The Bible tells us...
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is,
The Gospel of Galatians.
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Hello and welcome
to this day's study.
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This is the 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel.
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And we're glad
that you have joined us.
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And we praise the Lord for
the study that we are doing
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in the book of Galatians.
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And I would like to
encourage you to stay by,
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and grab your Bible and
something to write with.
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Because it may be that
one of us will share something
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that will be of help to
you during this program.
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And so I would like to
borrow this moment Sister Jill's
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Sabbath School
Quarterly, because we want to
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make sure that
you have one of these.
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And if you don't
have one of these,
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you may want to visit your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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to see, and they would be
able to give you one for free.
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Now if you can't
get out for some reason,
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or you prefer, we'd like to
invite you to go to the internet
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and go to ABSG.Adventist.org.
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That's Adult Bible Study Guide.
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And there you can
download for free a pdf version
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of this Sabbath School Quarterly
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that we'll be
using in this program.
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And we are making
our way through the
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chapters of the
book of Galatians.
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It's a fascinating
study of God's Word.
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And we encourage you to
prayerfully follow along
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so that your Christian
experience can be enriched
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by the study of God's Word.
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And so we have with us our
panel that has been praying
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and asking for
the Lord to use them.
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And to my left,
Sister Jill Morikone.
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Then followed by Shelley
Quinn, that you know as well.
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And we have Ron Shelton,
also known as Ronnie Shelton.
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We're glad that he's with us.
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And of course,
Pastor C.A. Murray
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joining us at the other end.
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And thank you so much
for the opportunity to
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be in your homes in this way.
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And we encourage
you to pray for 3ABN
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and continue supporting
3ABN so that we can continue
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bringing the
gospel to the whole world.
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Before we commence our study,
we'd like to ask Sister Jill
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if she will lead us in prayer.
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Let's pray.
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Father, we come before
You in the name of Jesus,
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and we just thank You
for the gift of Sabbath.
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We thank You for
the gift of Your Word
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and the privilege right
now of opening up Your Word.
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We ask that You would
send Your Holy Spirit,
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that You would
teach each one of us,
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that You would give us
ears to hear and a mind that's
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open and receptive to the
truths found in Your Word.
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And we thank You and
give You praise and glory.
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In the precious and
holy name of Jesus, amen.
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- Amen. - And amen.
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So at this time, we are
going to begin our study.
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And we are looking
at lesson number five
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in the Bible study
guide that we mentioned.
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Lesson number five, and
it's, Old Testament Faith.
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Old Testament Faith.
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And a memory verse is given us.
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And it's found
in Galatians 3:13.
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And we'd like to ask our panel
to join together in reading
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Galatians 3:13.
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Let us begin.
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"Christ redeemed us
from the curse of the law
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by becoming a curse
for us; for it is written,
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'Cursed is everyone
who is hanged on a tree.'"
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Now this memory
text, of course, is
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something we want
you to carry away:
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that Christ has
done so much for us.
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Gave His life
for us to rescue us.
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And this is
illustrated in the lesson
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by a story that
is quite touching.
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There's a story of a
young boy that decided to
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make his own boat.
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And he got all his parts
together, made his best effort.
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It was his very first one.
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And he was so happy.
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It was perfect,
if you want to say.
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It was perfect.
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And so he decided to
take this to the test.
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Let's put it in the
water to see if it will work.
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And so he put it in the water.
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He was having a great time.
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But eventually a strong wind
carried his little boat away,
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and it was too far
for him to go after it.
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And soon the little
boat was out of sight.
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And soon he began to
cry, because he said,
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"I've lost my
little boat forever."
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And so the little boy was sad...
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...until one day he
sees his little boat,
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and he couldn't
hardly believe it.
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It was there at a
store, at a pawn shop.
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He says, "That's my little boat.
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I have found it.
I have found it."
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So he happily goes
into the store and says,
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"Mister, I would
like to get my boat back.
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It's right
there in your window."
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And the
gentleman says, "Well, no.
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This is my boat.
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And I have it for sale."
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He says, "But I made
that boat. It's mine."
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And he says,
"Well, it's my boat.
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And if you want it,
you have to pay for it.
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Two dollars, and it's yours."
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"Two dollars?"
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And the little boy
was sad because he didn't
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have two dollars.
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He went home and counted
all his coins, and he was short.
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And he decided to
take on some jobs.
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He did some cutting of the
grass, and a few other things
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that he could do.
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Shine some shoes, I don't know.
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He did what he
could to get the money
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so that he can
buy the little boat.
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So when he got the two dollars
he ran down to the store,
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and it was still there.
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He went inside and said,
"Mister, I want that little boat
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because it's mine.
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And now I pay you the
two dollars you want."
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And so he paid
him the two dollars.
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He said, "Now that I
have your two dollars,
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it can now be yours."
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So he gave him the boat.
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And the little boy was so happy,
went out the store rejoicing,
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hugging the boat, and
said, "My little boat.
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I love you because I made you.
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And now I also love
you because I bought you.
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You are twice mine."
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And so this is a story
that we use to illustrate
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God, our Creator, made us,
and we out of our own choice
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made ourselves lost.
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But the Bible says that Jesus
Christ came to seek and to save
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that which was
lost, and died for us.
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So it is, in essence, He
created us and bought us.
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We are twice His.
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And it can be three
times His if you choose to have
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Jesus as your personal Savior.
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Johnny, Elder T.
Marshall Kelly sings that song.
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He sung it right here on 3ABN.
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The song is
called, Two Times Mine.
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And he sung it
here on 3ABN many times.
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I was just thinking
how lucky your boys were,
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because you're such
a good story teller.
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He can tell a story.
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Well, our lesson
going into Sunday's part
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takes us into the
Scriptures found in the book of
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Galatians 3:1-5.
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And I will read
these verses for you.
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It says, "O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you,
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that ye should
not obey the truth,
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before whose eyes Jesus Christ
hath been evidently set forth,
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crucified among you?
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This only would I learn of
you; received ye the Spirit
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by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
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Are ye so foolish?
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Having begun in the Spirit,
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are ye now made
perfect by the flesh?
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Have ye suffered so
many things in vain?
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If it be yet in vain.
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He therefore that
ministereth unto you the Spirit,
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and worketh miracles among you,
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doeth he it by
the works of the law,
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or by the hearing of faith?"
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These are some
powerful questions
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that the apostle
Paul asks the Galatians.
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And this word,
"foolish," is a strong word.
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Perhaps Pastor
C.A. might help us.
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Pastor C.A., in today's
modern language, what would we
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call somebody that we'd
say, "O foolish Galatians"?
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What's another word to you?
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The words that come immediately
to mind, I cannot use.
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Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...
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Enough said.
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Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...
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Well, interestingly
enough, some modern translations
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have tried to capture
the essence of Paul's words
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in verse 1, "Foolish Galatians."
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And it's a
Greek word, "anoetoi."
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And it comes from
another Greek word,
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which is a word for
the mind, which is, "nous."
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Now I would like to
bring to you a translation,
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it's the Phillip's translation.
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And he translates it this way.
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Lovingly, "Oh you
dear idiots of Galatia."
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I was just getting
read to say, "idiots."
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Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...
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That's the translation.
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In calling the Galatians,
foolish, Paul is not saying
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they are morally
or mentally deficient.
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Because the Greek
word for that is, moros,
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that conveys the idea.
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And it was used by
Jesus in parables such as
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Matthew 7:26
and Matthew 25:1-13.
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Instead, Paul uses the word,
anoetos, which has the idea
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of someone who can
think, but fails to use
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the power of perception.
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In other words, the
Galatians are not crazy.
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They can think.
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But Paul is
trying to wake them up,
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and uses this strong
language to help them understand
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that they are not
thinking correctly.
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And so he uses
the word, foolish.
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And so then he follows
that with the question,
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"Who has bewitched you?"
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In other words,
"You're not thinking right.
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Something has happened to you."
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And he uses the word, bewitched.
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In this sense, it
reminds us of another scripture
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that is found in
2 Corinthians 4:4.
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2 Corinthians 4:4
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And in this scripture we
have the following words,
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"In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds
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of them which believe
not, lest the light of the
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glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God,
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should shine unto them."
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So Paul has in mind,
"Who has bewitched you?
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Who has come in
and bewitched you?
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Obviously, the devil
has used some individual to
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lead you astray."
00:11:13.54\00:11:14.90
And so Paul is
using these words.
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And now he then uses
another word, he says...
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Because he's really
baffled, he's really baffled.
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"How can this be?"
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Because they
found freedom in Christ.
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They understood they were
saved by grace through faith.
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And now they go back
to something shocking.
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They go back to
the works of the law.
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And so that's why
Paul asks the questions...
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I see my time is slipping.
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...asks the
questions, "Are you so foolish?
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"Having begun in the Spirit..."
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Going back to Galatians 3:3.
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"Having begun in
the Spirit, are ye now
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made perfect by the flesh?"
00:11:51.34\00:11:53.58
So this is a
question for the Galatians.
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And so in the time that
remains for my segment here,
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I would like to use
this as a springboard to say
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that we have to
be careful ourselves.
00:12:05.49\00:12:07.39
We have to be, as
it says in the Bible,
00:12:07.42\00:12:11.06
deeply rooted and
grounded in God's Word.
00:12:11.09\00:12:14.13
Because Satan will use
people to lead us astray,
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to lead us from
the path of the Lord,
00:12:17.90\00:12:20.00
to lead us into speculation,
00:12:20.20\00:12:22.40
to lead us into following
cunningly devised fables.
00:12:22.44\00:12:26.07
Jesus Himself
said that there will be
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false prophets coming
in, and also those who claim
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to be Jesus Christ Himself.
00:12:31.28\00:12:32.98
So what should we do?
00:12:33.25\00:12:34.62
We need to be deeply
grounded in the Word.
00:12:34.65\00:12:37.29
As a matter of fact,
in Matthew 24 Jesus uses
00:12:37.32\00:12:39.79
the words that, "Insomuch
as possible, they would deceive
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the very elect."
