Galatians (NT)

The Living Commentary Series
STANDING FAST IN
LIBERTY
Lessons from Paul’s Epistle to the

GALATIANS
By James Rasbeary
GALATIANS
Copyright 2007 by James Rasbeary

All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Cover design by James Rasbeary.
All Scripture quotations come from the

King James Bible.
For additional printed copies, please order online at:

www.lulu.com/lbcwylie
Or contact us at:
Lighthouse Baptist Publications
1364 Parker Road
Wylie, Texas 75098
(972) 429-0029
www.lbcwylie.com
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Standing Fast in Liberty
DEDICATION
This volume is affectionately dedicated to
BRO. TOM DAVIS
With appreciation for your encouragement and support.
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GALATIANS
“LEARN THE BIBLE WHILE YOU

ARE YOUNG, AND WHEN YOU
ARE OLD YOU WILL DRAW
FROM IT LIKE A WELL.”
DR. J. FRANK NORRIS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface 7
Introduction (1:1-5) 9
1. The Perversion of the Gospel (1:3-12) 23
2. Paul’s Apostleship and Authority (1:11-24) 39
3. Tales from Two Cities (2:1-21) 55
4. “Christ Liveth in Me” (2:16-21) 75
5. “Who hath Bewitched You?” (3:1-5) 85
6. The Evidence for Faith (3:6-29) 95
7. “The Fulness of the Time” (4:1-11) 105
8. A Tough Lesson in Leadership (4:12-20) 115
9. The Two Covenants (4:21-31) 127
10. Liberty & Grace (5:1) 139
11. “Ye are Fallen from Grace” (5:1-6) 145
12. “Ye did run well” (5:7-12) 155
13. Liberty, Love & Service (5:13-15) 161
14. The Lusts of the Flesh & Spirit (5:16-18) 169
15. Sins Against Marriage (5:19) 177
16. Sins of Apostasy (5:20) 185
17. Sins of Pride (5:20-21) 191
18. Sins of Excess (5:20-21) 201
19. The Fruit of the Spirit (5:22-26) 211
20. The Ministry of Restoration (6:1) 221
21. Burdens to Bear & Share (6:2-5) 229
22. The Law of Sowing and Reaping (6:6-10) 237
23. No Glory but the Cross (6:11-18) 245
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GALATIANS
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PREFACE
The premise of the Book of Galatians is that salvation is the gift

of God, purchased through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the
cross of Calvary, and received by personal faith in Jesus Christ as
Savior. This salvation is free, full, and forever.
Anyone who adds any additional steps to God’s plan of salvation
is a heretic of the worst kind, teaching “damnable heresies,” leading
souls towards perdition and everlasting punishment, and under the
double curse of Galatians 1:8-9. These additional steps often include,
but are not limited to: baptism, church membership, the mass,
confession to priests, sacraments, confirmation, communion,
perseverance, praying to Mary and/or dead saints, keeping the law,
speaking in tongues, charitable gifts, good works, and various other
religious ordinances. Such additional, unbiblical, man-made steps
would mean that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, “once for all,” was
NOT sufficient for the salvation of the soul.
The Book of Galatians proves conclusively that salvation is a
purchased possession that must be personally received by faith in
Jesus Christ. Salvation is trusting Jesus Christ and His sufficient
atonement, without any additional steps. Salvation is 100% Jesus.
Salvation is never 50% faith and 50% baptism, church membership,
or good works. Salvation is never 75% faith and 25% perseverance to
the end. Salvation is never 99% Jesus and 1% you or your church.
Salvation is 100% Jesus – all the way, from the guttermost to the
uttermost – or it is not salvation at all.
Any other “gospel” is a false gospel, with no saving power.
These lessons were originally taught in the Victory Adult Sunday
School class at the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Wylie, Texas. It is
my hope that this study of Galatians will be a blessing and help to
God’s born again children, and an eye-opener to those that have been
deceived by the devil’s numerous false gospels.
James Rasbeary
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GALATIANS
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INTRODUCTION
(Gal 1:1-5) "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by

Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) {2}
And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
{3} Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our
Lord Jesus Christ, {4} Who gave himself for our sins, that he might
deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God
and our Father: {5} To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
The Book of Galatians is filled with “meaty” doctrine, especially

concerning the doctrine of salvation. You need to chew on it carefully
in order to understand its fullness. It is the author’s hope that these
lessons will unlock many of the deep spiritual truths in Galatians,
while making many practical applications.
The following ten facts will help to set the background for our
study of the Book of Galatians:
1. The Author of the Book of Galatians is the Holy Spirit of God. (2
Pet 1:21) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost."
It is important in any study of the Scriptures to understand
that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim 3:16-
17). I believe in the inspiration of the Bible. It is not simply the
words of men. It is the Word of God.
God has also preserved His inspired Word. (Psa 12:6-7)
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a
furnace of earth, purified seven times. {7} Thou shalt keep them,
O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."
His words are pure. God has promised to preserve them forever.
Without preservation, inspiration would be meaningless, because
there are no original manuscripts anywhere in the world today.
We only have copies – but we also have God’s promise to
preserve His words and to keep them pure. I believe that the King
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GALATIANS
James Bible is the pure, preserved Word of God for the English-
speaking world. This principle is the guiding light for our study of
this Book.
When men study the Bible without faith in its divine
inspiration and preservation, they have a bad tendency to edit,
correct, and rewrite the Word of God. If they do not like what it
says, they simply change what it to match what they believe. Like
the subtil serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3), they ask,
"...Yea, hath God said?" The devil wants us to put a question
mark where God has put a period.
I would rather stand before God as a bartender than to be one
of these Bible-correcting pseudo-scholars that wants to mess with
the words of God, or that causes God’s people to question or
doubt the Bible. (Rev 22:18-19) "For I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man
shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues
that are written in this book: {19} And if any man shall take
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall
take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,
and from the things which are written in this book."
We will approach the Book of Galatians "...not as the word of
men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe" (1 Th 2:13). Because it is the
Word of God, it is the truth. Because it is the truth, it can make us
free. (John 8:32) "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free." The truths that are found in the six chapters of
Galatians could bring lost sinners to salvation, as well as change
the lives of believers. That is our desire – not to simply study the
Book, but to learn it so that its truths can transform our lives.
Because Galatians is part of the Scriptures, it will always
prove profitable for our study. (2 Tim 3:16-17) "All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: {17}
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works."
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¾ It will be profitable for doctrine. It is going to tell us what is

right – what is true. There is a great deal of doctrine in this
wonderful Book, particularly concerning salvation.
¾ It will be profitable for reproof. It is going to tell us what is
wrong and false.
¾ It will be profitable for correction. It is going to tell us how
to get right.
¾ It will be profitable for instruction in righteousness. It is
going to tell us how to stay right.
¾ The truths of Galatians are going to help perfect and balance
our lives, while furnishing us thoroughly for all good works.
As in most of Paul’s Epistles, Galatians begins with great
doctrines, and ends with practical application. We must learn
to balance doctrine with application.
The Bible is a balanced Book, and when we are Biblical
Christians we will live balanced lives. Too many Christians
are unbalanced. Some know all of the doctrines – but do not
obey the practical commands in their everyday lives. Others
are doing their best to live the Christian life, but they are
ignorant of the doctrines of God’s Word. Let us learn all six
chapters of Galatians, so that it might perfect and balance our
lives, while thoroughly furnishing us for service and good
works.
The first thing we must understand and accept about the Book
of Galatians is that it is the inspired, preserved, inerrant Word of
God. This will be the guiding principle for our study.
2. The holy man that God used to write His words was the Apostle
Paul (1:1).
3. The timing of the Epistle is generally considered to have been
sometime between 49 and 57 A.D. It is generally accepted to
have been one of his earliest Epistles, and many believe that it
was his first. I believe that it was written after the Jerusalem
Council of Acts 15, and that Galatians 2:1-10 is a reference to
that great event.
4. The Epistle was written to the churches of Galatia.
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GALATIANS
(Gal 1:1-2) "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man,

but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the
dead;) {2} And all the brethren which are with me, unto the
churches of Galatia..."
Galatia was the central part of the region of Asia Minor, in
modern day Turkey. It was not a city, like Ephesus, but a
geographic region, a province. The region included administrative
provinces such as Pisidia, Phrygia, and Lyconia. The Galatians
were of Celtic descent, and had settled in the region around 300
B.C., after being driven out of Gaul (France). It was a kingdom
until 25 B.C., when it became a Roman province.
The Epistle was not sent to one church, but to the churches of
Galatia. We do not know how many churches there were at this
time.
5. Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary works were in the region of
Galatia (Acts 13-14). This included:
1) Perga in Pamphilia (Acts 13:13).
2) Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14-51).
Many Gentiles were saved here, but the unbelieving Jews
were fierce in their opposition to the Gospel, causing Paul
and Barnabas to be expelled from the city.
3) Iconium (Acts 13:51 – 14:6).
Here, they again won many Gentile converts, but were
run out of town by the unbelieving Jews. The entire city was
divided by the Gospel.
4) Lystra and Derbe, of Lyconia (Acts 14:6-21).
It was in Lystra that Paul healed a crippled man. The
Gentiles of Iconium assumed that Paul and Barnabas were
gods visiting in the form of men, calling Barnabas “Jupiter,”
and Paul “Mercury.” The unbelieving Jews from Antioch and
Iconium followed Paul to Lystra, and persuaded the people to
stone Paul. (Acts 14:19-20) "And there came thither certain
Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people,
and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing
he had been dead. {20} Howbeit, as the disciples stood round
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about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next
day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe."
After this, Paul and Barnabas went to Derbe. Then, they
returned through the cities of the Galatian region,
strengthening the churches that they had started. (Acts 14:21-
23) "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and
had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to
Iconium, and Antioch, {22} Confirming the souls of the
disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and
that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom
of God. {23} And when they had ordained them elders in
every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended
them to the Lord, on whom they believed."
Many believe that Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians
soon after his return to Antioch. He marvelled that they were “so
soon removed” from the Gospel that he had taught them (Gal
1:6).
Later, at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, he
returned through the region of Galatia, strengthening the
churches. This gives us the hope that this Epistle was successful
in turning at least some of these churches back to the Gospel of
grace. (Acts 18:23) "And after he had spent some time there, he
departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in
order, strengthening all the disciples."
6. Immediately after their first missionary journey through the
region of Galatia, the great controversy of legalism began to
trouble the churches. Legalism is the addition of works to God’s
plan of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
(Acts 15:1-6) "And certain men which came down from
Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be
circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be
saved. {2} When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no
small dissension and disputation with them, they
determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of
them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and
elders about this question. {3} And being brought on their
way by the church, they passed through Phenice and
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GALATIANS
Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and

they caused great joy unto all the brethren. {4} And when
they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the
church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared
all things that God had done with them. {5} But there rose
up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed,
saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to
command them to keep the law of Moses. {6} And the
apostles and elders came together for to consider of this
matter."
The Bible does not call these false teachers “brethren” or
“believers.” I do not believe that they were saved. They came
under the guise of Christianity, as wolves in sheep’s clothing.
(Mat 7:15-16) "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. {16} Ye
shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles?"
These false teachers began to sneak their heresies into the
churches. (2 Pet 2:1-2) "But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. {2} And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by
reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."
7. If Satan cannot destroy the church with persecution, he will
attempt to corrupt it with false doctrines. Since he could not beat
the churches, he joined them. He has in this world today:
¾ False Christs and false prophets - (Mat 24:24) "For there
shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect."
¾ False apostles, ministers, and workers – (2 Cor 11:13-15)
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. {14} And no marvel;
for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. {15}
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
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transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end

shall be according to their works."
¾ False brethren - (Gal 2:4) "And that because of false
brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out
our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage:"
¾ False teachers - (2 Pet 2:1) "...even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies...”
¾ False, corrupted bibles - (2 Cor 2:17) "For we are not as
many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity,
but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."
Everyone that claims to be of God is not necessarily of God.
Not every group that calls itself a church is necessarily a New
Testament church. There are false churches, false teachers, false
prophets, and false ministers that are literally doing the devil’s
work – and they themselves will believe that they are serving
God. Christians need to learn the Word of God, so that we can
have the wisdom needed to discern truth from error:
¾ (1 John 4:1) "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world."
¾ (1 John 4:6) "We are of God: he that knoweth God
heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby
know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."
Satan is the original heretic, and the father of all false
doctrines and false religions. (John 8:44) "Ye are of your father
the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
The original heresy concerned the wages of sin. (Gen 3:4)
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die..."
God said that the wages of sin was death (Gen. 2:17 and Romans
6:23). Satan denied the penalty of sin, and people still believe his
lie today. Satan says, “Sin is not as bad as God says it is. Sin’s
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GALATIANS
penalty is not death and hell. It is not that bad.” And people are
dying and going to hell every minute because they have believed
Satan’s original lie.
His next heresy concerned the means of achieving salvation.
He convinced Cain of this heresy, and the first false religion was
started. (Gen 4:3-5) "And in process of time it came to pass, that
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the
LORD. {4} And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock
and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and
to his offering: {5} But unto Cain and to his offering he had not
respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."
God’s means of salvation is through the sacrifice of Christ,
the Lamb of God, pictured by the Abel’s offering of a firstling of
his flock. Cain, “who was of that wicked one” (1 Jn. 3:12),
rejected the bloody sacrifice that God had ordained, and brought a
basket of fruit – the work of his own hands, produced by the
ground that God had cursed. Cain’s religion was that of works –
a self-righteous attempt to come to God on his own terms. God
rejected Cain’s offering, and He will reject any attempt made by
man to come on his own merits. The only way to the Father is
through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me."
Right from the beginning, we can see Satan’s attempt to
corrupt the Gospel of God. He wants to blind men’s eyes to the
truth, lest they should see, believe, and be saved. (2 Cor 4:3-4)
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: {4} In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them."
Within about twenty years of the Ascension of Christ, Satan
began to mess with the Gospel among the churches. He snuck in
some of his men, who privily brought in their “damnable
heresies.” A damnable heresy is a heresy connected with the
doctrine of salvation. In other words, a damnable heresy leads to
damnation and hell instead of salvation and heaven.
Unfortunately, millions of people have been deceived into
believing “damnable heresies” that masquerade as the Gospel.
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These false teachers, whom we call “Judaizers,” began to

cause trouble in the churches. (Acts 15:1) "And certain men
which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said,
Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be
saved." They added an exception to salvation. They added a step
to salvation for the Gentiles.
Now, a Gentile is anyone that is not a Jew. In the New
Testament, Jews are often referred to as “the circumcision,”
while Gentiles are called “the uncircumcision” (see Acts 10:45;
11:2; Romans 3:30; Gal. 2:7-12). This rite was the mark of
difference between the Jews and Gentiles, a sign of God’s
covenant with Israel (see Gen. 17:10-13). Circumcision was the
initial rite of admission for Gentile men who desired to convert to
the Jewish faith.
These Judaizers told the new Gentile converts that they had to
become Jews before God would save them. They had to submit to
circumcision, and then begin to live by the laws of Moses. In
other words, they taught that Gentiles had to become Jews before
they could become Christians, because God does not save
Gentiles. He only saves Jews. This was a satanic perversion of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
8. Satan tried to corrupt the simplicity of the Gospel by adding to it.
Salvation is simple. (Eph 2:8-9) "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9}
Not of works, lest any man should boast."
¾ It is by grace, which makes it a free gift.
¾ It is through faith in Christ, not through religious or
moral works.
¾ It is provided by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ
on the cross of Calvary.
¾ It is the GIFT of God.
Ninety-nine times, the Gospel of John says to “believe.” The
only difference between a lost sinner and a saved sinner is that the
saved sinner has believed on Jesus Christ for salvation. But it is
an eternal difference. (John 3:14-18) "And as Moses lifted up the
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serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted

up: {15} That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. {16} For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. {17} For God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through
him might be saved. {18} He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God."
Salvation requires repentance and faith. A sinner must repent
towards God in order to put his faith in Christ. (Acts 20:21)
"Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
Repentance is NOT a work, but a change of the mind and heart,
caused by acknowledging the truth.
Here is the BIBLE definition for repentance: (2 Tim 2:25)
"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of
the truth...”
When a sinner comes face to face with the truth of the
Gospel, he can do several things:
1. He can choose to deny the truth. He can refuse to even
acknowledge the truth. Such a person cannot be saved until
he has a change of mind concerning the truth.
2. He can choose to acknowledge the truth, and yet refuse to
receive Christ. This person knows the truth, but he is not
saved until he makes the decision to receive Jesus Christ.
3. He can choose to acknowledge the truth, and receive Christ
as Savior. Then, and only then, is he saved.
Some will face the truth, but they will not repent towards
God. They will not acknowledge the truth. Their lack of
repentance will usually be rooted in one of three areas:
¾ They will not repent of their unrighteousness. They will
not acknowledge their sinfulness in the eyes of God.
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They will not acknowledge that their works are sinful in

the eyes of God. Sinful behavior is excused or justified.
¾ They will not repent of their self-righteousness. They
will not acknowledge that their own goodness is totally
insufficient – that they have “come short of the glory of
God.” This is usually the problem among folks that are
considered to be moral, though not religious. They are
trusting in their own goodness to make them acceptable
in God’s sight.
¾ They will not repent of their church-righteousness. They
will not acknowledge that their religion or church is
unable to provide salvation. They are trusting in their
church, or creed, or priest, or baptism. They are unwilling
to acknowledge the truth that religious works cannot
atone for their sins.
Salvation is not simply knowing some facts about Jesus
Christ. It is not merely head knowledge. It is a decision of the
will. It is acknowledging the truth, and receiving Christ as Savior.
I have been a soul-winner for years. I have talked to many
thousands of people about Jesus Christ. Many – far too many –
simply refused to acknowledge the truth concerning their need for
salvation. Many others have acknowledged that they needed
salvation, and that they believed that Jesus Christ died for them
on Calvary and rose again. But when put on the spot to make a
decision, they refused. “Some day,” or “not now,” are common
excuses that have been made. Thankfully, many others have seen
the truth of salvation, acknowledged the truth, and gladly opened
their hearts to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior.
God’s salvation is free, complete, and forever. It is for
“whosoever will.” It is NOT through works, religion, morality, or
good deeds. It is for any and all who will receive Jesus Christ as
their personal Savior by faith – plus nothing, and minus nothing.
Satan came along and tried to corrupt that simplicity. (2 Cor
11:3-4) "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ. {4} For if he that cometh
preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
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GALATIANS
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another

gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."
He added an exception to salvation - another step, another
requirement. “Except ye be...ye cannot be saved.” In the
beginning, the addition was circumcision and the laws of Moses.
But it does not matter what the exception is. Anything other than
God’s requirement of believing in Christ is a satanic addition.
Anyone that adds any exception to salvation is presenting a false,
perverted gospel. It does not matter if the exception or addition is
circumcision, Judaism, church membership, baptism,
communion, “Lordship salvation,” good deeds, or “holding on to
the end.” Any addition is a satanic addition.
9. The Judaizers met stiff resistance from Paul and Barnabas, who
brought about the great Jerusalem conference to settle the matter.
(Acts 15:2) "When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no
small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that
Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to
Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question."
Peter testified against the Judaizers, and made his position
plain: (Acts 15:7-11) "And when there had been much disputing,
Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know
how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the
Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and
believe. {8} And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them
witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; {9}
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith. {10} Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a
yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers
nor we were able to bear? {11} But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."
Pastor James decided the matter, and letters were sent
warning the Gentile Christians of the legalists that would try to
subvert their souls.
(Acts 15:19-31) "Wherefore my sentence is, that we
trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are
turned to God: {20} But that we write unto them, that they
abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and
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from things strangled, and from blood. {21} For Moses of

old time hath in every city them that preach him, being
read in the synagogues every sabbath day. {22} Then
pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church,
to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with
Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas,
and Silas, chief men among the brethren: {23} And they
wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and
elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which
are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: {24}
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went
out from us have troubled you with words, subverting
your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the
law: to whom we gave no such commandment: {25} It
seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to
send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and
Paul, {26} Men that have hazarded their lives for the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. {27} We have sent therefore
Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by
mouth. {28} For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to
us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these
necessary things; {29} That ye abstain from meats
offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep
yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. {30} So when
they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they
had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the
epistle: {31} Which when they had read, they rejoiced for
the consolation."
10. These Judaizers were carrying out their insidious work among the
Gentile converts in Galatia.
They attacked Paul’s credibility, while perverting his
message. That is exactly how such men still operate today. They
discredit the messenger, and then attack his message.
They had a great deal of success, which caused Paul great
heartache. In this Epistle, therefore, he first vindicated his
ministry and calling, and then asserted the great Bible doctrines
concerning justification by faith in Christ alone.
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GALATIANS
(John 1:10-14) "He was in the world, and the world

was made by him, and the world knew him not. {11}
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
{12} But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name: {13} Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God. {14} And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth."
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Chapter One
THE PERVERSION OF THE GOSPEL
(Gal 1:3-12) "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and
from our Lord Jesus Christ, {4} Who gave himself for our sins, that
he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will
of God and our Father: {5} To whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen. {6} I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: {7} Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ. {8} But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed. {9} As we said before, so say I now again, If
any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed. {10} For do I now persuade men, or God? or do
I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the
servant of Christ. {11} But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man. {12} For I neither
received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of
Jesus Christ."
Jesus warned His apostles to beware of the leaven of the

Pharisees. (Mat 16:6,12) "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and
beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees...Then
understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of
bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
Within a few years of Christ’s ascension, the legalists tried to put
the leaven of the Pharisees into the bread of life. (Acts 15:5) "But
there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed,
saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them
to keep the law of Moses." The legalists, or Judaizers, had begun to
teach the Gentiles that they could not be saved without first
submitting to the rite of circumcision and the law of Moses. In other
words, they taught that God would not save Gentiles as they were.
They taught that God would only save Jews, and therefore Gentiles
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GALATIANS
had to convert to Judaism before they could be saved and become

Christians. They added an exception to God’s plan of salvation.
This heresy had crept in to the churches of Galatia, shortly after
Paul had returned to Antioch after his first missionary journey. The
Gentile converts of these churches were deceived, and their churches
had turned from Christ to “another gospel.” They had “fallen from
grace” (5:4). That does not mean that they, as individuals, had lost
their personal salvation, if they were truly saved. You cannot fall
from salvation (Jude 24). It means that as churches they had fallen
from the gospel of grace to a gospel of works, and were seeking to be
“justified by the law” (5:4).
Paul dealt with these churches in no uncertain terms. His Epistle
contains almost no commendation at all, but is rather filled with
alarm, shock, dismay, frustration, disappointment, and warning. Look
at some of the statements that Paul made to the Galatian churches:
¾ (Gal 1:6) "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:"
¾ (Gal 3:1) "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that
ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath
been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"
¾ (Gal 3:3) "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye
now made perfect by the flesh?"
¾ (Gal 4:9-11) "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather
are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? {10} Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years. {11} I am afraid
of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."
¾ (Gal 4:19-20) "My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again until Christ be formed in you, {20} I desire to be present
with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of
you."
¾ (Gal 5:12) "I would they were even cut off which trouble you."
Paul was standing in the gap for these churches, trying
desperately to turn them back to the true gospel of grace. I have hope
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that he did, based on his visits to some of the churches of Galatia

during his third missionary journey.
In this chapter, notice first the Presentation of the Gospel, and
then the attempted Perversion of the Gospel.
I. THE PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL.

I have been told that Treasury Department workers who are
trained to find counterfeit money do not train with counterfeit money.
They train with real money. They study it, feel it, and get to know it
so well that they can immediately identify counterfeits when they see
them. Even so, let us consider the true gospel as revealed in the Word
of God, that we might quickly identify the counterfeits when we see
them.
The word “gospel” means “good news.” But it is not just any
good news. The gospel refers specifically to the good news of God’s
salvation for sinners.
Two basic questions have to be answered in relation to the
gospel:
1. What is the gospel?
2. How does one access the salvation that is promised by the
gospel?
< What is the gospel?
The gospel is defined for us in 1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand... {3}
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; {4} And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according
to the scriptures..."
The gospel has three essential elements:
1. Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.
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GALATIANS
This identifies the need for salvation – it was for “our sins.”
There would not be a need for salvation except for the
universal sinfulness of mankind.
¾ (Rom 3:23) "For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God..."
¾ (Rom 5:12) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned..."
No one will get saved without first recognizing that their
sins were the reason that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary.
Jesus did not just die for murderers, bank robbers, thieves,
and adulterers. He died for my sins. He died for your sins.
The first truth of the gospel is that all have sinned, the whole
world is guilty before God, and each and ever person needs
the salvation of Jesus Christ!
This verse also reveals the way in which salvation was
provided. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lamb of God, died
for our sins. He was our Substitute. He took my place, and
died in my stead. He bore my sins in His own body on the
cross, suffered what I deserved, and died to pay the wages of
my sins.
2. Christ was buried.
After Jesus died, His body was buried in the tomb of
Joseph of Arimethaea. His body was in that tomb for three
days and three nights, while Jesus was in Paradise in the heart
of the earth with a certain ex-thief (Lk. 23:43).
3. Christ rose from the dead the third day according to the
scriptures.
The resurrection of Christ is an absolutely necessary part
of the gospel. If Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, we
would not have salvation. We would have a dead Saviour. A
dead Saviour cannot save sinners.
(1 Cor 15:13-19) "But if there be no resurrection of the
dead, then is Christ not risen: {14} And if Christ be not
risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also
- 26 -
vain. {15} Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;

because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. {16}
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: {17} And if
Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your
sins. {18} Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ
are perished. {19} If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable."
If Jesus was not the Saviour, then there is no salvation.
We are of all men most miserable. There is no hope!
But we do not have a dead Saviour! We have a living
Saviour, Who arose victorious over death, hell, and the grave!
(1 Cor 15:20-22) "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and
become the firstfruits of them that slept. {21} For since by
man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. {22} For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive."
You cannot be saved without believing in the resurrection
of Christ. You cannot cut out this essential part of the Gospel!
The gospel is the message of salvation through the substitutionary
death of Christ for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection from the
dead. That is ALL that is necessary to provide salvation for sinners.
We do not need the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ plus
baptism, or plus church membership, or plus anything. What Jesus did
is sufficient for our salvation!
When men add any extra steps or any exceptions at all, they are
saying that what Jesus did was not enough. This is an insult to the
cross of Christ. Jesus is enough for every person who ever lived or
will live! Jesus does not need the baptistery’s help, the priest’s help,
or the Pope’s help. He does not need the church’s help, Mary’s help,
or your help. He does the saving “by himself” – (Heb 1:3) "...when
he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high..." His death, burial, and resurrection, according to
the scriptures, provides all the salvation that this world will ever
need!
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GALATIANS
< How does a sinner receive the salvation that has been
provided through the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ?
Jesus said, "...Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
Repentance and faith go together in salvation. I cannot put my faith in
Jesus Christ as Savior until I first acknowledge the truth of the gospel,
including recognition of my guilt before God. I have to acknowledge
that I cannot get to heaven without God’s salvation; otherwise, I will
not be able to trust Jesus completely for salvation. I have to repent of
my unrighteousness, self-righteousness, and church-righteousness, so
that I can receive HIS righteousness.
What does it mean to “believe?” It means to trust completely – to
trust with ALL your heart. (Eph 1:13-14) "In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in
whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit
of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Not too long ago, I was witnessing to a Polish lady that had come
to our church through our bus ministry. She had been talked to by
several people, but she had claimed that she was saved. Knowing her
religious background (Catholic), I was sure that her idea of being
saved was not the Bible idea of being saved. I began to explain to her
the Roman’s Road to salvation, emphasizing our lost condition and
the need to trust Christ completely. Her eyes lit up and she said, “I see
my problem. I am not trusting Jesus with all my heart.” Within a few
minutes, I led her in the sinner’s prayer, adding, “I trust you as my
Savior with all my heart.”
Saving faith is trusting faith. It is trusting that what Jesus Christ
did for me on Calvary was sufficient for my salvation. I am not
trusting my self-righteousness or my church-righteousness. I am
trusting Jesus Christ alone for my salvation. I am trusting Him with
all my heart (see Acts 8:37).
Believing is receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. It is never just head
knowledge. It is never just a mental acknowledgement of the facts.
Believing is an act of the will, a decision to trust and receive. I decide
to trust Jesus Christ completely, and by doing so, I am receiving Him
as my Savior.
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Notice that believing on His name and receiving Him are the
same. (John 1:11-13) "He came unto his own, and his own received
him not. {12} But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: {13}
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God."
Not too long ago, my father drove to my house on my birthday in
his Pontiac Grand Am. He said, “This is my birthday present.” He had
bought himself a new car, and he wanted to give me his old one,
which was completely paid off. I heard what he said; I saw the car
there; I believed his promise; I accepted his gift. It became mine when
I made the decision to receive it.
Salvation is the same way. God says, “Here is salvation, all
bought and paid for. It is my gift of love for you. There are no strings
attached. You simply have to receive my Son as your Savior, and you
will have everlasting life.” And when I was fifteen years old, I heard
God’s word, I believed His promise, and I made the decision to
receive God’s gift of eternal life in His Son.
I am not saying that there are steps in salvation. There are not.
Repentance, faith, and receiving Christ all go together. I acknowledge
the truth of the gospel, and by faith receive Christ as my Savior,
which means that I am making the decision to trust Jesus Christ alone
as my personal Saviour. When I believe, God immediately saves my
soul. I am immediately born again. The power of God is unleashed
through my faith in the gospel of Christ. (Rom 1:16) "For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek."
That is the gospel.
< Do not add anything to it. Do not add baptism, good deeds,
speaking in tongues, church membership, praying the rosary,
penance, pilgrimages, tithing, perseverance, the sacraments,
or confession to priests.
< Do not take anything from it. Do not take off the
resurrection. Do not take away repentance. Do not teach a
universal salvation that does not require a personal decision.
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GALATIANS
Do not add Calvinist doctrines that deny man’s responsibility

to repent and receive Christ.
Preach the gospel of the grace of God. Preach that men are
sinners – lost, guilty, and condemned. Preach that God loves us and
sent His Son to die on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins and
provide salvation. Preach the truth of the empty tomb and the
resurrected Savior! Preach the truth that salvation is all of grace,
100% free, and that it is available to all. Preach the truth that man is
responsible for his obedience to the gospel – to repent and believe on
Jesus Christ for salvation.
Galatians1:3-5 gives a clear statement of the nature of the true

gospel of God: (Gal 1:3-5) "Grace be to you and peace from God the
Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, {4} Who gave himself for our
sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according
to the will of God and our Father: {5} To whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen."
¾ Salvation was Planned by God. It was provided “according to
the will of God.”
¾ Salvation was Provided by God - "...Who gave himself for our
sins...”
¾ Salvation is Performed by God. Verse 4 says, “that he might
deliver us from this present evil world.” He does the delivering.
Salvation has a three-fold deliverance:
1) First, God delivers us from the penalty of sin – “the wages of
sin is death”(Rom. 6:23). That takes place the moment that
we get saved. (John 10:28) "And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand."
2) Then, God wants to deliver us from the power of sin through
the process of sanctification.
God wants to deliver us from the power of sin, but that is
going to be up to us. We have to decide who our master is
going to be.
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(Rom 6:11-13) "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be

dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. {12} Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. {13} Neither
yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God."
(Rom 6:16-18) "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness? {17} But God be thanked, that ye were the
servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of
doctrine which was delivered you. {18} Being then made free
from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
We have to obey God’s Word from the heart, and choose
whom we will serve. You can be saved and still be bound by
the power of sin, but that is not God’s will. God wants to
deliver us from the power of sin. He wants to transform us
into the likeness of Christ, and that simply does not happen
over night. It takes time, it takes our obedience, and it takes
His power.
3) Then, God will one day deliver us from the presence of sin.
The ultimate purpose of salvation is “that he might
deliver us from this present evil world.” One day, we are
going to lay aside these sin-stained, corrupt bodies. One day,
we are going to lay aside our sinful natures. We are going to
trade our corruptible bodies for incorruptible. (1 Cor 15:51-
54). That will be the day that salvation is complete – the day
of total victory over sin, death, and the grave! (1 Cor 15:55-
57) "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory? {56} The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law. {57} But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Who performs salvation? God does. Man does not and cannot
deliver himself. You cannot deliver yourself from the penalty of sin.
You cannot deliver yourself from the power of sin, and you cannot
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GALATIANS
deliver yourself from the presence of sin. Only God can do this, and
yet man is deceived into believing that he can deliver himself by his
good works, or he believes that a religion of sinful men can deliver
his soul.
That is why it is vain to trust in anyone or anything except God
Himself for salvation. He and He alone, can deliver us from the
penalty, power, and presence of sin!
II. THE PERVERSION OF THE GOSPEL.

