Galatians 1:1-10
Sticking to the Gospel
Introduction: The importance of this book cannot be over emphasized. This book
is the first in a trilogy of books to explain the Biblical doctrine of grace.
These three books are not teaching a change in God’s plan of salvation. They
teach that salvation has always been by grace.
WHO THE BOOK IS WRITTEN TO - "UNTO THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA" \\#1:2\\
The book of Galatians is not written to a church but rather to a group of
churches. These churches are located in a region of Asia Minor know as Galatia,
a region Paul passed through as recorded in \\#Acts 16:6\\. The exact number
or location of the churches is not known.
Even though Paul’s duration in this region seems short, a strong bond between
Paul and the converts can be seen in by the following evidences:
1. Paul has current knowledge of their problem.
2. Paul maintains apostolic authority over the people.
3. The people, at least at one-time, had great devotion to Paul
\\#Gal 4:14-15\\.
WHEN THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN -
The exact time of the book’s writing is not known but probably around 55AD. Paul
passed through the region after the Council of Jerusalem \\#Acts 16:6\\ and
shares those events \\#Gal 2:1-10\\ in this letter.
WHY THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN -
The reason the book was written becomes the book’s theme. The entire book
deals with the question, "HOW FAR INTO JUDAISM MUST A PERSON GO TO BE SAVED?"
This book, along with the books of Romans and Hebrews, form the bedrock books
for the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, plus nothing, minus
nothing. Galatians has been referred to as the "Magna Carta of Christian
Liberty."
DIVISION OF THE BOOK
I. Chapters 1-2 - A Defense of the Gospel
II. Chapters 3-4 - Understanding the Law
III. Chapters 5-6 - Walking in the Spirit
I. \\#Gal 1:1-2:21\\ A DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL
A. \\#Gal 1:1-1:5\\ We worship a living God.
1. \\#1:1\\ We worship a God with power to direct our lives.
a. The Judaizers have rejected Paul as being a disciple of
Christ because they did not like his message. Paul will
spend much time in this epistle vindicating himself and
starts at the very beginning by pointing out he did not
receive his apostleship from men, but from God.
b. Paul maintains that he is God-called, that God the Father
has intervened in his life both to appoint him to preach of
Jesus Christ and to teach him what to preach \\#11-12\\.
c. The wonder here is that we serve a God who will manifest
Himself in our lives as He did Paul’s.
1. Understand that God does have a purpose for you.
2. Understand that God will reveal that purpose to you.
2. \\#1:1\\ We worship a God with power to raise the dead.
a. We should never let the power and the amazement of this feat
escape us.
b. \\#2\\ "WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS" The resurrection
completes the payment for our sins. We should be astonished
that God would pay the price of His own Son’s life for us!
c. Not only should we be astonished as the spiritual
significance of this feat, but at the sheer physical
significance of it.
(1) The dead do not stay dead. There is life beyond the
grave. Eternity is what counts.
(2) If we ever truly understood the implication of this
truth, our entire earthly existence would be changed.
3. \\#1:4\\ We worship a God with power to deliver us from this evil
world.
a. A great truth is herein revealed; namely, the world that we
live in is very much an evil world.
(1) Of course this is plainly told us.
(2) We are then further told that we need deliverance from
it.
b. I think both the character and the intent of this planet are
being described.
(1) This place has an evil character.
(a) It is filled with annoyances, hardships, toils, and
perils.
(b) For every good thing that happens, it seems at least
one bad thing follows it to steal your happiness.
(2) This place also seems intent in making us like it.
(a) Evil is not just what the world is. It is what
this world wants to make us into. The world
desires to make us like itself.
(b) It wants to derail us from the holy, the pure, the
eternal, the godly.
(c) It wants us to be joyless, stressed, unthankful,
short tempered, aggravated, consumed, and bitter.
c. However, we worship a God with power to deliver us from this
present evil world. How so?
(1) Salvation’s power frees us from our past and all of its
pitfalls.
(a) For those whose wicked past has been erased, we
should never again be joyless and bitter.
(b) Just remember!
2Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
(2) The Spirit’s power frees us from all other evil
influences.
(a) His abiding presence gives us spiritual ambitions.
(b) His abiding presence guides us away from evil.
(c) His abiding presence alerts us to evil.
(d) His abiding presence provides us with chastisement
if we fail.
(e) His abiding presence forgives us and cleanses us
when we repent.
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