00:12:44.23\00:12:45.56
In other words, we need
to be studying God's Word,
00:12:45.59\00:12:48.46
but also having that personal
relationship with the Lord.
00:12:48.50\00:12:51.63
Being vitally
connected to the Lord
00:12:51.67\00:12:53.87
so that the Lord will
bless us with discernment
00:12:53.90\00:12:56.34
to know when the devil
is trying to lead us astray.
00:12:56.37\00:12:59.61
So, Sister Jill, if
you'll follow, please.
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Absolutely.
00:13:02.64\00:13:03.98
Monday we have,
Grounded in Scripture.
00:13:04.01\00:13:05.55
And so far in the book of
Galatians, the apostle Paul is
00:13:05.58\00:13:08.72
making arguments, you
could say, in defense of
00:13:08.75\00:13:11.52
justification by faith.
00:13:11.59\00:13:13.29
His first argument is
actually in Galatians 2:1-10.
00:13:13.39\00:13:18.43
And we looked at
this in a previous lesson.
00:13:18.46\00:13:21.36
But he reminds them of the
agreement that the apostles
00:13:21.50\00:13:25.20
reached at the
Jerusalem Council in AD 49;
00:13:25.23\00:13:28.00
the agreement that they made.
00:13:28.04\00:13:29.37
And let's look at that
briefly, and then we'll
00:13:29.40\00:13:31.01
get into, Grounded in Scripture.
00:13:31.07\00:13:32.41
We're going to Acts 15.
00:13:32.44\00:13:34.38
That's where we see
the Jerusalem Council.
00:13:34.54\00:13:36.85
So his first argument in
favor of justification by faith,
00:13:37.41\00:13:41.72
he reminds them of this
agreement that they reached.
00:13:41.75\00:13:44.09
And they had
discussion there in Jerusalem.
00:13:44.35\00:13:48.02
And then we're in Acts 15:24.
00:13:48.06\00:13:51.83
"Since we have heard
that some who went out from us
00:13:52.49\00:13:55.46
have troubled you with words,
unsettling your souls, saying,
00:13:55.50\00:13:59.40
'You must be
circumcised and keep the law,'
00:13:59.50\00:14:02.17
to whom we gave
no such commandment,
00:14:02.20\00:14:05.54
it seemed good to us,
being assembled with one accord,
00:14:05.64\00:14:08.44
to send chosen men to you with
our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
00:14:08.48\00:14:11.85
men who have risked
their lives for the name of
00:14:12.05\00:14:14.48
our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:14:14.52\00:14:15.85
And we also send Judas
and Silas, who will report the
00:14:15.88\00:14:18.72
same things by word of mouth.
00:14:18.75\00:14:20.66
For it seemed good to
the Holy Spirit, and to us,
00:14:21.42\00:14:24.49
to lay upon you no
greater burden than
00:14:24.59\00:14:27.96
these necessary things."
00:14:27.96\00:14:29.43
So Paul, in Galatians 2,
reminds them of what took place
00:14:29.46\00:14:33.94
at the Jerusalem Council.
00:14:33.97\00:14:35.30
Reminds them that the apostles,
the early Christian church,
00:14:35.34\00:14:39.01
had gathered together and
had said it is not necessary.
00:14:39.04\00:14:42.98
Justification
is simply by faith.
00:14:43.01\00:14:45.51
It's not faith
plus circumcision,
00:14:45.55\00:14:47.65
or faith plus works.
00:14:47.68\00:14:49.02
It's just by faith.
00:14:49.05\00:14:50.39
Then Paul continues
his argument, and what
00:14:50.42\00:14:52.65
Brother Johnny just shared,
in appealing to the Galatian's
00:14:52.69\00:14:55.76
own personal experience.
00:14:55.79\00:14:57.16
We found that in the
first couple of verses
00:14:57.19\00:14:58.96
here in Galatians 3.
00:14:58.99\00:15:00.83
He says, verse 3,
"Are you so foolish?
00:15:01.50\00:15:04.20
Having begun in the
Spirit, are you now being made
00:15:04.23\00:15:07.10
perfect by the flesh?"
00:15:07.14\00:15:08.47
Meaning that they had already
experienced, or they knew
00:15:08.50\00:15:12.71
what
justification by faith was like.
00:15:12.74\00:15:14.91
And then all of a sudden
other people are coming in
00:15:14.94\00:15:17.58
and maybe robbing
them of their experience,
00:15:17.61\00:15:20.52
robbing them of
their freedom in Christ.
00:15:20.55\00:15:23.49
So first, he reminds
them of what the church
00:15:23.59\00:15:25.89
had decided in Jerusalem.
00:15:25.92\00:15:27.39
Then he also says,
"You know what it's like
00:15:27.42\00:15:30.79
to walk with Jesus.
00:15:30.83\00:15:32.16
You know what that feels like.
00:15:32.19\00:15:33.70
You began in the
Spirit, are you now trying to
00:15:33.90\00:15:36.20
perfect your
works in the flesh?"
00:15:36.23\00:15:37.97
Then he uses, this
is Monday's lesson,
00:15:38.07\00:15:40.37
the most
powerful argument of all.
00:15:40.40\00:15:42.10
And that's the Word of God.
00:15:42.14\00:15:43.64
He uses the testimony
of Scripture for the final
00:15:43.67\00:15:47.58
and ultimate confirmation
of justification by faith.
00:15:47.61\00:15:51.35
We won't look at all the
verses, but if you go from
00:15:51.38\00:15:54.42
Galatians 3:6
through Galatians 4:31,
00:15:54.45\00:15:59.62
there are fourteen...
00:16:00.06\00:16:02.82
No, excuse me.
00:16:03.02\00:16:04.36
There are fifteen,
fifteen Old Testament scriptures
00:16:04.39\00:16:09.23
that Paul references.
00:16:09.26\00:16:11.07
And we want to take a look
at some of those scriptures.
00:16:11.10\00:16:13.30
But first, let's
look at 2 Timothy 3.
00:16:13.50\00:16:15.94
2 Timothy 3:16, talking
about all Scripture being
00:16:16.87\00:16:21.58
given by inspiration of God.
00:16:22.11\00:16:24.35
2 Timothy 3:16
00:16:24.45\00:16:26.25
Do you have
that, Brother Johnny?
00:16:26.28\00:16:27.62
Yes.
00:16:27.65\00:16:28.98
- 2 Timothy 3:15. - Sixteen.
00:16:29.85\00:16:33.19
Or fifteen is good
too, but especially sixteen.
00:16:33.22\00:16:35.39
2 Timothy chapter...
Oh, I'm in chapter 2.
00:16:37.59\00:16:39.86
Sixteen, "All scripture is
given by inspiration of God,
00:16:39.89\00:16:43.26
and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction,
00:16:43.30\00:16:47.07
for instruction
in righteousness..."
00:16:47.10\00:16:49.34
Amen, read verse seventeen.
We've got to finish that.
00:16:49.84\00:16:52.51
"...that the man
of God may be perfect,
00:16:52.54\00:16:54.94
thoroughly furnished
unto all good works."
00:16:54.98\00:16:57.48
So here we see he
says, "all scripture."
00:16:57.85\00:17:00.82
If you look in the Greek,
it's doesn't mean all in a
00:17:00.85\00:17:03.05
general sense
like, "Okay, everything."
00:17:03.08\00:17:05.49
It means, each
and every scripture.
00:17:05.52\00:17:09.69
So that means every word
in the Bible is inspired.
00:17:09.72\00:17:14.76
Every single word, not
just in a general sense.
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.20
Yeah, Shelley, I
believe the Bible.
00:17:17.23\00:17:18.87
But specifically
everything you read here in
00:17:18.97\00:17:22.00
the Word of God is inspired.
00:17:22.04\00:17:23.41
All scripture, each
and every scripture,
00:17:23.84\00:17:26.54
is God breathed.
00:17:26.57\00:17:29.54
Given by inspiration of God.
00:17:29.58\00:17:31.45
Literally that
means, breathed by God.
00:17:31.51\00:17:34.48
You think, in the beginning
He spoke and it was done.
00:17:34.52\00:17:37.42
He commanded, and it stood fast.
00:17:37.52\00:17:39.65
The power in the Word of
God to set the world in motion;
00:17:39.69\00:17:43.39
to create.
00:17:43.56\00:17:44.89
And that same inherit
power is in the Word of God.
00:17:44.93\00:17:48.46
To re-create in you
and I the image of Jesus,
00:17:48.53\00:17:51.80
the character of Jesus.
00:17:51.83\00:17:53.17
So we're going
back to Galatians now.
00:17:53.20\00:17:55.10
Galatians chapter 3.
00:17:55.34\00:17:57.01
And Paul is using this,
building an argument for
00:17:57.04\00:18:01.88
justification by faith
just grounded in Scripture.
00:18:01.98\00:18:04.85
And we're just going to briefly
look over several scriptures
00:18:04.91\00:18:07.82
in the time we have here.
00:18:07.88\00:18:09.22
The first scripture used
is actually what Shelley is
00:18:10.12\00:18:12.69
going to talk about,
so we won't discuss it,
00:18:12.72\00:18:14.42
but it's in verse 6.
00:18:14.46\00:18:16.16
That actually
comes from Genesis 15:6.
00:18:16.73\00:18:20.63
"...Abraham 'believed
God, and it was accounted
00:18:20.66\00:18:23.37
to him for righteousness.'"
00:18:23.40\00:18:25.20
Verse 8, we have
another scripture.
00:18:25.23\00:18:27.50
He says, "And the scripture,
foreseeing that God would
00:18:28.17\00:18:30.91
justify the Gentiles by faith,
preached the gospel to Abraham,
00:18:30.94\00:18:34.08
beforehand, saying, 'In you all
the nations shall be blessed.'"
00:18:34.11\00:18:38.68
That's still God
talking to Abraham.
