:19-20) How is Paul's grief over his spiritual children like that of a parent seeing children stray? The grief is primarily in two issues: firstly, Paul’s spiritual children being seduced and so united with those who have only their selfish desires at heart (in this instance to unite with legalism to gain salvation), and secondly, by being separated from Christ Himself as they stepped into the law and out of God's grace. Grief as a parent overtakes us when we see our children being seduced by evil, by false doctrine, and by those who put God’s Word into question. This results in separation from God just as it did in the Garden of Eden. We are grieved when we, as parents, are protrayed as the enemy (as in Gal 4:16) which results in confusion for the child and a separation of relationship from the parent. What does it look like when Christ is formed in a person? Beautiful! As said by another responder “haar”, this person exhibit the fruits of the spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” What is the process involved in this spiritual formation? Being formed spiritually is getting to know Jesus intimately. Jesus had disciples who were called by Jesus, spent time with Him, where instructed in the Word, and then practiced what was preached both with Jesus and then without Him. They went through the death of their own hope when Jesus was nailed to the cross and saw that joy and power come from the resurrected King of Glory! They abided with Christ and knew Him!

Q1. (Galatians 4:10-11) Is celebrating different special worship days essentially wrong? No, we honour people on their birthdays with a celebration. Why did Paul grieve over the Galatians’ observances? The Galations were people pleasing the Jews; building the fear of man rather than the fear of the Lord. In Galations 3:9. Paul said, “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage”. So, in essence, once they knew God, by grace, they now are losing that relationship with Him to appease the Jews and move into bondage which is away from the freedom of knowing God. What significance did these have in terms of their movement towards Judaism? The Galations may have interpreted being culturally approximated to the Jewish calendar with salvation. Thus heresy may have developed due to salvation being obtained by cultural closeness to the Jews – evidenced by observing traditions such as circumcision and dates- rather than what Jesus did for us. How can we be blessed by observing special days in our era? By honouring God for what He did! Special days are to celebrate a Special Jesus! How can observance of special days become legalistic for Christian believers? By placing ourselves firstly with the culture of the event, and in many instances “people pleasing” rather than by placing the grace of being “known by God” as the reason for our celebrations.

(Galatians 4:6-7) How does the Spirit's filling demonstrate we are full sons? We demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s infilling by loving one another: “ Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34. To do this, we have demonstrated that we are dead to the flesh. God is love. When we are led and filled by God’s Spirit we walk in love and are known as His sons. Romans 8:14 states, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. What is the special sense in which the Aramaic word abbais used to speak to one's father? It is a term used that is free from fear, or a conditional relationship, such as a slave has with his master. We have freedom to come boldly before His throne of grace. Therefore, abbais, gives us confidence in the Father. What is the significance of being heirs of God? We are confident, Godly assured, sons of God, and we are indeed joint-heirs with Christ. The significance is that, as we obtain favour, we also have responsibilities which will result in suffering. “We are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if INDEED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” Are we sons in the same sense that Jesus was God's Son? If we suffer with Him then yes! Indeed!

Q3. (Galatians 4:3-5) In what sense were both the Gentiles and the Jews enslaved? Both were enslaved by the belief that they could attain salvation by works. The Jews were in bondage to the law, and to the false belief that they still were required by the new covenant to be circumcised, and the Gentiles believed in the “elemental” forces of nature to save them. What does "redeem" mean in verse 5? Redemption is liberation from slavery! Wow! We are liberated out from the slave master, the Devil, the father of lies! No longer has death any hold over us. What are the implications of adoption regarding a person's legal and spiritual rights? The implications are eternal and generational! The benefits of a legal adoption cannot be disputed. The privileges of a son are bestowed, in full, to the adoptee. So spiritually, there is authority not obtained whilst under bondage. Our spiritual authority, in Jesus, is final. I am now a co-heir with Christ. I am an heir of the blessing of Abraham. As Galations 3:29 states, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise”. So, I have a legal right to enter the throne room of grace, and to spiritually obtain “mercy and find grace to help in time of need “ (Heb 4:16). Legally, I am a true child of God. Spiritually, I have confidence in my Father, as a co-heir with Christ. We come in the name of the Lord, with His legal and spiritual authority.