(Gal 1:6-7) "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: {7} Which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ."
Paul marvelled that they were “so soon removed...unto another
gospel.” But the fact is that there is not another gospel. There is only
one gospel – “the gospel.”
They had abandoned God – “him that called you into the grace of
Christ.” God was not with this false gospel. Most of the world claims
to have God on their side, but God only stands on the side of the truth.
He only stands on the side of His gospel.
“But there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ.” “Pervert” means “to turn from truth; to turn from
the right; to corrupt.” When something is perverted, it is changed
from its original purpose into something else entirely.
These Judaizers could not hurt the truth. You cannot hurt the
truth. (2 Cor 13:8) "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for
the truth." The truth is what it is and no one can change it. But the
Judaizers perverted their message. They took the Gospel truths and
perverted them into another gospel, which was not the gospel at all. It
was a lie. It was a “damnable heresy.”
There are many still around today that are preaching and teaching
“another gospel.” It is not the true gospel of the Bible. It is another
gospel, “which is not another.” It is a lie, designed by Satan to
further blind men’s minds from the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ.
(2 Cor 4:3-4) "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
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{4} In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine unto them." Satan wants to hide the
true gospel, while blinding men with faith in a false message, a
damnable heresy.
When men try to pervert the gospel of Christ, they change
one or more of the following elements of the true gospel:
1. They pervert the doctrines of Christ, the Person of salvation.
They deny His deity, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His
vicarious death, and His bodily resurrection. They deny the fact
that He is God in the flesh.
Not everyone that claims the name of Jesus worships the
Jesus of the Bible. Some have “another Jesus” – (2 Cor 11:3-4)
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ. {4} For if he that cometh preacheth
another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive
another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel,
which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."
Religious and non-religious people will claim “Jesus” – but
usually they have “another Jesus,” who is not God in the flesh,
was not virgin-born, did not live a sinless life, did not die for
man’s sins, did not rise again from the dead incorruptible, and is
not seated at the right hand of the Father. Their “Jesus” is not the
Son of God.
A man can carve a statue and call it “Jesus.” He can worship
it, love it, and sincerely believe in “Jesus.” But he is worshipping
vanity. That statue is not Jesus. In the same way, men can
produce mental idols or religious ideologies and call them
“Jesus,” and be sincere – but they are also worshipping vanity.
Jesus is a Person, and He must be accepted for Who He is. He
is the Son of God and God the Son. He was virgin-born. He did
live a sinless life. He did die vicariously to pay for the sins of the
whole world. He did rise from the dead after three days and three
nights. He did ascend back to the right hand of the Father, and He
is the only mediator between God and men.
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GALATIANS
God’s salvation is wrapped up in a Person – His Son. You

must have HIM in order to have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-12)
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son. {12} He that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life."
2. They pervert the means of salvation.
They deny the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement on the cross
of Calvary. They deny the necessity of His shed blood. They offer
Cain’s fruit basket instead of Abel’s lamb.
3. They pervert the method of salvation.
God saves us by grace through faith in Christ. (Eph 2:8-9)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man
should boast."
Their false gospel changes the methods and means of
salvation from grace to some form of works. They add to God’s
salvation, or they take away from God’s salvation. They add
works, or they take away man’s responsibility to believe.
4. They pervert the availability of salvation.
Some will confine it to their own church or particular
religion. The Judaizers said, “You Gentiles have to become Jews
before God will save you.” Religious groups today are saying the
same thing.
As a Baptist, I do not believe that one must be a Baptist to be
saved, although I believe that you have to be saved to be a true
Baptist (since we only baptize believers). I know that there are
people in many religious denominations who are truly saved – not
because of their denomination, but because at some point they
heard the true gospel and believed on Jesus Christ as Savior.
But many denominations and cults deny that anyone outside
of their religion can be saved. Ask your local Catholic priest if
you can go to heaven without the Catholic Church. If he is honest,
he will tell you “no.” Ask the local Church of Christ pastor if you
can be saved without his church’s baptism. If he is honest and
consistent with his church’s beliefs, he will say, “no.”
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Out soul winning, I have led many people to a saving

knowledge of Jesus Christ that never came to my church. Some
have remained in false churches because of family ties, traditions,
or an unwillingness to change. They should get out of those
denominations, but many do not. They did not get saved by
becoming a Baptist. They got saved by receiving Jesus Christ as
Savior.
Some will confine God’s salvation to the “elect,” denying
man’s opportunity and responsibility to choose to receive Christ.
But God’s salvation is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. It
is a “whosoever will” salvation.
5. They pervert the effects of salvation.
Specifically, they preach a salvation that is not eternally
secure. They preach a salvation that is temporary, and which does
not really save at all. In their Gospel, God gives us temporary life
instead of everlasting life. Any religion that preaches that a man
has to “hold on to the end” or “persevere to the end” in order to
achieve salvation is preaching “another gospel.” You are not
trusting in Christ with all your heart if you believe that it is
up to you to keep yourself saved.
The heresy that we must maintain our salvation, or work out
our salvation by holding on and doing good works is an insult to
Calvary. They teach that Jesus only made the down payment, and
that we must “keep up the installments,” or our salvation will be
repossessed! The Catholic Church teaches that Christ’s death only
atoned for Adam’s original sin. Charismatics, Pentecostals, and
others teach that His death was only sufficient up to the time at
which you get saved. After that, you are on your own! Both are
damnable heresies.
The true gospel has an immediate, permanent effect – God
immediately gives us eternal life and secures us permanently in
Christ.
Any doctrine of salvation has to match John 3:16. If what

someone says does not match the plain statements of Jesus to
Nicodemus, they are teaching “another gospel.” They are teaching
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GALATIANS
“damnable heresies.” (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life."
The Pentecostals love to say, “Obey Acts 2:38,” which says:
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." This verse, taken out of context
and misinterpreted, is used to teach the necessity of baptism for
salvation, and speaking with tongues as the proof of salvation. This is
a heresy that does not match what Jesus said in John 3:16.
Why don’t they say, “Obey Acts 3:19, or Acts 13:39, or Acts
15:11, or Acts 16:31?” The reason is simple – those verses do not
include baptism or the “gift of the Holy Ghost.” They do not match
the “damnable heresies” of the Pentecostal religion, so they are
ignored for the more obscure wording of Acts 2:38 (which, when
interpreted properly, matches John 3:16).
Either Jesus told Nicodemus how to have eternal life, or He left
parts out. Either Jesus told Nicodemus the truth, or He did not share
with him all that he needed to know about salvation. John 3:16 says
nothing about baptism, church membership, perseverence, the elect,
sacraments, confirmation, confession to priests, prayers to Mary,
obedience to a religion, speaking in tongues, or keeping the law of
Moses.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “If you believe in the Son, you will never
perish, but you will have everlasting life.” That is the true gospel.
Anything else is a cheap, lying imitation.
Notice the fearful pronouncement on those who would dare to

teach a false gospel – (Gal 1:8-9) "But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. {9} As we said before, so say
I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that
ye have received, let him be accursed."
I would rather stand before God as a bartender than to stand
before Him as one who preached a perverted gospel. God said twice,
for emphasis: “Let him be accursed!”
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I find the “converts” of these gospel perverts in the fearful words

of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
(Mat 7:15-16, 21-23) "Beware of false prophets, which come
to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. {16} Ye shall know them by their fruits... {21} Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. {22} Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? {23} And then will I profess unto them, I never knew
you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
These people are going to stand at the Great White Throne
Judgment and be surprised. They thought that they were going to
heaven. They thought that they knew the Lord. They preached and
worked in His name. They did “many wonderful works.” They
thought that they were saved, but they were not! They had believed
“another gospel,” preached by false prophets in sheep’s clothing.
These beguiled souls will hear the fearful pronouncement of the
Lord Jesus Christ, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.” Matthew 25:41, 46 gives the rest of the sad story: "Then
shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels...
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal."
Have you believed a false gospel? Is your Jesus the same as we
find in the Word of God? Are you trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, with ALL your heart? Are you trusting in the
sufficiency of His death, burial, and resurrection?
Or are you trusting in a legalist gospel, a message of works –
church membership, baptism, good works, being a good person,
persevering, etc? You cannot trust in Jesus Christ with ALL you heart
if you are also trusting in something or someone else!
I encourage you to repent of your unrighteousness, self-
righteousness, and church-righteousness, and to trust Jesus alone so
that He can give you HIS righteousness!
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GALATIANS
(Gal 2:16) "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of

the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not
by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified."
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Chapter Two
PAUL’S APOSTLESHIP AND AUTHORITY
(Gal 1:11-19) "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached of me is not after man. {12} For I neither received it of man,
neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. {13} For
ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted
it: {14} And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in
mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of
my fathers. {15} But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb, and called me by his grace, {16} To reveal his Son in
me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I
conferred not with flesh and blood: {17} Neither went I up to
Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into
Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. {18} Then after three
years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen
days. {19} But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's
brother."
The Judaizers had not only turned the Galatians away from the
true gospel of Christ, but also away from Paul. In order to discredit
his message, they attacked him personally. They claimed that Paul
was a false apostle, and that his authority and message were not from
God. They attacked his credentials as the Apostle of the Gentiles. The
evidence against Paul’s apostleship was:
1. He was not of the original twelve apostles chosen by the Lord.
2. He did not meet the qualifications that the first church had
decided before Pentecost, when they chose a replacement for
Judas. (Acts 1:21-22) "Wherefore of these men which have
companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and
out among us, {22} Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that
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GALATIANS
same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to
be a witness with us of his resurrection."
He had not companied with them during the Lord’s earthly
ministry. He was not baptized by John the Baptist. He was not a
witness of the resurrection prior to the Ascension. He was not a
witness of the Ascension of Christ.
On this basis, and because of their own personal bias against
Paul’s ministry, they stirred up trouble against him wherever they
went. In these chapters, as well as in other places throughout his
Epistles (especially 2 Corinthians), Paul was forced to defend his
authority and his apostleship.
Paul was a unique man with a unique calling. He is sometimes
called the Independent Apostle, because his calling and ministry were
separate from those of the twelve.
Let us consider two questions concerning the apostles:
1. How many apostles were there?
The original twelve were chosen directly by the Lord Jesus,
and were given the title of apostles by Him. (Luke 6:13-16) "And
when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he
chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; {14} Simon, (whom
he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John,
Philip and Bartholomew, {15} Matthew and Thomas, James the
son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, {16} And Judas the
brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor."
After Judas’ betrayal and suicide, Matthias was chosen by the
church to fill the twelfth apostleship (Acts 1:23-26). I believe that
the church “jumped the gun” in appointing Matthias. I believe
that he was the choice of men, but not the choice of God. God did
not direct them to make this appointment, and I do not find that
the church had the authority to appoint apostles. Only Jesus
Christ could do so. Matthias was appointed by men; Paul was
appointed by Christ. No other men were ever chosen to be
apostles after this. When the apostle James (the brother of John)
was martyred by Herod, they did not try to appoint another to
replace him (Acts 12:1-2).
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The Bible is clear that there were only to be twelve true

“apostles of the Lamb.” The heavenly Jerusalem will have twelve
foundations named after these twelve: (Rev 21:14) "And the wall
of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb." Who will be the twelfth name on
those foundations? I believe that Paul was the divine replacement
for Judas. He was the twelfth and final apostle.
The Lord Jesus is Himself called “the Apostle” in Hebrews
3:1. In one instance, Barnabas and Paul were called “apostles”
(Acts 14:14). It is possible that Barnabas was called this because
of his partnership with Paul at the time. Despite the usage of the
word in these two verses, every other time the term “apostle” is
used it refers to either the original twelve, the eleven with
Matthias, or Paul.
2. What was the purpose of the Apostles?
The apostles were part of the foundation of the early church,
with Christ as the chief cornerstone. (Eph 2:20) "And are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone..." They were an essential
part of Christianity’s beginning. The first century is usually
referred to as the Apostolic Age.
It is clear that as part of the “foundation,” the job of the
apostles and prophets was to provide wisdom, guidance, and
leadership during the transition time before the New Testament
was completed. They were essential for settling doctrine in the
early churches:
¾ (Acts 2:42) "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers."
¾ (Acts 15:5-6) "But there rose up certain of the sect of the
Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to
circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of
Moses. {6} And the apostles and elders came together for to
consider of this matter."
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GALATIANS
¾ (Acts 16:4) "And as they went through the cities, they

delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of
the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem."
You must remember that Christianity was still brand new.
Those early years were tumultuous, difficult times. The church
was persecuted, and then exploded with growth. The first church
multiplied into countless churches, scattered abroad. Then,
Gentiles entered the picture after the salvation of Cornelius in
Acts 10. The early churches were predominately Jewish and there
were many questions concerning Christianity and the old Jewish
traditions. The apostles were given special wisdom to guide the
churches through this time, made vital doctrinal decisions, and
settled important problems. They gave themselves to the ministry
of the word and prayer (Acts 6:4). Of the 27 Books in the New
Testament, 22 were written by apostles (Mark, Luke, James, and
Jude being the non-apostolic writers).
However, the apostolic office was never meant to be a
permanent fixture of the New Testament Church. After the
completion of the New Testament, prophets and apostles were no
longer needed (Eph. 4:11-12). (1 Cor 13:9-10) "For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part. {10} But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
Now, we have evangelists, pastors, and teachers to help perfect
our faith in the completed Word of God.
Men who claim to be apostles today are lying. The office of
apostleship died in the first century, and was replaced by the
authority of the completed New Testament.
Consider Paul’s inspired defense of his apostleship and authority:
I. PAUL HAD A DIVINE PURPOSE.

(Gal 1:13-16) "For ye have heard of my conversation in time
past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the
church of God, and wasted it: {14} And profited in the Jews' religion
above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly
zealous of the traditions of my fathers. {15} But when it pleased God,
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who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his

grace, {16} To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among
the heathen..."
Paul understood that God had a divine purpose for his life that
went all the way back to his mother’s womb (vs. 15). That divine
purpose was to reveal His Son in Paul, that Paul might preach the
name of Jesus Christ among the heathen. God’s purpose for Paul’s
life was to save him, call him, equip him, transform him, and then
send him forth to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ among the
Gentiles.
I believe that God creates us for a purpose. I believe that God
forms and fashions our bodies in the wombs of our mothers. He
covered us, made us, and continually fashioned each of our members.
(Psa 139:13-16) "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast
covered me in my mother's womb. {14} I will praise thee; for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that
my soul knoweth right well. {15} My substance was not hid from thee,
when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts
of the earth. {16} Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being
unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in
continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
Furthermore, I believe that God gives each of us a unique soul.
He gives us the foundational aspects of our personalities, abilities,
talents, and intelligence. He designs each of us with a distinct purpose
in mind. He creates us with a purpose and a job to do. We are created
with God’s fingerprints all over us.
Paul recognized that God had a purpose in his life that went all
the way back to before he was born – and that purpose was to reveal
His Son in his life, that he might preach Christ among the heathen.
Now, Paul was not proud of his life before Christ:
(Phil 3:3-7) "For we are the circumcision, which worship God
in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh. {4} Though I might also have
confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: {5} Circumcised
the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
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GALATIANS
{6} Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the

righteousness which is in the law, blameless. {7} But what
things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."
He counted it all “but loss” in order to follow his Savior. He
called himself the chief of sinners because of his hatred and
persecution of the churches. He persecuted the church beyond
measure, and wasted it in his zeal. (Gal 1:13-14) "For ye have heard
of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond
measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: {14} And
profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own
nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my
fathers."
He had been raised up to be a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was
trained up in “the Jews’ religion,” and was “more exceedingly
zealous of the traditions” of the Jews. He profited above many of his
equals. He determined to destroy Christianity before it spread abroad.
He confessed this years later to king Agrippa. (Acts 26:9-11) "I
verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. {10} Which thing I also did in
Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having
received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to
death, I gave my voice against them. {11} And I punished them oft in
every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being
exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange
cities."
Yet, with the benefit of hindsight, we can see how the purpose of
God was molding Paul into the man that He could use, even before
Paul was saved. Paul was born to a prominent Jewish family, which
had received the coveted Roman citizenship. Unlike most of the Jews,
Paul had the rights of a Roman citizen, which he used for the cause of
Christ throughout his ministry.
Paul had two names: Saul, his Jewish name, and Paul, his Gentile
name. When he began ministering to the Gentiles, he switched
exclusively to his Gentile name (Acts 13:9) so that he could win them
(1 Cor. 9:19-23). After Acts 13:9, he is never called Saul again.
Paul was raised in the strictest Jewish religion, as a Pharisee. This
was a life of tremendous discipline and separation from worldliness.
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The Pharisees were severely rebuked by the Lord for their hypocrisy,
yet there were many sincere men among them who thought that they
were doing right and serving God. Paul would have never dreamed
that he was anything but right in his persecution of the Christians. The
words from the Son of God on the road to Damascus shook him to his
very soul: (Acts 9:4-6) "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice
saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? {5} And he
said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom
thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. {6}
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me
to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it
shall be told thee what thou must do." As soon as Paul knew the truth
about Jesus, he owned Him as Lord and Savior.
Although it had become mixed with multitudes of human
traditions, Paul would have received the very best training in the Old
Testament. He even sat at the feet of the great teacher Gamaliel. (Acts
22:3) "I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in
Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught
according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was
zealous toward God, as ye all are this day." Paul’s education was
tremendous for his day. Unlike the other apostles, who were called
“unlearned and ignorant men,” Paul had received the utmost
education possible, and had thrived above all his equals.
Yet, despite his strict Jewish upbringing, Paul was raised in a
great Gentile city – Tarsus of Cilicia. Unlike the other Apostles, who
lived entirely in Palestine and were deeply infected with Jewish
prejudice against the Gentiles, Paul lived among them and carried out
his family business with them. He was certainly not a Hellenist, but
he was more equipped for his ministry among the great Gentile cities
of Asia Minor and Europe than the other apostles would have been.
In all of this, I see the purpose of God. Paul was the man that God
could use - a Jew that understood the ways of the Gentiles; a man of
incredible drive, sincerity, courage, convictions, motivation, and
energy; a man of tremendous training and knowledge of the Old
Testament – a man that would turn the world upside down for Christ
(Acts 17:6).
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GALATIANS
II. PAUL HAD A DIVINE CALLING.

(Gal 1:15-16) "But when it pleased God, who separated me from
my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, {16} To reveal his
Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen..."
1. First, he had the divine calling of salvation – “...and called me by
his grace.”
Paul never grew weary of giving his salvation testimony. He
told the story over and over and over again.
He later said that his salvation was to serve as an example of
Christ’s longsuffering and mercy towards sinners. Despite the
fact that he was “before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and
injurious,” yet he “obtained mercy,” because “the grace of our
Lord was exceeding abundant.” If the “chief” of sinners could be
saved by God’s grace, anyone can be saved!
(1 Tim 1:11-16) "According to the glorious gospel of the
blessed God, which was committed to my trust. {12} And I thank
Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted
me faithful, putting me into the ministry; {13} Who was before a
blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained
mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. {14} And the grace
of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which
is in Christ Jesus. {15} This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief. {16} Howbeit for this cause I
obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth
all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe on him to life everlasting."
2. Then, he had the divine calling to preach Christ among the
heathen – “...that I might preach him among the heathen..."
He was given this calling at the time of his salvation:
(Acts 26:12-20) "Whereupon as I went to Damascus with
authority and commission from the chief priests, {13} At
midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above
the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them
which journeyed with me. {14} And when we were all fallen
to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in
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the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is

hard for thee to kick against the pricks. {15} And I said, Who
art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou
persecutest. {16} But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have
appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister
and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen,
and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
{17} Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles,
unto whom now I send thee, {18} To open their eyes, and to
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith
that is in me. {19} Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision: {20} But showed first
unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all
the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for
repentance."
Paul knew that he was called to be an apostle. He claimed
divine authority. (Rom 1:1-5) "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God... {5} By
whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to
the faith among all nations, for his name..." He knew that he had
seen the risen Savior. (1 Cor 15:7-8) "After that, he was seen of
James; then of all the apostles. {8} And last of all he was seen of
me also, as of one born out of due time."
He did not believe that he deserved to be an apostle, because
he had persecuted the church, but he did not back down from the
fact that, by God’s grace, he was an apostle. (1 Cor 15:8-10)
"And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due
time. {9} For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be
called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. {10}
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was
bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more
abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which
was with me."
He knew that his specific role in God’s plan was as the
Apostle of the Gentiles. (Rom 11:13) "For I speak to you
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GALATIANS
Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify

mine office..."
Throughout his Epistles, Paul had a four-fold claim to his
apostleship. He was an apostle:
1) By the calling of God (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1).
2) By the will of God (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1;
Coloss. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1).
3) By the commandment of God (1 Tim. 1:1).
4) By the ordination of God (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11).
Paul KNEW the reality of God’s calling in his life. He knew
that he was called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ among the
heathen. He knew that he was sent. He knew that God had given
him a special authority as an apostle – separate and individual
compared to the original twelve, and yet equal in authority and
position.
III. PAUL HAD DIVINE REVELATIONS.

The gospel Paul preached was not of man. He was not taught
it, but received it by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11-12)
"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me
is not after man. {12} For I neither received it of man, neither was I
taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Immediately after his salvation and baptism, Paul left for
Arabia. We do not know how long he was there, because at some
point he returned to Damascus, and it was three years before he went
to see Peter in Jerusalem. (Gal 1:16-18) "...To reveal his Son in me,
that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood: {17} Neither went I up to Jerusalem to
them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and
returned again unto Damascus. {18} Then after three years I went up
to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."
This time spent in Arabia is not mentioned in the Book of Acts at
all. This has caused some confusion as the events recorded in Acts are
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compared with the statements of Paul himself. Here is a generally

accepted chronology of these events in the early Christian life of Paul:
1) He was saved on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).
2) He was baptized by Ananias (Acts 9:10-18).
3) He immediately departed into Arabia (Galatians 1:17).
4) He returned to Damascus, where he fellowshipped with the
church there, and began preaching Christ in the synagogues
(Acts 9:19-25).
5) After being forced out of Damascus, he went to Jerusalem
(this was three years after his salvation). They would not
accept him, until Barnabas brought him to the apostles (Acts
9:26-29). Apparently, he only saw Peter and James (Gal.
1:19). At this time, he spent fifteen days with Peter (Galatians
1:18).
6) He departed and went through Syria and Cilicia, and ended
up in Antioch with Barnabas (Acts 9:30; 11:25-26; 22:17-21;
Gal. 1:21).
This mysterious period in Paul’s life was when God gave him his
revelations. Before his baptism, the Lord told Ananias: (Acts 9:15-16)
"...Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name
before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: {16} For I
will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."
God had some things to show Paul – some mysteries to reveal.
We can imagine that Paul’s brilliant, Pharisaical mind was turned
back to the Old Testament Scriptures that he had diligently learned in
his youth. After Paul’s salvation, God began to “reveal His Son in”
Paul. The verse does not say, “To reveal his Son TO me,” but “to
reveal his Son IN me.” I believe that God began to show Jesus to
Paul, from Genesis to Malachi, as Jesus had done to the disciples on
the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:27) "And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself." Those two disciples were “slow of heart to
believe” (Lk 24:26-27), but not Paul. His Spirit-filled mind was quick
to understand the tremendous truths of the gospel preached before
unto Abraham (Gal. 3:8). For the first time, he began to understand
the importance of FAITH throughout the Old Testament (see
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GALATIANS
Hebrews 11). In Arabia, separated from “flesh and blood,” the Holy
Spirit began to open his mind and reveal the doctrines of the Old
Testament as they were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
In addition, God gave him special revelations of truth. Consider
what Paul said about these revelations:
¾ (Rom 16:25-27) "Now to him that is of power to stablish you
according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret
since the world began, {26} But now is made manifest, and by
the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith: {27} To God only wise, be glory through
Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."
¾ (2 Cor 12:1-4) "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I
will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. {2} I knew a
man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I
cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God
knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. {3} And I
knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I
cannot tell: God knoweth;) {4} How that he was caught up into
paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for
a man to utter."
¾ (2 Cor 12:7) "And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me
a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I
should be exalted above measure."
¾ (Eph 3:1-8) "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ
for you Gentiles, {2} If ye have heard of the dispensation of the
grace of God which is given me to you-ward: {3} How that by
revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote
afore in few words, {4} Whereby, when ye read, ye may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) {5} Which
in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is
now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
{6} That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body,
and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: {7} Whereof
I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God
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given unto me by the effectual working of his power. {8} Unto me,
who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ..."
¾ (Col 1:25-29) "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the
word of God; {26} Even the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his
saints: {27} To whom God would make known what is the riches
of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory: {28} Whom we preach, warning every
man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present
every man perfect in Christ Jesus: {29} Whereunto I also labour,
striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily."
To Paul were given all the great doctrines of the New Testament.
These doctrines were given to him by God, as He opened the Old
Testament Scriptures to Paul, and as He gave Paul further revelations
of truth.
Paul was used to write the great doctrinal Books of:
¾ Romans, which defines and explains the great doctrine of
justification by faith alone.
¾ 1 Corinthians, which not only was to bring order to a carnal
church, but also expounded the great doctrines concerning the
resurrection, rapture, and glorification of the saved.
¾ Galatians, which battled the heresies of legalism, while
defending the true gospel of grace.
¾ Ephesians, which is packed with doctrine, especially
concerning the nature of the church and the acceptance of
Gentiles in Christ.
¾ 1 & 2 Thessalonians, which give us a great deal of
information concerning the Rapture, Tribulation, Antichrist,
and other prophetical information.
¾ Hebrews, in which he revealed the gospel of Jesus Christ as
hidden in the Old Testament.
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GALATIANS
And throughout all fourteen Books that were given to him

through the miracle of divine inspiration, we find tremendous truths
covering just about every practical area of life. More than anyone
else, Paul was used to establish the right ways in which Christians
were to live. (1 Cor 4:16-17) "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye
followers of me. {17} For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus,
who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you
into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every
where in every church."
Where did Paul learn all of this truth? Did he figure it out on his
own? No. He was taught by Christ. God revealed His Son in him. The
years spent alone with God, away from “flesh and blood,” were the
years of revelation. He did not learn his truth from the other apostles.
He did not learn his revelation from seminary or college. He had an
absolutely unique calling for an absolutely unique life.
IV. PAUL HAD DIVINE CONFIRMATIONS.

Remember that Paul’s authority was denounced by the Judaizers
who were seeking to discredit his ministry and message. In Galatians
and other places, Paul showed that his apostleship was confirmed
where it mattered the most.
1. His work was approved by God.
God allowed mighty signs and wonders to accompany his
ministry, as with the other apostles:
¾ (Rom 15:18-19) "For I will not dare to speak of any of those
things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the
Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, {19} Through mighty
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that
from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully
preached the gospel of Christ."
¾ (2 Cor 12:11-12) "I am become a fool in glorying; ye have
compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you:
for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles,
though I be nothing. {12} Truly the signs of an apostle were
wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders,
and mighty deeds."
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2. His work was approved by the other apostles.

James, Peter, and John “perceived” God’s purpose in Paul’s
life. (Gal 2:7-10) "But contrariwise, when they saw that the
gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the
gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; {8} (For he that
wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the
circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
{9} And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be
pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to
me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should
go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. {10} Only
they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I
also was forward to do."
Years later, Peter recognized that Paul’s writings were
Scripture – even admitting that some things that God had revealed
to Paul were hard for him to understand. (2 Pet 3:15-16) "And
account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as
our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given
unto him hath written unto you; {16} As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable
wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own
destruction."
3. His apostleship was proven by the works that he had
accomplished by God’s grace.
¾ (1 Cor 9:1-2) "Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not
seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
{2} If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to
you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord."
¾ (1 Cor 15:9-10) "For I am the least of the apostles, that am
not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. {10} But by the grace of God I am what I am:
and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;
but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but
the grace of God which was with me."
¾ (2 Cor 11:5) "For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very
chiefest apostles."
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GALATIANS
W<X
Can you imagine anyone today denying the apostleship or
authority of Paul? Yet, Paul had to deal with this throughout his
ministry. The Judaizers dogged his steps and attacked his testimony at
every opportunity. The man that was called of God to fulfill a divine
purpose was vilified, lied about, slandered, and defamed by his
enemies. Paul understood what it meant to bear a cross. He
understood what it was to "know him, and the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death" (Ph. 3:10).
Paul preached the faith which he once sought to destroy. There is
no argument for a transformed life. What a testimony to the amazing,
sufficient, life-transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
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Chapter Three
TALES FROM TWO CITIES
(Gal 2:1-5) "Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem

with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. {2} And I went up by
revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach
among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation,
lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. {3} But neither
Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be
circumcised: {4} And that because of false brethren unawares
brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have
in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: {5} To whom
we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the
gospel might continue with you."
You will remember from the last chapter that Paul was defending
two truths in his Epistle to the Galatians:
1. The truth of the Gospel, which is that salvation is by grace
through faith in Jesus Christ alone, without the works of the
law.
2. The truth of his authority an as a true, God-called apostle.
Galatians chapter two continues his defense of his apostleship by
revealing two specific incidents:
1. The first, in Jerusalem, when his ministry was given a stamp
of approval by James, Peter, and John, who recognized that
he was the apostle to the Gentiles.
2. The second, in Antioch, when he had to rebuke Peter and
Barnabas when they were “to be blamed,” for “they walked
not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel” (2:11, 14).
This was not a minor issue or petty argument. Peter was, by
his actions, undermining the gospel message. Paul could not
stand by and allow that to happen. The fact that he could
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GALATIANS
withstand Peter was an indication of his position and

authority as a fellow apostle.
Galatians 2 is then the Tale of Two Cities: Jerusalem and
Antioch.
Remember that Galatians is a very important Book in explaining
the Christian’s position concerning the law of Moses. The church that
Jesus started was entirely Jewish, but it was given a Commission to
go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
However, these saved Jews were slow in overcoming their prejudice
towards the Gentiles. The Jews considered all Gentiles to be unclean.
It took a special vision to get Peter to go into the home of the Roman
centurion Cornelius (Acts 10). After Cornelius and his entire
household got saved and baptized, the Jews back in Jerusalem scolded
Peter for going to the Gentiles and eating with them. (Acts 11:1-3)
"And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the
Gentiles had also received the word of God. {2} And when Peter was
come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended
with him, {3} Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and
didst eat with them."
That was their initial, natural reaction. Later, after hearing Peter’s
report, they glorified God. (Acts 11:18) "When they heard these
things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath
God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." However, the
Jewish Christians in Jerusalem still had their issues concerning the
Gentiles and their place in the churches.
Around that time, the church of Antioch was established. (Acts
11:19-23) "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the
persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and
Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews
only. {20} And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene,
which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians,
preaching the Lord Jesus. {21} And the hand of the Lord was with
them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. {22}
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which
was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as
far as Antioch. {23} Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of
God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they
would cleave unto the Lord."
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The scattered Christians were only preaching to the Jews at first,

but some began preaching Christ to the Grecians (Gentiles). A great
number believed. When the church of Jerusalem heard about this,
they sent Barnabas to Antioch to find out if the Gentiles were really
getting saved. Barnabas saw what God was doing and was glad, and
preached to them. Then, he went and found Saul, and together they
went to Antioch and served in that church. (Acts 11:25-26) "Then
departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: {26} And when he had
found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a
whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught
much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch."
The Antioch church was the first to be comprised of Jews and
Gentiles in equal standing with each other. It is no surprise therefore
that they were the first ones to be called “Christians.”
These two churches became the prominent churches of that time:
the church of Jerusalem, made up almost entirely of Jews that were
still very zealous of the law; and the church of Antioch, made up of
Jews and Gentiles. The church of Jerusalem was led by James, the
half-brother of Christ, with Peter and the apostles. The church of
Antioch was greatly helped through the ministry of Barnabas and
Saul. The church of Antioch became the great missionary church.
The believers in Jerusalem had a hard time getting over their
Judaism and their racial prejudices. They learned to rejoice that
Gentiles had been saved and churches started, but they maintained
many of their old customs in the law of Moses. This is perfectly
illustrated in Paul’s last trip to Jerusalem:
(Acts 21:17-26) "And when we were come to Jerusalem, the
brethren received us gladly. {18} And the day following Paul
went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
{19} And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly
what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his
ministry. {20} And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord,
and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands
of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of
the law: {21} And they are informed of thee, that thou
teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake
Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their
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GALATIANS
children, neither to walk after the customs. {22} What is it

therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they
will hear that thou art come. {23} Do therefore this that we
say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
{24} Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at
charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all
may know that those things, whereof they were informed
concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also
walkest orderly, and keepest the law. {25} As touching the
Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that
they observe no such thing, save only that they keep
themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and
from strangled, and from fornication. {26} Then Paul took
the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered
into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of
purification, until that an offering should be offered for every
one of them."
The Jewish Christians said, “The Gentile Christians don’t have to
keep these observances, but we that are Jews should. We need to walk
orderly and keep the law.” And even Paul himself submitted to
keeping this dead observance. He purified himself and the four men
that had a vow, as though he needed ceremonial purification (Heb.
1:3; 10:1-14).
I personally believe that Paul was wrong to keep these
ordinances, and that the elders were wrong to ask him to do so. The
blood of Christ purifies us – we do not need an empty ceremony! He
even offered an offering for them, which is absolutely unnecessary
since Christ was our “once for all” offering!
It is possible that Paul was simply trying the gain the Jews by
observing their ordinances. (1 Cor 9:19-23) "For though I be free
from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might
gain the more. {20} And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I
might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the
law, that I might gain them that are under the law; {21} To them
that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God,
but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without
law. {22} To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I
am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
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{23} And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker
thereof with you."
We would like to give Paul the benefit of the doubt, but a
converted Catholic would not go to the Catholic Church and observe
their dead rituals in order to win the favor of Catholics. Personally, I
cannot reconcile Paul’s actions with the gospel or with the truths of
the New Testament, or with his own statements concerning the
“Jews’ religion.” But, as mentioned earlier, “Great men are not
always wise.” Paul was not inerrant or perfect. He was flesh and
blood like the rest of us.
The Bible is clear that the ceremonial laws of Moses were nailed
to the cross of Christ. He was the fulfillment of the law. The
sacrifices, offerings, feasts, priesthood, and ceremonies pictured the
ministry and sacrifice of Jesus Christ; He fulfilled them for us, so that
they are no longer binding or to be observed. When the veil in the
Temple was rent, the Old Testament ceremonies and sacrifices were
officially completed.
¾ (Col 2:13-17) "And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
{15} And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a
show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. {16} Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: {17}
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of
Christ."
¾ (Rom 7:6) "But now we are delivered from the law, that being
dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of
spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
¾ (Gal 2:19) "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I
might live unto God."
The Book of Hebrews teaches us that the Old Testament
ceremonial and sacrificial economy was ended by the “once for all”
sacrifice of Christ:
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GALATIANS
¾ (Heb 9:6-14) "Now when these things were thus ordained, the
priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the
service of God. {7} But into the second went the high priest alone
once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself,
and for the errors of the people: {8} The Holy Ghost this
signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made
manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: {9}
Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were
offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that
did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; {10}
Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and
carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
{11} But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building; {12} Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. {13}
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
{14} How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
¾ (Heb 10:10-14) "By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. {11} And every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: {12} But this man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on
the right hand of God; {13} From henceforth expecting till his
enemies be made his footstool. {14} For by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
The born-again Christian – whether Jew or Gentile – is redeemed
and purified through the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no more need
for the Temple worship of the Old Testament. There is no need for
animal sacrifice, for a special priesthood, or for the ordinances of the
Levitical ceremonial laws. We are told not to try to put the new wine
into the old wineskins. (Mark 2:22) "And no man putteth new wine
into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine
is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put
into new bottles."
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However, though the ceremonial law was dead, it took a long

time to get it buried. The Jews of Jerusalem had a hard time getting
over their traditions. It was not until 70 A.D. that the ceremonial
worship of the Old Testament was buried under the iron shoes of the
Roman General Titus. That year the Temple in Jerusalem was
destroyed, and the city was conquered. The Jews were scattered, and
the church of Jerusalem, as far as we know, ceased to exist. When the
Temple was gone, the ceremonial Judaism that had afflicted
Christianity effectively disappeared.
Paul’s Understanding of the Mystery.
Paul understood the mystery that so many of his Jewish
counterparts struggled with: that the Gentiles were made one with
Jews in Christ. Paul understood that God was not a respecter of
persons, and that He did not consider the Jews to be superior to the
Gentiles. God saw them all as lost sinners. God provided one
salvation for both Jews and Gentiles.
Paul understood that there was “no difference between the Jew
and the Greek:”
¾ (Rom 3:9-10) "What then? are we better than they? No, in no
wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that
they are all under sin; {10} As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:"
¾ (Rom 3:29-30) "Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also
of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: {30} Seeing it is one
God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and
uncircumcision through faith."
¾ (Rom 9:24-26) "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews
only, but also of the Gentiles? {25} As he saith also in Osee, I will
call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved,
which was not beloved. {26} And it shall come to pass, that in the
place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there
shall they be called the children of the living God."
¾ (Rom 10:12-13) "For there is no difference between the Jew
and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that
call upon him. {13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved."
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GALATIANS
Paul understood that God’s salvation made every believer an

equal child of God. (Gal 3:26-29) "For ye are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. {28} There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. {29} And if ye be Christ's,
then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Furthermore, Paul understood that God’s plan was for the local
churches to be worldwide institutions made up of saved people of any
nationality or race. Paul understood that God’s plan was not to have a
Jewish Church and a separate Gentile Church, but to make “both
one,” to “make in himself of twain one new man”- a Christian. God’s
plan was for Jews and Gentiles to be saved the same way, to be
baptized into the same church, and to work together in carrying out
the Great Commission.
(Eph 2:11-22) "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time
past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by
that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by
hands; {12} That at that time ye were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from
the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in
the world: {13} But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. {14} For he
is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us; {15} Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in
himself of twain one new man, so making peace; {16} And
that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the
cross, having slain the enmity thereby: {17} And came and
preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh. {18} For through him we both have access by one
Spirit unto the Father. {19} Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints,
and of the household of God; {20} And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone; {21} In whom all the building
fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
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Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an

habitation of God through the Spirit."
God never intended churches to be divided by race – whether it
be Jews and Gentiles, or blacks and whites. In the 21st century, we
Americans need to get over that hangover from a racist past. There is
room enough in the local church for any born-again child of God, no
matter what his skin color or ethnic background might be.
A church like the one in Antioch is going to be open to anyone.
Some cities may not have a rich diversity of races such as Antioch
did, but the door should never be closed to anyone because of their
skin color. There is no reason for churches to be racially-oriented.
The only divisions should be caused by differences in language.
Paul understood that. He found a home in the church of Antioch,
and they were the kind of church that God intended. They had
everybody, and they were called Christians first. I am not saying that
Peter and James were wrong in their doctrine. I am saying that the
Jerusalem church seems to have struggled with the truth that Paul
understood so clearly, and this is illustrated in Galatians 2.
I. PAUL IN JERUSALEM (2:1-10).

This was Paul’s second trip to Jerusalem, 14 years later. The
timing coincides with the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15, which
was called to settle the issue of legalism. Paul and Barnabas had just
finished their first missionary journey, and had seen tremendous
success among the Gentiles in Galatia. When the issue of the
Pharisees and circumcision came up, Paul and Barnabas withstood
them fiercely, and it was decided to go to the apostles in Jerusalem to
settle the matter. Verse two means that Paul communicated with the
apostles in private as well the church in public. He told them the
gospel that he preached among the Gentiles, with which they found
no fault.
Galatians 2 tells us that Paul also took Titus, a Gentile believer
and young preacher. It appears that Titus was a test case for this issue.
The legalist Judaizers insisted that Titus had to be circumcised
according to the law of Moses. They were trying to impose the
ceremonial laws of Moses on all the Gentile converts. If they could
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GALATIANS
win that victory with Paul and Titus, they would be able to use it as a
precedent to convince all of the Gentile converts to convert to
Judaism.
Paul withstood them without flinching. (Gal 2:3-5) "But neither
Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be
circumcised: {4} And that because of false brethren unawares
brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have
in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: {5} To whom
we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the
gospel might continue with you."
He called them what they were – “false brethren.” He said, “We
did not submit to their demands. We were not going to compromise
the truth of the gospel to please them. We know that salvation is by
faith in Jesus Christ for Gentiles as well as Jews, and we will not
compromise our conviction just to appease these false brethren.” In
this incident, we see Paul’s unflinching courage in his stand for the
truth of the Gospel.
James, Peter, and John recognized Paul’s unique calling, and
endorsed his ministry to the Gentiles. (Gal 2:7-10) "But contrariwise,
when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed
unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; {8} (For
he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the
circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) {9}
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and
Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the
heathen, and they unto the circumcision. {10} Only they would that
we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to
do."
Some have tried to claim that this was the beginning of the church
denominations. It certainly was not. The church denominations came
from Catholicism, which is an apostatized, pagan version of
Christianity. No denominations started here. This was an
understanding between Paul, James, Peter and John concerning their
respective ministries. James was the Pastor of the Jerusalem church;
together with Peter, John, and the apostles, they served the Lord in the
Jewish city of Jerusalem, reaching the Jews of Israel. Paul, the
missionary, went to the “heathen” in far off lands, as the Lord Jesus
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had commanded him (Acts 22:18-21). They did not separate into two
different denominations. The Bible is clear that there is “one Lord,
one faith, one baptism,” not four or more depending on whether you
like ritualistic services or Charismatic shouting or something in
between (Eph. 4:5).
Denominations came about because people wanted to have their
own private interpretations of doctrinal truth. They did not want to
submit to the authority of God’s Word. I am for denominations so that
we can distinguish heretics.
Every “church” ought to tell the world what it believes. If I drive
by a Catholic church, I know that there is a bachelor there called a
“father” who dresses like a mother and believes that he can forgiven
men’s sins. If I drive by a Lutheran church, I know that they baptize
babies by sprinkling to make them a part of the family of God. If I
drive by a Methodist church, I know that I may hear a woman
preacher but I will not hear much doctrine. If I drive by an
Episcopalian church, I know that they do not believe much of
anything but they do have nice, religious ceremonies. If I drive by a
Baptist church, at least I have a good chance of finding the right
doctrines and practices. If I see a “Bible Fellowship” of the non-
denominational denomination, I do not know what they believe. They
are like a vegetable can without a label. They are ashamed to be too
strongly identified with any particular beliefs.
Peter, James, John, and Paul all believed the same doctrines, but
they recognized that they had different fields to work in – while each
understood that they were doing the Lord’s work. They were not
different denominations.
For example, I have friends serving the Lord in various mission
fields. I have a friend that God sent to Brazil, and another that serves
in Croatia, and a third serving in Ethiopia, while I serve here in
Wylie, Texas. We are not different denominations just because our
locations are different, or because we are going after different people.
We preach the same gospel and hold the same doctrines – just as
Peter, James, John and Paul did. Here in Wylie, Texas, I have
witnessed to Brazilians, Croatians, and Ethiopians that had
immigrated to this country. I am sure that if a Texan ends up in
Brazil, Ethiopia or Croatia, I know of three missionaries that will try
to win him to Christ.
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II. PETER IN ANTIOCH (2:11-21).

This next incident is a shocking revelation of the frailty of man.
(Gal 2:11-13) "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him
to the face, because he was to be blamed. {12} For before that certain
came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were
come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of
the circumcision. {13} And the other Jews dissembled likewise with
him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their
dissimulation."
Is this the same Peter that was used of God to open the door to the
Gentiles in Acts 10? Is this the same Peter that boldly said at the
Jerusalem Conference: (Acts 15:7-11) "...Men and brethren, ye know
how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the
Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and
believe. {8} And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness,
giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; {9} And put no
difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. {10}
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? {11}
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we
shall be saved, even as they."
Later, he was visiting the work in Antioch. While there, he ate
with the Gentiles and treated them as equal brothers in Christ. But,
when certain men came from James, he “withdrew and separated
himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.”
Peter more concerned about what the Jews from Jerusalem
thought about him than he was about what was right. Paul understood
the significance of Peter’s actions. By his actions, Peter was telling
the Gentiles that, though they were saved, they were still unclean (see
Acts 10:28).
Let us learn five lessons from Peter’s behavior:
1. We see that “great men are not always wise” (Job 32:9).
No one is perfect. No one is even close. Too many Christians
judge others by a perfect standard, without making allowance for
their humanity. These Christians are easily disillusioned when
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they realize that someone they respected was not perfect after all.
Then, these disillusioned Christians can become very jaded
towards church, Christianity, or preachers in general.
I have several heroes. None of them are or were perfect.
Some of them I knew closely, and others I admired from a
distance. I would not agree with any of them 100% of the time,
yet they are my heroes. I admire their good qualities, and I have
mercy on their flaws, while remembering my own.
The problem with many people today is that they are used to
“TV heroes.” They “heroes” they watched on television were
perfect – they always knew exactly what to do and what to say,
always made the right decisions, and always won in the end. The
problem is that those heroes were not real – they were imaginary
characters acting according to a script. They were not real people
dealing with real life. But, unfortunately, we tend to expect our
leaders to always know what to do, to always say just the right
thing, and to always win in the end. The truth is that sometimes
our leaders do NOT know what to do. Sometimes they say the
WRONG thing. Sometimes they make the WRONG decision.
And sometimes they appear to come out on the losing end.
I’ve got news for you, folks: the only perfect Man to ever live
was the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone else is imperfect. Paul was
not perfect. David was not perfect. Peter was not perfect. John
was not perfect. Abraham was not perfect. So why do we expect
that people around us today are going to be perfect – and why are
we surprised, shocked and dismayed when we find out what we
already know? We can become very self-righteous and “high and
mighty” with people sometimes, and especially with leaders,
when the Bible tells us to be merciful, forgiving, meek, humble,
and forbearing.
God inspired His words – not His men. That is an important
truth to learn. Romans is the inspired Word of God. Paul himself
was not inspired. The Gospel of John is the inspired Word of
God. John was not inspired. God gave them His words through
the miracle of inspiration, but they were still sinful, imperfect
men. God’s Word is inspired and inerrant. God’s men make
plenty of errors – including Peter.
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2. We see that it is wrong to judge a man based on one event in

his life.
My opinion of Peter does not go down the drain because of
this one incident. Peter was still a great man, though he was
wrong. Quite a few men in the Bible messed up at one point, but
they got right and kept on going for the Lord. Peter was still used
to write two Books of the Bible. He still served God for many,
many years, and tradition says that he died as a martyr for His
Savior. I could not polish his sandals.
3. We see the danger of being man-pleasers.
(Gal 2:12) "For before that certain came from James, he did
eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and
separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision."
He allowed the fear of man to affect his convictions.
¾ (Prov 29:25) "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso
putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
¾ (Gal 1:10) "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I
seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be
the servant of Christ."
4. We see that our walk talks louder than our talk talks.
Peter did not believe that the Gentiles were unclean. He was
eating with them. We know what he said about the issue in Acts
15. We know that his doctrinal position was right.
But his conduct taught a lesson that contradicted his words.
His inner convictions were sound, but his outer conduct belied his
convictions. They all “dissembled.” That means that they
pretended to be something that they really were not. Their actions
were not consistent with who they really were and what they
really believed.
By his actions, he was rebuilding the wall between Jews and
Gentiles. He was telling the Gentiles that they were still unclean,
and unworthy of acceptance among the Jews.
We must always remember that we teach a little by what we
say, more by what we do, and the most by what we are. People
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are going to pay more attention to our actions than our statements.
We must be careful that our convictions are revealed by our way
of life, and not contradicted it.
5. We see the power of influence.
(Gal 2:13) "And the other Jews dissembled likewise with
him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their
dissimulation."
Even Barnabas, the long-time member of the church of
Antioch and teacher there; Barnabas, who had just returned from
the first missionary journey among the Gentiles; Barnabas, who
had just stood with Paul and Titus at the Jerusalem Conference –
is this the same man, now separating from the Gentiles? Peter’s
influence affected even Barnabas, and drew him out of the way.
We must remember that our lives affect others. Someone is
going to be affected by our decisions. (Rom 14:7) "For none of
us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." It is vitally
important that our walk match our talk, because people will
follow our walk more than our talk. As the old saying goes,
“Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder
than your talk talks.”
Paul responded in no uncertain terms to Peter’s actions:

¾ (Gal 2:11) "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood
him to the face, because he was to be blamed."
¾ (Gal 2:14-18) "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly
according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them
all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and
not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do
the Jews? {15} We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the
Gentiles, {16} Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and
not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified. {17} But if, while we seek to be justified by
Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ
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GALATIANS
the minister of sin? God forbid. {18} For if I build again the
things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor."
Paul was not bickering about a minor issue (which is what many
hair-splitting Baptists tend to bicker about). This was concerning “the
truth of the gospel.” This was undermining Paul’s entire ministry.
This was setting a horrible example in Paul’s church at a critical time.
It was affecting Paul’s partner, Barnabas. This was a serious issue,
and Paul stood in the gap for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of
his church. He was trying to help Jews and Gentiles merge together in
the church, and Peter’s example was undermining this.
Most of what people argue about and fight over today is not what
Paul was trying to deal with. Many Christians feel that they are such
superior Christians that it is their job to correct everyone else and
police the church. But God did not appoint us to be church policemen.
God did not give us a badge and a citation book and command us to
keep everyone else in line.
As a Pastor, I am a shepherd, not a sheepdog. It is my job to lead
and feed and take care of the church. I am not going to try to regulate
their homes, marriages, or child rearing. I will preach the truth, and I
will have standards for those who serve in the church, but I am not
going to police their homes or personal lives. I am not a dictator. (It
would be good for Pastors to remember the various spheres of
authority and stay within their own). If this is the Pastor’s position,
why do church members feel that they have a divine commission to
police fellow church members – or even the Pastor himself? Such an
attitude comes from PRIDE.
Notice how Paul dealt with Peter:
1. Paul withstood him to the face.
He did not talk about him behind his back. He did not start an
Internet blog to attack Peter. He did not start a newsletter and
mail it around the country with articles against Peter.
He withstood him to the face. He looked him in the eye like a
man and talked to him face to face. Since it was a public problem,
Paul dealt with it publicly. “I said unto Peter before them all.”
This took courage. Much of what is being done “for the truth”
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these days is done by cowards hiding behind Internet websites,

mail-outs, and behind-the-back gossip.
2. Paul did not attack Peter’s character because he disagreed
with him.
He came in the spirit of meekness, but with strength. He did
not attack Peter personally. He did not call him a liar and a fraud.
I have heard Christians talk about other Christians with so
much venom, anger, and even hatred that I have to wonder who
their master is. My Bible never gives me a green light to hate
another Christian, to despise a brother, or to hold a grudge.
Rather, when a brother is overtaken in a spiritual fault and needs
my help, I am to HELP him, not hurt him just so that I will feel
better and get to vent some steam.
Consider this command: (Gal 6:1) "Brethren, if a man be
overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in
the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted."
1. This command is only for truly spiritual Christians – “ye
which are spiritual.” That exempts the carnal Christian,
whose life is marked by divisiveness, envying, and strife
– the kind of person that is more likely to attack or “vent
steam” than to help restore his brother. (1 Cor 3:3-4)
"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and
walk as men? {4} For while one saith, I am of Paul; and
another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?"
2. This command only applies to a Christian that has been
“overtaken in a fault.” Everyone has faults, but not
everyone has been overtaken in a fault. Webster’s 1828
Dictionary defines “overtake” as “to take by surprise,”
and uses Galatians 6:1 as a reference. Certainly, this
incident in the life of Peter was a surprise. It was not
premeditated. He made a wrong decision and was
suddenly in a wrong position.
3. This command has a specific goal – “restore such an
one.” Restore means “to bring back; to repair or rebuild.”
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GALATIANS
The command is not to destroy the Christian that is

overcome by a fault, but to try to restore them to their
former position in the truth.
4. This command tells the spiritual Christian to come to the
faulty Christian in a “spirit of meekness,” and with a
proper humility concerning his own faults and
weaknesses, “lest thou also be tempted.” Peter was
overtaken in a fault, and Paul restored him in the spirit of
meekness.
I have rarely ever seen a spirit of meekness in those trying to
“restore” another Christian. I have seen the spirit of superiority
and anger, and the spirit of pride, and the spirit of arrogance, but
rarely the spirit of meekness. I have seen Christians go to those
that had offended them in anger, just to vent their steam, call
names, and walk away without reconciliation. They may have
thought that they were obeying the Word of God, but they were
not, because they lacked the spirit of meekness the Word of God
commanded them to have.
3. Paul corrected Peter with the truth.
(Gal 2:14-16) "But when I saw that they walked not
uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter
before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of
Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the
Gentiles to live as do the Jews? {15} We who are Jews by nature,
and not sinners of the Gentiles, {16} Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified
by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the
works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Paul reminded Peter that he had laid aside the ceremonial
laws before James’ men arrived, which meant that they were not
vital after all. Peter had laid them aside and eaten with the
Gentiles before they came. Now, he was saying by his actions
that the Gentiles had to live as the Jews in order to be clean.
Paul also reminded Peter that a man is not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ – just as Peter
himself had said in Jerusalem (Acts 15:10-11). He pleaded with
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Peter not to frustrate the grace of God and make Christ’s death in
vain by endorsing the false gospel of the Judaizers. (Gal 2:20-21)
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me. {21} I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness
come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Was Paul’s rebuke successful? Yes. Did this cause a falling out
with Peter, a breach of friendship that was never healed? No. Years
later, Peter wrote: (2 Pet 3:15) "And account that the longsuffering of
our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you..."
Peter certainly did not hold this incident against Paul, whom he
referred to as “our beloved brother.” The average Christian or
preacher today would have held a grudge for forty years over it, and
maybe even started a new fellowship because of it.
Galatians 2 is the Tales of Two Cities, Jerusalem and Antioch.
Each illustrated Paul’s lifelong battle to keep the gospel free from any
mixture of works.
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GALATIANS
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Chapter Four
“CHRIST LIVETH IN ME”
(Gal 2:16-21) "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of

Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not
by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified. {17} But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we
ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of
sin? God forbid. {18} For if I build again the things which I
destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. {19} For I through the law
am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. {20} I am crucified
with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. {21} I do not frustrate
the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is
dead in vain."
The Gentile Christians were confused about their responsibilities

concerning the law of Moses. Remember that they did not have the
New Testament as we have it today. They had the Old Testament
Scriptures, which are largely made up of the law of Moses. Like all
true Bible-believers, they believed that the Old Testament was the
Word of God. But they were confused about their responsibility to the
law.
The Judaizers had used this confusion to teach the Galatians that
they needed to keep the law in order to be saved. Unfortunately, we
have many religious groups around today that have tried to mix
various aspects of the law of Moses into God’s plan of salvation.
Christians need to understand their relationship to the Old
Testament law of Moses. What was the purpose of the law? We must
understand that God did not give us the law as a means of salvation
from sin, death, and hell. God never intended for the law to be a way
for us to achieve salvation by our own merits. God gave the law as
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GALATIANS
our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be saved by

faith in Christ (3:26).
The Old Testament law is mostly found in the first five Books
of the Bible, the Pentateuch. The law can be divided into three
basic divisions:
1. The National Laws. These were laws that applied only for the
ancient nation of Israel. These included many agricultural laws,
civic laws, military laws, immigration laws, property rights, the
rights of servants, etc.
2. The Moral Laws. The moral laws are God’s eternal code of right
and wrong. They do not change. The moral laws set the
boundaries and identify right and wrong. “Thou shalt not commit
murder” is a moral law that will never change. Murder will never
be acceptable to God. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” is a
moral law that will never change. Adultery will always be wrong.
It is never right. Scores of other commands concerning our
responsibilities to God and to our fellow man are part of the
moral laws.
3. The Ceremonial Laws. These laws concerned the Old Testament
worship through rituals, sacrifices, feast days, and ceremonies.
They also included the laws regarding ceremonial cleanliness.
These laws are found mainly in the Books of Exodus and
Leviticus, and can be divided among the following six categories:
a. Sacred objects (Tabernacle and Temple furniture).
b. Sacred persons (the priests and Levites).
c. Sacred dues (tithes, taxes and vows).
d. Sacred offerings (the various sacrificial offerings).
e. Sacred times (Sabbaths and Feasts).
f. Sacred living (ceremonial cleanness, dietary laws, etc).
With the New Testament as we have it today, it is easy to
determine which of the Old Testament laws are applicable for us.
They will be repeated or re-emphasized in the New Testament. For
example, tithing was an Old Testament command, but it is repeated
and re-emphasized in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 9:8-14,
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among other places. On the other hand, New Testament Christians are
not commanded anywhere in the New Testament to keep the Saturday
Sabbath day. We are to meet together in the church as often as the
church assembles (Heb. 10:25), and we are to bring our offerings on
Sunday (1 Cor. 16:1), which is the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10).
We are Dead to the Law.
Paul said, “For I through the law am dead to the law.” The
believer is not under the bondage of the law, but under grace (Rom.
6:14). Romans 7:2 tells me that I am loosed from the law just as a
widow is loosed from her husband when he dies. Romans 7:6 tells me
that I am delivered from the law, and that it is dead. Romans 10:4
tells me that Christ is the end of the law to every one that believes on
Him. Romans 8:2 tells me that I am free from the law. Again, our text
in Galatians 2:19 tells me that I am dead to the law.
That creates some questions. Am I dead to all the law of God?
Should I just toss out all of the Old Testament? Is Paul teaching us
that we should be lawless Christians, without any regard to the law of
God as revealed in the Old Testament?
The answer is NO. We are at liberty as Christians, but we are
never permitted to use our liberty as a license to sin. God did not save
me so that I could dishonor His name by sinful living. He saved me
and set me free so that I could live for Him. (Gal 2:19) "For I
through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."
Does the moral law still have a purpose for the Christian? Of
course. New Testament Christians, of all people, need to know right
from wrong. We need to know the boundaries that God has set. As
Christians, we need to obey the moral laws of God – not to be saved,
but to be pleasing to God and to protect our testimony.
The Moral Law is good for Christians when it is used in the
proper way. (1 Tim 1:8-11) "But we know that the law is good, if a
man use it lawfully; {9} Knowing this, that the law is not made for a
righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly
and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and
murderers of mothers, for manslayers, {10} For whoremongers, for
them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars,
for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary
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GALATIANS
to sound doctrine; {11} According to the glorious gospel of the

blessed God, which was committed to my trust."
The Moral Law of God pronounces a judgment and a curse on
mankind, because of our sins. It does not justify anyone. No one
except Jesus Christ has kept all the Moral Law of God perfectly.
Everyone else is pronounced guilty and cursed by the Law of God.
Thankfully, I am dead to the curse and judgment of the moral law.
(Gal 3:10) "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Dead men
are not tried or convicted. They are dead to the law – the law cannot
follow them into the grave and punish them. Even so, I am dead to the
law, because I am in Christ. I will never be tried or condemned (Rom.
8:1).
I am also dead to the requirements of the ceremonial laws of God.
The ceremonial laws showed me that I needed a divine means of
receiving forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation with God. The
ceremonial laws were a shadow of the life and ministry of Jesus
Christ (Heb 10:1). He was the Lamb of God. He is our great High
Priest. He was the offering for man’s sins. He was pictured by the
Tabernacle, the Temples, the offerings, the priesthood, the atoning
blood, the furniture in the Tabernacle, the scapegoat, the Feast days,
etc. They all pictured what He would do on Calvary. Since He has
come and fulfilled the ceremonial law, I do not need it anymore. I do
not need the picture. I have the real thing.
To summarize:
1. I am dead to the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament,
because Christ has fulfilled them. They were the shadow; He
is the substance. The ceremonial laws are no longer needed.
2. I am dead to the penalty of the moral law of God, because
Jesus Christ died in my place, paying that penalty in full. I am
to use the moral law lawfully, to live for God, but I am not
under bondage as a guilty sinner.
The Law Was Our Schoolmaster.
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The Law of God was designed to lead us to Christ. (Gal 3:24)

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,
that we might be justified by faith."
1. The moral law shows us our sinfulness in the eyes of a holy God.
(Rom 3:20) "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no
flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin." The moral law of God was designed to humble the proud
heart of man, so that he would receive Jesus Christ by faith. The
moral law awakens our conscience to our sinfulness in God’s
sight. This leads us to look for forgiveness and reconciliation with
God.
2. The ceremonial law shows us that God has a means of
reconciliation and forgiveness through the shedding of blood. It
leads us to trust the sacrifice of Christ as the Lamb of God.
Once we are saved, we are no longer under the schoolmaster.
(Gal 3:25-26) "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster. {26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus." That does not mean that we ignore what we have
learned. I am not free to live lawlessly just because I am no longer
under the schoolmaster. I have a new life in Christ, but it is a higher
and nobler life than I once had. Now, I am to live for God, and God
tells me to be righteous and holy and upright – not to be saved, but
because I am saved!
Many folks are trying in varying degrees to earn their way to
heaven. Some are truly striving to keep the law of Moses. Some are
just subconsciously trusting in their own goodness and righteousness
to get them into heaven one day. Both forms of self-righteousness
will send you to hell. The pride of man does not like that truth, but
pride never got anyone to heaven, either. In fact, pride caused Lucifer
to fall from heaven and become Satan, and pride has been populating
hell ever since.
NOTICE TWO MAIN THOUGHTS CONCERNING THE NEW

LIFE THAT THE CHRISTIAN HAS IN JESUS CHRIST.
I. THERE ARE SOME TRUTHS THAT WE SHOULD KNOW.
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GALATIANS
(Gal 2:16) "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the
works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified."
1. We should know that a man is not justified by the works of the
law. If you tried today to keep all the law of God, you would still
never be justified. Never.
2. We should know that no flesh shall be justified by the works of
the law.
No one, anywhere, except for Jesus Christ, has ever been or
will ever be justified in God’s sight through the works of the law.
Rather, the law condemns all men as unrighteous sinners:
¾ (Rom 3:10) "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one..."
¾ (Rom 3:19-20) "Now we know that what things soever the
law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
before God. {20} Therefore by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the
knowledge of sin."
The law stops our mouths and leaves us speechless and guilty
before the eyes of God.
3. We should know that a man is justified only by the faith of Jesus
Christ.
(Rom 3:20-22) "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no
flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. {21} But now the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; {22}
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no
difference:"
Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. That means that He
had perfect righteousness and perfect faith. He has what I
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desperately need: perfect righteousness. I need something to

cover my nakedness. I need something to cover my shame.
When I am saved, I am covered by the perfect righteousness
and faith of Jesus Christ. It is “unto all and upon all them that
believe.” When God looks at me, He sees the perfect
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
There is no other way to be saved. (Acts 4:12) "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
4. We should know that a man must believe in Jesus Christ to be
justified.
“...Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.”
This requires a personal decision to believe on Christ with all
your heart. You don’t have to get saved if you don’t want to. If
you want to die and go to hell, God won’t stop you. He wants you
to be saved, but He will not force you to be saved.
A man told one of our soul-winners recently: “I believe that
everyone is automatically saved unless they choose to reject Jesus
Christ.” He had it backwards. Everyone is automatically lost
unless they choose to accept Jesus Christ.
5. We should know that any other ideas concerning salvation
frustrates the grace of God.
(Gal 2:21) "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
If a man could earn his way to heaven by his own goodness
or works or obedience to the law, the sacrifice of Christ was
meaningless and vain. If a baptism or a church membership could
get you to heaven, or religious activity or devotion, there is no
purpose for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
I want you to know that Christ did not die in vain. He died
because there was NO OTHER WAY for us to be saved. He came
to fulfill the righteousness of the law, to condemn sin in His flesh,
and to die for our sins, so that He could give us His perfect
righteousness.
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Jesus did what the law COULD NOT do. (Rom 8:3-4) "For
what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh: {4} That the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit."
If you reject God’s salvation, you will frustrate His grace, and
deny what His Son did for you on the cross of Calvary.
II. THERE ARE SOME TRUTHS THAT WE SHOULD SHOW.