00:18:38.71\00:18:41.58
That's that
covenant, the promise.
00:18:41.65\00:18:44.12
Genesis 12:3 is
what it's referencing.
00:18:44.15\00:18:47.72
Then we jump over
to Galatians 3:10.
00:18:47.89\00:18:51.03
And I know, Pastor
C.A., you have this.
00:18:51.06\00:18:52.79
We won't discuss this, but
it says, "Cursed is everyone
00:18:52.83\00:18:55.73
who does not continue
in all things which are
00:18:55.76\00:18:57.90
written in the book
of the law, to do them."
00:18:57.97\00:18:59.77
That's from Deuteronomy 27.
00:18:59.80\00:19:01.94
You know, Deuteronomy
27 and 28 are the blessings
00:19:02.00\00:19:06.07
and cursings, you can
say, given from the mount.
00:19:06.11\00:19:09.14
If you do these things,
if you walk in this covenant,
00:19:09.44\00:19:12.41
these are the blessings
that are going to follow.
00:19:12.45\00:19:14.98
And if you don't, these are
the curses that will follow.
00:19:15.05\00:19:19.19
We also see in verse 11.
00:19:19.29\00:19:21.62
Now this was huge to me.
00:19:21.69\00:19:23.43
And I'm almost embarrassed
to tell you this at home,
00:19:23.46\00:19:26.03
because you'd think, how often
do I read my Bible and study.
00:19:26.06\00:19:29.93
But I did not know this.
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.30
Verse 11, it says,
"The law is not of faith,
00:19:31.37\00:19:34.07
but 'the man who does
them shall live by them.'"
00:19:34.10\00:19:37.57
No, I'm sorry.
I'm reading verse 12.
00:19:37.67\00:19:39.24
Verse 11, "That no one is
justified by the law in the
00:19:39.27\00:19:42.94
sight of God is evident, for
'the just shall live by faith.'"
00:19:42.98\00:19:47.65
Now to be honest with you,
I thought that was from Paul.
00:19:47.68\00:19:51.39
That's just
being frank with you.
00:19:51.69\00:19:53.22
I thought that originated...
00:19:53.25\00:19:54.66
I've read it in Romans,
I've read it in Galatians.
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.69
It's also in Hebrews, I believe.
00:19:57.73\00:19:59.73
And I always thought,
I know that Martin Luther
00:19:59.83\00:20:03.03
built, you could
say, the backbone of the
00:20:03.06\00:20:05.23
Protestant
Reformation on that verse,
00:20:05.27\00:20:06.87
"The just shall live by faith."
00:20:06.90\00:20:08.90
But you know, it's an
Old Testament scripture.
00:20:10.01\00:20:12.44
- Yes it is. - I
did not know that.
00:20:12.47\00:20:14.58
So here I'm
giving you my ignorance.
00:20:14.64\00:20:16.18
It's an Old Testament scripture.
00:20:16.21\00:20:18.11
Paul is referring to
Habakkuk 2:4 where it says,
00:20:18.15\00:20:23.49
"The just shall live by faith."
00:20:23.59\00:20:25.09
And I think so often
in the Christian church,
00:20:25.15\00:20:27.69
we think, in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:20:27.79\00:20:29.92
we think the Old
Testament is the law.
00:20:29.96\00:20:34.56
The Old Testament
is even justification
00:20:34.86\00:20:39.00
or righteousness by works.
00:20:39.03\00:20:40.70
And then we think,
well the New Testament
00:20:40.74\00:20:43.20
has the new covenant,
and now we're under grace.
00:20:43.30\00:20:46.27
But you know what?
00:20:46.31\00:20:47.64
There is grace in
the Old Testament.
00:20:47.68\00:20:49.81
The Old Testament,
the promise given...
00:20:49.84\00:20:52.61
And I know I don't want
to step on your lesson there.
00:20:52.65\00:20:55.58
But the promise given to Abraham
is righteousness by faith.
00:20:55.62\00:21:01.36
And you see that the
covenant relationship
00:21:01.59\00:21:04.59
that God wanted to
enter into with His people,
00:21:04.63\00:21:07.30
even the Ten Commandments,
being promises saying
00:21:07.30\00:21:11.80
"If you will do this, I will
give you the power to do this."
00:21:11.90\00:21:16.71
It's not us saying, the people
responded in works by saying,
00:21:16.74\00:21:21.24
"All that the Lord
has said, we will do."
00:21:21.31\00:21:23.51
But it wasn't
meant to be legalistic.
00:21:23.55\00:21:26.18
It wasn't meant to
be something of works.
00:21:26.28\00:21:29.05
It was meant to be a promise.
00:21:29.08\00:21:30.52
Jesus said, "I will work
in you and I will equip you
00:21:30.55\00:21:35.39
My word to keep
these commandments."
00:21:35.42\00:21:37.99
So I know we don't have
time, but the other references
00:21:38.59\00:21:41.40
are in Galatians 3:13.
00:21:41.43\00:21:44.43
"Cursed is everyone
who hangs on a tree."
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.47
That comes from
actually Deuteronomy 21.
00:21:46.50\00:21:48.97
And then we see the promises.
00:21:49.17\00:21:50.87
This refers back,
this is in Galatians 3:16,
00:21:50.91\00:21:54.04
but Paul talks about the
promise to Abraham and his Seed.
00:21:54.24\00:21:57.71
Seed being capital,
meaning Jesus Christ.
00:21:57.75\00:22:01.68
That refers us all the
way back to Genesis 22.
00:22:01.72\00:22:05.79
We also see the promise of
a mediator, Galatians 3:19.
00:22:05.82\00:22:11.03
Galatians 3:29, Abraham's seed;
the promises given to them,
00:22:11.06\00:22:15.00
"and heirs
according to the promise."
00:22:15.03\00:22:16.83
Galatians 4:4, "When the
fullness of the time was come,
00:22:16.97\00:22:19.93
God sent forth His Son, born
of a woman, born under the law."
00:22:19.97\00:22:23.67
And that refers us all the
way back to the first promise,
00:22:23.71\00:22:26.74
the Messianic
promise in Genesis 3:15,
00:22:26.91\00:22:30.01
where God says, "I
will put enmity between
00:22:30.15\00:22:32.25
you and the serpent."
00:22:32.28\00:22:33.92
And so it's full of scripture.
00:22:33.95\00:22:36.55
There's reference to
Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar,
00:22:36.58\00:22:39.45
the law from Mount
Sinai, reference to Isaiah 54.
00:22:39.49\00:22:43.22
But Paul builds a
conclusive argument
00:22:44.29\00:22:47.86
going through these scriptures
that justification by faith
00:22:47.86\00:22:51.83
is not just something the
Jerusalem church concocted,
00:22:51.87\00:22:54.34
not just something that
they knew by experience,
00:22:54.47\00:22:57.17
the Galatian church,
but this is something that
00:22:57.21\00:22:59.41
is rooted and
grounded in the Word of God.
00:22:59.44\00:23:01.61
Amen. Well done, Jillie.
00:23:01.64\00:23:04.21
Okay, well I
have... What do I have?
00:23:04.48\00:23:07.98
I have Tuesday.
00:23:08.02\00:23:09.42
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...
00:23:09.45\00:23:10.79
Reckoned as Righteous.
00:23:10.82\00:23:13.12
And I'm going to
read Galatians 3:6.
00:23:13.36\00:23:17.46
"...just as Abraham 'believed
God, and it was accounted
00:23:17.49\00:23:21.96
to him for righteousness.'"
00:23:22.00\00:23:23.80
Our Sabbath School Quarterly
asks, "Why do you think
00:23:24.20\00:23:29.37
Paul first appeals to Abraham
as he looks to the scriptures
00:23:29.40\00:23:33.24
to validate his gospel message?"
00:23:33.27\00:23:35.58
Well in the first place,
Abraham was the patriarch.
00:23:35.68\00:23:39.81
We was basically considered
the father of the Jewish race.
00:23:39.85\00:23:43.55
And he was the
central figure in Judaism.
00:23:43.85\00:23:49.32
So what happened is, the
people, the Jews of Paul's time,
00:23:49.56\00:23:56.43
looked to
Abraham as the prototype.
00:23:56.56\00:23:59.33
They thought, "This is
how a Jew ought to be."
00:23:59.57\00:24:03.61
But they considered
that God had made or declared
00:24:03.94\00:24:09.04
Abraham righteous
because of his obedience.
00:24:09.08\00:24:12.58
And certainly they thought this
was his greatest characteristic.
00:24:12.61\00:24:17.05
When you think about it, first
of all Abraham at 75 years old,
00:24:17.09\00:24:22.82
he departs his
home, leaves his country,
00:24:22.86\00:24:25.49
has to adapt himself to
a new country, new customs.
00:24:25.53\00:24:29.93
He forsook his
family to answer God's call.
00:24:30.13\00:24:33.54
He accepted circumcision.
00:24:34.04\00:24:37.37
Now an old man was
accepting circumcision.
00:24:38.24\00:24:40.44
And he was willing to offer
Isaac his son as a sacrifice
00:24:40.48\00:24:46.11
at God's command.
00:24:46.15\00:24:47.48
And I have to just
stop here and add this,
00:24:47.52\00:24:50.02
because some people
think, "Why would God do that?"
00:24:50.05\00:24:53.42
And oh, that took so much
faith for Abraham to do this.
00:24:53.46\00:24:57.03
I want to read
you Hebrews 11:17-19.
00:24:57.13\00:25:00.83
Hebrews 11:17-19
00:25:00.86\00:25:04.40
It says, "By faith Abraham, when
he was tested, offered up Isaac,
00:25:04.43\00:25:10.67
and he who had
received the promises offered up
00:25:10.77\00:25:14.61
his only begotten son..."
00:25:14.64\00:25:15.98
Well, this is the
begotten son of promise.
00:25:16.64\00:25:20.05
We know he had Ishmael.