I echo the answer of my mother when I used to ask "Why?"; her response was "Ask God when you get to heaven". For me that meant, and it still does, that God has the ultimate answer and my mum's answer would only be supposition. However, I would like to "copy and paste" the answers of JanMary and Travis63. Thanks! As for the first century? Well, Pastor Ralph, you've got it covered. The world was "prepared". John the Baptist declared "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." John the Baptist was declaring "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!". I think it is interesting that God even chose the timing of John the Baptist to aid in creation, through Godly Words, the "King" dom come!

Q1. (Galatians 4:26-29) Do you think Jewish Christians regarded Gentile Christians as second-class citizens? Yes. The Jewish “Christians” would not eat with the Christians of Gentile background, not seeing them as saved but seeing them as having a deficit in the “works” department. What is the basis of our unity in Christ? Faith in the risen Lord. As we are baptized into Christ, we are ALL Abraham’s seed, and “heirs according to the promise”. In what way does this unity pull down barriers? It stops us looking for other’s works to identify them worthy to associate with. Do any groups continue to be regarded as second-class citizens in our congregations? I would say the mentally ill who have not walked in their full, rightful healing yet. Also those with families – children, husbands/wives, who are not yet saved. What should we do about this? Have dinner and associate with one another. Do not assess peoples by their earthly works and attainments.

Q1. (Galatians 4:26-29) Do you think Jewish Christians regarded Gentile Christians as second-class citizens? Yes. The Jewish “Christians” would not eat with the Christians of Gentile background, not seeing them as saved but seeing them as having a deficit in the “works” department. What is the basis of our unity in Christ? Faith in the risen Lord. As we are baptized into Christ, we are ALL Abraham’s seed, and “heirs according to the promise”. In what way does this unity pull down barriers? It stops us looking for other’s works to identify them worthy to associate with. Do any groups continue to be regarded as second-class citizens in our congregations? I would say the mentally ill who have not walked in their full, rightful healing yet. Also those with families – children, husbands/wives, who are not yet saved. What should we do about this? Have dinner and associate with one another. Do not assess peoples by their earthly works and attainments.

Q4. (Galatians 3:19-25) What was the purpose of the law? We are “kept under guard by the law”, Gal 3:23, both as a community, a people, and individually. In my Macarthur study Bible it states that “Paul personifies the law as a jailer of guilty, condemned sinners, on death row awaiting God’s judgement (Romans 6:23). The wages of sin being death! As this study shows it a) restrains the human nature, makes wrongdoing a trespass, a legal offense – requiring death, and c) points us, as a tutor, towards our Messiah. Was it intended to justify a person? The law cannot justify as we are all sinners and until Jesus, the first-fruit, our redeemer, sinless and entirely righteous - able to keep the law. Now we are justified in faith through HIM! In what ways did it restrain sin? The law restrains sin by making us aware, exposing sin, in our own lives and also sin in others’ lives. The written commandments were laws of the community. However, we become expert at pulling out the splinters in others’ eyes whereas Jesus wants the law to be as a mirror so we can extract the log out of our own eyes. In what ways did it expose sin? Sin is exposed as we have clear evidence showing us that righteousness cannot be obtained by the law as we all transgress the law.

Q3. (Galatians 3:10-14) What is Paul’s argument for salvation by faith based on the concept of the “curse of the law”? On what basis do the Gentiles receive “the promise of the Spirit” (3:14)? The concept of the "curse of the law" is taken from Deut 21: 22-23 and shows us that he who is hanged on a tree, who is guilty of breaking the law, is accursed of God. We too are accursed of God if we try to gain our salvation by following the law as it is impossible for sinful man. Paul's argument is then that we can only gain our salvation in the fact that Jesus hung on the cross for us, to redeem us from the curse of the law. Therefore our faith is in Him We, who are Gentiles, receive the "promise of the Spirit" , the "blessings of Abraham" through faith in Jesus who hung on the cross for us to redeem us from the curse of the law.