(Gal 2:20) "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself
for me."
The Christian’s life and standing with God is a paradox to human
reasoning. Paul said:
¾ I am crucified, yet I live.
¾ I live, yet not I, but Christ.
¾ Christ was crucified, yet He liveth in me.
¾ I live in the flesh, and yet I live by faith.
These statements do not make sense except that our Savior is a
resurrected Savior. He died on the cross for our sins, and yet He rose
again and lives forevermore!
When Christ died on Calvary, I died with Him because He was
my substitute. He died vicariously, in my place. So, I was crucified
with Christ. Yet, I am not dead. I was dead in sins already (Eph. 2:1-
2). His salvation has made me alive spiritually. I have been born
again. He gave me life, and life more abundantly. Yet, this life is not
my own, but is His life in me – “Christ liveth in me.”
Do you know why I have a steadfast hope concerning eternity?
“Christ liveth in me.” That is it. He lives in me and He has given me
life. I was crucified with Him as my Substitute, and He has paid for
my sins. I have believed on Him with all my heart as my Savior. I am
not trusting in the law or myself, but in Jesus. And now He liveth in
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me, and I have life eternal. (1 John 5:11-12) "And this is the record,
that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. {12}
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life."
As a Christian, it is my responsibility to show this new life to
others:
1. I am to live a Crucified Life.
Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ.” He said something
very similar at the end of Galatians: (Gal 6:14) "But God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
I have a new standing in relation to this world. I am crucified
to it, and it is crucified to me. We no longer share a mutual
attraction to each other. I am a reproach to this world, and this
world is a reproach to me.
Christianity today does not want a cross (unless it is golden
and hangs around their necks). Many Christians would rather be
like Peter, warming himself at the enemy’s fire while Jesus hangs
on the cross. Paul was saying, “I would rather glory in the cross
of Christ. I would rather hang on a cross next to my Savior, and to
be mocked and insulted and hated and reproached, than to be
accepted by the world that hates my Lord.”
Christians are called to deny themselves and bear their cross
after Jesus. (Luke 9:23) "And he said to them all, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow me."
Living a crucified life means living for God. It means living
like Jesus. It means a submitted will, like Jesus had in the Garden
of Gethsemane when He prayed, “Not my will, but thine be
done.” It means bearing a reproach because you stand for God
and His Word. It is the self-denying attitude of, “Not I, but
Christ.”
Are you living a crucified life?
2. I am to live a Resurrected Life.
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GALATIANS
(Gal 2:20) "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;

yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me."
Notice, “The life which I now live.” This new life is to show
the world the power of Christ’s resurrection and salvation. Our
Savior is not dead! He is alive and He lives in me!
A little girl once asked her mother, “Mommy, is God bigger
than we are?” The mother answered, “Yes, dear, He is.” The little
girl then said, “But my Sunday School teacher said that God lives
in us when we are saved.” The mother answered, “That is right,
dear. He does.” The little girl then said with a puzzled expression,
“If God is bigger than we are, and He lives in us, how come He
doesn’t show anywhere?”
If you say you are saved, live the resurrected life. Don’t get
saved and then go back to the graveyard. Live for God!
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Chapter Five
“WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU?”
(Gal 3:1-5) "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye
should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been
evidently set forth, crucified among you? {2} This only would I learn
of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith? {3} Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit,
are ye now made perfect by the flesh? {4} Have ye suffered so many
things in vain? if it be yet in vain. {5} He therefore that ministereth to
you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the
works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
Chapter three continues Paul’s defense of the gospel. It begins

with a harsh rebuke that almost seems uncharacteristic of Paul – “O
foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? Are ye so foolish?” Paul
later asked the Corinthian Church, (1 Cor 4:21) "What will ye? shall
I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?"
He gave the Corinthians a choice, and his second Epistle was written
“in love, and in the spirit of meekness;” the Galatians were so far
gone that Paul came directly to them with the rod of correction. The
situation was desperate, because these churches had “fallen from
grace” into “another gospel,” preaching the works of the law instead
of the grace of God.
I believe that most preachers would rather preach in the spirit of
meekness than to use the rod of correction. But the rod of correction
is sometimes necessary. The preacher is instructed to "preach the
word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim 4:2). Most preachers
would rather exhort and encourage people, but the sinful nature of
man and the deceptions of Satan require that the preacher also stand
up to fearlessly reprove and rebuke. God’s instructions to Isaiah were
to "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my
people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isa
58:1). Paul did not mince any words. He called it like it was. He
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GALATIANS
called a spade a spade. He words cracked like thunder to get the

attention of the deceived Galatians churches.
Paul asked, “Who hath bewitched you?” “Bewitched” is a
fascinating word. The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary gives it the
following definition: “To fascinate; to gain an ascendancy over by
charms or incantation; an operation which was formerly supposed to
injure the person bewitched, so that he lost his flesh, or behaved in a
strange unaccountable manner; ignorant people being inclined to
ascribe to evil spirits what they could not account for.”
The Galatians’ current behavior was so drastically different from
the beginning that Paul could not understand what had happened. He
said bluntly, “You are being foolish. You act as if you are under a
spell. Your behavior is so strange and unaccountable that you must be
under some kind of bewitchment. I cannot believe that you have
turned your back on the gospel and the Savior. I cannot believe that
you have disobeyed the truth in this matter.”
He reminded them in chapter four how they had initially
responded to the Gospel. (Gal 4:12-15) "Brethren, I beseech you, be
as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. {13} Ye
know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto
you at the first. {14} And my temptation which was in my flesh ye
despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even
as Christ Jesus. {15} Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I
bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked
out your own eyes, and have given them to me."
Paul had been amazed by their gracious reception at the
beginning. They received him “as an angel of God, even as Christ
Jesus.” Wow! I have never been treated like an angel – well, maybe
like a fallen angel – much less like Jesus Christ.
(That is how we should treat God’s people. We should treat them
like we would treat Jesus if He was there in their place. (Mat 25:40)
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.")
Paul had been dealing with a severe infirmity when he began
preaching among the Galatians. This infirmity apparently affected his
eyes in some way that must have been repulsive, causing him to
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gratefully write: “And my temptation which was in my flesh ye

despised not, not rejected.” Paul must have been concerned that his
physical affliction would turn some away from the gospel.
“Where is then the blessedness ye spake of?” My, those people
loved Paul! They told him that he was a blessing from God. They told
him after each sermon, “Brother Paul, that message was such a
blessing.” Paul wanted to know what happened to the “blessedness ye
spake of?” He had not changed. His message had not changed. How
had he become their enemy while continuing to preach the same
message that they once blessed?
Pastors still deal with this kind of behavior today. The folks that
seem to love them the most and flatter them the most frequently are
also the ones that seem to be the quickest to stab him in the back over
the most trivial of offenses. Many times, these folks are insincere.
They are flatterers, using kind words to try to get an advantage with
the preacher. They have ulterior motives. When their selfish motives
and desires are not realized, they turn on the preacher “quicker than
two shakes of a lamb’s tail,” as my Dad used to say.
Paul continued by saying that “if it had been possible, ye would
have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me." Yet,
now they treated him as an enemy. (Gal 4:16) "Am I therefore
become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"
Paul had been surprised by his initial reception, as an angel of
God – he is even more surprised by their current rejection of his
ministry, as a false apostle! He cannot believe the change. Surely,
they have been bewitched! They are behaving in such “a strange
unaccountable manner” that there is no rational explanation.
Why would anyone turn from the gospel of the grace of God to
“another gospel,” a message of legalism and works? Why would
anyone turn from the salvation of Jesus Christ – which is full, free,
and forever – to the bondage and yoke of the law? (Gal 4:9-11) "But
now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how
turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire
again to be in bondage? {10} Ye observe days, and months, and
times, and years. {11} I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon
you labour in vain."
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GALATIANS
The answer is that they had been deceived. The example of the
Galatians is a warning to Christians to beware of deception! Can
saved people be deceived? Yes, absolutely! These Christians had
been taught by Paul himself, and yet were deceived by the legalists in
the gospel itself. We are warned to take heed! (1 Cor 10:12)
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
The Bible warns us over and over again to “be not deceived” and
“let no man deceive you.” So, consider with me this matter of
bewitchment or deception, as it applies to the Christian life.
The first thing that we must understand is that Satan is the master-
deceiver. The Bible says that Satan has deceived the whole world.
(Rev 12:9) "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he
was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
He is the father of deception. He is the father of lies. He has the
whole world deceived.
What is deception? To deceive means to convince someone that
something is true when it is not. To deceive is to dress up a lie as
though it is the truth. The lie is still a lie. Nothing can change a lie
into truth. But the lie does not look like a lie. The deception makes
the lie look like the truth, but it can never and will never be the truth.
At the same time, a deceiver will often try to make the truth look
like a lie, in order to make the victim believe that the lie is the truth.
He must also discredit the truth so that the lie is not revealed for what
it is – a lie. He must attack the truth, slander the truth, and discredit
the truth to protect the lie.
Satan has deceived the world. He has taken his lies and dressed
them up to look like the truth. Then, he has attacked the truth to
discredit the truth, so that his lies will not be revealed for what they
are – lies.
Billions of people alive right now are deceived by Satan. They do
not think that they are deceived. They are sincere. They have religion.
They have their own ideas. They have traditions and cultures that go
back hundreds or thousands of years. But they are not going to
heaven. They are destined for the Great White Throne Judgment and
the lake of fire, because they have believed lies that are dressed up to
look like the truth.
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The devil is slick. He is the ultimate advertiser. He knows how to

package his product so that it deceives his customers. He can package
filthy, gut-rot liquor and make people think that they are cool to drink
it. He can package shameful, promiscuous living and make it appear
appealing. He can even package religion to make it seem spiritual.
Thankfully, God does not practice deception. God is truth. God
does not hide the truth from man, or attempt to trick man into
believing a falsehood. God has revealed Himself to mankind in every
way possible. He has given us the Bible, which is the truth. He has
revealed His glory and power in Creation. He has appeared in the
flesh in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and lived among us. He
has sent the Holy Spirit of God to indwell believers. God does not
practice deception.
The truth is available. The Word of God is the truth, and it is our
defense against temptation.
Who is most susceptible to deception? (Rom 16:17-18) "Now I
beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. {18}
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple."
The simple are deceived by “good words and fair speeches.”
“Simple” means that they lack wisdom. They are not grounded. They
cannot discern truth from error. They do not know the Word of God.
They are entertained by “good words and fair speeches,” but they are
not grounded in the truth. Some people will believe anything if it is
said in the right way.
The Word of God is the truth, but carrying a Bible around like a
good luck charm is not going to protect you from error. You need to
learn the Word of God. You need to be grounded in the faith.
HOW CAN I DEFEND MYSELF FROM DECEPTION?
I. PLANT YOURSELF IN A BIBLE-PREACHING, BIBLE-

TEACHING CHURCH.
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GALATIANS
(Eph 4:11-15) "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;

and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; {12} For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ: {13} Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: {14} That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; {15} But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which
is the head, even Christ...
Every Christian needs to be an active member of a New
Testament church. Unfortunately, many today feel that they are such
superior Christians that they do not need a church home. But these
verses tell us that God has given us some people that are going to be
very helpful to our Christian lives.
God has given us evangelists, pastors, and teachers whose
ministry will perfect the saints and edify the body of Christ, so that
“we be no more children, tossed to and from, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine.” The ministry of these men will ground us in
the faith, anchoring us in the truth. They are placed to help protect us
from “the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness.”
Their ministry is to continue in our lives “till we all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ...” That means until the Rapture or death. Until we see Jesus
and become as He is, we still need the ministry of God’s men. It is a
lifelong need. You will never get to the point that you do not need the
ministry of God’s evangelists, pastors and teachers – even if you live
to be a hundred years old.
Some Christians must think that they are already perfect, because
they do not need pastors or teachers anymore. They think they know
it all, and they are already deceived by their own hearts. They have
grown so much spiritually that they do not even go to church
faithfully. They do not win souls, tithe, give to missions, or serve in a
ministry. They do not need the local church anymore.
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God gave the church for a reason. Plant yourself in the local
church. Put yourself in a pew every time the doors are open. Put
yourself in Sunday School. Take special classes when they are
offered. Go to special meetings. Read the Revival Fires paper. Read
good books. Get grounded in the faith, so that you will not be easily
deceived.
II. READ YOUR BIBLE THROUGH AT LEAST ONCE EVERY

YEAR.
Over and over again, Jesus asked the Pharisees and Sadducees,
“Have ye never read in the Scriptures?”
¾ (Mat 12:3-5) "But he said unto them, Have ye not read what
David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with
him; {4} How he entered into the house of God, and did eat
the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither
for them which were with him, but only for the priests? {5} Or
have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the
priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are
blameless?"
¾ (Mat 19:4) "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye
not read, that he which made them at the beginning made
them male and female,"
¾ (Mat 21:42) "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the
scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is
become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it
is marvellous in our eyes?"
¾ (Mat 22:31-32) "But as touching the resurrection of the
dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by
God, saying, {32} I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living."
He summarized their problem in (Mat 22:29) "Jesus answered
and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the
power of God."
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GALATIANS
We need to be Bible readers. We are to search the Scriptures.

(John 5:39) "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." We are to study
the Scriptures. (2 Tim 2:15) "Study to show thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth."
Read your Bible through every year. It is not impossible. Make
the time.
III. HOLD FAST TO THE FAITHFUL WORD AS YOU HAVE

BEEN TAUGHT.
(Titus 1:9-11) "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been
taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers. {10} For there are many unruly and vain
talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: {11} Whose
mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."
Every once in a while, someone comes along and thinks that they
discovered some truth that all the rest of Christianity has been missing
for the last 2000 years. I go by the saying that if it is new, it is not
true, and if it is true, it is not new.
Don’t go looking for something new. Do not be a “fool for fads.”
Stick with the old gospel, the old doctrines, the old Bible, the old
paths, the old music, and the old standards.
I was taught a set of doctrines that I know are sound. I am not
looking for a replacement. I am not looking for new ideas. I am going
to hold fast to the faithful word, as I have been taught.
W<X
Paul was shocked that his converts had so quickly turned their
backs on their Savior and the true gospel message.
I have been shocked a few times. It is sad to see young people
grow up in church and then turn around and marry Catholics. Others
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have gotten involved in Charismatic churches or cults. How can this

happen? They are deceived, because they have not obeyed the truth.
They are not anchored. They are not grounded. And, because of that,
they are easily carried about by every wind of doctrine, and the
cunning craftiness of Satan and his men.
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Chapter Six
THE EVIDENCE FOR FAITH
(Gal 3:6-14) "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted

to him for righteousness. {7} Know ye therefore that they which are of
faith, the same are the children of Abraham. {8} And the scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached
before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed. {9} So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham. {10} For as many as are of the works of the law are under
the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. {11}
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is
evident: for, The just shall live by faith. {12} And the law is not of
faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. {13} Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: {14}
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith."
All of Paul’s Epistles follow the same pattern: they start with
doctrinal teaching, and finish with practical application. God’s Word
is balanced. God teaches us what is right, and then tells us what to do
about it. A lot of teaching and preaching today is unbalanced, and it
has resulted in unbalanced Christians and churches. A lot of
Christians know their doctrines backwards and forwards, but they do
not do anything; on the other hand, we have many Christians that are
doing a lot, but do not know why.
Chapters 3 and 4 are the “meaty” doctrinal chapters of Galatians.
The practical chapters are five and six. The first two chapters
introduced us to the problem that Paul was dealing with: the false
gospel of legalism that was subverting the churches of Galatia.
The great question was, and is today, “Are we saved by works or
faith? Are we saved by faith in Jesus Christ, or by keeping religious
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GALATIANS
ordinances?” This is the theme of chapter three, as seen in the first

few verses:
¾ (Gal 3:2) "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the
Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
¾ (Gal 3:5) "He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit,
and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of
the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
Galatians chapter 3 is a logical argument for the Bible doctrine of
justification by faith. The key verse is (Gal 3:11) "But that no man is
justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall
live by faith."
That is pretty clear! “It is evident!” The Bible evidence is that
God saves sinners through faith, and not by keeping the law. We are
not saved by religious works or church affiliation. We are not saved
by good deeds or moral living. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ
as Savior, plus nothing and minus nothing.
Consider the evidence for faith as given in this chapter:
I. THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM IS EVIDENCE FOR

FAITH.
(Gal 3:6-9) "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness. {7} Know ye therefore that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. {8} And the
scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith,
preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all
nations be blessed. {9} So then they which be of faith are blessed with
faithful Abraham."
Paul went all the way back to the founder of the Jewish race,
Abraham. How did Abraham receive righteousness in the eyes of
God? Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 for the answer: (Gen 15:6) "And he
believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."
Genesis 15:6 is the clear-cut Old Testament reference that Abraham’s
righteousness was imputed (counted) to him by faith. Paul expanded
on this truth in Romans 4:
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¾ (Rom 4:1-5) "What shall we say then that Abraham our

father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? {2} For if
Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory;
but not before God. {3} For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for
righteousness. {4} Now to him that worketh is the reward not
reckoned of grace, but of debt. {5} But to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness."
¾ (Rom 4:9-12) "Cometh this blessedness then upon the
circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we
say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
{10} How was it then reckoned? when he was in
circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision,
but in uncircumcision. {11} And he received the sign of
circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he
had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of
all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also: {12} And the
father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith
of our father Abraham, which he had being yet
uncircumcised."
Paul then stated clearly that we are saved THE SAME WAY as
Abraham was: (Rom 4:22-25) "And therefore it was imputed to him
for righteousness. {23} Now it was not written for his sake alone,
that it was imputed to him; {24} But for us also, to whom it shall be
imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from
the dead; {25} Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised
again for our justification."
Abraham believed God, and God imputed righteousness to his
account. Abraham did not earn his righteousness. He did not receive
his righteousness through circumcision, but was already righteous
before God instituted that covenant. Abraham’s righteousness was
given to him by God when he believed. He counted faith for
righteousness.
In exactly the same way, we are given the imputed righteousness
of Christ. We have no righteousness of our own. Ours is “filthy rags”
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(Isaiah 64:6) because of our dirty sins (Rom. 3:23). None of us is

righteous (Rom. 3:10). But when Jesus died on the cross, my sins
were imputed to Him. He bore my sins on Calvary and died under my
unrighteousness. When I got saved, His perfect righteousness was
imputed to my account – not through the works of the law, but
through faith.
The Bible is also clear that Abraham believed the gospel that was
preached to him. (Gal 3:8) "And the scripture, foreseeing that God
would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel
unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."
Abraham did not have the complete Word of God or the gospel as
we have it today, but the gospel he had was about the coming Savior
that would bless all nations. He believed the gospel.
The gospel story runs all the way through the Old Testament,
beginning with Genesis 3:15. The gospel was preached to Abraham.
Like a scarlet thread, it ran through the Pentateuch. Each additional
Old Testament Book gave a little more light, a little more
information, until the entire gospel message was hidden in the Old
Testament Scriptures. Abraham believed the gospel! Have you?
Furthermore, God always intended to save the heathen by faith,
just as he saved Abraham. (Gal 3:8) "And the scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before
the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed."
Jesus Christ is not exclusively a Jewish Saviour. Jesus is the
Saviour of the world. The gospel is for all men everywhere, and
God’s promise of faith is the same: (Rom 3:29-30) "Is he the God of
the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles
also: {30} Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision
by faith, and uncircumcision through faith." Jews and Gentiles are
saved in the same way – “through faith.”
II. THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF WORKS SALVATION IS

EVIDENCE FOR FAITH.
(Gal 3:10-12) "For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth
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not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
{11} But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is
evident: for, The just shall live by faith. {12} And the law is not of
faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them."
The phrase in verse 11 is very important: “No man is justified by
the law in the sight of God.” You might be justified in the eyes of
men, but never in the sight of God. Other people might sing your
praises and consider you to be a good person, but not God. God
knows all about you. He knows every thought, deed, feeling, and
word, and He is not fooled by what others see on the outside.
No one except Jesus Christ has ever been justified by the law in
the sight of God. When Jesus was baptized, the Father said, (Mat
3:17) "...This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Jesus
was perfectly righteous and just in the eyes of God. No one except
Jesus has done “all things which are written in the book of the law to
do them.” He was the only man to ever live that was justified in the
eyes of God by his own righteousness.
No one else stands justified before God by his own works. Ever
since Adam, the rest of us have been under the curse of the law.
Therefore, it is ridiculous to look to the law for justification. The law
has already pronounced you as guilty and condemned. That is why
the Bible is so clear that “The just shall live by faith.”
Paul quoted from Habakkuk 2:4: "Behold, his soul which is lifted
up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." It was
also quoted by Paul two other times:
¾ (Rom 1:17) "For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live
by faith."
¾ (Heb 10:38) "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man
draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."
The Bible is clear that you CANNOT be justified in the eyes of
God by works. How foolish to try to do the impossible!
III. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST IS EVIDENCE FOR FAITH.
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GALATIANS
(Gal 3:13-14) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the

law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one
that hangeth on a tree: {14} That the blessing of Abraham might
come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith."
The law condemns and calls for judgment. It does not redeem. It
does not pardon. It does not exercise forgiveness. The law puts us
under a curse.
Jesus Christ had to be hung on a cross to be “made a curse for
us,” so that we could be redeemed from the curse of the law. There
was no other way. His sacrifice requires a salvation by faith, and not
of works. Christ’s sacrifice was the only way that God could be just,
and yet justify the ungodly:
(Rom 3:20-28) "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the
knowledge of sin. {21} But now the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets; {22} Even the righteousness of God which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:
for there is no difference: {23} For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God; {24} Being justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: {25}
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in
his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins
that are past, through the forbearance of God; {26} To
declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. {27}
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of
works? Nay: but by the law of faith. {28} Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law."
To teach a gospel of works is to deny or downplay what Jesus
Christ did on the cross of Calvary. His death was necessary because
of our sins, and sufficient because of His righteousness. He does not
need your help. He does not need your rags of righteousness. He just
needs your heart faith, trusting Him with all your heart, so that He can
save you and give you His righteousness.
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IV. THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM IS EVIDENCE FOR

FAITH.
(Gal 3:14-18) "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of
the Spirit through faith. {15} Brethren, I speak after the manner of
men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no
man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. {16} Now to Abraham and his
seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many;
but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. {17} And this I say,
that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the
law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul,
that it should make the promise of none effect. {18} For if the
inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to
Abraham by promise."
The point of this passage is that God made promises to Abraham
430 years before He gave the law to Moses. Those promises are not
voided by the law. They are confirmed and they stand forever. God’s
promises to Abraham are not of “none effect.”
We are heirs of the promise of God to Abraham. (Gal 3:28-29)
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. {29}
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise." Why is this point important? Because the
legalists were telling the Gentiles that they had to be circumcised and
become Jews before they could be saved. Paul was saying, “No –
Gentiles become children of Abraham, not by circumcision and
keeping the law of Moses, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”
(Gal 3:18) "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of
promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." Our inheritance is
also by promise.
I do not have to join a religion or a church to be saved. When I
trust Jesus Christ as my Savior, I become an heir of God’s promise to
Abraham, as well as an heir of God through Jesus Christ!
V. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS EVIDENCE FOR FAITH.
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GALATIANS
(Gal 3:19-22) "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added

because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the
promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a
mediator. {20} Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is
one. {21} Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid:
for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the law. {22} But the scripture
hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ
might be given to them that believe."
Why did God give us the law?
1. To show us right from wrong.
2. To identify and punish transgressors.
3. To reveal our sinfulness.
4. To lead us to faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our
sins.
If there had been a law that could have given life, righteousness
would have been by the law. But we would have broken any
commandment that God gave us. If God only gave us one, as He did
with Adam and Eve, we would have broken it.
The law concludes that we are “all under sin.”(Gal 3:23-24)
"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the
faith which should afterwards be revealed. {24} Wherefore the law
was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith.”
The purpose of the law was to show us our sinfulness and God’s
righteousness, so that we would run to Him for mercy and
forgiveness! How arrogant man is when he denies his own sinfulness,
ignores the condemnation of the law, and tries to earn heaven on his
own!
W<X
The question again: “Are we saved by faith in Jesus Christ, or by
keeping the law? Are we saved by faith, or by good works? Are we
saved by faith, or through religious observances?”
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(Gal 3:26) "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus." We do not have to join a religion first. We do not become
children of God by first becoming Jewish. We do not become
children of God by joining a church or denomination. We do not
become children of God through baptism or sacraments.
We become children of God through personal faith in Jesus
Christ. All the evidence is for faith and against man’s works or
religion – and yet millions of people are trusting in their church, their
religion, and their good deeds to make them heirs of God. How sad
that so many are kept from the simple truth of God’s Word as
revealed in the Book of Galatians.
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Chapter Seven
THE FULLNESS OF THE TIME
(Gal 4:1-11) "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child,

differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; {2} But is
under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. {3}
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the
elements of the world: {4} But when the fulness of the time was
come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, {5} To redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. {6} And because ye are sons, God hath
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
{7} Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son,
then an heir of God through Christ. {8} Howbeit then, when ye knew
not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. {9}
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,
how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye
desire again to be in bondage? {10} Ye observe days, and months,
and times, and years. {11} I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed
upon you labour in vain."
In chapter three, we saw that salvation can only come through

faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. The law was our schoolmaster,
designed by God to bring us to Christ so that we might be saved by
faith. After faith comes, we are no longer under the schoolmaster.
Chapter three also taught us that we are children of Abraham by
faith (3:7,29). As Abraham’s children, we are also heirs of the
promise that was made to Abraham. Consider these verses again:
¾ (Gal 3:8-9) "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel
unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
{9} So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham."
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GALATIANS
¾ (Gal 3:14) "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the

Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith."
It was always God’s intention to bless “all nations” through
Abraham – specifically through his seed, Jesus Christ. God’s plan
has always been to pass the blessing of Abraham on to the Gentiles,
through faith in Christ. When anyone of any nation trusts Jesus Christ
as their Savior, they are blessed with faithful Abraham, and become
inheritors of God’s promise to his seed.
What was God’s promise to Abraham? The world. (Rom 4:12-
13) "And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our
father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. {13} For the
promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith."
This promise refers to the coming kingdom of Christ, which we
call the Millennium:
¾ (Mat 8:11-12) "And I say unto you, That many shall come from
the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. {12} But the children of
the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Unbelievers, including unbelieving Jews, will be cast out.
Only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will sit
down in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob.
¾ (Rev 1:5-6) "…Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood, {6} And hath made us kings and priests
unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen."
¾ (Rev 5:8-10) "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts
and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having
every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which
are the prayers of saints. {9} And they sung a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:
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for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; {10}
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth."
¾ (Rev 20:4) "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of
God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or
in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years."
Why is this important? Remember the whole reason that this
Epistle was written. The Judaizers, who were Jews, were convincing
the Gentiles that they had to become Jewish proselytes before they
could be saved. Paul was answering, “No! When you believe on Jesus
Christ, as a Gentile, you automatically become a child of Abraham
and an inheritor of God’s promise to him. You are blessed with
faithful Abraham, and one day you will inherit all of God’s promises
to his seed.”
By faith, I am a child of Abraham and an heir of God’s promises
to him that will be fulfilled in the Millennium, when we rule and
reign with Christ, as kings and priests, for 1000 years.
Chapter four continues the illustration of a child in school.
Chapter three showed us that the law was our schoolmaster to bring
us to Christ. Chapter four shows us the superiority of our position
after we have come to Christ as Savior, and are no longer “under a
schoolmaster” (3:25). We are in a superior position as not only
children of Abraham, but as children of God. Therefore, it is
ridiculous and absurd that they would allow these false teachers to re-
enroll them back under the schoolmaster!
(Gal 4:1-4) "Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child,
differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; {2} But is
under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. {3}
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the
elements of the world: {4} But when the fulness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"
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GALATIANS
I. THE SITUATION BEFORE THE FULLNESS OF THE TIME

WAS ACHIEVED.
The Old Testament saints are seen under the illustration of
children in school. They were saved by grace through faith as well as
we are, and yet they did not have the fullness of understanding that
we have today. We can look back to the life, death and resurrection of
the Lord Jesus in the four Gospels, and we have the Epistles of the
New Testament to tell us the exact meaning of the gospel.
In contrast, the Old Testament saints had a three-fold basis for
their faith:
1. Promises.
Genesis 3:15 was the first great promise of the coming Savior
– the Seed of woman that would crush the serpent’s head. The
covenant with Abraham, repeated seven times in Genesis, also
involved a Seed that would bless all nations.
God’s covenant with David promised an eternal King on the
throne of Israel. There are many other promises concerning the
Messiah scattered throughout the Old Testament.
2. Pictures.
There are many, many Old Testament illustrations concerning
the life and ministry of the Savior. The first offering in Genesis 3;
the Ark in Genesis 6; the offering of Isaac in Genesis 22; the
Passover lamb in Exodus 12; the brazen serpent in Numbers 21;
the scarlet thread of Rahab in Joshua 2; the Tabernacle and
Temple; the offerings and sacrifices; the Feasts; all of these and
more were God’s inspired illustrations of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Prophecies.
The entire life of Christ was prophesied ahead of time – from
His virgin birth, to where He would be born, to where He would
grow up, to His ministry, to His death on the cross, to His
resurrection and ascension. The Book of Isaiah is so full of
Messianic prophecy that it has been called the “Gospel according
to Isaiah.”
Yet, compared to us, their knowledge was dim and their
understanding was darkened – like little children compared to adults.
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They were tied to rituals and ceremonies, which they did not fully
understand. They were like servants, under the “bondage of the
elements of this world,” obliged to keep ordinances and
commandments without a full understanding of why they were doing
so.
They looked through a veil, and the unbelieving Jews are still
looking through a veil when they read the Old Testament. This veil is
still on their hearts. (2 Cor 3:12-16) "Seeing then that we have such
hope, we use great plainness of speech: {13} And not as Moses, which
put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly
look to the end of that which is abolished: {14} But their minds were
blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in
the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.
{15} But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their
heart. {16} Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall
be taken away."
Paul was saying, “The tutors and governors served their purpose.
The schoolmaster served his purpose. They were designed to bring us
to Christ. Now, Christ has come. The veil is taken away, and we are
no longer to be under the schoolmaster. Do not re-enroll yourself in
the Old Testament schoolhouse. Do not go back into the bondage of
ceremonies and rituals. You are no longer servants, but sons!”
II. THE FULLNESS OF THE TIME HAS COME.

(Gal 4:4-5) "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, {5} To redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons."
God has always had a plan. That plan included a time at which He
would send forth His Son to be the Savior of the world.
The very first promise in Genesis 3:15 laid out the time frame for
us – Jesus would come as the seed of woman, “made of a woman.”
That is a clear reference to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He was
conceived without a human father. Throughout the Bible, the seed is
associated with the man. Only in this instance is it applied to a
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woman without a man. God miraculously caused Mary to conceive,

making Jesus the seed of woman, “made of a woman.”
The virgin birth of Christ was prophesied again, thousands of
years later, by Isaiah.
¾ (Isa 7:14) “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel.”
¾ (Isa 9:6) “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
This child that was born was also a Son that was given. (John
3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” He was born a child (humanity, through Mary) and
He was given as a Son (deity, the Son of God).
God said that this Seed of woman would crush the serpent’s head,
though the serpent would bruise His heel in the process. Thank God,
on Calvary Jesus’ heel was bruised, but He crushed the serpent’s
head. The sting has been removed from death, and victory has been
won over the grave. (1 Cor 15:55-57) "O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? {56} The sting of death is sin; and the
strength of sin is the law. {57} But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
All of this was dimly seen in the very first promise concerning the
coming Savior. From the moment that God spoke Genesis 3:15, the
time clock was ticking. The Old Testament is God’s countdown to the
advent of His Son as the Saviour of the world. The Old Testament is
summarized beautifully in Isaiah: (Isa 19:20) "…and he shall send
them a saviour, and a great one…” The Old Testament ends with a
promise concerning the “Sun of righteousness” that will “arise with
healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2).
Daniel’s prophecy even gave the exact time of His death on
Calvary:
(Dan 9:24-27) "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy
people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and
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to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity,

and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. {25} Know
therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and
two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in
troublous times. {26} And after threescore and two weeks shall
Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the
prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;
and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of
the war desolations are determined. {27} And he shall confirm
the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the
week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,
and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it
desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined
shall be poured upon the desolate."
This prophecy is called the Seventy Weeks Prophecy. Daniel
prophesied of 70 weeks in which God finishes His plan and purpose
for Israel. In these 70 weeks, God will accomplish 6 acts for Israel:
1. To finish the transgression.
2. To make an end of sins.
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity.
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness.
5. To seal up the vision and prophecy.
6. To anoint the most Holy.
These 70 weeks are 70 weeks of 7 years, equaling 490 years.
They are divided into 2 sections: 69 weeks, and then the final week.
Using a 360-day year (30 day months), Sir Robert Anderson
calculated the end of the 69th week to have fallen on the Sunday
before Christ’s crucifixion.
Between the 69th week and the 70th week is what we call the
Church Age. The seventy weeks countdown is paused while God
carries out His plan through the New Testament churches. But there is
one week left, and that is the seventieth week – the seven-year
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Tribulation period. During that time, God will again deal specifically
with the Jews.
Some understood the times. The wise men from the east saw His
star and came to worship the newborn King of the Jews. These men
were not pagans, as some believe, but Bible-believers that understood
the prophecies of Daniel. They came looking for the Messiah of
whom Daniel had spoken. They knew Daniel’s writings because he
himself had written his Book in Babylon, and the Jews of the east
maintained the Old Testament there. The sad thing is that men from
far away came looking for the Savior, understanding that the time was
fulfilled, and yet when they asked for the new-born King in
Jerusalem, no one knew where He was! He was only a few miles
away in Bethlehem!
When Jesus was thirty years old, He announced that the time was
fulfilled. He had come. (Mark 1:15) "And saying, The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe
the gospel."
God had sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the
law. Why did He come? “To redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:5).
III. OUR POSITION NOW THAT CHRIST HAS COME.