00:25:20.08\00:25:21.65
"...of whom it
was said, 'In Isaac
00:25:21.88\00:25:25.05
your seed shall be called.'"
00:25:25.12\00:25:26.72
So the whole covenant
was based on Isaac, and yet
00:25:26.76\00:25:32.36
God's saying,
"Put him on the altar."
00:25:32.39\00:25:34.93
How could he do that?
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.30
Well listen.
00:25:37.33\00:25:38.67
He said, Abraham
offers him up in faith.
00:25:38.70\00:25:41.54
"...concluding," in
verse 19, "that God was able
00:25:41.64\00:25:46.57
to raise him up,
even from the dead,
00:25:46.61\00:25:51.21
from which he also received
him in a figurative sense."
00:25:51.25\00:25:54.85
Jesus said, in John
8:56, "Your father Abraham
00:25:55.85\00:26:01.72
saw My day, and was glad."
00:26:02.02\00:26:04.96
So when God cut
covenant with Abraham,
00:26:05.06\00:26:08.83
and passed between the pieces,
He gave Abraham the vision
00:26:08.90\00:26:15.24
of Christ's day.
00:26:15.27\00:26:16.60
See, it has always...
00:26:16.64\00:26:19.21
Abraham was the beginning of the
everlasting covenant of grace.
00:26:19.24\00:26:23.11
And God was showing him
Jesus Christ was coming.
00:26:23.21\00:26:27.25
He knew He was
going to be crucified.
00:26:27.28\00:26:29.82
He knew He was
going to be resurrected.
00:26:29.85\00:26:31.62
So when God said, "Offer
up your son," he thought,
00:26:31.69\00:26:34.22
"Well, okay.
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.02
Because if You can
resurrect Your Son,
00:26:36.06\00:26:37.49
You can resurrect mine."
00:26:37.53\00:26:38.86
So these Jews
mistakenly believed that Abraham
00:26:39.23\00:26:44.60
had God's love and attention
because of his obedience.
00:26:45.90\00:26:48.90
And now Paul's going to
turn the tables on them.
00:26:48.94\00:26:51.41
And nine times in Galatians
instead of using Abraham
00:26:51.77\00:26:55.68
as an example of law keeping,
he is going to use Abraham
00:26:55.74\00:26:59.21
as an example of faith.
00:26:59.25\00:27:00.82
In Genesis 15:6, this was the
cornerstone for Paul's teaching
00:27:01.58\00:27:06.52
of justification by faith.
00:27:06.92\00:27:08.69
Genesis 15:6.
Jill, you've got that?
00:27:09.26\00:27:12.76
"And he believed in the
LORD, and He accounted it
00:27:13.09\00:27:15.70
to him for righteousness."
00:27:15.76\00:27:17.50
That word, "accounted,"
means, to reckon, to impute,
00:27:17.53\00:27:20.90
to accredit to our account.
00:27:20.94\00:27:22.90
So Abraham
trusted in God's power.
00:27:23.14\00:27:25.67
And he had to keep
on believing for quite a
00:27:25.91\00:27:28.44
long time, didn't he?
00:27:28.48\00:27:29.81
Now the word, to
trust or to believe, here,
00:27:29.94\00:27:34.62
"aman," in the Hebrew,
it means, to trust, believe,
00:27:35.68\00:27:39.75
be firm, and to
be faithful toward.
00:27:39.79\00:27:43.39
So when it says, "Abraham
believed God," he trusted God,
00:27:43.66\00:27:47.23
he accepted God's testimony.
00:27:47.30\00:27:49.26
But he was faithful to God.
00:27:49.36\00:27:52.00
He was ready to do God's word.
00:27:52.03\00:27:54.30
Now in the Greek,
there is a noun for, "faith."
00:27:54.40\00:27:59.07
Pistis.
00:27:59.14\00:28:00.58
The verb is, pistueo.
00:28:01.08\00:28:03.65
Which means that you
believe or have faith.
00:28:03.78\00:28:08.35
So the reason I wanted
to show that is because
00:28:08.58\00:28:13.19
faith is not just a noun, it's
not just something out here.
00:28:13.72\00:28:18.49
It's a verb. It is action.
00:28:18.53\00:28:21.36
So Abraham's faith in
God, it was relational.
00:28:21.66\00:28:25.70
It implied that he was ready
to receive God's instructions
00:28:25.73\00:28:29.84
and joyfully obey.
00:28:29.87\00:28:32.14
And God counted him, He
credited him his righteousness
00:28:32.37\00:28:36.54
just by his faith.
00:28:36.58\00:28:38.15
In Romans 4, let's look at that.
00:28:43.42\00:28:45.85
Romans 4:3-6
00:28:45.92\00:28:50.93
We have the same
passage, essentially.
00:28:51.33\00:28:54.46
The thought
that's coming to my mind,
00:28:57.03\00:28:58.37
you know, Abraham was a
sinner just like you and me.
00:28:58.40\00:29:00.60
So he could never have
been, as the Jews believed,
00:29:01.27\00:29:06.14
accounted righteous before God.
00:29:06.31\00:29:08.34
Because what is
the wages of sin?
00:29:08.38\00:29:10.35
Death.
00:29:10.38\00:29:11.71
So we know, and Paul mentions
this again in Romans, he says,
00:29:11.75\00:29:15.08
Romans 4:3-6, "For what does
the Scripture say?" Paul asks.
00:29:15.12\00:29:19.89
"Abraham believed
God, and it was accounted
00:29:19.92\00:29:23.16
to him for righteousness."
00:29:23.19\00:29:25.03
That belief put him in
right standing with God.
00:29:25.19\00:29:28.80
"Now to him who works..."
00:29:29.00\00:29:31.60
He's talking about if you're
working to merit justification.
00:29:31.70\00:29:35.74
"... the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt.
00:29:36.60\00:29:42.51
But," he says, "to him
who does not work but believes
00:29:42.58\00:29:47.05
on Him who
justifies the ungodly..."
00:29:47.08\00:29:51.65
To believe on Him
who justifies the ungodly
00:29:52.62\00:29:57.43
implies trust and
self-surrender, doesn't it?
00:29:57.46\00:30:00.96
"...his faith is
accounted for righteousness,
00:30:01.40\00:30:03.80
just as David also describes
the blessedness of the man
00:30:03.83\00:30:06.40
to whom God
imputes righteousness
00:30:06.67\00:30:10.21
apart from the law."
00:30:11.01\00:30:12.71
And then he quotes David.
00:30:13.41\00:30:14.81
"Blessed are those whose
lawless deeds are forgiven,
00:30:15.01\00:30:19.01
whose sins are covered.
00:30:19.05\00:30:20.72
Blessed is the man to whom
the LORD shall not impart sin."
00:30:20.75\00:30:25.95
So justification by
faith has two components.
00:30:26.09\00:30:29.82
First, God does not
count our sin against us.
00:30:30.33\00:30:35.06
The blood of Jesus
Christ covers those sins.
00:30:35.16\00:30:38.40
And when we accept Christ as
our Savior, we confess our sins,
00:30:38.70\00:30:42.07
His blood washes away that sin.
00:30:42.17\00:30:44.74
And what that means is, God's...
00:30:45.04\00:30:47.31
It's a forensic
term, justification.
00:30:47.74\00:30:50.15
God looks down as judge, there's
no more evidence against us now,
00:30:50.18\00:30:54.58
so He says, "Not guilty.
00:30:54.72\00:30:57.09
You're justified."
00:30:57.52\00:30:58.85
But then the second part
is that He imputes or credits
00:30:58.92\00:31:04.46
Christ's righteousness to us.
00:31:04.49\00:31:07.00
He puts it into our
account so that He can restore
00:31:07.03\00:31:10.47
fellowship with us.
00:31:10.50\00:31:12.10
So not only does He forgive our
past, but He credits Christ's
00:31:12.53\00:31:16.00
obedience to my account.
00:31:16.20\00:31:18.01
That just makes me so excited.
00:31:18.04\00:31:20.01
Because you think
about, when God looks down
00:31:20.24\00:31:22.81
or He looks at
Shelley Quinn's account,
00:31:22.84\00:31:24.75
what He sees is
Christ's obedience.
00:31:25.18\00:31:27.45
Hallelujah.
00:31:27.48\00:31:28.85
But then, there is more.
00:31:28.88\00:31:31.75
He doesn't just
justify us by grace.
00:31:32.15\00:31:34.89
He sanctifies us by grace.
00:31:35.69\00:31:37.69
So He imputes
that righteousness,
00:31:37.73\00:31:39.59
He puts it in our
account, but then He imparts
00:31:39.63\00:31:42.73
that righteousness,
He puts it inside of us
00:31:42.76\00:31:44.97
as Christ lives in us by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:31:45.00\00:31:47.90
So he goes on and
he says, in verse 9,
00:31:48.30\00:31:50.77
"Does this blessedness then
come upon the circumcised only,
00:31:51.74\00:31:55.18
or upon the uncircumcised also?"
00:31:55.31\00:31:57.45
Is it just for Jews
or also for Gentiles?
00:31:57.48\00:31:59.85
"For we say that
faith was accounted
00:32:00.12\00:32:02.58
to Abraham for righteousness.
00:32:02.65\00:32:04.29
How then was it accounted?
00:32:04.32\00:32:06.49
While he was
circumcised, or uncircumcised?
00:32:06.52\00:32:10.33
Not when he was circumcised,
00:32:10.36\00:32:12.29
but while he was
still uncircumcised."
00:32:12.36\00:32:14.46
Because Abraham wasn't
circumcised until he was
00:32:14.50\00:32:17.60
99 years old and
Ismael was 13 years old.
00:32:17.63\00:32:20.87
"And he received the
sign of circumcision..."
00:32:21.27\00:32:25.51
This was a sign of the
covenant that God made with him.
00:32:25.54\00:32:28.34
"It was a seal," an external
mark, "of the righteousness
00:32:28.44\00:32:33.31
of the faith which he had while
he was still uncircumcised..."
