Welcome to Books of
the Book, my name is
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Mark Howard and I am
a Pastor in the Michigan
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Conference of
Seventh-Day Adventist.
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I Pastor a church in
Global Michigan where
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I live with my wife
Stephanie, my two children
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Caleb and Ana Lisa.
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I also am the
director of the school of
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evangelism for the
Michigan Conference called
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the Emmanuel
Institute of Evangelism.
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I'm really
excited to be here with my
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younger brother Jim
Howard, who also is a
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Pastor in Michigan.
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Jim tell them a
little bit about yourself.
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My name is Jim Howard
and I Pastor two churches
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in Michigan, one is
the Detroit Metropolitan
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church and the other
is the South Lyon Seventh-
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day Adventist church
and I also have a family.
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I have a beautiful
wife Sonia, and two children
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Kayla and Lindsay and
I am excited to be here
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to talk about the
book of Galatians.
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I have beautiful wife too.
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One thing, Jim and
I have both had some
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background growing
up with some of the
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Adventist background
and had for some many
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years been away from
Christianity altogether.
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About the same time,
in fact we were baptized
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on the same day
back in 1992, sorry 1994.
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I always get my
dates mixed up, it's been a
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little while back and
the Lord has been gracious
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to us in helping us to
come to an understanding
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of the gospel truth
which is why we are so
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excited to be here and talk
about the book of Galatians.
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The book of
Galatians is a book that
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I think is
especially meant for the people
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at the end of time.
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It is highlighting
the present power of the
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Gospel and it is a
book that has run into some
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confusion too
in these last days.
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So we are going to
dig into this book through
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this series and I
think it is going to
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come alive for you.
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Why don't we dive in.
- yeah let's open it up.
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If you have your Bibles
at home we invite you to
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get them out because
you are going to need them
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over the course
of this presentation.
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The book of Galatians
is in the New Testament.
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Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John the Gospels.
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After Matthew Mark
Luke, John, Acts, Romans
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1 and 2 Corinthians
and then the book of
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Galatians you'll
find it right there.
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We are going right to Chapter 1.
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Alright let's go right there.
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Let's go to
Galatians 1:6 and we will dive
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right in because in
verse 6, the apostle Paul
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introduces the actual
reason that he wrote the
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letter of Galatians.
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So right here in
verse 6 it says, "I marvel
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"you are turning
away so soon from Him who
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"called you by
the grace of Christ to
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"a different
gospel. " And then he says,
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"which is not
another; but there are some
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"who trouble you
and want to pervert
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the gospel of Christ. "
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So apparently there
was a perversion of the
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gospel that was
happening here to the
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Galatians and the
apostle Paul was wanting to
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highlight the true
gospel in the book of
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Galatians and this is
especially important for
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Seventh-day Adventists.
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We believe we have a
special calling from God
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given in Revelation
Chapter 14 to proclaim a
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message to the whole
world, and I think we maybe
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we should turn there. -
yeah absolutely, absolutely.
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Revelation 14:6. -
yes Revelation 14:6.
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It says there in
Revelation 14:6, "then I saw
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"another angel flying
in the midst of heaven,
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"having the
everlasting gospel", there's not
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been several gospels,
but the everlasting gospel
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" to preach to those
who dwell on the earth. "
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What is so powerful
about that is the idea of
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being everlasting
gospel, destroys the concept
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of the dispensational gospel
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dispensational
gospel in Christianity the
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concept is that the
gospel is the gospel.
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This is why Paul is
so emphatic, is the same
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gospel in the Old
Testament and it's the same
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gospel in the New
Testament, it is everlasting.
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What I find fascinating
also in Revelation 14
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is that when we come
to verse 12, with these
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backdrops of
these three messages.
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The apostle John
writes in verse 12 "here is
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"the patience of the
saints, here are those who
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"keep the commandments
of God and the faith of
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"Jesus," and that
addresses an issue when
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we are dealing with
the book of Galatians
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because there is a
lot of controversy over
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what law of God, the
10 Commandments has in
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connection with
the gospel message.
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There are those that
think that now we have the
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gospel we don't need
the law, but here we find
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in the very last
moments of Earth's history,
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we find a blending of
the law and the gospel
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together, those who
have faith in Jesus are
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the ones that keep
the commandments of God.