(Gal 4:5-7) "To redeem them that were under the law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons. {6} And because ye are sons, God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. {7} Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a
son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Now, because of my faith in Jesus Christ, I am a child of God.
But there is more. I am not only a child of God. I am also an adopted
son. Webster’s Dictionary gives this applicable definition for “son:”
“One adopted into a family. Moses was the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. Ex. 2.”
Adoption was a legal action that made a child (of any age) the
legal heir. This truth is illustrated in Abraham’s family. Abraham had
eight sons: Ishmael, by Hagar; Isaac, by Sarah; and six sons by his
second wife, Keturah. And yet only Isaac was his heir. (Gen 25:5-6)
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"And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. {6} But unto the
sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and
sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto
the east country." Isaac was the appointed heir. The others were
legally known as “the sons of the concubines” and were not
legitimate heirs to Abraham’s wealth.
The use of the word “son” is far more specific than “child.” A
“son” had legal standing, as an adult. All of God’s children have
equal standing as full-grown “sons.” This adoption as sons makes us
heirs of God, and joint-heirs of Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:14-17) "For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. {15}
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
{16} The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God: {17} And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together."
Every child of God has also received the blessing of adoption as a
son. We all have an equal standing with each other. We are equal
heirs of Jesus Christ!
What does it mean to be an heir of God? Jesus Christ is the
“appointed heir of all things” including “the worlds.” (Heb 1:1-2)
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets, {2} Hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by
whom also he made the worlds…"
I am a joint-heir of Jesus Christ. That means that I am also an heir
of “all things.” It means that everything in the universe will one day
be ours. We have a lot to look forward to, folks. Eternal life will not
be boring. We will not just be floating around on clouds playing
harps. There will be a new heavens and a new earth when it is all said
and done – and we, as heirs of God, will be responsible for it all.
I do not know how it will all work out, but I believe that we have
a wonderful, exciting future to look forward to!
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(Gal 4:9-11) "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather
are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? {10} Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years. {11} I am afraid of
you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."
Paul was afraid because they were re-enrolling under the
schoolmaster. That time was past. The fullness of time had come.
They were no longer servants, under the bondage or ceremonies and
rituals. Christ has come! We are saved through faith, and heirs of
God’s promise to Abraham. Further, we are children of God by faith,
and sons of God by adoption, which translated us from servants to
sons. And, as sons, we are elevated to heirs of God and joint-heirs
with Christ.
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Chapter Eight
A TOUGH LESSON IN LEADERSHIP
(Gal 4:8-20) "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service
unto them which by nature are no gods. {9} But now, after that ye
have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to
the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in
bondage? {10} Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
{11} I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
{12} Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have
not injured me at all. {13} Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh
I preached the gospel unto you at the first. {14} And my temptation
which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me
as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. {15} Where is then the
blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been
possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given
them to me. {16} Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell
you the truth? {17} They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they
would exclude you, that ye might affect them. {18} But it is good to be
zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am
present with you. {19} My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again until Christ be formed in you, {20} I desire to be present with
you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you."
In these verses, we are allowed an intimate look at the great heart

of the apostle Paul. Though Paul primarily did the work of an
evangelist or missionary, starting and establishing churches, there is
no doubt that he had pastor’s heart for the people to whom he
ministered. He cared deeply about the people that he had led to the
Lord and led in the ministry of their local church. His love and
affection for the Christians of Galatia is summarized in verse 19: "My
little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed
in you…" He called them his “little children,” and compared his
heartache and pain concerning their current condition to the travail of
childbirth.
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The apostle Paul used the illustration of a parent several times in

his Epistles:
¾ (1 Cor 4:14-16) "I write not these things to shame you, but
as my beloved sons I warn you. {15} For though ye have ten
thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers:
for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
{16} Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me."
¾ (1 Th 2:7-8) "But we were gentle among you, even as a
nurse cherisheth her children: {8} So being affectionately
desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you,
not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because
ye were dear unto us."
¾ (1 Th 2:10-12) "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily
and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you
that believe: {11} As ye know how we exhorted and comforted
and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
{12} That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you
unto his kingdom and glory."
Paul loved these Galatian Christians like his own family, and they
were breaking his heart. Like rebellious teenagers, the Galatian
Christians were rejecting everything that Paul had taught them, and
were departing from the faith of Paul for “another gospel.”
Paul’s heart was broken. He was taking it personally. As a Pastor,
folks that I have loved and trained and ministered to have turned their
backs on me in various ways. Some just disappeared without a word.
Some stabbed me in the back. Some wrote me nasty letters. Some
tried to get others to leave with them. And it hurt each time. It is no
fun to be “divorced” by people that you love. People said, “Don’t take
it personally.” How could I not take it personally? That is like telling
a parent not to take their children personally.
How could Paul not take it personally? (Gal 4:16) "Am I
therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" They
were treating him as if he had become their enemy, when nothing was
further from the truth. He was the best friend they had in the world,
but they had been deceived. Their true enemies were those that were
trying to pull them away from the gospel and from the Lord. Paul was
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trying to keep them right. He was not their enemy, but they were
treating him like an enemy.
Every Christian ought to strive to be involved in the ministry. I do
not necessarily mean full-time ministry. I mean in the ministry of the
church so that you have someone that you are investing your life in.
Sunday School teachers are in the ministry. They have classes that
they love and serve and in which they invest their lives. The bus
ministry is another way to minister and to serve others. And there are
many other ways in any church if people want to help and minister to
people. When you get into the ministry of actually leading and
serving others, you will learn a little bit of how a Pastor feels towards
his church. And you will learn some of the pain that he feels when
people turn away.
Moses is considered the greatest leader in the Old Testament, yet
his people were a constant disappointment to him. They were
constantly complaining and trying to go back to Egypt. Yet he was a
truly great leader.
If you will study the life of Christ, you will find that more
rejected Him than accepted Him. More left Him during His ministry
than stayed with Him to the end. His church had the first church split.
(John 6:66) "From that time many of his disciples went back, and
walked no more with him."
If you will study the life of Paul, you will find that many turned
away from his ministry, especially towards the end. (2 Tim 1:15)
"This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away
from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes."
How many of us can hope to be the kind of leaders that Jesus
Christ, Moses and Paul were? Yet they were not always appreciated.
They were often misunderstood. They were often rejected, mocked,
murmured about, and even betrayed by close associates. Because of
the very nature of the ministry (serving people), leaders have to find a
way to be tenderhearted, and yet being tough enough to deal with the
discouragement of the ministry. It is a delicate balance.
What every church needs is people that will step forward into
positions of leadership and lead people to the Lord – not only for
salvation, but also for growth and service. You can invest in people.
You can teach a class one day. You can help with the bus routes. You
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can invest money in sending some kids to camp. You can do so much
– if you want to.
But if you are going to step into the battlefield of service, you
have to be ready to deal with some heartache, frustration, and
disappointment. In this chapter, let us consider some lessons from the
perspective of Paul as a leader in dealing with disappointing people.
I. PAUL’S FEAR.
(Gal 4:8-11) "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service
unto them which by nature are no gods. {9} But now, after that ye
have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to
the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in
bondage? {10} Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
{11} I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in
vain."
What parent does not know fear? From the moment that you
discover that you are going to be a parent, a little bit of fear moves in
to the bottom of your heart. There is the fear of miscarriage, or a
thousand other things that might go wrong.
Then, after the baby is born, and you count ten fingers and toes, a
thousand other fears move in. As they grow, there is always that fear
at the back of the mind. Yet, I would rather have a child and deal with
fear than to never have a child.
In the ministry, there are fears. (Gal 4:11) "I am afraid of you,
lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." Sadly, not everyone
that I have invested labor in is serving the Lord. Some never got with
it at all. Some started but quit and are now out in the world. As a
Pastor, I have a certain level of fear for everyone in my church. That
fear motivates a lot of my hardest preaching – not because I am mad
and want to get things off my chest, but because I do not want to see
people mess their lives up. This aspect of the preacher’s ministry is
probably the most misunderstood by his people. They do not
understand his burden or his inner fears. Yet, I would not want a
preacher that did not care enough to preach his heart out to keep my
family or me from the snares of sin and foolish living.
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If you are going to get in the ministry, you are going to have to
risk being hurt. If you are too selfish or weak-minded to deal with that
possibility, you will never take the chance to invest your life in
others. And you will not get hurt – but you also will never know the
joy, thrill and excitement of seeing people saved, growing, and
serving.
II. PAUL’S FRUSTRATION.

1. Paul was frustrated by their radical change in behavior.
(Gal 4:13-16) "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I
preached the gospel unto you at the first. {14} And my temptation
which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received
me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. {15} Where is then
the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had
been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and
have given them to me. {16} Am I therefore become your enemy,
because I tell you the truth?"
At one time, they had received him as an angel of God. They
had treated him like Jesus Christ. They told him what a blessing
he was. If it had been possible, they would have plucked their
eyes out and given them to Paul. But now they are treating him
like an enemy.
It is very sad to see Christians change over time for the
worse. We ought to grow stronger, sweeter, and more Christ-like
as we get older in the Lord. Unfortunately, many become colder,
harder, meaner, and more unfaithful. They do not listen to
preaching as they used to. They do not participate as they used to.
They do not respond as they used to. Such Christians are a great
discouragement to their preachers and spiritual leaders.
2. Paul was frustrated by the divisive, subversive presence of the
false teachers in Galatia.
(Gal 4:17) "They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they
would exclude you, that ye might affect them." He was saying,
“Their zeal is affecting you, but not in a good way. They are
stealing your affection, excluding you from my ministry.” They
were stealing the church away from Paul’s influence.
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GALATIANS
In the same way, Absalom stole the hearts of the men of

Israel from David. (2 Sam 15:4-6) "Absalom said moreover, Oh
that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath
any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him
justice! {5} And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to
do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed
him. {6} And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came
to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men
of Israel."
Sheep-stealing preachers do the same thing. They find
someone else’s disgruntled church members and side with them
against their pastor. They steal their affection and then steal them
away to their ministry. I know a few pastors that do that. They
will reap what they sow.
Parasite ministries do the same thing. I saw a woman
preacher on television recently. She said that she was a pastor,
and she was wearing some sort of Protestant clerical collar to
match her black pants suit. She said, “You are supposed to tithe.”
I said, “Amen.” But she was not done there. She continued, “Why
give your tithe to your local church? You are getting fed here.
Send your tithes in to where you are getting fed.” I hollered at the
television – “Thief! Robber!” She was a sheep-stealer, a thief, and
a hireling that was trying to steal the affections of the members of
local churches so that they would support her parasite
organization. The “high places” of the Old Testament were never
the storehouse; the Temple was. The parasite organizations out
there today are not the storehouse; the local church is.
3. Paul was frustrated by their lack of conviction and character.
(Gal 4:18) "But it is good to be zealously affected always in
a good thing, and not only when I am present with you."
Paul was saying, “You should be zealously involved in good
things for God, and not just when I am there with you. You
should do it without me there looking over your shoulder.”
Some Christians are like children. My son Joe can spend
eight hours cleaning his room – and not get it done. If no one is
watching or motivating him, he will stop and play every five
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minutes. But at least he is only three-years-old. What is your

excuse?
Some Christians do well as long as there is someone that they
are accountable to. There is nothing wrong with accountability (it
is a great motivator), but a person with character does not need to
be supervised. A leader needs to be self-motivated. A person with
character does not mind a supervisor, but he does not require one,
either. He is not offended by authority, but he has the character to
do his job on his own.
Some Christians will stay home if they know the preacher
will be out of town. Some will not visit or knock doors unless
they have to fill out a report that someone will see. Some will not
be faithful just because they are supposed to be. The fact that God
is watching them is not as important as what some man might
think.
Sometimes, leaders can be very disappointed in the poor
character of their people. We wonder, “Don’t you ever learn?” A
teacher can prepare a great lesson on why every Christian should
go to church every service – and half her class will not come the
next Sunday. Do not despair. Paul dealt with the same issues, and
he was a far better teacher than you or I: (Heb 5:11-14) "Of
whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing
ye are dull of hearing. {12} For when for the time ye ought to be
teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the
first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as
have need of milk, and not of strong meat. {13} For every one
that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is
a babe. {14} But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full
age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised
to discern both good and evil."
III. PAUL’S FORBEARANCE.

(Gal 4:12) "Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye
are: ye have not injured me at all."
Forbearance is a wonderful Bible word that means “the exercise
of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us;
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delay of resentment or punishment.” It means to put up with people. It

means to bear patiently with people when they hurt you or disappoint
you. It is turning the other cheek.
¾ (Eph 4:1-3) "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech
you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called, {2} With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; {3}
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace."
¾ (Col 3:12-14) "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy
and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, longsuffering; {13} Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do
ye. {14} And above all these things put on charity, which is
the bond of perfectness."
The leader especially has to learn to take it on the chin sometimes
without firing back or quitting. Instead of attacking the Galatians
viciously, Paul came with a measure of humility, saying, “Brethren, I
beseech you.” Then, Paul said: “Ye have not injured me at all.”
I have read that and thought, “They haven’t injured you at all?
They have turned their backs on you and treated you like an enemy.
They have questioned your authority and apostleship and said that
you were a fake. They have rejected what you taught them and
accepted a false gospel. That did not hurt at all? I need to learn your
secret!”
How can we adopt a mindset that will allow us to remain injury-
free in the Lord’s service?
1. The leader must set the right example no matter what the
follower has done.
“Be as I am.” Paul did not allow their behavior and response
to change who he was. He was going to be a good Christian no
matter what they decided to do. That is called being the bigger
man. You and I must do what we are supposed to do and be what
we are supposed to be no matter what. That is not always easy,
but it is always right.
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2. The leader must remember his own failures and the weakness
of his own flesh.
“I am as ye are.” We sure like to jump all over people for
things that we ourselves have done in the past, in one way or
another. I am thankful that God remembers that I am just flesh
and dust. (Psa 78:39) "For he remembered that they were but
flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again." (Psa
103:14) "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are
dust."
It would be good for us to remember that, too. It will help us
to maintain that “spirit of meekness” that we are supposed to
have as leaders. (Gal 6:1) "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of
meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
3. The leader must refuse to turn insult into injury.
“Ye have not injured me at all.” We use the phrase, “Don’t
add insult to injury.” Sometimes, we as Christians turn insults
into injuries by dwelling on them, working them over in our
minds until we get good and mad.
We make mountains out of molehills. We are too easily
offended. If we loved God’s Word more, we would not be so
easily offended. (Psa 119:165) "Great peace have they which
love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."
4. The leader must die to self in order to serve others.
“Ye have not injured ME.” Paul said, "...I die daily" (1 Cor
15:31). He was referring to dying to self. He did not have a “me-
first” mentality.
Self-denial is a forgotten part of Bible Christianity. Much of
what is called church these days is totally self-oriented – self-
help, self-esteem, self-worth, self-fulfillment, self-love, self-
interest, self-sufficiency, and self-confidence. Yet the Lord told
us to deny self and take up our cross daily. We cannot follow the
Lord without denying ourselves. (Luke 9:23-24) "And he said to
them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me. {24} For whosoever
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will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for
my sake, the same shall save it."
Good leaders put themselves last behind God, people, and the
job that needs to be done.
5. The leader must be willing to go through great difficulties so
that God’s purpose might be achieved.
(Gal 4:19) "My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again until Christ be formed in you,"
Travail means “to labor with pain; to toil.” That means to
keep on working when it hurts to keep on working. Great athletes
learn to play hurt; soldiers learn to fight when they are hurt;
leaders in the secular world keep on going when their lives are
hard – so why do Christians get hurt and quit on God?
You have to tough out the tough times so that God’s purpose
might be achieved. God’s purpose is all that matters. We have a
mission to accomplish. We must do it at any cost!
6. The leader must always desire reconciliation and be willing to
make the first step towards that goal.
(Gal 4:20) "I desire to be present with you now, and to
change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you."
The Lord commanded the more spiritual brother to go and
seek reconciliation. (Mat 5:23-24) "Therefore if thou bring thy
gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath
ought against thee; {24} Leave there thy gift before the altar, and
go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and
offer thy gift."
Leaders cannot just throw people away. Paul said, “I desire to
be with you know, in person, that we might work this out so that I
can change my voice.” Do you have that desire, or are you
nursing a grudge?
7. The leader must refuse to compromise the truth for anyone,
no matter how much he loves them.
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(Gal 4:20) "I desire to be present with you now, and to

change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you." Paul wanted to
change his voice, but only when they changed their ways.
Paul loved these people, but he refused to condone their
actions by his silence. He spoke out against their heresy. He
spoke against their apostasy. He spoke against their foolish
decisions. He loved them and tried to convince them to stay with
the Lord – but if they would not stay, he let them go. He kept
going forward for the Lord. When they forsook him, he refused to
forsake His God or His Bible.
He told his preacher-boy to “preach the word” and let the
itchy-eared teacher-heapers go their own way without him. (2 Tim
4:2-5) "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. {3}
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; {4} And they shall turn away their ears from
the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. {5} But watch thou in
all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make
full proof of thy ministry."
Many preachers have allowed their churches to stray because
they love their people too much – more than they love God. They
used to preach hard and insist on standards, but they could not
bear to see people go. So they changed.
The apostle Paul wanted to be reconciled and change his
voice from rebuke to consolation (as he did in 2 Corinthians), but
he was not going to compromise the truth to bring it to pass.
W<X
It is a wonderful thing to serve God. But we need to be aware that
it is not all sunshine, blue skies and daffodils. I am not going to quit
because of what others do or do not do. I am not going to allow the
fear of failure or rejection to keep me from investing my life in
others. I want the attitude and mindset of Paul when he told those
Galatians, “Ye have not injured me at all.”
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Chapter Nine
THE TWO COVENANTS
(Gal 4:21-31) "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not
hear the law? {22} For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the
one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. {23} But he who was
of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman
was by promise. {24} Which things are an allegory: for these are the
two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to
bondage, which is Agar. {25} For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia,
and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her
children. {26} But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the
mother of us all. {27} For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that
bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the
desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
{28} Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
{29} But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that
was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. {30} Nevertheless what
saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son
of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
{31} So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of
the free."
The last part of Galatians four is an allegory of two contrasting

covenants, law and grace.
1. The covenant of the law is stated for us in Galatians 3:10:
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the
curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them."
2. The covenant of grace is stated in Galatians 3:26: "For ye are
all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
These two covenants are diametrically opposed to each other. The
law can never be by grace, and grace can never be by the law. Paul
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stated it in a slightly different manner in Romans 11:6: "And if by

grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no
more work."
God’s covenant of the law was simply this: “Keep the law
without sinning, and you will have life.” This covenant went all the
way back to the first commandment to Adam. God told Adam that he
would live as long as he did not eat of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil. If, however, he broke God’s commandment, he would
surely die (Gen. 2:17). Of course, we know that Adam sinned and
brought death into the world (Rom. 5:12).
The problem with the covenant of the law is that “all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). No one has
managed to keep that covenant. And no one will. If we break even
one point of the law, we are guilty of the whole thing. (James 2:10)
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,
he is guilty of all." Therefore, every man under the law is under the
curse, because he has not continued in “all the things which are
written in the book of the law to do them.”
Salvation has never come through the law and cannot. The law
does not give life. The law brings condemnation on the guilty, and the
Bible is clear that we are all guilty.
God’s covenant of grace is through the Lord Jesus Christ. It was
decided before the foundation of the world that the Son of God would
be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, and die vicariously on the cross
of Calvary for the sins of mankind, so that “whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). This
covenant is fulfilled every time that a sinner believes on Jesus Christ
for salvation.
These two covenants are diametrically opposed to each other.
¾ The covenant of the law depended upon our obedience. The
covenant of grace depended upon Christ’s obedience.
¾ The covenant of the law was based upon our sinlessness. The
covenant of grace is based upon Christ’s sinlessness.
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¾ The covenant of the law was contingent on our righteousness.

The covenant of grace is contingent on Christ’s
righteousness.
Every man must decide which covenant to be under. If you want
to trust in your own righteousness, your religion, your goodness, or
your morality, you are choosing the covenant of the law. And you
will die and go to hell, because the covenant of the law places you
under a curse and a condemnation.
If, however, you decide to repent and trust Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior, you are choosing the covenant of grace. You will be
saved and go to heaven when you die, because Jesus Christ kept His
end of the covenant perfectly.
This is why Paul said, (Gal 4:21) "Tell me, ye that desire to be
under the law, do ye not hear the law?" These Galatians were
choosing the covenant of the law over the covenant of grace. In doing
so, they were ignoring the very law that they claimed to endorse.
Paul then used an allegory to explain why God’s purpose has
always been a covenant of grace, and why we should not put
ourselves back under the bondage of the covenant of the law. His
allegory is about Sarah and Hagar, and their respective sons, Isaac
and Ishmael.
Sarah and Hagar illustrate the two covenants, law and grace:
¾ Hagar represents the covenant of the law. She was a
bondwoman. She represents the fallen, sinful flesh of
mankind. She is seen in connection with Mt. Sinai, where the
law of God was given amid crashing thunder and the burning
fire of God’s wrath towards sin. Ishmael, the wild man,
represents those who are born under the covenant of the law.
His wild nature represents the wild, untamed nature of a
man’s fallen flesh.
¾ Sarah represents the covenant of grace. She was a
freewoman. She was the lawful wife of Abraham. She is
represented by the new, heavenly Jerusalem, where the
redeemed of God will dwell forever (vs. 26 – “the Jerusalem
which is above” – see Heb. 12:22; Rev. 3:12; 21:2). Isaac was
the son of promise and the heir of Abraham. He represents
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those born again into the covenant of grace, “children of God

by faith in Christ Jesus.”
HAGAR – LAW SARAH – GRACE

Bondwoman Freewoman
Flesh Spirit
Mt. Sinai - Judgment Jerusalem – Salvation
Ishmael, the wild man Isaac, the son of promise
I. SARAH WAS THE ORIGINAL WIFE OF ABRAHAM.

Long before Hagar was picked up in Egypt, Abraham had chosen
Sarah to be his wife. In the same way, the covenant of grace was
God’s original plan for mankind.
There are those that teach that salvation by grace was God’s
secondary plan after Adam sinned. They believe that God did not
know that Adam would sin in the Garden, and had not thought ahead
to providing salvation. However, this is simply not true.
Before the foundation of the world, God had already predestined
the plan of salvation. He did not predestine WHO would be saved.
That is what the Calvinists teach, and they are wrong. God
predestined HOW He would provide salvation for sinners (Calvary),
the WAY in which sinners would be saved (by grace through faith),
and the RESULTS of that salvation (eternal life).
Predestination is a Bible doctrine. The question is, “What did God
predestinate?” Calvinists teach that God predestined that the elect
would be saved and everyone else would be damned. They deny the
sinner’s responsibility and opportunity in choosing to receive Jesus
Christ.
What did God predestinate before the foundation of the world?
1. He predestined that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would die
as the Lamb of God to provide salvation for man (1 Peter
1:18-20; Rev. 13:8).
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2. He predestined that this salvation would be made available to

mankind only through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 1:4).
3. He predestined that whoever chose to believe on Jesus Christ
would be given eternal life and would be eternally secure in
Christ (Titus 1:2).
4. He predestined that the saved would become His children by
adoption the moment that they believed (Eph. 1:4-5).
5. He predestined that sinners would be saved through the
gospel call (Rom. 8:30; 10:13-17).
6. He predestined that the saved would be justified and
eventually glorified, when they will be completely conformed
to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).
7. He predestined that the saved would inherit a kingdom
prepared for them from before the foundation of the world
(Mt. 25:34; Eph. 1:10-11).
God planned all of this before the foundation of the world, and
God will not deviate from His plan. If you want to go to heaven, you
need to get into the covenant of grace. You need to humble yourself
and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.
God’s plan has always been the covenant of grace. God never
intended that man would live through the covenant of the law. Just as
Sarah was Abraham’s original wife long before Hagar came along,
even so grace was God’s plan before Hagar entered the picture.
II. HAGAR, HOWEVER, BARE THE FIRST SON.

You will remember that Sarah was barren, and so Abraham took
Hagar and had a son by her, Ishmael. Abraham had picked up Hagar
in Egypt. Egypt is always a type or picture of the world (1 John 2:15-
16).
Adam, the first man, started out under the law. He had one
commandment, but his life depended on his obedience to that one
commandment. He was not under grace until God saved him as a
sinner in Genesis 3. Adam started out innocent, then became a sinner,
and then, by choice, became a child of God by grace.
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GALATIANS
It is the same with all of his children. Though we are born

sinners, we are “safe” in Christ as babies and small children until we
reach the age of accountability, when we begin to sin after the
similitude of Adam’s transgression (Rom. 5:14). It is then that we
face the choice of continuing under the condemnation of the law, or
entering the covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
The point is that we all start out as "Hagarenes." The first Adam
became a sinner; the last Adam, Christ, is our Savior (1 Cor. 15:45).
III. HAGAR WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE ANYTHING

BUT A HANDMAIDEN FOR SARAH.
Abraham had picked up Hagar in Egypt for the sole purpose of
serving his wife, Sarah. Hagar was never intended to be a wife for
Abraham. She was a servant, a handmaiden, a bondwoman.
God never intended for the law to be a means of achieving eternal
life. The law was given to bring us to grace (3:24-26). The law was
given to teach us right from wrong and to reveal our sinfulness, so
that we would trust Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
The law is good, when it is kept in its proper place. (1 Tim 1:8-
11) "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; {9}
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for
the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for
unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of
mothers, for manslayers, {10} For whoremongers, for them that defile
themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured
persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound
doctrine; {11} According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God,
which was committed to my trust."
As a servant of grace, the law is useful and effective. We should
not throw the law of God away simply because we are under grace.
However, when the law is promoted to the position of wife, terrible
things happen. If Hagar had remained in the position of handmaiden,
a great deal of trouble would have been avoided!
Legalism then is the promotion of Hagar from the position of
bondwoman to wife! No, keep the law in its place. Use it lawfully. Do
not make the law the means of achieving salvation, or even a part of
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it. Many religions have promoted Hagar into the position of wife.
They are trusting in a covenant of works, not realizing that they are
condemning themselves by doing so.
IV. HAGAR WAS NEVER FREE, AND SARAH WAS NEVER

IN BONDAGE.
Hagar delivered a son to Abraham, and despised Sarah in her
heart, but she was never anything but a bondwoman, and her son was
never anything but the son of a bondwoman. When Hagar despised
Sarah, Sarah was given permission to deal with her harshly, to the
point that Hagar ran away (Gen. 16:5-6). She never ceased to be a
bondwoman to Sarah.
Her son, Ishmael, was called “the son of this bondwoman” (Gen.
21:10; Gal. 4:30). He was never an heir of Abraham. He was
circumcised, as Abraham and Isaac were, but he was not the son of
promise (Gen. 17:23). This is further evidence that circumcision or
religious rites cannot provide salvation to mankind. Ishmael was
circumcised, and yet he was eventually “cast out.” He was just the
song of the bondwoman.
Even so, those under the covenant of works are never free. They
are not heirs. They can serve and serve and work and work and yet
they will never be free from their bondage. And in the end, when they
die, they will be rejected by God because they are not heirs through
Jesus Christ. That is the curse of the covenant of the law.
Sarah, however, was never in bondage. She was Abraham’s
lawful wife. Though she was an old woman before she was finally
given Isaac, yet she is the mother of us all just as Abraham is the
father of the faithful. (Gal 4:26-27) "But Jerusalem which is above is
free, which is the mother of us all. {27} For it is written, Rejoice,
thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest
not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an
husband."
Her son was a legitimate heir. He was the son of promise. So are
we. (Gal 4:28) "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of
promise."
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GALATIANS
The difference between Isaac and Ishmael was their birth.

Ishmael was born unlawfully, to a bondwoman. Isaac was born
legitimately, to a freewoman. That made all the difference.
What is the difference between a lost man and a saved man? The
only difference is one of birth. Both were born after the flesh, as
sinners, but the saved man has a second birth, the new birth. He has
been “born of the Spirit” (Gal. 4:29). That is the only difference, but
it is a big difference.
That second birth, the birth of the Spirit, makes the difference
between bondage and freedom, between hell or heaven, between
death and life. That new birth makes all the difference when it comes
down to being a legitimate member of the family of God, and thereby
an heir of God.
That is why Jesus said that we MUST be born again: (John 3:5-7)
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
{6} That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit. {7} Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be
born again."
V. HAGAR AND HER SON DESPISED SARAH AND ISAAC.