00:32:33.35\00:32:38.89
Now for the Christian, the
seal for us, the external sign,
00:32:38.99\00:32:44.13
is baptism, is it not?
00:32:44.16\00:32:45.83
"...that he might be the
father of all those who believe,
00:32:46.29\00:32:49.26
though they are uncircumcised,
that righteousness might be
00:32:49.30\00:32:53.30
imputed to them also, and the
father of circumcision to those
00:32:53.34\00:32:57.41
who not only are of
the circumcision, but also
00:32:57.44\00:33:03.14
those who walk in the
steps of the faith which our
00:33:03.18\00:33:05.55
father Abraham had
while still uncircumcised."
00:33:05.58\00:33:09.85
So the point that
Paul is making here,
00:33:10.59\00:33:13.62
on what basis did God
count Abraham righteous?
00:33:14.66\00:33:21.53
By faith.
00:33:22.93\00:33:24.27
It was not the result, or,
his faith was not the result
00:33:24.87\00:33:30.14
or the foundation
for his justification.
00:33:30.37\00:33:33.21
He didn't obey to be justified.
00:33:34.31\00:33:40.62
Because he was
justified, he obeyed.
00:33:40.88\00:33:44.99
So justification leads to
obedience, not vice versa.
00:33:45.35\00:33:50.19
Did that make sense?
00:33:50.39\00:33:51.73
- Yes. - Okay.
00:33:51.76\00:33:53.09
But add that he also
obeyed because he loved God
00:33:53.13\00:33:54.86
with all of his heart.
00:33:54.93\00:33:56.23
That's what it's all about,
00:33:56.26\00:33:57.60
once God does
that for us, isn't it?
00:33:57.63\00:33:59.50
A relationship.
00:33:59.53\00:34:00.94
Let's look at Wednesday's part,
The Gospel in the Old Testament.
00:34:01.80\00:34:06.27
Sometimes I think we
forget that the gospel
00:34:06.84\00:34:09.64
is in the Old Testament.
00:34:09.68\00:34:11.01
We normally think
of the four gospels.
00:34:11.15\00:34:13.82
You know, the New Testament.
00:34:13.85\00:34:15.48
And that's where everything key
today is in the New Testament.
00:34:15.82\00:34:19.82
But today we're
going to be looking back
00:34:19.85\00:34:22.26
in the Old Testament to
find the gospel as well.
00:34:22.32\00:34:24.96
As I looked at this
lesson, I thought, you know,
00:34:26.73\00:34:30.43
yes, Abraham is
central to Paul's message
00:34:30.47\00:34:34.14
here in Galatians.
00:34:34.17\00:34:35.70
He is central to that.
00:34:35.77\00:34:37.11
The opponents of the movement
that Paul was bringing in,
00:34:37.14\00:34:40.91
if I can call it
that, the opponents were all
00:34:40.94\00:34:43.85
looking at Moses.
00:34:43.88\00:34:45.21
You know, because the
law came through Moses.
00:34:45.78\00:34:48.32
And so they were
saying, "But Moses says this,
00:34:48.65\00:34:50.79
and Moses says that and that."
00:34:50.82\00:34:52.62
So Paul goes back now
several centuries before Moses,
00:34:52.65\00:34:56.42
and there he gets hold of this
story of Abraham and his life.
00:34:56.83\00:35:01.70
And so that too carries
a big weight about faith.
00:35:02.16\00:35:06.20
I want to read Genesis 12:1-3.
00:35:06.23\00:35:09.77
Maybe we've
touched on it here already.
00:35:09.80\00:35:11.64
Genesis 12:1-3
00:35:11.67\00:35:13.88
If somebody will
read that for me.
00:35:13.91\00:35:15.74
What does this tell us
about the nature of the covenant
00:35:16.81\00:35:20.12
that God made with Abraham?
00:35:20.15\00:35:21.82
Genesis 12:1-3
00:35:21.92\00:35:24.19
"Now the LORD had said to
Abram, 'Get out of your country,
00:35:24.22\00:35:28.02
from your family and
from your father's house,
00:35:28.39\00:35:31.59
to a land that I will show you.
00:35:31.63\00:35:33.66
I will make you a great nation;
00:35:34.30\00:35:36.30
I will bless you and
make your name great;
00:35:36.33\00:35:39.37
and you shall be a blessing.'"
00:35:39.40\00:35:40.94
And verse 3, "I will
bless those who bless you,
00:35:40.97\00:35:43.77
and I will curse
him who curses you;
00:35:43.87\00:35:46.61
and in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed."
00:35:46.64\00:35:51.98
What can we say about
Abraham when God says,
00:35:52.58\00:35:56.05
"Pack up and start moving."
00:35:56.25\00:35:58.42
C.A., did you ever
take a call some place
00:35:59.19\00:36:01.12
and you didn't know
where you were going?
00:36:01.16\00:36:02.59
Yeah, 3ABN.
00:36:02.82\00:36:04.16
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...
00:36:04.19\00:36:05.53
You didn't know what to
expect, you knew where it was.
00:36:05.56\00:36:07.76
I knew what I was getting into.
00:36:07.83\00:36:09.13
I actually didn't
know where it was.
00:36:09.20\00:36:10.53
- By faith you came
anyway. - Oh yes, very much so.
00:36:10.67\00:36:13.54
He was wide
eyed when he arrived.
00:36:14.34\00:36:16.37
So God tells Abraham, He
says, "I want you to pack up
00:36:16.91\00:36:20.64
and start moving," without
telling him where he's going.
00:36:20.68\00:36:23.81
To do that takes a
tremendous amount of faith.
00:36:24.41\00:36:27.52
Wow! The covenant
centered on the promises
00:36:28.38\00:36:31.92
that God had made to
Abraham and his descendants.
00:36:32.59\00:36:36.86
So the covenant
centered on promises
00:36:37.09\00:36:39.63
that God made with
Abraham, and who else?
00:36:39.66\00:36:42.60
I mean, just Abraham?
00:36:42.66\00:36:44.00
- And his seed, his
heritage. - And his seed.
00:36:44.03\00:36:46.23
- Does that include
us? - Yes it does. Amen.
00:36:46.27\00:36:48.17
How so?
00:36:48.20\00:36:49.54
Because Paul says once we...
00:36:49.60\00:36:50.94
Well Jesus was THE
Seed, so when we're in Christ
00:36:50.97\00:36:53.81
we're the seed of Abraham.
00:36:53.91\00:36:55.54
And heirs
according to the promise.
00:36:55.58\00:36:57.38
Amen, amen.
00:36:58.01\00:36:59.35
The basis of God's covenant
with Abraham centered on
00:36:59.45\00:37:03.55
God's promises to him.
00:37:03.59\00:37:05.99
God says to Abraham
four times, "I will."
00:37:06.59\00:37:09.49
"I will..." "I
will..." "I will..."
00:37:09.76\00:37:12.53
And you know, we serve
a covenant keeping God.
00:37:12.73\00:37:15.86
- Amen. - Aren't you glad?
00:37:15.90\00:37:17.23
You know, sometimes I've made
some covenants, some promises,
00:37:17.27\00:37:20.90
that I couldn't fulfill.
00:37:20.94\00:37:22.40
Aren't we glad that the
God who makes the covenant
00:37:23.10\00:37:26.31
promises is able to do
what He says He can do?
00:37:26.37\00:37:29.58
Nothing will deter Him.
00:37:29.64\00:37:31.55
So Abraham, by the way,
notice during the covenant
00:37:32.05\00:37:35.68
that we talked
about, C.A., that you read,
00:37:35.72\00:37:38.62
when God said, "I
want you to go here.
00:37:38.65\00:37:40.99
And I will bless you.
00:37:41.39\00:37:43.49
And I will curse
those who curse you."
00:37:43.59\00:37:45.79
Did you notice, during that
promise or that covenant part
00:37:45.99\00:37:49.23
with Abraham, Abraham
didn't really agree to anything.
00:37:50.03\00:37:53.37
- Who made the promises?
- God made all the promises.
00:37:53.40\00:37:55.90
God made all the promises, yeah.
00:37:55.97\00:37:58.64
It just amazes me that
He didn't say, "Now Abraham,
00:38:00.24\00:38:03.38
if you will do this, then
I'm going to do that for you."
00:38:03.58\00:38:07.08
He just said, "I'm
going to do this for you.
00:38:07.68\00:38:09.58
I'm going to do this."
00:38:09.98\00:38:11.32
A covenant keeping God.
00:38:11.35\00:38:12.69
We usually promise
that we will serve Him
00:38:12.72\00:38:15.92
if only He will do
something for us in return.
00:38:16.69\00:38:19.23
How many times have
you prayed, as I have,
00:38:19.89\00:38:21.76
"Lord, if you'll do
this, I'll do this."
00:38:21.80\00:38:25.13
Have you ever tried
to bargain with God?
00:38:25.17\00:38:26.70
Yeah, we all do
at one time, I think.
00:38:26.74\00:38:28.07
Yeah, "If you'll do
this, God, I will do that."
00:38:28.10\00:38:32.01
And if I see God doing it, I
say, "Wow, look at God move."
00:38:32.34\00:38:36.01
But then I find I'm
getting weak now on my end
00:38:36.04\00:38:38.31
of the covenant with Him.
00:38:38.35\00:38:40.35
I find that I'm slipping.
00:38:40.55\00:38:42.58
So we try to work
with God on my terms.
00:38:43.79\00:38:49.49
You know, that
doesn't work so good, does it?
00:38:50.36\00:38:52.29
And we talked about
the sacrifice of Isaac
00:38:53.60\00:38:56.10
in Genesis 22.
00:38:56.13\00:38:58.60
And of course he wasn't
actually sacrificed, but
00:39:00.27\00:39:02.27
in God's sight
Abraham had been faithful.