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That's right, that's
right you know this is not
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something that is
without controversy because
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there are many
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:05:07.90\00:05:10.68
- well it wasn't
without controversy in Paul's
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day. - that's why
he wrote the letter.
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Even today we are
dealing with the same thing
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because I know many
former Seventh-day Adventists
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they recognize the
Seventh-day Adventist church
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teaches the law of God
is still the will of God
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for Christians in
the New Testament times.
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They get some
well-meaning advice that hey
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read the book of Galatians.
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If you read the book
of Galatians you will see
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why we don't need to
keep the law anymore.
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I've read testimonies
of former Adventists who
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have been pointed to the book
of Galatians as their reason
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for leaving the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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That is right the book
of Galatians has become
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the key defense, or
reason for a lot of people
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in not accepting the
abiding nature of the
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Ten Commandments law.
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I know a young Adventist Pastor,
a former Adventist Pastor
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at this point, who
Pastored a church of 500
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members who said in
his testimony as he left
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the church, that he
had taken his church
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through a 20 weeks
study in Galatians and that
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enlightened them all
to the reality because
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of the gospel the law
was an important anymore.
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They use the book of
Galatians to make that
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point, but I think it
is evident and will be
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very evident in our
study together that is
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exactly the opposite
of the point that the
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apostle Paul is making
in the book of Galatians.
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That's right, I
think what we need to do is
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dive right in to
these first five verses of
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the book Galatians,
because in those first five
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verses we find the
apostle Paul not only
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introducing himself,
but also giving a little
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glimpse into the
everlasting gospel that is
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going to be the theme
of the book of Galatians.
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So let's look at
Galatians Chapter 1:1-5
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together and it says,
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"Paul, and
apostle (not from men nor
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"through man, but
through Jesus Christ and God
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"the Father who
raised Him from the dead),
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"and all the
brethren who are with me,
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"to the churches in
Galatia; Grace to you and
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"peace from God the
Father and our Lord Jesus
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"Christ who gave
Himself for our sins, that He
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"might deliver us
from this present evil age,
00:07:11.12\00:07:13.82
"according to the
will of our God and Father,
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"to whom be glory for
ever and ever. Amen. "
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Now I have heard it
said that these verses,
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these first 5 verses
in the Bible, if there
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weren't any other
verses in the Bible that
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there is enough
here, sufficient to save
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anyone in the world.
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That is right it is a
powerful passage and let's
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just highlight
his key points here.
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We have got the
message, the first thing he
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talks about is
Grace and peace. Notice!
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"From God the Father
and our Lord Jesus Christ. "
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So already you see a
union of purpose between
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Father and Son,
contrary to, I run into a
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number of Christians
whose concept is, even
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among Christians
that God the Father stands
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against us and Jesus
is the Son that stands
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for us and because
of Jesus' sacrifice
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then God can love us.
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Almost like one is
pitted against the other.
00:08:00.82\00:08:02.50
Kind of like a
good God in a bad God.
00:08:02.53\00:08:04.29
And Old Testament God
where God was mean and
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vindictive and the
New Testament where
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- right. But here
Paul says Grace to you from
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the Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ.
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You see a concerted
effort on the part of God
00:08:13.03\00:08:15.25
the Father, God the
Son and then He goes on to
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say who gave
Himself for our sins.
00:08:17.50\00:08:19.84
Which is a powerful
transaction and we are
00:08:19.87\00:08:21.82
going to talk
about that is we go on.
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"That he might
deliver us from this present
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"evil age,
according to the will of
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"God the Father. "
00:08:28.14\00:08:29.49
So God the Father it
is His will that we be
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delivered, not only Jesus' will.
00:08:31.20\00:08:32.91
So you have this
message of grace and peace,
00:08:32.94\00:08:35.12
you've got the
union of Father and Son,
00:08:35.16\00:08:38.03
you have this
transaction of Christ giving
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Himself for our sins
and a deliverance from
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sin in this present evil age.
00:08:43.21\00:08:45.49
These are the
things we are going to
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try to unpack here.
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Wow it sounds like
the whole gospel in these
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three verses. - It
absolutely does doesn't it?
00:08:49.31\00:08:50.77
I think what we will
do is start right at the
00:08:50.81\00:08:53.81
beginning at first 3
where it says Grace to you.