Hagar despised Sarah after she had conceived Ishmael. (Gen
16:4-5) "And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when
she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her
eyes. {5} And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have
given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had
conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me
and thee."
Ishmael mocked Isaac. (Gen 21:8-9) "And the child grew, and
was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that
Isaac was weaned. {9} And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking."
Even so it is today. Those who hold to the covenant of Hagar
despise the doctrines of grace. Hagar thought, “I am better than Sarah
is. I have conceived, and she cannot. I am a better person than she is.”
Men who consider themselves good, moral, and righteous, think, “I
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am as good as those Christians. I am a good man. I am honest. I pay

my bills. I obey the law. I am as good as any Christian and better than
a lot of them I know!” That is how men despise the doctrine of grace.
Hagar’s problem came from the pride of life, and men today
suffer from the same affliction. Though Hagar thought that she was as
good or better than Sarah was, she was wrong. Sarah was his wife.
Hagar was a bondwoman. Abraham loved Sarah. Abraham did not
love Hagar. Abraham was committed for life to Sarah. He was not
committed to Hagar. He had made no promises to Hagar.
Ishmael may have been a good man in his own eyes and in the
eyes of others. He seems to have been a successful man, with a large
family. He founded a race of people. But in God’s eyes he was never
anything more than a “wild man” (Gen. 16:12), while Isaac was the
“son of promise.”
A lost man may think that his standing is as good or better than a
Christian’s, but he is wrong. A lost man stands condemned in his sins.
He stands under the wrath and judgment of God. He stands separated
from God. A saved man stands justified in the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. He stands as a child of God and joint-heir of Christ. The lost
man may flatter himself into mocking God’s Isaacs, but he is a fool to
do so.
VI. HAGAR AND HER SON WERE EVENTUALLY CAST

OUT.
(Gal 4:30) "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the
bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be
heir with the son of the freewoman."
The son of the bondwoman was NOT going to be an heir with the
son of the freewoman. It is that simple. Those under the covenant of
the law will not inherit eternal life, the kingdom of God, the world to
come, or the New Jerusalem. They will be “cast out” of the presence
of God into the lake of fire:
(Rev 20:11-15) "And I saw a great white throne, and him that
sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away;
and there was found no place for them. {12} And I saw the
dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
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GALATIANS
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of

life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works. {13} And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were
judged every man according to their works. {14} And death
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death. {15} And whosoever was not found written in the book
of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Many who thought that they were saved because of their religious
affiliations and good works were be shocked that they, too, will be
“cast out:”
(Mat 7:21-23) "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven. {22} Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? {23} And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity."
However, Sarah and Isaac were never cast out. Sarah was with
Abraham until her death; when Abraham was buried, he was buried
beside his wife in the cave of Machpelah. God has never cast away
His covenant of grace, and will not. His plan of redemption from
before the foundation of the world will remain His plan forever.
Isaac was not cast out. Isaac received all of the inheritance;
Ishmael received none. Isaac was kept in the house of the father;
Ishmael was sent away.
The person that chooses Jesus Christ and the covenant of grace
will never be cast out. (John 6:37) "All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out."
VII. LIKE ISAAC, WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE FREE

WOMAN.
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(Gal 4:31) "So then, brethren, we are not children of the

bondwoman, but of the free."
Consider seven ways in which Isaac represents the born-again
Christian:
1. Isaac’s birth was miraculous. The new birth is a miracle.
2. Isaac was born into Abraham’s family. We are born into the
family of God.
3. Isaac was born into freedom. We are born again into liberty.
4. Isaac was the heir of Abraham. We are heirs of God and
joint-heirs with Christ.
5. Isaac was the son of Abraham by God’s promise. We are also
the children of Abraham by God’s promise (Gal. 3:7).
6. Isaac was mocked and persecuted by Ishmael. We are hated
by the world (Jn. 15:18-23).
7. Isaac was eventually separated from Ishmael. We will
eventually be separated from this world.
W<X
(Gal 4:21) "Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not
hear the law?" I do not want to be under the law. The law condemns
the guilty. It does not give life. I am under the covenant of grace.
Thank God for His wonderful grace!
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GALATIANS
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Chapter Ten
LIBERTY & GRACE
(Gal 5:1) "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
It is wonderful to know that “Christ hath made us free!” We are

no longer in bondage. We are not servants born into the house of God,
such as Abraham had (Gen. 14:14), or such as Solomon possessed
(Ecc. 2:7). We are freeborn children of God through the miracle of
the new birth. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus.
Galatians 5:1 is a summary of the entire Book of Galatians.
“Stand fast therefore...” Always watch the Bible word “therefore.”
When you see a “therefore,” look back to see what it is there for.
That little word is one of the key words to use in Bible study to
rightly divide the word of truth.
Galatians 5:1 summarizes everything that Paul taught in the first
four chapters. We are free. We have been given liberty. We are to
stand fast therefore in that liberty.
However, you do not have to read much further into chapter five
before you realize that liberty is not lawlessness. We have been set
free from Satan and sin. We have been set free from the power of sin
and the penalty of sin. We are no longer to serve sin. We have not
been set free from God’s authority as our God, Lord, Creator, and
Heavenly Father. His Word is still our final authority.
There are those in so-called Christianity today who have turned
liberty into loose living. Jude spoke about them: (Jude 1:4) "For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of
our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our
Lord Jesus Christ."
Lasciviousness means “Looseness; irregular indulgence of animal
desires; wantonness; lustfulness.” These men took their liberty and
turned it into lawlessness. God tells us to stand in our liberty, and not
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GALATIANS
to use it to live in sin. (Gal 5:13) "For, brethren, ye have been called
unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by
love serve one another."
One of the saddest facts about America is that so many are
abusing their freedom instead of using it. Being free in America does
not mean that you have the freedom to commit crimes and break the
law. You cannot do anything or everything that you want to do. Being
free means that you have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.
When a man turns the liberty of citizenship into lawlessness, he
risks losing his liberty. He may end up in prison. Why? Because he
abused his liberty and turned liberty into lawlessness. It is terribly sad
that so many millions of Americans are sitting in prisons today. They
were born free citizens, with all of the opportunities that America has
to offer. For whatever reason, they chose to break the laws of the land
and thereby forfeited their freedom.
God did not set us free from the bondage of sin so that we could
live loose, immoral, sinful, carnal, lukewarm, worldly lives. Such
living is an insult to the grace of God.
Those who are abusing their liberty often turn and call those of us
who believe in separation, holiness, purity, and clean living
“legalists.” First of all, a legalist is someone who adds works to God’s
plan of salvation. Those who add baptism are legalists. Those who
add good works are legalists. Those who teach about holding on are
legalists. Those who add communion are legalists. Those who add the
law of Moses are legalists.
Catholicism is legalism. The Church of Christ is legalism. The
Mormons are legalists. The Seventh Day Adventists are legalists. The
Methodists, Presbyterians, and Lutherans, who all baptize for
salvation, are legalists. Anyone who adds any work or religious
observance to salvation is a legalist and is teaching a false gospel.
Someone who believes the Word of God and lives by the
commands of the New Testament is not a legalist – he is a
CHRISTIAN.
Now, all my Christian life I have heard Christians speaking as
though God expected more out of people in the Old Testament than
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He does of those in the New Testament age. I have heard such

statements as, “Well, they were under the law, and we are under
grace.” The underlying message is, “God does not expect as much out
of us, because we are under grace.”
Consider Titus 2:11-13: "For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, {12} Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly, in this present world; {13} Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ;"
¾ What teaches us to deny ungodliness? The grace of God.
¾ What teaches us to deny worldly lusts? The grace of God.
¾ What teaches us to live soberly? The grace of God.
¾ What teaches us to live righteously? The grace of God.
¾ What teaches us to live godly? The grace of God.
¾ What teaches us to look for the blessed hope? The grace of
God.
The grace of God that brought our salvation teaches us these
things. Yet modern, worldly, carnal Christians claim that grace
teaches them to go to the movies, drink liquor socially, cuss
occasionally, listen to the world’s music, live by the world’s
philosophies, and to be unfaithful to church – because they are under
grace, not the law!
Liberty is not lawlessness. The New Testament, if Christians
would read it, is full of commands and laws! The moral law of the
Old Testament is backed up and repeated in the New Testament! Only
the ceremonial laws and some of the national laws dealing with
agriculture and government are done away with for us. God never
changes His moral laws. Right is still right and wrong is still wrong.
God requires more from those who are under grace than He did
those who were under the law. Grace has higher standards than the
Old Testament law.
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GALATIANS
Consider the following passages from the Sermon on the Mount.

Which standard is higher in these passages, the Old Testament law or
New Testament grace?
¾ (Mat 5:21-24) "Ye have heard that it was said by them of
old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be
in danger of the judgment: {22} But I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be
in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his
brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but
whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
{23} Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; {24}
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."
¾ (Mat 5:27-28) "Ye have heard that it was said by them of
old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: {28} But I say unto
you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
¾ (Mat 5:31-32) "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away
his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: {32} But I
say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving
for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:
and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth
adultery."
¾ (Mat 5:33-37) "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said
by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt
perform unto the Lord thine oaths: {34} But I say unto you,
Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
{35} Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by
Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. {36} Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make
one hair white or black. {37} But let your communication be,
Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of evil."
¾ (Mat 5:38-42) "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye
for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: {39} But I say unto you,
That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy
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right cheek, turn to him the other also. {40} And if any man
will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have
thy cloak also. {41} And whosoever shall compel thee to go a
mile, go with him twain. {42} Give to him that asketh thee,
and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."
¾ (Mat 5:43-45) "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. {44} But I
say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you; {45} That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain
on the just and on the unjust."
In each instance, Jesus elevated the standard for those under
grace.
Did God broaden the way for those under grace? (Mat 7:13-14)
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: {14} Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." You mean the way is
still strait and narrow, even under grace? Absolutely. God is still holy.
He has not become permissive in the New Testament era.
Grace has higher standards. God expects more out of New
Testament saints than He did out of Old Testament saints. Still don’t
believe me?
¾ Samson was a whoremonger and a rebel, yet the Old
Testament speaks about the Holy Spirit coming upon him
more than any other individual. He could not teach Sunday
School in my church, but he was used mightily during the
time of the Judges.
¾ David committed murder and adultery, but God left him as
king. If a pastor did so, what would happen? Whom does God
expect more from?
¾ Jacob had four wives simultaneously. Would you allow a
deacon to have 4 wives at the same time? Yet Jacob was the
father of the 12 Tribes of Israel.
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GALATIANS
¾ I am not justifying their sins. But God killed Ananias and

Sapphira in church for not keeping their faith promise
commitment!
Some preachers that have crept in and turned the grace of God
into lasciviousness are destroying the testimony of Christianity in our
society.
¾ Modesty has become immodesty.
¾ Separation has become assimilation.
¾ Holiness has become profanity.
¾ Sobriety has become social drinking.
¾ Love has become lust.
¾ Sacrifice has become materialism.
¾ Church services have become Hollywood productions with
worldly music, worldly emphasis, worldly philosophy, and
worldly people.
They have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, and
labeled sincere, obedient Christians “legalists.” God did not have a
higher standard for Old Testament saints. God has a higher standard
for New Testament saints. This is not legalism. It is Biblical
Christianity.
(Gal 5:1) "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage."
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Chapter Eleven
“YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE
(Gal 5:1-6) "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
{2} Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall
profit you nothing. {3} For I testify again to every man that is
circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. {4} Christ is
become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the
law; ye are fallen from grace. {5} For we through the Spirit wait for
the hope of righteousness by faith. {6} For in Jesus Christ neither
circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love."
The most important rule in Bible study and interpretation is the

law of context. No verse stands alone. Each verse is connected to
every other verse in the Bible, and one cannot contradict another.
Most importantly, you have to study the immediate surroundings –
the setting – of each verse.
Our text verses state the conclusion of Paul’s argument against
the Galatians and their legalistic seducers. These verses do not make
proper sense unless we understand what Paul has been teaching in the
first four chapters. Heresies and cults are started when men take
verses such as these out of context and use them to teach false,
unbiblical doctrines.
One such false doctrine is the false idea that saved people can
“fall from grace” and lose their salvation. This is a basic tenet of
Arminianism. Arminianism is the theological opposite of Calvinism.
Both are Protestant theologies. Calvinism comes from the teachings
of the dictatorial reformer, John Calvin. Arminianism comes from the
teachings of the Dutch theologian, Jacob Arminius.
Calvinism teaches that man does not have a choice in salvation.
God has already decided and predestined who will be saved, and you
will be saved and kept saved whether you want to be or not (of
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course, God will make you want to be saved, but you will not have a
personal choice). They teach that God’s grace cannot be resisted (they
call this “irresistible grace”).
Arminianism teaches that man must decide to receive Jesus Christ
as Savior in order to be saved. Arminians believe in the free will of
man. The problem is that they believe that man’s will is so free that
he can actually choose later to give up that salvation, or lose it
through unfaithfulness. They believe that salvation is by grace, but it
is conditional upon continued faith. If faith stops, salvation ceases and
the person has fallen from grace and is lost again.
There is some disagreement on whether such people can be saved
again. Arminius believed that if a person ever lost their salvation, they
could never gain it back. John Wesley, a firm Arminianist, differed
with Arminius in that he believed that people could be saved again if
they ever lost it. But both believed that salvation could be lost if faith
was not continued.
In other words, whether you make it to heaven or not is entirely
up to you, not Christ. This doctrine is a wolf in sheep’s clothing – a
subtle form of works-based salvation.
Salvation must be eternally secure or it is not salvation. You
are either saved or not. If you are saved, you are secure.
I am neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian. I am a Bible-believing
Baptist. I believe that man has the freedom and responsibility to
choose to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. I also believe that the choice
is the only part that we have in salvation. Everything else is God’s
doing. He saves us, redeems us, forgives us, and births us into His
own family as children of God.
¾ He does all the work before salvation.
¾ He does all the work at salvation (after you make the decision
to receive Christ).
¾ He does all the work after salvation. I am not persevering to
the end. I am preserved to the end. Nothing I can do can
change what God did for me when He saved me.
Many Christian denominations hold to Armenian doctrine and
believe that you can lose your salvation. John Wesley was a staunch
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Armenian, and the Methodist Church holds this doctrine.

Pentecostals, Nazarenes, Charismatics, the Churches of Christ, the
Disciples of Christ, General Baptists, Free-will Baptists, and Seventh-
day Adventists also hold to an Armenian position or lean in that
direction. The strange thing is that many of those denominations are
the loosest and worldliest of them all. You would think that they
would be more concerned about losing their salvation than they
appear to be. Be honest – how many Methodists do you know that are
“on fire for God?”
The fact is that the phrase “ye are fallen from grace” has nothing
to do with a person losing their salvation and becoming lost again.
That is an impossibility. No saved person can ever become lost again
under any circumstances. Once we are saved, we are saved forever.
I. THE BIBLE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION PROVES THAT

WE CANNOT FALL FROM SALVATION.
The doctrine of eternal security is consistent throughout the Bible.
Those who believe that we can lose our salvation must take a few
slightly obscure verses and ignore the plainer teachings of Scripture.
No one could read John 3:16 and come to the conclusion that we are
not eternally secure.
The very word “salvation” means “the act of saving and
preserving from destruction.” If God does not preserve us, He has not
given us salvation in its fullest sense.
Let me give you five very simple Bible reasons why a saved
person can never, ever, under any circumstances, lose his or her
salvation:
1. The plain statements of Jesus Christ teach us the eternal security
of the believer.
(John 3:16) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
Jesus did not promise us “temporary life.” He promised us
“everlasting life.” He promised that we would NEVER perish. If I
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lose my salvation and perish in hell, Jesus did not tell the truth in
John 3:16.
(John 10:27-29) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me: {28} And I give unto them eternal life; and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of
my hand. {29} My Father, which gave them me, is greater than
all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
Jesus promised to “give” us “eternal life.” It is a gift, totally
undeserved and unearned by us as the recipients. He said again
that we “shall never perish” and no man could pluck us out of His
hand, or from the Father’s hand.
(John 14:1-3) "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in me. {2} In my Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare
a place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also."
Can you imagine arriving in heaven and seeing boarded-up
mansions scattered through the New Jerusalem? According to the
Arminianists, a lot of saints had their mansions started that will
never get to enjoy them because they lost it before the end. Of
course, that will not happen. He is preparing our mansions for us
now. Every born-again child of God has a mansion being
prepared. There will not be any empty, half-finished ones there
because some poor saints fell at the end.
Do you believe in Jesus’ promises, or not?
2. The sufficiency of Calvary teaches me the eternal security of the
believer.
(Heb 10:10-14) "By the which will we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” Finished means
finished. When a person adds works or perseverence to salvation,
he is saying that it is NOT finished. It needs some more work.
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3. The adoption of God in the new birth teaches me the eternal

security of the believer. Jesus did not say, “Ye must be born again
and again and again.”
(Gal 4:5-6) "To redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. {6} And because ye are
sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father."
Adoption was also permanent. A natural child could be
disowned, but an adopted child could never be disowned. God is
giving us DOUBLE ASSURANCE. We are His by new birth, and
by adoption. We are “heirs of God and joint-heirs of Christ.” To
think that God will adopt us, disinherit us, adopt us, disinherit us,
is ridiculous and unfounded in Scripture.
4. The fact that salvation is all of grace teaches me the eternal
security of the believer.
¾ Who did the work before I got saved? Who provided
salvation through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ almost 2000 years ago? Who convicted my heart
and opened to me the Scriptures so that I could be saved?
God did it all.
¾ Who did all the work when I got saved? All I did was
believe and receive. God saved me, sealed me, sent the Holy
Spirit to indwell me, wrote my name down in the book of life,
adopted me, redeemed me, cleansed me, and imputed Christ’s
righteousness to my account. God did all of that. All I did
was believe.
¾ Who does all the work after I get saved? Who is
interceding for me right now at the right hand of God (Heb.
7:25)? Who holds me in His hand? Whose blood is on the
mercy seat in heaven? Who holds me up and keeps me from
falling? God does. To think that God does all the work before
I get saved, and all the work when I get saved, and then
leaves the rest up to me is ridiculous.
Salvation is ALL of grace – from beginning to end.
5. The fact that I am preserved in Christ and kept by the power of
God teaches me the eternal security of the believer.
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¾ (Jude 1:1) "... preserved in Jesus Christ, and called…"

¾ (Jude 1:24) "Now unto him that is able to keep you from
falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy..."
¾ (1 Pet 1:5) "Who are kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
II. WE CAN, HOWEVER, FALL AWAY FROM THE GOSPEL

OF GRACE TO “ANOTHER GOSPEL.”
When you rule out what something cannot mean, it is easier to
decide what it does mean. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we
have concluded that the Bible teaches the eternal security of the
believer. So what does “fallen from grace” mean? Let us look at the
context of this statement, “ye are fallen from grace,” and find out.
(Gal 5:1) "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of
bondage."
Paul reminded them that they had been set free from the yoke of
bondage through Jesus Christ. We have been freed from:
1. The yoke of the ceremonial law.
2. The curse of the moral law.
Galatians 4 described the bondage of the covenant of the law.
Remember that there are two covenants: the covenant of the law, and
the covenant of grace. The covenant of the law says, “Keep all of
God’s commandments and live.” The covenant of grace says,
“Believe on Jesus Christ and live.”
Paul was saying, “Stand fast in the liberty of the covenant of
grace. You are free from the curse of the moral law, not to live
lascivious lives, but to live with a clear conscience for God. You are
free from the yoke of the ceremonial law. Don’t get entangled again
in the bondage of the covenant of the law.”
Verses 2-4 describe how they were returning to the covenant of
the law: (Gal 5:2-4) "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be
circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. {3} For I testify again to
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every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

{4} Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
They were returning to the yoke of ceremonialism, as represented
by circumcision. They were changing their doctrinal position from
grace to law. They were depending on the works of the law for
righteousness instead of Jesus Christ.
He said, “Ye are fallen from grace.” What does that mean? Go
back to Galatians 1:6 for the answer. (Gal 1:6) "I marvel that ye are
so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel…" They had been called from unbelief into the
grace of Christ, but now they were moving away from the grace of
Christ into the covenant of the law. They had fallen away from the
gospel of grace and were teaching a gospel of works – that men are
justified by the works of the law.
It is obvious that “fallen from grace” refers to the Galatian
churches’ departure from the gospel of grace to a message of legalism
and self-righteousness. It fits into the context of what we discussed in
4:21-31 – they were choosing to return to the covenant of the law, as
represented by Hagar. They were rejecting, as a group, the covenant
of grace, as represented by Sarah.
The little King James word “ye” is very important. “Ye” is plural,
equivalent to “you all” or “ya’ll” today. Paul was speaking to the
church as a body: “You all, as a church body, have fallen from grace.
You all have been called away into another gospel. You all are
turning from the grace of Christ to the works of the law.”
Churches do fall from grace. Churches can apostatize, and they
have. History proves this point. First, some added circumcision as a
step in salvation. Later, it was baptism. Then, various sacraments.
Today, there are scores of “churches” and each has its own way to get
you to heaven. Most of them teach some form of the old Hagar
covenant of the law – self-righteousness or church-righteousness.
Churches fall from grace. This church can fall from grace if we
do not stand strong on the true doctrines of salvation. I can fall from
grace if I become deceived concerning doctrine and choose to believe
a false gospel. But I cannot lose my salvation, because I am secure in
Christ.
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All across America, saved people are sitting in legalistic churches

that teach a works-based “gospel.” They were saved by grace through
faith in Christ, but they have returned to their old, legalistic churches.
Or, they have backslidden and ended up in legalistic churches – or
even cults.
All soul-winners can tell a story illustrating this truth. I won a
lady to Christ this year that had been raised in Catholicism. She came
to my church several times and heard the gospel preached. I went
through the gospel with her personally and led her to Christ. She was
baptized the following Sunday. But, before long, she stopped coming
and stopped answering the door when I visited. She had gone back
into the spiritual bondage of Catholicism. Did she lose her salvation?
No, not if she was truly saved. But she has fallen from grace back into
a works-based religion.
The danger is for those who are coming after – especially the
children of saved people that have returned to the bondage of the law.
The parents are saved, but their children end up lost.
Martin Luther is a great historical example of a man that fell

from grace back into the covenant of the law.
Martin Luther was the spearhead of the Protestant Reformation,
and he was a man of tremendous courage. However, a serious study
of Luther’s doctrinal positions will reveal that he turned away from
the gospel of his own salvation and endorsed a works-for-salvation
gospel when he started the Lutheran Church.
When Luther was a monk in an Augustinian convent, he was
greatly influenced by an evangelical official named Johann von
Staupitz. Staupitz sowed the seed that eventually brought about
Luther’s salvation. Later, Luther was saved when he understood from
the Bible that “the just shall live by faith.”
However, he eventually moved away from his evangelical
position and started his own State Church. Consider what he taught
concerning infant baptism in The Small Catechism: “Lutherans
believe that, in baptism, a person is born into the Kingdom of
God and becomes an heir of salvation.”
Luther, seeking to reconcile justification by faith with infant
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baptism, said, “Yes, justification is by faith alone. No outward rite,

apart from faith, has any efficacy.” He then declared that infants are
regenerated in connection with baptism, and that they are
simultaneously justified by faith. He further added that through the
prayers of the church the infant does have faith. When challenged that
an 8-day old baby could not believe, Luther exclaimed, “Prove the
contrary, if you can!”
This heresy has continued on to this day: “Lutherans believe that,
in baptism, a person is born into the Kingdom of God and becomes an
heir of salvation. It is the beginning of the life of faith in which each
day our human nature ‘should be drowned through daily repentance;
and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in
righteousness and purity forever’” (G. Elson Ruff, editor of “The
Lutheran” magazine, commenting on The Small Catechism, by Martin
Luther; Religions in America pg. 116).
What happened? Luther was apparently saved by grace through
faith alone, apart from his infant baptism in the Catholic Church (he
never repudiated the authority of his own baptism by the very Church
he split from). He said that salvation was by grace through faith
alone. Yet, he returned to the bondage of ceremonialism when he
started his own denomination. Instead of adopting the New Testament
pattern, he reverted to what he knew best - the Catholic model, which
involves three basic elements:
1. A State Church.
2. A complex Church hierarchy with a man in the place of
Christ as head of the Church.
3. Infant baptism.
If Luther was saved, and I believe that he was, he condemned
future generations of Lutherans by passing on the false doctrine that
they are justified through works (baptism) instead of personal faith in
a personal Savior.
That is what it means to fall from grace. It is falling from the
gospel of grace to a message of legalism (works, self-righteousness or
religion for salvation).
Our church can fall from grace. This preacher can fall from grace.
You can fall from grace. No, we cannot lose our salvation, but we can
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fall away into the old covenant of the law. We cannot change our own
eternal destinies, but we sure can affect our children's eternities! We
can affect future generations! That was why Paul was so desperately
trying to pull these Galatians back to the gospel of the grace of God.
That is why we need to know our doctrine, especially the doctrine of
salvation!
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Chapter Twelve
“YE DID RUN WELL”
(Gal 5:7-12) "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not
obey the truth? {8} This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth
you. {9} A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. {10} I have
confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise
minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever
he be. {11} And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet
suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. {12} I
would they were even cut off which trouble you."
In our text verses, Paul made a personal appeal to the Galatians. It

forms a conclusion to the doctrinal portion of the Book. After this,
Paul deals with some very practical and important details of the
Christian life.
I. A COMMENDATION.
(Gal 5:7) "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not
obey the truth?"
The Christian life is a race. It is not a 50-yard dash. It is a
marathon race. It will take a lifetime to complete. Paul used this
illustration again in Hebrews 12:
(Heb 12:1-2) "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
{2} Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God."
1. Each of us has our own race to run. It is a personal race. No one
can run it but you. No one can quit it but you. It is your race.
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2. It is not a competition race. The only way to win the race is to

finish it. Everyone that finishes his or her race is a winner.
Everyone that does not finish the race is a loser.
We are not competing with each other. We are all on the same
team, but each of us has to finish his own race.
3. Our course is set by God. It is “the race that is set before us.”
God decides each man’s course. He decides His will for our lives.
4. The race ends when we see Jesus. Anything short of that finish
line is a failure. Paul did not consider his race to be finished until
just before his martyrdom. (2 Tim 4:6-8) "For I am now ready to
be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. {7} I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith: {8} Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me
at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
his appearing."
The Galatians had been running their race, and Paul said, “Ye did
run well.” They were doing a good job. They were running well in
their courses.
It is not enough that we run in the race. We must endeavor to run
well. Paul used the race illustration yet again in 1 Corinthians 9:
(1 Cor 9:24-27) "Know ye not that they which run in a
race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye
may obtain. {25} And every man that striveth for the
mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. {26} I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one
that beateth the air: {27} But I keep under my body, and
bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I
have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Don’t just run. “So run, that ye may obtain” the incorruptible
crown. A lot of Christians are taking a leisurely walk down their
course in life. They are not sweating. They are not striving. They are
not concerned with winning. They are not giving it their all.
Paul said, “You were running well.” It is a great thing to see a
Christian that is running their race, giving it his all, involved and
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striving to do the will of God for his life. Paul commended them for
the fact that they had, at one time, been running a good race for the
Lord.
II. A QUESTION.
(Gal 5:7) "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not
obey the truth?"
The Galatians had fallen from grace. They had departed from
Christ. They had turned their backs on the truth and were no longer
obeying the truth. Paul asked them, “Who caused this? Who hindered
you? Who pushed you back or tripped you up so that you are no
longer in the race as you once were? Who knocked you off course?
Who misled you out of the way?”
He did not ask, “What hindered you?” He asked, “Who did hinder
you?” Someone caused this. The Galatians had been hindered by
people, not events or circumstances.
Christians need to beware of several groups of people that can
become hindrances to their race:
1. False teachers.
This group was guilty of tripping up the Galatians. They
listened to the Judaizers and their perverted gospel.
You need to be careful whom you listen to. These folks
on religious television are not usually Bible-believing
Baptists. Most of them are Charismatics. If they aren’t, they
hang around the Charismatics and fellowship with them.
Beware of who you listen to.
2. Disgruntled troublemakers.
Misery loves company, and disgruntled people always
look for partners. They cannot be disgruntled alone. They
want to find someone else who is disgruntled or that will be
disgruntled so that they can gripe and complain together.
Such people will poison your minds against others, especially
authority figures. The Judaizing teachers had turned the
Galatians against Paul.
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GALATIANS
3. Carnal or bad influences.

I am talking about folks that do not want to be spiritual.
They are content to live carnal, worldly lives. They will drag
your spiritual life down. The law of spiritual gravity has its
effect – it is easier to pull someone down than it is to pull
someone up.
4. The worst person of all and the most dangerous to me
personally is – ME.
My old, sinful nature is the most likely to get me off
course. I had better keep it crucified and submitted to God. I
had better watch my attitude, and my mind. I need to make
sure that my pride, or vanity, or basic selfishness does not
hinder me and keep me from obeying the truth.
III. A COMPARISON.
(Gal 5:9) "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."
Leaven is like yeast. It is corruption. A baker puts a little leaven
into a lump of bread and it expands and fills the entire loaf. It only
takes a little leaven to do the whole lump. (1 Cor 5:6) "Know ye not
that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?"
False doctrines are just like leaven. A little false doctrine gets in,
and it starts affecting other doctrines. That is why Jesus warned us to
beware of the false doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Mat
16:6) "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Mat 16:12) "Then
understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of
bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." He
went further and stated that the leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy
(Lk. 12:1).
It was this exact leaven – the leaven of the Pharisees – that
corrupted the Galatian churches. The source of this false doctrine
concerning circumcision came from the Pharisees in the Jerusalem
church (Acts 15:5).
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IV. A CONDEMNATION.
(Gal 5:10-12) "I have confidence in you through the Lord, that
ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear
his judgment, whosoever he be. {11} And I, brethren, if I yet preach
circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of
the cross ceased. {12} I would they were even cut off which trouble
you."
Paul knew who was causing the trouble. And he knew that they
knew. His prayer and desire was that they would purge out the leaven
of false doctrine from the church. (1 Cor 5:7-8) "Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: {8} Therefore let us
keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice
and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth."
He wanted the false teachers to bear the judgment of the church
and be “cut off.” In the Old Testament, to be “cut off” meant to be
executed. I do not know if Paul was wishing for a supernatural death
for these false teachers or not.
It is more likely that he was telling the church to remove the false
teachers from their church. Cut them out of the church body like
cancerous cells. Excommunicate them. Judge them and cast them out
of the church. Purge out the leaven. (Titus 3:10-11) "A man that is an
heretic after the first and second admonition reject; {11} Knowing
that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of
himself."
Jesus commended the Ephesian church for trying false apostles
and expelling them as liars: (Rev 2:2) "I know thy works, and thy
labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are
evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are
not, and hast found them liars…"
That is why Christians need to be doctrinally sound. I do not mean
just knowing a few pet doctrines backwards and forwards. I mean
being a true student of the Word of God. Knowing what the Bible
teaches will help you to recognize lies and heresies when you hear
them.
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W<X
Are you running your race? Are you running it well? Are you
allowing anyone to hinder you from obeying the truth? Is there any
leaven that needs to be purged out of your life?
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Chapter Thirteen
LIBERTY, LOVE & SERVICE
(Gal 5:13-15) "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only
use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one
another. {14} For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {15} But if ye bite and
devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of
another."
I have mentioned several times that the Book of Galatians

contains a lot of strong doctrine. Much of it is “strong meat.”
Unfortunately, far too many Christians today are simply incapable of
digesting the truths of Galatians because they can only handle skim
milk. They have not grown spiritually and they are not interested in
doctrine.
In this Book, Paul has followed the five-step preaching pattern
that he later passed on to Timothy: (2 Tim 4:2-4) "Preach the word;
be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. {3} For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; {4} And they shall turn
away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
1. Preach the word of God. Preach the Book as it is to men as
they are. Leave psychiatry and self-help to the worldly wise
men of today. God’s Word has all the answers for everything
pertaining to life and godliness.
2. Be instant in season and out of season.
“Instant” means “pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.”
It is used in the same way in (Rom 12:12) "Rejoicing in
hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer…"
“In season, out of season,” according to Webster’s 1828
Dictionary, means early, on time, or late. Be pressing, urgent,
and earnest all the time. Preachers are supposed to push us.
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GALATIANS
They are supposed to be earnest and pressing. God’s work is

the most important work, and we need the “in season, out of
season” work of God’s men.
3. “Reprove, rebuke, exhort.”
Contrary to the positive preacherettes of the television
world, God’s preaching formula is two-thirds negative. The
world does not like the negative aspects of God’s Word. They
want a positive message that pleases their ego and tickles
their self-righteousness.
Why is God’s preaching formula two-thirds negative?
The answer is simple: we are two-thirds negative, and we
need a message that is two-thirds negative to combat our
natures. Our bodies and souls are stained by our flesh nature.
They are still corrupted, which is why we need to offer our
bodies as living sacrifices daily and have a renewed mind
(Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:22-23).
Our spirits, however, “are created in righteousness and
true holiness” (Eph. 4:24). The spirit is always willing, but
the flesh is weak (Mt. 26:41). We need reproof and rebuke
from the Word of God if we are going to keep our flesh in
line so that we can serve God with our spirits (Rom. 1:9; 7:6).
My spirit needs exhortation. My sinful flesh needs reproof
and rebuke.
“Reprove” means “to charge with a fault to the face; to
chide; to convince of a fault.” “Rebuke” is stronger than
reprove, and means “to stop by reproof; to check or restrain;
to chasten or punish.” A “rebuke” is “chastisement;
punishment…for the purpose of restraint and correction.”
I dare say that many Christians today would not have the
humility to handle a reproof from their preacher, much less a
strong rebuke. But that is part of his message. Those prideful
Christians are denying themselves the ministry of the man of
God. They will not be what they should be or could be
because they will not accept the negative side of the pastor’s
ministry. They are too easily offended, too quick to hold
grudges, and too proud to admit fault, even to themselves.
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“Exhort” means “to encourage, embolden, cheer up, or

incite by words or advice.” Exhort is positive. We need
exhortation to do right and to keep doing right. This world is
discouraging for the true Christian. He needs the positive
ministry of God’s men.
4. “With all longsuffering.”
The preacher must be patient with people. They are just
flesh and dust. Preachers must not get impatient with people
just because they seem slow to do what God has said.
5. “And doctrine.”
The Word of God is the preacher’s tool to help people
and to build them up for the Lord. Sometimes doctrine must
be used to tear down false ideas so that right ideas can be put
in their place. Sometimes doctrine must be used to pluck up
some wrong ways so that new, right ways can be replanted in
people’s lives. But doctrine, the Word of God, is the tool that
we use.
In the first four and half chapters of Galatians, Paul was reproving
and rebuking the Galatians with sound doctrine. He attacked their
false ideas, and presented the truth of God’s Word concerning the
doctrines of salvation. He reproved them for the faults. He rebuked
them strongly, and in no uncertain terms, calling them “foolish” and
“bewitched.” Did he say these things just so that he could vent some
steam? No – he was trying to get their attention so that they would
stop and listen to what he was saying.
In chapter five, he begins to exhort them concerning the proper
way to live for God. Consider three words from verses 13-15:
I. LIBERTY.
(Gal 5:13) "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only
another."
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GALATIANS
Liberty is a privilege. It is the gift of God to His redeemed