00:39:02.40\00:39:06.54
As we understand, as
we look at that story,
00:39:07.08\00:39:09.61
that Isaac, though a young
man, could have overpowered
00:39:10.18\00:39:13.38
the old man, right, and
said, "I'm not going to do this.
00:39:13.42\00:39:16.48
The old man has lost it."
00:39:16.55\00:39:17.89
Isaac was close to
thirty at that point, yeah.
00:39:17.92\00:39:19.85
How easy it would have been.
00:39:19.92\00:39:21.26
But I think about the training
that Abraham had put in his son.
00:39:21.29\00:39:25.13
The family environment.
00:39:25.16\00:39:27.03
"God has said this."
00:39:27.23\00:39:29.20
And the son, Isaac, said, "You
know, Dad has always said that,
00:39:29.43\00:39:32.97
and it's always been true."
00:39:33.00\00:39:34.40
When Abraham, when the father
said, "God is going to do this,"
00:39:35.17\00:39:38.67
He always did it.
00:39:38.71\00:39:40.04
And so now he says...
00:39:40.68\00:39:42.01
The trial comes now to Abraham.
00:39:42.34\00:39:45.75
Imagine the call coming for
a couple of different reasons.
00:39:45.78\00:39:49.65
"This is my only son, and I'm
99 years old, you know, already.
00:39:49.72\00:39:55.86
Chances are I'm not
going to have any more."
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.03
You know?
00:39:58.06\00:39:59.43
And imagine the temptation
to have said, "You know, God,
00:39:59.46\00:40:01.43
you're asking too much.
00:40:01.46\00:40:02.80
I don't think I can do this."
00:40:02.86\00:40:04.57
You know, what
I've always thought,
00:40:04.60\00:40:06.70
now Abraham was accustomed to
listening to the voice of God.
00:40:06.74\00:40:11.27
Who really had faith was Isaac,
00:40:11.87\00:40:14.51
who believed that it was God's
voice telling his father that.
00:40:14.54\00:40:19.71
Because Isaac had to
have faith, not only in God,
00:40:20.02\00:40:22.32
but in his father that
he was hearing from God.
00:40:22.38\00:40:24.59
Yes, and so we look
back then at the example
00:40:24.62\00:40:28.09
of Abraham and what he
was willing to do for God.
00:40:28.89\00:40:32.13
He was willing to do all
this by faith, wasn't it?
00:40:32.16\00:40:36.06
"God had said it. I believe it.
00:40:36.26\00:40:38.37
I don't know how
it's going to turn out,
00:40:38.40\00:40:39.93
I don't know what
God is going to do.
00:40:39.97\00:40:41.80
I don't know how I'm suppose
to be the father of nations
00:40:41.84\00:40:44.54
if I kill my only son.
00:40:44.57\00:40:46.34
But I know God is
able somehow, some way."
00:40:46.37\00:40:49.41
So when I look back at
faith in the Old Testament,
00:40:50.18\00:40:52.98
can you think of a
place where somebody else also
00:40:53.01\00:40:56.25
responded by faith
and it was accounted
00:40:56.48\00:40:59.12
unto him for righteousness?
00:40:59.15\00:41:00.72
- That's a good
question. - A good question.
00:41:03.99\00:41:05.99
And I'm thinking about Noah.
00:41:06.03\00:41:08.33
Genesis 6:8 says,
"And Noah found grace..."
00:41:08.83\00:41:13.40
He found grace in
the eyes of the Lord.
00:41:13.94\00:41:15.70
And that too, I mean,
what a test of faith that was
00:41:16.47\00:41:20.68
to build this huge
ark to save humanity.
00:41:20.88\00:41:23.71
Rain? What's that?
00:41:23.75\00:41:25.08
Yeah, it had
never rained before.
00:41:25.11\00:41:26.48
They'd never seen rain before.
00:41:26.51\00:41:28.22
What is wrong with Moses?
00:41:28.65\00:41:29.98
And so he had like
120 years proclaiming
00:41:30.05\00:41:33.56
that it's going to rain.
00:41:33.59\00:41:34.92
People thinking,
"This old man is nuts."
00:41:34.96\00:41:37.36
You know, Ronnie, you
just had a thought here
00:41:37.39\00:41:38.73
that slipped,
because you said, "Moses."
00:41:38.76\00:41:40.10
But Moses fits in
that category also.
00:41:40.13\00:41:41.76
In fact, just go to
Hebrews 11 and run that list.
00:41:41.80\00:41:43.80
And everybody there really fits
in that list because they all
00:41:43.83\00:41:47.44
were moved by faith.
00:41:47.47\00:41:50.27
- Yeah, yeah. - Yes, absolutely.
00:41:50.31\00:41:52.04
And you think, what a
test that must have been when
00:41:52.07\00:41:54.11
society said, "You're nuts."
00:41:54.14\00:41:56.11
You know. Didn't they?
00:41:56.18\00:41:57.51
Peer pressure, he didn't
give into the peer pressure.
00:41:57.71\00:42:00.32
So there was faith exhibited
throughout the Old Testament.
00:42:00.48\00:42:04.85
And so the book of Galatians,
now Paul is pulling in on
00:42:05.29\00:42:08.72
some of those faith
stories from the Old Testament
00:42:08.76\00:42:11.79
to convince those that
were opponents of the faith.
00:42:11.83\00:42:15.40
They had always
lived by law, C.A.
00:42:15.43\00:42:17.93
They had always lived by law.
00:42:18.13\00:42:19.70
The Jewish nation thought,
"I will be saved by keeping
00:42:19.77\00:42:23.04
the law, by
keeping the commandments.
00:42:23.14\00:42:24.91
I will work my way to heaven.
00:42:24.94\00:42:26.64
That's how I'm
going to get there."
00:42:26.71\00:42:28.04
So Paul now comes on the scene
bringing this new teaching,
00:42:28.11\00:42:32.15
this "new" doctrine to them.
00:42:32.18\00:42:34.05
And so he has to go
back now to the Old Testament
00:42:34.28\00:42:36.92
and find proof that
there was faith back there,
00:42:37.35\00:42:41.09
that the gospel is back there.
00:42:41.12\00:42:43.36
So the new teaching Paul
was bringing was actually
00:42:44.73\00:42:47.76
the original
teaching that God gave.
00:42:47.76\00:42:49.70
Good point, good point.
00:42:49.76\00:42:51.10
That's, you know, because
they got off, they got off...
00:42:51.13\00:42:54.40
They got off track
so often, you know.
00:42:54.44\00:42:56.71
And we look at that in
all of the foretellings of
00:42:56.74\00:43:01.44
Christ's coming, especially
in the book of Isaiah.
00:43:01.48\00:43:04.15
And we say, "I don't
understand, the people
00:43:04.25\00:43:05.95
who studied the
Word as much as they did,
00:43:05.98\00:43:07.85
how could they
get so far off track
00:43:07.88\00:43:09.55
and not recognize the
Messiah when He came?"
00:43:09.62\00:43:12.19
It's true today though
too, because there's so many
00:43:12.49\00:43:15.66
different interpretations,
that sometimes we read
00:43:15.69\00:43:19.09
through a filter.
00:43:19.13\00:43:20.60
Yes, yes, our preconceived
ideas, what we've grown up with,
00:43:20.70\00:43:24.63
what we've studied and
come to the wrong conclusions,
00:43:24.67\00:43:27.24
as Saul did in the
beginning, you know, before
00:43:27.27\00:43:29.90
he was transformed into Paul.
00:43:29.94\00:43:31.84
Let me give you a good saying.
00:43:31.87\00:43:33.21
Preconceived ideas effectively
insulate the mind against truth.
00:43:33.27\00:43:38.68
Preconceived ideas effectively
insulate the mind against truth.
00:43:40.48\00:43:46.19
They call that
today, silo thinking.
00:43:46.69\00:43:49.02
You're in this box, and
everything is filtered through
00:43:49.42\00:43:53.03
what you are
already thinking is true.
00:43:53.09\00:43:54.63
Yeah. Okay.
00:43:54.66\00:43:57.13
I was thinking of one more
thing in the Old Testament,
00:43:57.47\00:43:59.63
an example in the Old
Testament of salvation by faith,
00:43:59.70\00:44:03.20
the question is asked.
00:44:03.51\00:44:04.84
And it gives the story
in 2 Samuel about David
00:44:04.87\00:44:08.11
receives God's
forgiveness for his big sin.
00:44:08.14\00:44:11.61
By faith David became, God said,
"He's a man after My own heart,"
00:44:12.35\00:44:16.89
that he received forgiveness.
00:44:17.49\00:44:19.45
Forgiveness in
the fullest sense.
00:44:19.49\00:44:21.39
Well said, well said.
00:44:22.26\00:44:23.63
You know, I'm looking, and
let's go to Galatians chapter 3,
00:44:23.66\00:44:27.00
I just want to read verse 10,
00:44:27.03\00:44:28.43
though Thursday,
Redeemed From A Curse,
00:44:28.53\00:44:31.17
really is woven in 9 through 14.
00:44:31.50\00:44:34.24
But if we look at
Galatians 3:10, the Bible says,
00:44:34.34\00:44:38.27
"For as many as are
of the works of the law
00:44:38.31\00:44:42.04
are under the
curse: for it is written,
00:44:42.08\00:44:44.71
'Cursed is every one who
does not continue in all things
00:44:44.75\00:44:48.72
which are written in the
book of the law, to do them.'"
00:44:48.92\00:44:53.12
You will note that in
all of Paul's letters,
00:44:54.59\00:44:59.56
there is an
element of apologetics.
00:44:59.59\00:45:03.93
He is defending the
faith through all of them.
00:45:03.97\00:45:07.34
Because he's dealing with a
people who are so steeped in
00:45:07.54\00:45:11.24
their tradition, it was
their tradition that caused them
00:45:11.27\00:45:15.14
to reject Christ.
00:45:15.18\00:45:16.71
So now as this
infant church is starting,
00:45:16.75\00:45:20.68
Paul is spending a lot
of time defending Jesus.