00:08:53.84\00:08:56.81
Because the word
grace, if you look in the
00:08:56.84\00:08:59.75
Bible it is
combined with the gospel.
00:08:59.79\00:09:02.54
In fact it's called
in Acts 20 the gospel
00:09:02.58\00:09:05.30
of the grace of God.
00:09:05.33\00:09:06.52
The grace of God
becomes the embodiment of
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the gospel, so we
need to understand that
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first and foremost.
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What we want to do
throughout our study time
00:09:12.07\00:09:15.11
here, and you'll
notice this as we unpack the
00:09:15.15\00:09:18.15
book of Galatians.
00:09:18.18\00:09:19.50
And not just the
book of Galatians, but the
00:09:19.54\00:09:23.08
different passages
of the apostle Paul in
00:09:23.12\00:09:26.22
different letters
wherein some cases he
00:09:26.26\00:09:28.93
amplifies parts
that he has written in
00:09:28.96\00:09:31.56
Galatians and we
will get to see in greater
00:09:31.60\00:09:33.73
detail the meaning
of what he has to say.
00:09:33.76\00:09:35.47
That's right
because he is writing to the
00:09:35.50\00:09:37.13
Galatians about a
message he has already given
00:09:37.17\00:09:39.61
them, so we are
getting bits and pieces but
00:09:39.65\00:09:42.33
we can fill in some
of the gaps as we look at
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what he has written
in other places and see
00:09:44.78\00:09:47.12
the message of the Gospel grace
00:09:47.16\00:09:49.29
he has
presented in other places.
00:09:49.33\00:09:51.39
I think what we need
to do is to take that cue
00:09:51.43\00:09:54.20
and go to the book of
Ephesians because I would
00:09:54.24\00:09:56.92
like to look at the
grace of God in a place
00:09:56.95\00:09:59.47
where it's amplified
and it is Ephesians 2,
00:09:59.51\00:10:01.96
so just to the right of
Galatians is the book of
00:10:01.99\00:10:05.71
Ephesians and in
Ephesians Chapter 2,
00:10:05.74\00:10:09.32
he starts right in the
beginning of the chapter
00:10:09.36\00:10:12.02
by describing
the human conditions.
00:10:12.05\00:10:14.40
"And you He made
alive, who were dead in
00:10:14.43\00:10:18.20
"trespasses and
sins", I'm in Ephesians 2:1.
00:10:18.24\00:10:21.94
"In which you once
walked according to the course
00:10:21.97\00:10:24.78
"of this world,
according to the prince of the
00:10:24.81\00:10:27.33
"power of the air, of
the Spirit who now works
00:10:27.36\00:10:29.87
"in the sons of
disobedience, among whom we
00:10:29.91\00:10:32.68
"also have all
conducted ourselves in the lust
00:10:32.72\00:10:35.40
"of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the
00:10:35.44\00:10:37.91
"flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature
00:10:37.95\00:10:40.46
"children of wrath
just as the others. "
00:10:40.50\00:10:42.69
He doesn't paint a
very pretty picture of
00:10:42.73\00:10:44.89
humanity does
he? - no not at all.
00:10:44.92\00:10:46.88
He says that we were
dead in trespasses and sins.
00:10:46.92\00:10:50.49
You know you cannot be
very dead, you can't be
00:10:50.53\00:10:53.75
more dead than dead,
the idea is that they had no
00:10:53.78\00:10:56.73
good inclinations,
there was nothing with which
00:10:56.76\00:10:59.67
they could
commend themselves to God.
00:10:59.71\00:11:01.41
And we should include
all of us in that it is
00:11:01.44\00:11:04.69
in me too, there is
nothing as sinners that
00:11:04.73\00:11:07.68
we have inside of us
by which we can commit
00:11:07.71\00:11:10.63
ourselves to God.
00:11:10.66\00:11:11.92
Only through
Christ can we have that.
00:11:11.95\00:11:13.61
That is what is
brought into play when you get
00:11:13.64\00:11:16.50
to verse 4, because
after describing the human
00:11:16.54\00:11:19.37
condition of being
dead in trespasses and sins
00:11:19.41\00:11:22.20
it says but God.