people. He has purchased our redemption and set us free. He did not
purchase us from bondage so that we could be put under His bondage.
(Rom 8:15) "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father." We are sons that serve. We are not mere hireling
servants. We are certainly not slaves. We are children that serve their
Heavenly Father.
Liberty is our privilege. All privileges come with responsibility.
We are not to abuse our liberty, but use it for the glory of God.
“Use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.” “Occasion” means
“opportunity.” Do not allow your liberty to provide an opportunity for
your flesh to be in control of your life. Do not turn your spiritual
liberty into the flesh’s opportunity.
(Rom 13:13-14) "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness,
not in strife and envying. {14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts
thereof."
We are free from the bondage of sin, but we are not free from our
responsibilities to God. We are to stand fast in our liberty so that we
can stand fast for God. We are liberated from the yoke of bondage so
we can bear Christ’s yoke with Him (Mt. 11:29-30).
II. LOVE.
(Gal 5:14) "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
“Fulfilled” means “accomplished; performed; completed.” The
law is accomplished, performed, and completed when I love my
neighbor as myself.
This commandment is a summary of all of God’s commandments
concerning my relation to my fellow man.
(Mat 7:12) "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the
law and the prophets."
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(Mat 22:36-40) "Master, which is the great commandment in

the law? {37} Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. {38} This is the first and great commandment. {39}
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. {40} On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets."
All of the commandments of God hang on these two
commandments. The Ten Commandments are a perfect example of
this truth:
1. The Great Commandment:” Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
will all thy heart…”
(Exo 20:2) "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought
thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
(Exo 20:4) "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve
them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me;"
(Exo 20:7) "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy
God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that
taketh his name in vain."
(Exo 20:8) "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
2. The Second Commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.”
(Exo 20:12) "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy
days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee."
(Exo 20:13) "Thou shalt not kill."
(Exo 20:14) "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
(Exo 20:15) "Thou shalt not steal."
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(Exo 20:16) "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour."
(Exo 20:17) "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house,
thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant,
nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing
that is thy neighbour's."
God has set me at liberty to love Him with all my heart and to
serve His people by love. Christianity is a faith based on love. Even
the law is based entirely on love.
III. SERVICE.
(Gal 5:13) "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only
another."
God has called us to service. Christ is, of course, our example. He
came to serve and give, and commanded us to do likewise. (Mat
20:25-28) "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that
the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that
are great exercise authority upon them. {26} But it shall not be so
among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister; {27} And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be
your servant: {28} Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Spiritual Christians will love God and love others, and will be
like Jesus – they come to serve, not to be served. Most people going
to church this Sunday are looking to be served by others. This is not
Christ-like at all.
When Christians do not love God or each other as they should,
they often turn on each other. This “cannibalistic” attitude is
described in verse 15: (Gal 5:15) "But if ye bite and devour one
another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."
“Bite” means “to injure by angry contention.” It means to hurt
people with harsh, angry, vicious words. In every case in the Word of
God, the word “bite” is used in reference to a striking snake or
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serpent. This matches well with the description that God gives to our
mouths and tongues.
(Psa 140:3) "They have sharpened their tongues like a
serpent; adders' poison is under their lips."
(James 3:6-8) "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity:
so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the
whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is
set on fire of hell…{8} But the tongue can no man tame; it is
an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
“Devour” is Satan’s goal for each Christian. We should not be
assisting the devil in devouring each other! (1 Pet 5:8) "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Paul is describing Christians that are living devilish lives. They
bite each other like poisonous snakes. They devour each other, which
places them on the devil’s team. They are fulfilling a satanic will
instead of God’s will.
The warning:” Take heed that ye be not consumed one of
another.” “Consumed” means “destroyed slowly; wasted.” In the Old
Testament, several armies were defeated because they turned on each
other and fought each other instead of the enemy (such as in Judges
7:22; and, 1 Sam. 14:16, 20).
Many a church has committed suicide. They were their own worst
enemy. The members turned on each other and on the preacher, and
the preachers turned on the people, and they bit and devoured each
other until the church was consumed – destroyed and wasted. Who
gets the glory from those situations?
That is why Paul said, “Take heed.” Beware. Watch out. Watch
your tongue. Watch your attitude. God has not set us at liberty to walk
in the flesh, fulfilling again the lusts of the flesh and mind. He has set
us at liberty so that we can by love serve one another.
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Chapter Fourteen
THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH & THE SPIRIT
(Gal 5:16-18) "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfil the lust of the flesh. {17} For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. {18} But if ye be
led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
The last eleven verses of Galatians chapter five are extremely

vital for the Christian that desires to “stand fast in liberty.” These
verses deal with the nature and works of two opposing forces in the
Christian’s life: the Holy Spirit of God and the old, fallen, flesh
nature that we inherited from Adam.
Baptists have allowed the Charismatics and Pentecostals to hijack
the doctrine of the Holy Ghost of God. We are so worried about being
associated with them that we have become guilty of ignoring what the
Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. How dare we ignore the blessed
Third Person of the Trinity?
He is called the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the
LORD, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, and the Comforter. The
name that is used the most is “the Holy Ghost,” used 90 times. He is
called the “Holy Spirit” seven times. The most common name in the
Old Testament is “the Spirit of the LORD” (26 times).
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit includes two basic facts that every
Christian should know:
1. The Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force. He is
the third Person in the Godhead. He is just as much God as
the Father or the Lord Jesus Christ. He shares their attributes.
He is co-equal with the Father and the Son.
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2. When a person gets saved, the Holy Ghost immediately

indwells the new believer, turning his body into the temple of
the Holy Ghost.
(1 Cor 6:19-20) "What? know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye
have of God, and ye are not your own? {20} For ye are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's."
(2 Cor 6:16) "And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God;
as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
(Rom 8:9-10) "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
{10} And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of
sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
Now, we must ask, “Why does the Holy Spirit dwell in me? Why
did God put His Spirit into my body? What is the purpose for the
indwelling of the Holy Ghost?”
1. He is the earnest of our inheritance. He is God’s assurance of
eternal security.
(2 Cor 1:22) "Who hath also sealed us, and given the
earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
(Eph 1:13-14) "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in
whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that
holy Spirit of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory."
2. He witnesses with our spirit, giving us assurance of salvation.
(Rom 8:16) "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:"
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(1 John 5:8) "And there are three that bear witness in

earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these
three agree in one."
3. He comforts and helps us.
(John 16:7) "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you."
4. He teaches us and guides us into the truth.
(John 14:26) "But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
(John 16:13) "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall
he speak: and he will show you things to come."
5. He empowers us for witnessing and service.
(John 16:8-11) "And when he is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
{9} Of sin, because they believe not on me; {10} Of
righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me
no more; {11} Of judgment, because the prince of this
world is judged."
(Acts 1:8) "But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
6. He enables us to overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil.
(1 John 4:4) "Ye are of God, little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than
he that is in the world."
(Gal 5:16) "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
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GALATIANS
The victorious Christian life, the overcoming life, is the Spirit-

filled life. You cannot overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil
unless you “walk in the Spirit.”
The Holy Ghost of God lives in the body of the believer, but He
is not alone. There is also an enemy within – the old, unregenerated
nature, called “the flesh” or “the old man.” These two – the flesh and
the Spirit - are in constant disagreement with each other. They are
contrary to each other. They cannot share the life of the believer.
Each demands complete control.
Every Christian is either walking in the Spirit, or walking in the
flesh. Ephesians 5:18 says to be "filled with the Spirit." The
Christian’s life is going to be filled with something. If you are filled
with the Spirit, you cannot be filled by the flesh. If you are filled with
the flesh, you cannot be filled with the Spirit. These two are contrary
to the other. They cannot coexist. (Gal 5:17) "For the flesh lusteth
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would." You cannot be half-filled with the Spirit and half-filled with
the flesh. It is either one or the other.
Many Christians are living flesh-filled lives instead of Spirit-
filled lives, and it shows itself in the fruit that they produce. The tree
determines the fruit. The fruit reveals the tree.
(Mat 7:16-20) "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do
men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? {17}
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. {18} A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree
bring forth good fruit. {19} Every tree that bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
{20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
If I walk up to a tree and it has apples on it, it does not take a
rocket scientist to figure out that it is an apple tree. If a Christian’s life
is evidencing the works of the flesh, it is obvious that the flesh is in
control. If there is no fruit of the Spirit, no soul-winning power, no
fruit of the Christian, then the Spirit is not in control.
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Your life as a Christian will evidence one or the other of these

fruits. We can tell which one is in control by the results in your life. A
Spirit-filled Christian will bring forth a harvest of the fruit of the
Spirit. A carnal, flesh-filled Christian will evidence the works of the
flesh. The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of a Christian who is
living the victory life over the world, the flesh, and the devil. The
works of the flesh, and the absence of the fruit of the Spirit, is the
evidence of a Christian who is living the defeated life, conquered by
the world, the flesh, and the devil.
I. THE LUST OF THE FLESH.

The word “lust” is almost always used in a negative sense. Most
of the time, it refers to a strong desire for that which is forbidden or
off-limits. It is a wrong desire. It is a sinful desire of the mind or the
flesh. However, the word “lust” is not always used in a negative
sense. Verse 17 says that the Spirit lusts against the flesh, and we
know that the Holy Spirit does not have any unlawful or wicked
desires.
“Lust” in its most basic sense is defined by Webster as “longing
desire; eagerness to possess or enjoy.” Verse 17 tells us that the flesh
lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit lusts against the flesh. The flesh
wants to possess something. The Spirit wants to possess something.
What do you think they are both longing to possess? The answer is
simple – YOU.
The Holy Spirit wants to be in control of your life. The flesh
wants to be in control of your life. They will not share control. Each
demands complete control.
¾ The lust of the flesh is to be independent from God’s control
and authority.
¾ The lust of the Spirit is to be independent from the flesh’s
control and authority.
The Bible mentions the “lusts” of the flesh several times, but
twice it refers to “the lust” of the flesh:
(Gal 5:16-17) "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. {17} For the flesh lusteth
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GALATIANS
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the
things that ye would."
(1 John 2:16) "For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of
the Father, but is of the world."
What is “the lust of the flesh,” as opposed to the “lusts” of the
flesh?
The lust of the flesh is basically rebellion against God. It is the
self-will. The flesh wants to rebel against God’s authority. The flesh
does not care what you do or don’t do as long as you do what YOU
want to do instead of what GOD wants you to do. When the flesh is in
control, it will fulfill its other lusts, which manifest themselves in the
many “works of the flesh” described in verse 19-21. The basis of all
of the works of the flesh is a selfish, self-willed, stubborn, rebellious
attitude towards God.
The lust of the flesh is simply rebellion. Be your own god. Ignore
God’s Word. Be your own final authority for what is right or wrong.
Do your own thing. Live the way you want to live. Enjoy all the
pleasures of sin and ignore the consequences. Do what is right in your
own sight. Follow your heart. Get everything you can get for yourself.
Judge and condemn God as you see fit.
The whole world operates by this principle. (Eph 2:3) "Among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Some have
religious flesh, and some have moral flesh, and others live in the
depths of depravity, but the whole unregenerate world lives to fulfill
the lust of the flesh – independence from God’s authority. Romans
1:18-25 describes how the lust of the flesh has led the whole world
away from God. The end result is a world that “lieth in wickedness”
(1 John 5:19).
II. THE LUST OF THE SPIRIT.

If the lust of the flesh is independence from God’s authority –
rebellion, selfwill, stubbornness, and selfishness – and the lust of the
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Spirit is contrary to that lust, then what is the lust of the Spirit? The
strong desire of the Holy Ghost is that He be in possession of our
lives so that we are submitted to God’s authority, obedient to His
Word, and faithful in our service to Him. The Holy Ghost wants to fill
us and enable us to fulfill the will of God for our lives.
The flesh wants to be in control so that it can lead us away from
God. The Spirit wants to be in control to keep us right with God. The
choice is entirely up to you. You must choose to “walk in the Spirit.”
You must actively “walk in the Spirit.”
Walking is something that healthy people do everyday, without
even thinking about it. You walk to the kitchen. You walk to your car.
You walk to your office. You walk into a store. You walk into the
church. Walking is part of our everyday life.
God does not just want us to be filled with the Spirit for
preaching or teaching or Sunday services. He wants us to live in the
Spirit Monday morning on the way to work, and Tuesday evening at
home, and Friday afternoon while you are doing your chores. He
wants you to be filled with the Spirit when you are talking to your
coworkers, and when you are on vacation, and when you are visiting
relatives.
We should be filled with the Spirit on a daily basis. But it is a
choice. Fulfilling the lust of the flesh is passive – if I am not walking
in the Spirit, I am automatically fulfilling the lust of the flesh. The
lust of the flesh is my default setting. Every night when I go to sleep,
my digital clock starts flashing “12:00.” I have to be reset every day.
The Bible calls this being “renewed.” There are three things in
my life that need to be renewed every day:
1. My spirit or “inward man” needs to be renewed daily. (Psa
51:10) "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me." (2 Cor 4:16) "For which cause we
faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward
man is renewed day by day."
2. My spiritual strength needs to be renewed daily. (Isa 40:31)
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall
run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
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GALATIANS
3. My mind needs to be renewed daily. (Rom 12:2) "And be not

conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Eph 4:23) "And
be renewed in the spirit of your mind;"
How often do we get up and go through the day with the flesh
back in control? We wake up in our default setting and never set it
right. We do not yield to the Holy Ghost. We do not seek His filling.
We do not renew our minds. We think that we are okay because our
flesh is fairly religious and disciplined compared to others, but if we
are not walking in the Spirit, we are automatically fulfilling the lust of
the flesh.
That is why we need to start each day with God. We need to
surrender to God again. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us and
lead us. We need to submit our will to God’s will. That is why the
Lord taught us to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
We need to get in the Bible and get our minds renewed. We need to
ask God for fresh, renewed strength so that we can mount up with
wings as eagles.
(Gal 5:16-17) "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
not fulfil the lust of the flesh. {17} For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one
to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
If we do not crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit, we are not
going to see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Our lives will be
marked by varying degrees of the works of the flesh.
Do you walk in the Spirit?
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Chapter Fifteen
THE WORKS OF THE FLESH
Part One: Sins Against Marriage
(Gal 5:19-21) "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are
these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, {20}
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, {21} Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,
and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in
time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom
of God."
The last half of Galatians 5 compares two possible ways of life

for each Christian. You can live the Spirit-filled life, which is a life of
victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. Or, you can live a
flesh-filled life, which is a life of bondage and failure.
Every Christian has two opposing forces in life. He has two
opposing natures: the old, carnal, sinful nature, and the new, spiritual,
holy nature. These are called the old man and the new man in
Ephesians 4. The old nature is also referred to as “the flesh.” In
addition to these contrary natures, the Holy Spirit of God indwells the
body of the believer from the moment of salvation.
On one side, you have the old man, the fallen flesh nature. His
allies are the devil and the world. On the other side, you have the new
man, your renewed spiritual nature. His ally is the Holy Spirit of God.
You can overcome the flesh, the devil, and the world through the
power of the Holy Spirit. (1 John 4:4) "Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he
that is in the world." It can be done.
However, a choice must be made. These two sides can never
coexist. One must be in control at all times. They will never share
control. (Gal 5:17) "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:
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GALATIANS
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Remember that

“lusteth” used here means “to desire to possess and control.” The
flesh struggles against the Spirit. It opposes everything that the Holy
Ghost wants to do. It opposes submission to God. It wants to be in
control. The Holy Spirit strives against the flesh. The Spirit of God
opposes the flesh “with the affections and lusts.” “So that ye cannot
do the things that ye would" – I still fall short. I cannot be all that I
want to be because of the flesh’s opposition. The greatest hindrance
to my life is my sinful nature.
Paul described his frustration with this constant struggle in (Rom
7:14-25) "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold
under sin. {15} For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that
do I not; but what I hate, that do I. {16} If then I do that which I
would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. {17} Now then it is
no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. {18} For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
{19} For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would
not, that I do. {20} Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do
it, but sin that dwelleth in me. {21} I find then a law, that, when I
would do good, evil is present with me. {22} For I delight in the law
of God after the inward man: {23} But I see another law in my
members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. {24} O wretched
man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? {25}
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
Is that an excuse to sin? No – it is a reminder of the necessity of
daily crucifying the flesh and walking in the Spirit. “Evil is present
with me.” Therefore, I must recognize that evil is a part of my nature
and therefore yield myself to the power of the Holy Ghost.
The flesh and the Spirit are forever contrary to each other. There
will never be peace between them. Therefore, you need to choose
sides. You must choice to obey your convictions instead of your
corruptions. You must choose to obey God instead of obeying your
lusts. You must choose to submit your will to God’s will instead of
exalting your will over God’s will.
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In the next several chapters, we are going to examine the various

“works of the flesh” as revealed in verses 19-21. In these verses is a
world of hurt. Nothing good ever came from the works of the flesh.
I. THE FLESH THAT PRODUCES THE WORKS.

All of these works come from the same factory – the lust of the
flesh, which is the self-will, the selfish desire of the flesh to be
independent from God’s will and authority. Adam unleashed a many-
headed monster on this world when he chose to disobey God’s
commandment. (Rom 5:12) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned..."
Thanks to Adam, sin was unleashed in the natures of mankind.
Our natures became sinful and corrupt. Sin wears many faces and
goes by many names, but it comes from one root lust – rebellion
against God.
Our hearts are the factories for sin:
¾ (Jer 17:9) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?"
¾ (Mark 7:21-23) "For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, {22}
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an
evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: {23} All these evil
things come from within, and defile the man."
Even though we are saved, our flesh is not. It is just as corrupt as
it ever was. It must be restrained and crucified by character,
conviction, and choices.
We have to realize the nature of our flesh. The flesh cannot be
trusted. My heart is “deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked.” I may not want to admit this, but God says that it is so. My
heart is a factory that can produce any sin known to mankind.
I read a fable once about a deadly scorpion that crawled to the
bank of a river and wanted to get across. The scorpion saw a fox and
asked him for a ride across the stream. The fox refused, saying, “No,
if I let you on my back, you will sting me and I will die.” But the
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scorpion promised not to sting him if he would carry him across the
stream. Finally, the fox relented and allowed the scorpion on his back
and swam across the stream. As soon as they got to the other side, the
scorpion lashed out with his tail and stung the fox on the nose. The
fox jumped back, but the poison was already working through his
system. “Why!” cried the fox. “You promised not to sting me!” “I
know,” said the scorpion. “But I could not help myself. It is my
nature to sting.”
It is the nature of the flesh to produce these works. You cannot
bargain with the flesh. It is what it is – corrupt, sinful, wicked,
deceitful, and rebellious. The flesh must be crucified with its
affections and lusts.
II. THE WORKS THAT THE FLESH PRODUCES.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest.” They are obvious. Just
look around this world and you will see the fullness of the works of
the flesh. We know from our own corruption the manifold evidences
of sin’s power in our lives.
God lists for us 17 specific sins, and then an eighteenth heading
that covers many others: “and such like” (vs. 21). The Bible names
sin. For many years, many seminaries and Bible colleges have been
training their preachers to preach against sin without naming it. Paul
did not practice that philosophy. He called sin by name. People are
never going to repent if preachers do not make sin “exceeding sinful.”
The works of the flesh can be divided into four categories:
1. Sins against marriage and the home.
2. Sins of apostasy.
3. Sins of pride.
4. Sins of excess.
The first four works are sexual sins – sins against the home,
marriage, and God’s plan for men and women. To understand this
point, we must realize that sex was designed by our Creator but was
limited to the marriage relationship. (Heb 13:4) "Marriage is
honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and
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adulterers God will judge." The marriage bed is undefiled, but

fornication, adultery, lasciviousness and uncleanness – the works
mentioned here in Galatians 5 – are wicked perversions of God’s
design and intention.
God designed intimacy for two purposes:
1. Procreation. God has put the power of reproduction into the
bodies of men and women. This power is not to be misused or
abused. Sex is not a toy to be played with by people that are
not committed to each other – legally – for a lifetime.
Because of the fact that sex produces babies, God has limited
its enjoyment to those that are legally bound together in
marriage. If God’s plan was carried out properly, babies
would not be born illegitimately to single mothers. They
would be born into homes that are based on the marriage of a
mother and father.
2. Pleasure. Intimacy is God’s gift to the married couple. Read
Song of Solomon, an inspired Book describing in great detail
the ecstasy of the proper marriage relationship. God never
wrote a book describing the joy of the whoremonger’s life.
The married couple should enjoy their intimate relationship to
the fullest. There are many passages in the Bible that
encourage husbands and wives to do so. In addition, there
comes a time when procreation is no longer physically
possible. However, the pleasure of the marriage relationship
can continue long past this point.
God’s design is that sexual desires and passions be satisfied
completely within the marriage relationship:
¾ (1 Cor 7:2-5) "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man
have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
{3} Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and
likewise also the wife unto the husband. {4} The wife hath not
power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the
husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. {5}
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time,
that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come
together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
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¾ (Prov 5:18-20) "Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the
wife of thy youth. {19} Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant
roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished
always with her love. {20} And why wilt thou, my son, be
ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a
stranger?"
Sexual sin is a sin against God’s intention for intimacy. It is a sin
against the institution of marriage. It is a sin against the home and
family. It is a sin against the other spouse. It is a sin against the
children that are born because of it.
I. ADULTERY.
“Adultery” is sexual sin committed by a married person, a
violation of their vows and the marriage bed. It is a violation of the
seventh commandment: (Exo 20:14) "Thou shalt not commit
adultery." It is called a “heinous crime” (Job 31:11). It is a crime
against the home and against society. It leads to a lifelong mark of
shame: (Prov 6:32-33) "But whoso committeth adultery with a
woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own
soul. {33} A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach
shall not be wiped away."
We must also remember that there is an adultery of the heart,
which begins long before any actual acts of adultery. (Mat 5:28) "But
I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." No one ever
committed adultery without thinking about it first.
II. FORNICATION.
“Fornication” is sexual sin committed by an unmarried person. If
fornication is committed by unmarried people, is it a sin against the
home and marriage? Yes. Paul told us that we are to abstain from
fornication so that we do not defraud our brother in any matter.
¾ (1 Th 4:3-7) "For this is the will of God, even your
sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: {4}
That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel
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in sanctification and honour; {5} Not in the lust of

concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: {6}
That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any
matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as
we also have forewarned you and testified. {7} For God hath
not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."
What do this mean? Defraud means to take what is someone
else’s right. It means that no man or boy has the right to take what
should one day belong to that woman’s husband. No girl has the right
to take what should one day belong to a man’s wife.
Fornication is a manifold sin:
1. Fornication is a sin against our own bodies. (1 Cor 6:18)
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the
body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his
own body."
2. Fornication is a sin against our future spouses.
3. Fornication is a sin against God and His plan for intimacy in
the marriage relationship.
4. Fornication is a sin against children born out of wedlock.
It is a wicked work of the flesh, and it is all too common in our
day and time.
III. UNCLEANNESS.
“Uncleanness” is defined by Webster as, “want of restraint of the
sexual appetite; free or illegal indulgence of lust; lewdness; used of
either sex, but appropriately of the male sex. Incontinence in men is
the same as unchastity in women.”
It refers to dirty, filthy behavior. Dirty imaginations. No doubt, it
includes such filthy sexual abominations as homosexuality or
bestiality (Lev. 18:22-23).
IV. LASCIVIOUSNESS.
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“Lasciviousness” is defined as, “looseness; irregular indulgence

of animal desires; wantonness; lustfulness. Tendency to excite lust,
and promote irregular indulgences.”
It is lustful behavior or behavior designed to provoke lust. This
word runs a gamut of wicked enticement and perversion. Immodest
clothing is lascivious – it tends to “excite lust, and promote irregular
indulgences.” Immodest clothing on a woman is no different than a
strip club billboard on the highway. They are both advertising the
same thing. That is why God commands Christian women to adorn
themselves in modest apparel.
These four words go together and are often used together in the
Bible, and sometimes interchangeably. They all refer to sexual sins –
sins against the first institution that God designed, the home. They are
sins against marriage and the home. They are an abuse of God’s gift
to the married couple and an abuse of God’s plan for the propagation
of the human race.
These four words cover the gamut of sexual sins – from adultery
to promiscuous behavior to pornography to homosexuality to strip
clubs to wicked entertainment that glorifies sexual sin.
We need to recognize that sexual sin of any kind is a work of the
flesh. It is adultery if you are married and fornication if you are not. It
is uncleanness and lasciviousness all the time. It is never right or
acceptable to God. It is not acceptable for single people, married
people, or divorced people. We are to flee such sins (1 Cor. 6:18).
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Chapter Sixteen
Part Two: Sins of Apostasy
these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, {20}
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies,"
In the last lesson, we began our discussion on the works of the

flesh. These works are the product of a flesh-driven life – a life that is
dominated by the lust of the flesh. Being a Christian does not mean
that the works of the flesh cannot be produced in my life. The fact is
that any one of us could be guilty of any of the works of the flesh that
are mentioned in Galatians 5.
Consider how some of God’s people were guilty of some of the works
of the flesh:
¾ David was guilty of adultery and murder.
¾ Samson was guilty of fornication and lasciviousness.
¾ Saul went a visited the witch of Endor.
¾ Noah was drunk after the Flood.
¾ The Corinthian Christians were guilty of strife,
lasciviousness, fornication, heresies, and adultery.
¾ Gideon allowed an ephod to be turned into an idol.
¾ Many others could be listed under the heading of “and such
like.”
The point is that we had better take heed to our position, lest we
fall. (1 Cor 10:12) "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take
heed lest he fall."
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In today’s lesson, we are going to continue our study of the

various works of the flesh. The next two works listed are sins of
apostasy. They are sins that are produced when men turn their backs
on the true and living God and seek to replace Him with the works of
their own hands and the ideas of their own minds. Instead of
submitting to their Creator, they worship gods of their own creation.
In Jeremiah, the Lord lamented of how His people had committed two
evils: they had forsaken Him, and then sought to replace Him with the
works of their own hands: (Jer 2:13) "For my people have committed
two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and
hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
Idolatry and witchcraft are the two works of the flesh that will be
discussed in this chapter.
I. IDOLATRY.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary has two outstanding definitions for
idolatry:
“1. The worship of idols, images, or any thing made by
hands, or which is not God. Idolatry is of two kinds; the
worship of images, statues, pictures, &c. made by hands; and
the worship of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and stars,
or of demons, angels, men and animals.
“2. Excessive attachment or veneration for any thing, or that
which borders on adoration.”
In its most specific sense, idolatry is the worship of false gods.
Any god other than the God of the Bible is a false god. The Bible
teaches that these false gods are really devils in disguise:
¾ (Lev 17:7) "And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto
devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a
statute for ever unto them throughout their generations."
¾ (Deu 32:17) "They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods
whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom
your fathers feared not."
¾ (Psa 106:37-38) "Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their
daughters unto devils, {38} And shed innocent blood, even
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the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they

sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was
polluted with blood."
¾ (1 Cor 10:19-20) "What say I then? that the idol is any thing,
or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? {20}
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye
should have fellowship with devils."
The worship of idols is foolishness.
¾ (Psa 135:15-18) "The idols of the heathen are silver and
gold, the work of men's hands. {16} They have mouths,
but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; {17}
They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any
breath in their mouths. {18} They that make them are like
unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them."
¾ (Isa 44:13-19) "The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he
marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he
marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the
figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it
may remain in the house. {14} He heweth him down
cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he
strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he
planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. {15} Then
shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof,
and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh
bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he
maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
{16} He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof
he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he
warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen
the fire: {17} And the residue thereof he maketh a god,
even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and
worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver
me; for thou art my god. {18} They have not known nor
understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot
see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. {19}
And none considereth in his heart, neither is there
knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part
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GALATIANS
of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the

coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and
shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall
I fall down to the stock of a tree?"
The idolater cuts a tree down, and with some of the wood he
makes a fire, and saves some for firewood, and bakes bread with it,
and with the residue of the tree he makes a god and worships it! How
foolish does man become when he turns his back on the true and
living God!
However, idolatry is not just the worship of graven images. In its
broadest sense, idolatry is worshipping anything ahead of God.
¾ A job can become an idol.
¾ Money is a definite idol for countless people. That is why
Ephesians 5:5 tells us that the covetous man is an idolater.
You do not have to have money to love it. A lot of poor folks
are desperately in love with money.
¾ Many today are guilty of self-worship. They have become
their own idols. The self-worshipper idolizes himself. He is
his own final authority. He does what he wants to do. He is
self-centered instead of God-centered. He is his own judge of
what is right or wrong. The only will for his life is his own
will.
Idolatry is a terrible sin of apostasy still being practiced around
the world. Christians must flee from idolatry! (1 Cor 10:14)
"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."
II. WITCHCRAFT.
“Witchcraft” is defined by Noah Webster as, “The practices of
witches; sorcery; enchantments; intercourse with the devil.”
“Sorcery” is “magic; enchantment; witchcraft; divination be the
assistance of evil spirits, or the power of commanding evil spirits.”
Like idolatry, witchcraft is ancient and widespread, going back to
man’s departure from God as recorded in Romans 1. It existed in
ancient Egypt and Babylon, and is referenced in the Code of
Hammurabi (2000 B.C.). In the Old Testament, witchcraft was a
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crime punishable by death. (Exo 22:18) "Thou shalt not suffer a

witch to live."
Those who practiced the various forms of witchcraft were called
abominations by the Lord. (Deu 18:10-12) "There shall not be found
among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or
an enchanter, or a witch, {11} Or a charmer, or a consulter with
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. {12} For all that do
these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these
abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before
thee."
1. He “that useth divination, or an observer of times” refers to
those who try to use occult methods to determine the future or
to find hidden knowledge. Today, people follow astrology
and horoscopes instead of God’s leadership or His Word.
2. Enchanters and charmers were those that consulted with
devils called familiar spirits.
3. “A wizard” is a male witch.
4. “A necromancer” is someone who claims to be able to
communicate with the dead.
Remember that Saul sought the witch of Endor because she was
known to be able to consult with a familiar spirit. He was also guilty
of necromancy, because he wanted to speak to Samuel, who had died
years before.
It is commonly believed that witchcraft involved the usage of
narcotic or hallucinogenic drugs in its spells and potions. The Greek
word translated “witchcraft” is closely related to “pharmacy.” Such
drugs open the mind and heart to devilish possession.
Neo-paganism is a growing religion today, especially the branch
known as Wicca. In 2001, a survey estimated that there are over
134,000 practicing adults involved in Wicca. Most involved in
modern Wicca or witchcraft worship a goddess called the Great
Mother, as well as a god called “the Horned God” (I wonder who that
is?). It is definitely polytheistic.
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GALATIANS
Christians do not have any business messing with witchcraft, or

endorsing it as harmless entertainment. It is interesting to me that in
these last days the richest woman in England is the author of a series
of books about witchcraft. Billionaire J.K. Rowling is rumored to be
richer than the Queen of England because of the success of the Harry
Potter books – more than 325 million copies and counting. She is the
highest-earning novelist in literary history. The books are all targeted
to the impressionable demographic of 9 to 11 year-old children.
According to Rowling, a major theme in the series is the theme of
death. She said: “My books are largely about death. They open with
the death of Harry's parents. There is Voldemort's obsession with
conquering death and his quest for immortality at any price, the goal
of anyone with magic. I so understand why Voldemort wants to
conquer death. We're all frightened of it.”
It is an abomination, and a work of the flesh. It is grouped with
idolatry as a sin of departure away from God. Christians do not have
any business meddling with such things – no matter how
“entertaining” and “harmless” they might seem to be.
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Chapter Seventeen
Part Three: Sins of Pride
these… hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, {21} Envyings, murders…”
As Christians, we have three spiritual enemies:

¾ The devil, the infernal enemy.
¾ The flesh, the internal enemy.
¾ The world, the external enemy.
The world system referred to in John 2 is Satan’s trap for the
flesh. That trap is baited to attract with the three-fold lust that makes
up our fallen nature. This all ties together with the “lust of the flesh”
in Galatians 5. Satan has designed a world of temptation that is
custom-built to keep sinners under the bondage of sin.
The problem with the world is not the world. The problem with
the world is the fallen nature of mankind. The problem with the world
is that six billion people want to satisfy the lusts of their flesh, the
lusts of their eyes, and the pride of lives. The world suffers because of
man’s fallen nature.
In the Millennium, the world will change. It will be ruled by King
Jesus. There will not be any red-light districts in the Millennium.
There will not be any drive-through liquor stores, or dirty men’s
clubs, or bars, or brothels, or honky-tonks. There will not be any
clubs, dope deals, casinos, gambling halls, porn magazines, or
prostitutes.
But there are going to be natural people left on this earth. They
will be spared but apparently they do not get regenerated. As soon as
Satan is let out of the bottomless pit, he will gather the people of this
earth together and turn them against God. (Rev 20:7-9) "And when
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the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison, {8} And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together
to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. {9} And they
went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the
saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out
of heaven, and devoured them."
The problem for those unrepentant sinners was not the world that
they lived in. The problem will be in themselves – the nature of the
flesh will not have been changed. This illustrates the truth that the
biggest problem that men have is their own sinful nature.
In this chapter, we are going to look at the third part of that which
is in the world, and in our fallen natures, the “pride of life.” We live
in a world that is based on lust and pride, and we need to learn to
overcome these desires of our fallen natures.
I. THE PRIDE OF LIFE.