00:45:20.72\00:45:24.09
He's spending a lot of time
defending the faith of Jesus.
00:45:24.12\00:45:27.02
In fact, the book of
Hebrews is almost the
00:45:27.06\00:45:30.63
summation of all of these books.
00:45:30.66\00:45:32.13
Because he's really
telling the people, Jesus is it.
00:45:32.16\00:45:35.43
Jesus is what it's all
about. There is no other.
00:45:35.46\00:45:37.87
And if you go back, there
is no more sacrifice for you.
00:45:37.90\00:45:42.94
There is no more forgiveness.
00:45:42.97\00:45:44.31
Because you're
going back under the law.
00:45:44.34\00:45:46.04
And so he's saying that
in a sort of mini way here;
00:45:46.11\00:45:50.01
that you've been set free,
but for some unexplained reason
00:45:50.08\00:45:55.35
someone has hypnotized
you, something has gotten into
00:45:55.55\00:45:58.15
your heads, and you are putting
yourself back under bondage.
00:45:58.19\00:46:02.22
You are putting yourself
back into a state of working
00:46:02.26\00:46:05.29
your way through things.
00:46:05.33\00:46:06.96
So you've got freedom,
you're giving up your freedom
00:46:07.00\00:46:10.00
to go back into
slavery, volitionally.
00:46:10.03\00:46:13.10
And that is the wrong thing.
00:46:13.17\00:46:14.50
There must be something wrong.
00:46:14.54\00:46:15.87
You must be hypnotized.
00:46:15.90\00:46:17.24
Somebody has gotten in and
gotten a hold of your brains.
00:46:17.27\00:46:19.94
Because you are free.
00:46:20.01\00:46:21.98
Why would you want to
go back under slavery,
00:46:22.24\00:46:24.48
and you are free in the Lord?
00:46:24.58\00:46:26.95
And so he says here, "Cursed is
everyone who does not continue."
00:46:26.98\00:46:31.69
And Shelley and Jill,
you both touched on this.
00:46:31.72\00:46:35.16
"All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God."
00:46:35.42\00:46:37.89
So you cannot
continue on your own.
00:46:37.93\00:46:40.63
If we're going to
get through this thing,
00:46:40.73\00:46:42.96
we've got to have
the grace of Jesus.
00:46:43.26\00:46:44.87
We've got to have faith
in Christ, because it is
00:46:44.90\00:46:47.34
Christ who frees us.
00:46:47.37\00:46:49.24
Any other way is going to
put you back under the old law.
00:46:50.24\00:46:54.18
So Paul is wrestling with
the people who have come up with
00:46:54.21\00:47:00.82
the idea in their minds
that: obey, live; disobey, die.
00:47:00.85\00:47:05.79
And no further.
00:47:05.99\00:47:07.32
That's kind of where
their thought has ended.
00:47:07.36\00:47:10.26
And he's trying to say,
there's a new paradigm now.
00:47:10.29\00:47:12.86
Surrender to Christ and live.
00:47:13.06\00:47:14.83
Have faith and live.
00:47:14.86\00:47:16.46
And Christ has
done the obey part.
00:47:16.56\00:47:19.43
What you've got to do is
accept His obedience, His death.
00:47:19.73\00:47:24.24
He was obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.
00:47:24.27\00:47:26.78
When you accept that,
now is the new way to live.
00:47:26.81\00:47:30.05
Rather than just obey and live,
00:47:30.25\00:47:32.08
it's surrender
to Christ and live.
00:47:32.11\00:47:34.08
Believe in Christ and live.
00:47:34.12\00:47:35.62
Accept the grace
of Christ and live.
00:47:35.65\00:47:37.49
And of course, another thing
that is working against him
00:47:37.52\00:47:40.46
is this idea,
from Deuteronomy 21,
00:47:40.49\00:47:43.83
that your Savior died
in an accursed method.
00:47:43.86\00:47:48.00
The one that you've
got to look to and venerate
00:47:48.56\00:47:50.90
died in a way that has
classically in your minds
00:47:51.00\00:47:53.87
been taught that if a
person is put on a tree...
00:47:54.24\00:47:58.17
And this is not
necessarily die on a tree.
00:47:58.31\00:47:59.94
It's, put on a tree after death
00:48:00.04\00:48:01.81
as a symbol of
the accursed state.
00:48:01.84\00:48:04.81
Shot, whatever, by an arrow,
or however they were killed.
00:48:06.31\00:48:09.72
If the body is hung on a
tree, it is a statement that
00:48:09.82\00:48:13.05
that person is accursed.
00:48:13.09\00:48:14.56
And now Christ dies on a tree.
00:48:14.59\00:48:16.73
And you're being
called to venerate somebody
00:48:16.76\00:48:20.60
who your heart says,
who your training says,
00:48:20.63\00:48:22.93
who your teaching
says cannot be venerated.
00:48:23.03\00:48:26.17
So it's a stumbling
block to a lot of people.
00:48:26.20\00:48:28.34
So Paul is spending
a lot of time saying,
00:48:28.37\00:48:30.67
we've got to re-orient our life.
00:48:30.71\00:48:32.21
Shelley use to tell us,
when you first came to the Bible
00:48:32.24\00:48:34.28
God had to kind of
flush everything out
00:48:34.31\00:48:36.31
and we've got to
start from scratch.
00:48:36.54\00:48:38.88
And basically, that's what
Paul is telling the Galatians.
00:48:39.35\00:48:41.68
You need to get rid of
your preconceived silo thinking
00:48:41.72\00:48:45.75
and start from ground zero.
00:48:45.95\00:48:48.49
And ground zero is,
Christ has become sin for you.
00:48:48.52\00:48:52.73
He's taken the
curse of sin for you.
00:48:52.76\00:48:55.00
Now let's start
with that building block
00:48:55.03\00:48:57.10
and build up from there.
00:48:57.13\00:48:58.93
Because if you stay in
your old way of thinking,
00:48:58.97\00:49:02.67
you will never,
ever be able to accept
00:49:02.70\00:49:05.47
what Christ has done for you.
00:49:05.51\00:49:07.04
Because it's already been done.
00:49:07.08\00:49:08.58
You just have to
accept it and understand it.
00:49:08.84\00:49:11.25
Here in the lesson it says,
"We do not have the liberty
00:49:11.65\00:49:14.02
to pick and choose
what we want to follow."
00:49:14.05\00:49:16.55
And that is so very, very true.
00:49:16.69\00:49:18.82
It's not a Chinese menu.
You know, a Chinese menu.
00:49:18.85\00:49:21.66
You don't get to choose one from
column A, one from column B.
00:49:21.69\00:49:24.13
It's the whole
thing or none at all.
00:49:24.16\00:49:27.40
Before my time slips away...
00:49:28.70\00:49:30.03
And this little ten
minutes we get are fun, but boy,
00:49:30.10\00:49:32.03
they kind of tax you
when you've got a lot.
00:49:32.07\00:49:34.14
The question is
asked in the lesson,
00:49:34.94\00:49:37.04
and I think this is good,
"How did Christ deliver us
00:49:37.07\00:49:39.81
from the curse of the law?"
00:49:39.84\00:49:41.24
And Paul is very, very
clear in Galatians 3:13,
00:49:41.28\00:49:44.98
2 Corinthians 5:21.
00:49:45.15\00:49:46.78
He became sin for us.
00:49:46.85\00:49:49.25
I think that is one of the
things that we'll be studying
00:49:49.35\00:49:51.99
throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:49:52.02\00:49:53.89
How He became sin for us.
00:49:54.16\00:49:56.96
He took on the
burden of sin for us.
00:49:56.99\00:49:59.43
He took on our sin,
debt, Colossians says,
00:49:59.46\00:50:02.83
and canceled that debt.
00:50:02.86\00:50:04.40
That is something that the
human mind has trouble, sort of,
00:50:04.43\00:50:09.17
wrapping itself around
because it is so exhaustive
00:50:09.20\00:50:12.07
and so comprehensive, the
fact that He became sin for us.
00:50:12.11\00:50:15.84
It's a powerful,
powerful thought.
00:50:15.88\00:50:17.95
The word,
"redeem," is, exagorazó.
00:50:18.05\00:50:24.79
And of course, any time
you have, "ex," in the Greek,
00:50:24.92\00:50:28.36
it's something going out.
00:50:28.39\00:50:29.72
You think, it's
something going out.
00:50:30.03\00:50:31.36
The idea is to redeem us
or to rescue us from loss.
00:50:33.23\00:50:38.40
To buy us back, as it were.
00:50:38.43\00:50:40.40
To reclaim, to repurchase.
00:50:40.44\00:50:42.17
To re-assert the rights
over a particular thing.
00:50:42.50\00:50:47.28
Like that song we were
talking about at the very, very
00:50:47.38\00:50:49.11
beginning that T. Marshall
Kelly sings, You're Twice Mine.
00:50:49.14\00:50:52.08
"Made you, you
sold yourself into sin,
00:50:52.11\00:50:55.18
and I went and got
you and bought you back.
00:50:55.22\00:50:56.95
And I spared no
expense in getting you back.
00:50:57.05\00:51:00.76
You were worth the
price that was paid."
00:51:00.79\00:51:02.86
Of course, the
price was all of heaven.
00:51:02.89\00:51:04.46
And we are redeemed through
that particular transaction.
00:51:04.86\00:51:10.93
The thing that is wonderful
about it is that the transaction
00:51:11.20\00:51:14.24
was volitional.
00:51:14.27\00:51:15.60
Christ was not
forced to do this.
00:51:15.94\00:51:18.81
The everlasting covenant
says, and picks up the story
00:51:18.91\00:51:22.24
in the mid-sentence,
"Yeah, let us make man
00:51:22.28\00:51:26.01
in Our image.
00:51:26.41\00:51:27.82
We know there's going
to be a period when there's
00:51:28.08\00:51:30.72
going to be some estrangement,
but let's go ahead and do this.