00:11:22.24\00:11:25.22
Those are two very
powerful words, "but God who
00:11:25.25\00:11:29.07
"is rich in mercy,"
Mercy is that desire to
00:11:29.11\00:11:32.86
give you something
better than what you deserve.
00:11:32.89\00:11:35.49
"Who is rich in mercy
because of His great love
00:11:35.53\00:11:38.00
"with which He loved
us. " That is the source
00:11:38.03\00:11:40.47
here of what is about to come.
00:11:40.51\00:11:42.10
"Even when we were
dead in trespasses," we have
00:11:42.13\00:11:45.48
nothing to commend
ourselves to God, "made us
00:11:45.51\00:11:48.80
"alive together with
Christ (by grace you have
00:11:48.83\00:11:51.61
been saved)" and that
by grace you have been
00:11:51.64\00:11:54.39
saved in the new
King James that is in
00:11:54.42\00:11:56.06
parentheses, it is a
parenthetical statement
00:11:56.10\00:11:58.61
that basically is
saying the same thing as
00:11:58.65\00:12:01.13
made alive together with Christ.
00:12:01.17\00:12:02.42
So by giving us that
grace, that grace isn't
00:12:02.45\00:12:08.17
just something that changes
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the ledger in heaven.
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The grace of God
actually makes us alive
00:12:12.56\00:12:14.98
spiritually. - that
is right, that is right.
00:12:15.02\00:12:17.37
So grace, the idea that
is being conveyed here, a lot
00:12:17.41\00:12:20.55
of times we use the
term unmerited favor which
00:12:20.59\00:12:23.87
that simply means undeserved.
00:12:23.91\00:12:25.81
The idea of grace,
what grace is conveying is,
00:12:25.85\00:12:28.40
and this is what Paul
lays out here as he shows
00:12:28.44\00:12:31.04
the human condition
and then he comes, as you
00:12:31.07\00:12:33.99
said in verse 4, but
God He is contrasting, He is
00:12:34.02\00:12:36.90
saying in essence
that there is nothing
00:12:36.94\00:12:38.70
you have that
deserves this goodness.
00:12:38.73\00:12:40.42
There is nothing that
you have that deserves it,
00:12:40.46\00:12:43.16
but God in contrast, but
God even though you don't
00:12:43.19\00:12:45.86
deserve it,
because He's rich in mercy.
00:12:45.89\00:12:48.04
Because of His
goodness, He is going to offer
00:12:48.08\00:12:50.67
you what you don't
deserve in salvation.
00:12:50.71\00:12:53.58
By offering to make you
alive where you are dead now.
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- Amen, Amen and so
we have unpacked this
00:12:57.44\00:13:00.76
idea of the grace of
God being unmerited favor
00:13:00.79\00:13:03.49
of God, not just the
unmerited favor but the
00:13:03.53\00:13:06.29
unmerited favor that
results in a tangible
00:13:06.33\00:13:09.06
raising up of spiritual life.
00:13:09.09\00:13:10.99
That means being born
again, God coming into
00:13:11.02\00:13:13.10
the heart and
giving us a new nature.
00:13:13.13\00:13:15.19
What we want to do
is go back to Galatians
00:13:15.22\00:13:18.16
where it says Grace
and peace to you and
00:13:18.20\00:13:21.11
unpack what it means.
00:13:21.14\00:13:22.58
That the peace of God
can be ours because that
00:13:22.62\00:13:25.46
is equally part of the gospel.
00:13:25.50\00:13:26.91
Well peace is where it
really comes alive Jim.
00:13:26.95\00:13:30.28
This is where we
find the power to connect
00:13:30.31\00:13:33.61
with the grace so
I am really looking
00:13:33.65\00:13:35.50
forward to this.
00:13:35.54\00:13:36.68
That is right, so
what we are going to do is
00:13:36.72\00:13:38.71
take a short break
and as soon as we are done
00:13:38.74\00:13:40.34
with that break we
are going to dive right in
00:13:40.38\00:13:41.94
to Galatians
Chapter 1 and understand
00:13:41.98\00:13:44.24
a little bit more
about the grace and peace
00:13:44.28\00:13:46.56
that is ours
through God the Father
00:13:46.60\00:13:48.71
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:13:48.74\00:13:50.46