00:51:30.75\00:51:34.36
Let's make man in Our image.
00:51:34.39\00:51:35.86
And if we've got to make
a sacrifice to get him back,
00:51:36.06\00:51:39.96
yeah, we'll make that sacrifice.
00:51:40.63\00:51:43.40
Let's go ahead and do it."
00:51:43.43\00:51:44.77
Because of the love of God and
the love of our great Savior.
00:51:45.40\00:51:50.44
The lesson says, "He
voluntarily took our curse
00:51:51.27\00:51:53.94
upon Himself and
suffered in our behalf
00:51:53.98\00:51:56.71
the full penalty of sin."
00:51:56.78\00:51:59.31
So now I don't have
to pay that penalty.
00:51:59.35\00:52:03.32
It's been paid.
00:52:03.39\00:52:04.79
I don't have to
take a trip to Jerusalem.
00:52:04.82\00:52:07.99
And I don't have to
crawl on my hands and knees.
00:52:08.09\00:52:10.59
And I don't have to,
as poor Martin Luther did,
00:52:10.63\00:52:12.79
wear my horse hair
garment inside out to sort of
00:52:12.83\00:52:15.40
flagellate myself.
00:52:15.43\00:52:16.83
All I've got to do is come
to Jesus and say, "I surrender.
00:52:17.03\00:52:21.30
Come into my life."
00:52:21.47\00:52:22.80
And somewhere in
heaven a key turns in a lock
00:52:22.84\00:52:26.07
and the grace
pipeline is opened.
00:52:26.31\00:52:30.61
And it's such a
convenient term, isn't it?
00:52:30.81\00:52:34.55
It just fits so much.
00:52:34.58\00:52:35.98
And all of the benefits
that are in that pipeline
00:52:36.02\00:52:39.72
are made available to me.
00:52:39.79\00:52:41.32
And it's a wonderful
thing because I begin to grow
00:52:41.52\00:52:45.06
and I begin to live.
00:52:45.09\00:52:46.43
And it's
something I do, not to...
00:52:46.46\00:52:47.76
Obedience comes as
a natural consequence
00:52:47.83\00:52:50.70
of my love and
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:52:50.73\00:52:53.23
And the curse is gone
because there's no condemnation
00:52:54.44\00:52:58.94
in Christ Jesus.
00:52:59.47\00:53:01.31
And I'm in, so
there is no condemnation.
00:53:01.34\00:53:03.85
There is now only righteousness
credited to my account
00:53:03.91\00:53:07.85
the moment I say,
"Jesus, I am yours."
00:53:07.88\00:53:10.85
So essentially,
obedience is only by grace.
00:53:11.25\00:53:16.49
Amen, love it. Yeah.
00:53:16.56\00:53:19.43
As God works in us to will
and to do His good pleasure.
00:53:19.46\00:53:22.73
It's the logical consequence
of an abiding relationship
00:53:22.76\00:53:26.77
in Jesus Christ.
00:53:26.84\00:53:28.17
Obedience is a
gift too, isn't it?
00:53:28.20\00:53:29.74
It is, it is.
00:53:29.77\00:53:31.11
It is a gift,
because I can't be obedient.
00:53:31.14\00:53:32.47
As faith is a
gift, as grace is a gift.
00:53:32.51\00:53:33.88
It's the default
setting on loving Jesus.
00:53:33.91\00:53:36.28
If you love Him, He
is working out His will
00:53:36.31\00:53:39.58
and His way in
you and through you.
00:53:39.61\00:53:40.95
You were created,
Ephesians 2:10 says,
00:53:40.98\00:53:44.09
for good works.
00:53:44.12\00:53:45.45
Well those good
works come as a...
00:53:45.52\00:53:47.06
Of course that follows,
"The just shall live by faith."
00:53:47.26\00:53:49.29
It follows that
there's a loving faith
00:53:49.32\00:53:52.33
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:53:52.36\00:53:53.70
And out of that flows obedience.
00:53:53.73\00:53:55.66
- Amen. - Praise the Lord.
00:53:55.70\00:53:57.90
So we have then, that
the gospel is found in the
00:53:58.60\00:54:02.57
Old Testament as
well as the New Testament.
00:54:02.60\00:54:04.67
And it's interesting to
me that some people think
00:54:05.07\00:54:09.34
it's only in the New Testament.
00:54:09.38\00:54:10.85
But we see grace
in the Old Testament,
00:54:11.25\00:54:14.02
we see grace in
the New Testament.
00:54:14.22\00:54:16.12
And really, God has only had
one way to save the human race.
00:54:16.15\00:54:21.12
Amen, it is. Well said.
00:54:21.16\00:54:22.49
Absolutely.
Before time began, amen.
00:54:22.52\00:54:24.03
Before time began.
00:54:24.06\00:54:25.39
I'm thinking of some scriptures
that will help us along the way
00:54:25.43\00:54:29.03
in this talk that we have.
00:54:29.06\00:54:30.73
I'm not sure if it's been
mentioned, maybe I missed it.
00:54:30.77\00:54:33.30
There in Isaiah
chapter 1 we see God describing
00:54:34.00\00:54:39.94
the condition of
the people of Israel.
00:54:39.97\00:54:42.14
And He says, from the sole of
the foot to the top of the head
00:54:42.18\00:54:46.25
it's just in a filthy condition.
00:54:46.88\00:54:48.88
It's putrefying sores.
00:54:48.92\00:54:51.29
But then in Isaiah
1:18, God says to them,
00:54:51.59\00:54:56.16
even though
they're in that condition,
00:54:56.19\00:54:57.56
"Come, let us reason together.
00:54:58.76\00:55:01.66
Though your sins be as
scarlet, they will be white."
00:55:01.90\00:55:04.60
White as snow.
00:55:04.63\00:55:05.97
"Though they be
red like crimson,
00:55:06.00\00:55:07.34
they will be white as wool."
00:55:07.97\00:55:09.97
And so we see here
God offering mercy,
00:55:10.01\00:55:12.57
extending His hand
of grace to the people.
00:55:12.67\00:55:15.24
Not based on works.
00:55:15.28\00:55:16.61
He says, "Come, let
us reason together."
00:55:16.64\00:55:17.98
But based on faith
in the coming Redeemer.
00:55:18.28\00:55:22.12
Because really, when you
look at the sanctuary system,
00:55:22.15\00:55:25.99
just as Shelley mentioned,
it is the gospel in symbols.
00:55:26.52\00:55:30.23
By the sacrificial
system they were to understand
00:55:30.69\00:55:35.00
and keep before them that the
true Sacrifice, the Lamb of God,
00:55:35.03\00:55:41.84
Jesus Christ, was
going to come to redeem them
00:55:41.87\00:55:45.07
from their sins.
00:55:45.11\00:55:46.44
When they went to church,
they were also going to school.
00:55:46.47\00:55:48.88
Because, as well
said, they weren't taught.
00:55:48.91\00:55:51.65
But if you look at how Isaiah
starts, "The ox knows its owner.
00:55:51.68\00:55:54.28
But My people don't know
Me. They're away from Me."
00:55:54.32\00:55:58.02
And yet it ends with this
call, "Come, let us reason.
00:55:58.05\00:56:00.76
Let's work our
way through this."
00:56:00.79\00:56:02.16
So there's grace there
even in the book of Isaiah
00:56:02.19\00:56:05.56
over and over again.
00:56:05.59\00:56:06.96
Oh my goodness, over and over.
00:56:07.00\00:56:08.30
But when God called me to
full-time ministry and said,
00:56:08.33\00:56:10.60
"Forget what you think you know.
00:56:10.63\00:56:11.97
Come sit at My feet
and I'll teach you,"
00:56:12.00\00:56:13.67
where He started me,
the most interesting thing,
00:56:13.97\00:56:16.37
was the study of the Sanctuary.
00:56:16.40\00:56:18.77
And that is where I
came to understand grace,
00:56:19.14\00:56:24.51
when I studied out the
symbolism of the Sanctuary
00:56:25.25\00:56:29.38
and everything it
meant about Jesus Christ.
00:56:29.42\00:56:31.42
So salvation has
always, always been by grace.
00:56:31.52\00:56:36.26
- Amen. - Amen.
00:56:36.29\00:56:37.66
One last passage that I
want to mention is found
00:56:37.89\00:56:41.23
in Zechariah chapter 3.
00:56:41.26\00:56:42.80
And there Joshua the high priest
is clothed in filthy garments.
00:56:43.10\00:56:47.34
In other words,
he was full of sin.
00:56:47.37\00:56:49.27
And what does God say to him?
00:56:49.87\00:56:52.34
Remove them. Take
away the filthy garments.
00:56:53.41\00:56:55.61
Yes, He tells the angel,
"Take away the filthy garments,
00:56:55.64\00:56:58.41
and give him a
change of raiment."
00:56:58.45\00:57:01.92
In other words, there it is.
00:57:01.95\00:57:03.75
The robe of righteousness
is put on the individual
00:57:04.35\00:57:07.39
that acknowledges he's a sinner
00:57:07.42\00:57:09.02
and accepts the
righteousness of Christ.
00:57:09.12\00:57:12.03
So there again, over
and over, you can see it
00:57:12.33\00:57:14.93
in the Old
Testament as well; the gospel.
00:57:14.93\00:57:16.97
There has only been
one way for us to be saved,
00:57:17.00\00:57:19.30
and that is
through Jesus Christ.
00:57:19.33\00:57:20.74
Jesus said, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life.
00:57:20.77\00:57:23.81
No man cometh unto
the Father but by Me."
00:57:23.84\00:57:27.18
We hope you have enjoyed
this Sabbath School lesson
00:57:27.28\00:57:29.98
and we hope that you
will continue to join us
00:57:30.01\00:57:31.58
in 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:57:31.61\00:57:33.42
We'll see you here next week.
00:57:33.45\00:57:35.12
God bless you.
00:57:35.15\00:57:36.48