(1 John 2:15-17) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. {16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of
the world. {17} And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but
he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
The world, under Satan’s direction, reflects the three-fold lust in
man’s nature:
1. “The lust of the flesh.”
That is the same lust of the flesh mentioned in Galatians 5:16
– the sinful desire to DO what it wants to do, without any
interference from God or His Word. The flesh wants to
commit all the works listed in Galatians 5. It wants to be
independent of God’s rules and authority.
2. “The lust of the eyes.”
This is the sinful desire to HAVE. It is covetousness.
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The lust of the eyes is to have what they see. Advertisers

understand this basic lust in man’s heart and exploit it
through posters, billboards, television commercials, and
catalogs.
This lust, like all lusts, can never be satisfied. The
covetous person is never content with what he has; he always
wants something else, or something more. (Prov 27:20)
"Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are
never satisfied."
3. The lust of the ego - “the pride of life.”
This is the sinful desire to BE. It is also a lust. It is the
lust of the ego.
It is not always sinful to want to be more than you are,
any more than it is sinful to want something to eat or see
something that you would like to obtain lawfully or properly.
The pride of life is a sinful pride, the desire for vainglory,
promotion over others, and selfish advancement.
Pride.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “pride” as “Inordinate self-
esteem; an unreasonable conceit in one’s own superiority in talents,
beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which
manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt
of others.”
Webster also gave a more detailed definition under “proud:” “A
man may be proud of his person, of his talents, of his
accomplishments or of his achievements. He may be proud of any
thing to which he bears some relation. He may be proud of his
country, his government, his equipage, or of whatever may, by
association, gratify his esteem of himself. He may even be proud of
his religion or of his church. He conceives that any thing excellent or
valuable, in which he has a share, or to which he stands related,
contributes to his own importance, and this conception exalts his
opinion of himself.”
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It is one thing to be proud of your family, country, or vocation, in

the sense that you are not ashamed of them. It is quite another thing to
become haughty and demeaning to others that are not a part of your
family, country, or vocation.
Pride becomes sinful when we begin allow our self-conceit to
exalt ourselves over others, and it is especially sinful when we
become haughty and arrogant towards the Lord.
As Christians dealing with the pride of life, we need to beware of
three dangerous attitudes:
1) The Desire for Preeminence.
This is the hunger to be first, ahead of others. It is the
“me first” mentality. It is a striving for lordship instead of
servanthood.
2) The Spirit of Superiority.
This affliction is caused when we consider ourselves to
be superior to others in some regard.
Let us work on a “less than the least” attitude instead.
(Eph 3:8) "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints,
is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ..." Many of us when put
ourselves somewhere in the middle – better than most, and
less than others. But how many of us would admit to being
“less than the least of all saints?”
3) The Desire for Vainglory.
(Gal 5:26) "Let us not be desirous of vain glory,
provoking one another, envying one another." This is the
thirst for applause, credit, reward, or public honor.
The pride of life is the selfish sinful desire to BE preeminent, to

BE superior to others, and to BE honored and applauded by men. We
should fight this lust just like we fight the lust of the flesh and the
lust of the eyes. Many Christians that shudder at sins coming from
the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes will wallow in the pride of
life. They are sanctified and proud of it. They are soul-winners and
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proud of it. They are faithful and proud of it. Yet, their lives are often
filled with the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5 that deal with
the pride of life.
II. THE WORKS THAT COME FROM THE PRIDE OF LIFE.

Consider these works according to their definitions, given by
Noah Webster:
1. “Hatred” is “great dislike or aversion; hate; enmity.”
Hatred is, of course, the opposite of love. It is a despiteful
animosity towards anything – whether it be a person, a group of
people, an ethnicity, a nation, a job, an object, etc.
Most of the time, hatred grows out of unjust prejudices or
wrong ideas. This fact is clearly evidenced by the fact that many
people actually hate God. Romans 1:30 refers to those who are
"haters of God...” People hated Jesus without a cause. Their
hatred was based on unjust prejudices, wrong ideas, and the pride
of life.
If people will hate God, it should not be a surprise that they
will also hate each other. (Titus 3:3) "For we ourselves also were
sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and
pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one
another."
Christians, however, are not allowed to hate:
¾ Their enemies. (Mat 5:44) "But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you;"
¾ Their brethren. (1 John 2:9-11) "He that saith he is in the
light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until
now. {10} He that loveth his brother abideth in the light,
and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. {11} But
he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in
darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because
that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
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GALATIANS
Hatred comes from pride. The hateful person says, “I am so

much better than you that I hate you for who and what you are.”
Humility has no room for hatred. They cannot coexist. Hatred
grows freely in the prideful heart.
There is absolutely no excuse for the genuine hatred that is
seen in the lives of many Christians. Such hatred thrives where
pride is left uncrucified.
2. “Variance” is “difference that produces dispute or controversy;
disagreement; dissension; discord. A mere variance may become
a war. Without a spirit of condescension, there will be an
everlasting variance.”
Variance is the strife produced between prideful people over
disagreements, which leads to unchristianlike divisions and strife.
People that are at variance often turn into “right-fighters.” They
are just fighting to be right.
Variance is dissension and discord that leads to strife, and as
a work of the flesh it is a mark of the carnal Christian. (1 Cor
3:3-4) "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as
men? {4} For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of
Apollos; are ye not carnal?"
God wants His children to be in one accord. That requires
“lowliness of mind,” not pride. (Phil 2:2-3) "Fulfil ye my joy,
that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord,
of one mind. {3} Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves."
3. “Emulation” is a “contest; contention; strife; competition; rivalry
accompanied with a desire of depressing another.” .
Emulation is trying to advance yourself by hurting someone
else. It is trying to make your light shine brighter by blowing
someone else’s out.
4. “Strife” is “contention in anger or enmity; contest; struggle for
victory; quarrel or war.”
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It is selfish ambition. Fighting for superiority. Fighting to be

first. I am right. It is the opposite of humility. Strife is connected
with the desire for vainglory. “Only by pride cometh contention”
(Prov. 13:10).
5. “Sedition” is “a factious commotion of the people, a tumultuous
assembly of men rising in opposition to law or the administration
of justice, and in disturbance of the public peace.”
Sedition is rebellion against God-placed authority. All of us
are under some form of authority. We need to learn who the
authority figures in our lives are and what their authority is.
Whom does God command us to obey and submit to?
Sedition comes from pride. Korah was lifted up with pride
when he turned against Moses. Absalom was filled with pride
when he attempted to steal David’s kingdom. Pride leads to
church splits as well.
6. “Heresy.”
Heresies are false doctrines that lead to separation and
division. Heresies get started when prideful people reject the
accepted doctrines of God’s Word and invent their own
interpretations.
7. “Envy” is “to feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the
sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by
another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's
self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him
on that account.”
Envy is obviously an aspect of the pride of life. It is feeling
superior to another and desiring the credit or happiness that they
enjoy. We feel that we deserve it more than they do.
These are all sins of pride:

1. Hatred is pride despising. Hatred is despising someone that
you do not think is as good as you are, for whatever reason.
2. Variance is pride disagreeing. It is fighting for pride’s sake
instead of fighting for the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3).
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GALATIANS
3. Emulation is pride defrauding. Emulation is trying to

advance yourself by hurting someone else.
4. Strife is pride disputing. Strife is not a discussion. It is a
heated argument in which two or more people simply want to
5. Sedition is pride defying. This is pride exalting itself over
God-placed authorities.
6. Heresy is pride dividing. This is pride dividing churches
with false ideas and false doctrines.
7. Envy is pride desiring. This is pride selfishly coveting the
blessings or success that others enjoy, and despising them for
what they have. It is a desire to take what they have. Just as
there is adultery of the heart and murder of the heart, there is
also a thievery of the heart – envy or covetousness.
Sins of selfish pride, left unchecked and unrepented of, can lead
to wrath or even the ultimate crime against another person, the sin of
murder. They are the products of the other seven sins of pride. Wrath
and murder are pride destroying.
8. “Wrath” is “violent anger.”
Wrath is destructive anger, and is usually the product of
hatred, variance, strife, etc. It is a desire to cause harm to others
because of anger of a real or imaginary offense. (James 1:19-20)
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath: {20} For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God."
9. “Murder” is “the act of unlawfully killing a human being with
premeditated malice, by a person of sound mind.”
Manslaughter is not murder. Manslaughter is killing someone
by accident, without malice or premeditation. Killing someone in
battle is not murder. Capital punishment is not murder. Killing an
animal is not murder. You cannot murder an animal.
Murder is unlawfully taking the life of a human being. It is a
terrible, heinous crime. It is stealing someone’s life. If the victim
is not saved, it is a crime that sends the person to hell. It hurts
everyone involved in the crime. It leaves fatherless and
motherless children. It devastates homes, lives, and futures.
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It is no wonder that God prescribed the death penalty for

those that would commit the awful crime of murder. (Gen 9:6)
"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed:
for in the image of God made he man."
What causes wrath and murder? They are the fruits of the other
works of the flesh. They are caused by “hatred, variance,
emulations...strife, seditions, heresies, {21} Envyings...”
Here are some examples in which the prideful works of the flesh
led to murder:
1. Hatred – Cain murdered Abel because of hatred in his heart
(1 Jn 3:12). Absalom murdered Amasa because of hatred (2
Sam 13). Hatred led the Jewish priests and leaders to demand
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stephen told the Sanhedrin
that they were the “murderers” of the Just One (Acts 7:52).
2. Emulations – Joab murdered Amasa and Abner to protect his
job as general. Herod murdered the baby boys of Bethlehem
to protect his throne (Mt. 2:16).
3. Wrath – Simeon and Levi slew all the men of Shechem in
their wrath concerning the situation with Dinah (Gen. 49:5-
7). Moses’ wrath led to the murder of an Egyptian taskmaster
(Ex. 2:12).
4. Strife – It appears that Lamech murdered a man out of strife
or revenge (Gen. 4:23). Haman’s strife with Mordecai led to
Haman’s ill-fated attempt to murder the entire Jewish race.
5. Seditions – Barabbas had committed murder in his
insurrection (Mk. 15:7). Several of the kings of Israel were
murdered by usurpers to the throne. Gedaliah, the governor of
Judah at the beginning of the Captivity, was murdered by
Ishmael for rebellion’s sake (2 Kings 25:25).
6. Heresies – The false doctrines of Catholicism led to the
brutal murders of millions of Baptists throughout history.
7. Envyings – Naboth was murdered by Jezebel for his vineyard
(1 Kings 21).
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GALATIANS
Other works of the flesh have also led to murder:

1. Adultery leads to murder. David murdered Uriah to cover up
his adultery. John the Baptist was murdered for preaching
against Herod’s adultery (Mk. 6:25-27).
2. Fornication leads to murder. Shechem’s seduction of Dinah
led to his death at the hands of Simeon and Levi (Gen. 34).
3. Drunkenness leads to murder. Liquor removes inhibitions
and brings out the worst in people.
Sins of selfish pride, left unchecked and unrepented of, can lead
to the ultimate crime against another person, the sin of murder.
W<X
Christians need to look inward again and deal with the sins of the
spirit, which are often sins of pride. Pride defiles the spirit and
corrupts the mind. Let us cleanse ourselves from such filthiness, with
just as much diligence as we fundamentalists deal with the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes! (2 Cor 7:1) "Having therefore these
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
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Chapter Eighteen
Part Three: Sins of Excess
these… drunkenness, revellings, and such like…”
In this chapter, we are going to discuss two sins of excess:

drunkenness and revelling. These two go together. Revelling rarely
takes place apart from the presence of alcohol. Unfortunately, these
are very common sins in our society, especially among young people.
I. LET US DEFINE THE TERMS.

1. “Drunkenness” is “intoxication; inebriation; a state in which a
person is overwhelmed or overpowered with spirituous liquors, so
that his reason is disordered, and he reels or staggers in walking.
Drunkenness renders some persons stupid, others gay, others
sullen, others furious.”
2. “Revelling” is “a feasting with noisy merriment; revelry.” Wild
parties, honkytonks, and the club atmosphere fall under the
heading of revellings. Christians have no business in these
nightclubs. We have no business in that kind of an environment
where just about “anything goes.”
Peter warned us to stay away from the “excess of riot” that
the heathen enjoy: (1 Pet 4:3-5) "For the time past of our life
may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we
walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings,
banquetings, and abominable idolatries: {4} Wherein they think it
strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot,
speaking evil of you: {5} Who shall give account to him that is
ready to judge the quick and the dead."
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GALATIANS
In this chapter, we are going to focus in on “drunkenness,”

because it is the source of so many other sins. “Revellings” abound
where there is “excess of wine.” If you give everyone a Diet Coke or
a Dr. Pepper, they settle down quite a bit. It is the liquor that removes
the inhibitions of men and turns them into animals. Revellings rarely
occur apart from the demoralizing influence of liquor.
II. THE ARGUMENTS OF DRUNKARDS.

Sadly, the use of liquor is often defended, even by those who
claim to be born-again Christians. I have heard the same arguments
for the use of alcohol from dignified church members as those given
by skid row bums in downtown Fort Worth. Let us examine the
“arguments of drunkards,” and dismantle them with the wrecking ball
of Scripture:
1. Is it okay to drink liquor so long as you do not get drunk?
Many believe that it is fine to drink liquor so long as you do
not get drunk. Such people are either ignorant or willingly
ignorant. After this lesson, you can only be willingly ignorant.
You are going to have to refuse to hear God’s Word if you want
to stand on the side of the liquor crowd.
The most common statement that I have heard concerning
liquor – even from Christian people – is that God is only against
drunkenness. It is okay to drink as long as you do not get drunk.
As I will show you, God is against the drink itself.
Drunkenness is not God’s only limit. Drunkenness is the final
result of drinking. It is the product. God is also against the
process. Drinking is the process. Drunkenness is the product.
God would be inconsistent to bless or permit the process and then
condemn the product.
For example, God is against fornication. But that is not all He
is against. Hormone-driven teenagers claim that there is nothing
wrong with holding hands, hugging, kissing, and “making out” as
long as they do not actually engage in sex. They are wrong. God
is also against those forms of behavior that lead to fornication. He
wants us to avoid fornication by avoiding the road that leads to
fornication. (1 Cor 7:1-2) "Now concerning the things whereof
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ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. {2}
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own
wife, and let every woman have her own husband."
God is against fornication, so He prohibits men from
touching women in an intimate way that would encourage
fornication. He is against the process that leads to fornication.
God is against drunkenness. He is also against that which
leads to drunkenness. He is against alcoholic beverages
altogether.
2. Didn’t Jesus drink wine?
It is amazing how people will argue for liquor! They even
bring Jesus in as their star witness. “But,” they say, “Jesus drank
wine!” Every drunk down at the homeless shelter will use that
same line. I challenge anyone to show me in the King James
Bible where it says that Jesus drank alcoholic wine. Run every
reference to “wine” in the New Testament and see if you can find
one single reference. In fact, the only reference to Jesus having
anything to do with alcoholic wine is in Mark 15:23 – and He
REFUSED it. (Mark 15:23) "And they gave him to drink wine
mingled with myrrh: but he received it not."
“But,” they say, “Jesus turned water to wine at the wedding in
Cana! See, God is for me drinking socially at weddings and
such!” Jesus did turn water into wine. And you can drink all of
that kind of wine that you want. You won’t though, because you
won’t get a “buzz” off of grape juice!
In the Bible, the word “wine” is used for both grape juice and
alcohol. While in Israel, this author drank some Biblical “wine” –
100% unfermented grape juice. The context of the Bible passage
will indicate which wine is referenced. Alcoholic wine is
fermented, changing and corrupting its nature. “Strong drink” is
an even stronger form of alcohol. We still have such variations
today, usually referred to as “hard liquor.”
Grape juice does not affect the mind or morals of a man, but
fermented wine or strong drink will do both. You can drink all the
grape juice that you want. It might give you a stomachache but it
will not make you drunk.
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GALATIANS
Jesus turned the water into natural grape juice. He did not
ferment it, corrupt it, and turn it into alcohol. His miracle did not
produce a perverted, unscriptural beverage.
3. Doesn’t the Lord’s Supper include wine?
“But,” they continue, “what about the Lord’s Supper! He
used wine there!” However, the word “wine” is NEVER used in
connection with the Lord’s Supper in any reference in the KJV. It
is called “the fruit of the vine” and refers to pure, freshly
squeezed grape juice. This juice represented the sinless blood of
Christ. To use corrupted, fermented, polluted alcoholic wine is
blasphemous. Jesus’ blood was not corrupted like our blood is
corrupted by our sinful natures. His blood was sinless blood.
The Lord’s Supper is to consist of unleavened bread and
unleavened juice – picturing the sinless body and blood of our
perfect Saviour. Anything else is an abomination.
4. What about 1 Timothy 5:23?
“But,” the drunkard continues, “the Bible says to "Drink no
longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and
thine often infirmities" (1 Tim 5:23). Yes, use a little wine – not
beer, vodka, cocktails, bloody Marys, rum, whiskey, or
champaign. It is amazing how drunkards will take a simple
statement such as this and apply it to the whole range of alcoholic
beverages!
Again, there is no reason to believe that “wine” used here
refers to fermented, alcoholic wine. In fact, if Timothy had used
such wine he would have violated the Word of God, as we shall
see. The “little wine” that Timothy used for his stomach and
health problems was grape juice.
III. DRINKING, NOT JUST DRUNKENNESS, IS SINFUL AND

CONDEMNED BY GOD’S WORD.
1. The Law of First Mention condemns the drinking of liquor.
This rule of Bible study states that the first mention of any
subject will set the theme for that subject throughout the Word of
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God. The first mention of alcohol is in Genesis 9, at some point

soon after the Flood.
(Gen 9:20-24) "And Noah began to be an husbandman,
and he planted a vineyard: {21} And he drank of the
wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his
tent. {22} And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the
nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
{23} And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it
upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and
covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were
backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. {24}
And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his
younger son had done unto him."
According to the Law of First Mention, we find the following
associated with the drinking of alcohol:
1) Nakedness. When Noah started drinking, the first
thing he did was start taking his clothes off.
2) Sexual sin. Ham saw the nakedness of his father and
did something to him while he was unconscious.
Many scholars believe that Ham sexually assaulted
his own father while he was drunk. Noah’s
drunkenness provided the opportunity for this
perversion.
3) Humiliation and shame. Shem and Japheth were
shamed by their father. No doubt, Noah was
humiliated when he came to his senses and saw what
the wine had done to him.
4) A family division. Noah cursed Canaan because of
what had happened, leading me to believe that
Canaan was involved in some way with the sexual
assault (Gen. 9:25). This is the FIRST time that one
man cursed another. No doubt, Canaan left the family
soon after.
The Law of First Mention discourages the drinking of wine
that leads to drunkenness which in turn leads to nakedness, sexual
sin, humiliation, and family division.
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GALATIANS
2. Several other references to liquor in the Old Testament promote

this theme as well. Consider a few:
Lot’s worldly daughters got their father drunk so that they
could commit incest with him. No doubt, he would never have
done this if he had been sober.
(Gen 19:31-36) "And the firstborn said unto the younger,
Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to
come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: {32}
Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie
with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. {33}
And they made their father drink wine that night: and the
firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he
perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
{34} And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn
said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my
father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go
thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our
father. {35} And they made their father drink wine that
night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and
he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
{36} Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by
their father."
Hannah told Eli that drunkenness was a mark of a woman of
Belial. (1 Sam 1:13-16) "Now Hannah, she spake in her heart;
only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli
thought she had been drunken. {14} And Eli said unto her, How
long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. {15} And
Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a
sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but
have poured out my soul before the LORD. {16} Count not thine
handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of
my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto."
King Ahasuerus divorced his wife when he was drunk (Esther
1). He would never have done this if he had been sober.
3. Consider what else the Word of God has to say about alcoholic
beverages:
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¾ (Prov 20:1) "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and

whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
¾ (Prov 23:29-35) "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who
hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds
without cause? who hath redness of eyes? {30} They that
tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. {31}
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth
his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. {32} At
the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
{33} Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart
shall utter perverse things. {34} Yea, thou shalt be as he that
lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the
top of a mast. {35} They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and
I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when
shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."
Fermentation is referred to in verse 31 – “when it is
red...when it moveth itself aright.” The results of drunkenness
are clear: woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, and wounds
without cause. It strikes like a poisonous snake. It leads to
adultery and fornication – “strange women.” It leads to
perversion – “thine heart shall utter perverse things.” It leads
to addiction – “I will seek it yet again.”
¾ (Eph 5:18) "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;"
God tells us not to be drunk or intoxicated with wine.
Why? Because there is “excess” in the wine. The word
“excess” is also translated “riot” in the King James Bible. The
excess (riot) is in the wine, not just in the drunkenness. It is
part of the nature of the wine. Drunkenness is only the result
of the excess already present in the alcohol.
To illustrate, allow me to change the verse slightly. “Be
not drunk with arsenic, wherein is poison.” Where is the
poison – in the drunkenness or the arsenic? Poison is the
nature of arsenic, and I do not have to drink very much before
the arsenic will kill me.
Even so, the excess (riot) is in the wine, not the
drunkenness. It is the nature of the wine.
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GALATIANS
4. Alcohol is guilty by association in the Word of God:

It is connected with nudity and sexual perversion.
¾ (Gen 9:20-22) "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and
he planted a vineyard: {21} And he drank of the wine, and
was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. {22} And
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father,
and told his two brethren without."
¾ (Hab 2:15-16) "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour
drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken
also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! {16} Thou art
filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy
foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand
shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on
thy glory."
It is connected with dishonesty, rioting, whoremongering, strife,
and envy - (Rom 13:13) "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in
strife and envying."
It is connected with fornication, covetousness, idolatry, railing,
and extortion. We are not to have close fellowship with believers who
drink alcohol. (1 Cor 5:11) "But now I have written unto you not to
keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat."
It is connected with unrighteousness, including adultery,
homosexuality, and thievery - (1 Cor 6:9-11) "Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, {10} Nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God. {11} And such were some of you: but ye are washed,
but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
It is obvious that liquor is in very bad company, as are those
that indulge in it.
5. We are told clearly:
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¾ Not to look upon wine when it is fermented. (Prov 23:31)

"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth
his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."
¾ Not to touch the unclean thing. (2 Cor 6:17) "Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you,"
¾ Not to be in the company of drunkards. (Prov 23:20) "Be not
among winebibbers..."
¾ Not to be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but to be filled
with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
¾ Not to fellowship with believers who are drinkers (1 Cor.
5:11).
¾ Not to give or serve alcohol to others. (Hab 2:15) "Woe unto
him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to
him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on
their nakedness!"
If I obey the Bible, it is going to be hard to be a “social drinker” –
when I cannot look at it, touch it, or be with those who are drinking it.
I cannot drink it, which would make me “drunk,” and I cannot hang
around Christians that drink it, so it is hard to do it “socially.” But, the
Christian who drinks liquor probably is not too concerned with what
the Bible says anyway.
W<X
The bottom line: Christians have absolutely no business drinking
any kind of alcohol in any amount under any circumstances.
Christians should not buy it or sell it to others. Christian business
people are wrong if they sell liquor in their stores or restaurants.
Christians have no business in bars. Christians have no business
allowing any liquor inside their homes. It is absolutely forbidden to
the honest, sincere, Bible-believing Christian.
Unfortunately, not all preachers have the courage or conviction to
stand against the liquor crowd. In fact, it is a mark of our lukewarm,
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compromising, worldly, fleshly “Christianity” of today that we have

so-called Christians and preachers who advocate “social drinking”
and the use of alcohol. They stand on the side of the liquor crowd.
¾ (Isa 28:7-8) "But they also have erred through wine, and
through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the
prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed
up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they
err in vision, they stumble in judgment. {8} For all tables are
full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean."
¾ (Micah 2:11) "If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood
do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of
strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people."
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Chapter Nineteen
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
(Gal 5:22-26) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, {23} Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law. {24} And they that are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. {25} If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. {26} Let us not be
desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."
We have been discussing the two possible ways of life for the
child of God.
1. You can live a flesh-filled life.
2. You can live a Spirit-filled life.
Those are really the only two options. If you walk in the Spirit,
you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. If you do not walk in the Spirit,
the flesh will be in control in various degrees in your life.
The flesh produces works. Seventeen are mentioned in verses 19-
21, and many others come under the heading of “and such like.”
These works do not please God. In fact, verse 21 tells us plainly that
those who do such things and do not repent will not inherit the
kingdom of God. Thank God, we can be saved from the penalty of
those sins. (1 Cor 6:9-11) "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, {10} Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God. {11} And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God."
Galatians 5:21 refers to those who continue in their sins without
repentance. Paul warned Titus about the people of Crete, who were
notorious for their hypocritical lifestyles and false professions. (Titus
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1:16) "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work
reprobate." God is not fooled by man. He knows who is sincerely
repentant about their sins, and who is not.
After spending several chapters discussing the works of the flesh,
it is going to be a breath of fresh air to now discuss the fruit of the
Spirit. What a contrast there is between these two products! The
whole world is hurting today because of the works of the flesh. It has
been hurting ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God. It was not
long before hatred and murder entered their family through Cain, who
killed his own brother. It has been downhill ever since.
Think about how much better the world would be if men were
born again and filled with the fruit of the Spirit of God! But let us put
it a little closer to home. How much better would our marriages and
homes be if they were orchards of the fruit of the Spirit instead of
factories for the works of the flesh?
The fruit of the Spirit is acceptable in any culture. Paul said that
“against such there is no law.” No society passes laws against “love,
joy, peace,” etc. Can you imagine a city ordinance against meekness?
Can you imagine getting a ticket for gentleness? Of course not. Most
civilized societies have laws against the works of the flesh, but no one
passes laws against the fruit of the Spirit.
Consider four truths concerning the Fruit of the Spirit:
I. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS SUPERNATURAL.

It is the fruit of the Spirit. He produces this fruit. You cannot
produce it on your own. Yes, you can love as an unsaved person. You
can be at peace. You can feel joy. You can be gentle, longsuffering,
etc. But you cannot have these things on the level that the Holy Ghost
can produce in your life. You cannot achieve this supernatural fruit on
your own.
A lot of Christians get frustrated because they are trying to
produce this fruit without the fullness of the Holy Spirit. They are
trying to do the impossible. This fruit will only be produced as the
flesh is crucified and the Holy Ghost is allowed to be in control – and
for more than a few hours at a time. He must be in charge season by
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season if you would enjoy the continual harvest of His fruit in your
life.
II. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS NINE-FOLD.

The Bible does not say “the fruits of the Spirit.” It says “the
fruit,” singular, of the Spirit. This is one product with nine different
aspects. That tells me that these characteristics are connected
together. They cannot be separated from each other. How can you
have longsuffering without faith? How can you have gentleness
without love? How can you have meekness without temperance? How
can you have peace without joy, or joy without peace? Have you ever
been so miserably distraught that you became filled with joy? Of
course not. Peace and joy go together.
These aspects are all connected. You cannot separate them. They
are the product of the consistent Spirit-filled life. With the fruit of the
Spirit, it truly is “all or nothing.”
What are these nine characteristics?
1. Love.
“God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8, 16). It is no surprise that the
first aspect of His fullness in our lives would be love. All of
God’s commandments are based on love. We are to love God
with all our hearts. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
God the Holy Spirit wants to help you to love God and
love others as you should. He wants to shed God’s love
abroad through your heart. (Rom 5:5) "And hope maketh not
ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." If our lives
are not marked by love, the failure must be in our hearts,
because we know that it is not God’s failure to love. We
know the Holy Spirit does not fail. That leaves us.
The fact is that you cannot love others with the love that
they deserve unless you are filled with the Spirit. The flesh
can only produce an inferior version of love. Spirit-filled
husbands and wives are going to love each other as they
should. The same can be said in all of our relationships.
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Sadly, our churches and homes show more of the works

of the flesh than the love of God. We fail the test concerning
the fruit of the Spirit on the very first aspect! Christianity is
empty and fake if it is not marked by LOVE (Jn. 13:35).
2. Joy.
Joy is not mere happiness. Happiness is determined by
what has happened. Joy is based on my relationship with
God. Happiness comes and goes. Joy should remain no matter
what our circumstances. No one can take our joy - (John
16:22) "…your joy no man taketh from you." Jesus said that
His joy should remain in us, not pass away, and that this joy
should be full. (John 15:11) "These things have I spoken
unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy
might be full."
3. Peace.
Peace is the by-product of faith. It is the calm confidence
that God is in control, no matter what the circumstances
might be. The opposite of peace is distress. God does not
want us to be filled with anxiety, fear, cares, distresses,
worries, or apprehension:
¾ (John 14:1) "Let not your heart be troubled: ye
believe in God, believe also in me."
¾ (John 14:27) "Peace I leave with you, my peace I
give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid."
¾ (Phil 4:6-7) "Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God. {7} And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus."
4. Longsuffering.
This is patience. It is the ability to bear or suffer long
with people. And with some people, it is close to suffering.
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Longsuffering is the opposite of a quick temper or

impatience. In the Bible, God’s longsuffering is usually
connected with His grace, mercy, compassion, and
willingness to forgive (see Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:14; Rom. 2:4).
Longsuffering people will evidence the same Godly
characteristics towards others.
Longsuffering is defined for us in (Eph 4:1-3) "I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk
worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, {2} With all
lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love; {3} Endeavouring to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace."
It is “forbearing one another in love.” It is striving for
peace and unity. It is self-denial.
5. Gentleness.
Gentleness is the opposite of rudeness or abrasiveness.
Gentleness is kindness, consideration, and tenderness. This is
the mark of God’s servants. (2 Tim 2:24) "And the servant of
the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to
teach, patient…" This quality is missing in much of our
“fighting fundamentalism,” especially among those that
believe that the only way to stand for God is to be rude,
crude, and in a bad mood.
6. Goodness.
Goodness in the Bible refers to benevolence towards
others – doing good for the sake of others. God’s goodness
does not always refer to His perfection or His sinlessness, but
to His benevolence towards people. (Psa 145:9) "The LORD
is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works."
Goodness is benevolence. It is helping others and doing good
for others. If God is good to all, it seems that we should
endeavor to be so as well.
7. Faith.
Faith is trusting God. It is taking God at His Word and
acting accordingly. The Holy Ghost does not fill us with
doubt. The Holy Spirit does not cause us to doubt His Word.
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He wants us to live by faith in His Word. He increases our

faith in God and His Word. Part of the fruit of the Spirit will
be an increase in faith and a corresponding increase in
faithfulness to the Lord.
8. Meekness.
Meekness is humility towards others. It is the opposite of
a haughty spirit. Jesus was not weak, but He was meek and
lowly in heart. (Mat 11:29) "Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls."
The Lord Jesus was superior to everyone that He was
around, but He did not act superior to anyone. Rather, He
humbled Himself: (Phil 2:5-8) "Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Therefore, it is quite obscene that one sinner should exalt
himself over another sinner. You are not better than anyone
else is. The same price was paid for your sins as for someone
else’s. Jesus Christ died on the cross for the drunkard on skid
row and He died on the same cross for you and me. That
makes our value the same.
When meekness is not present, we will become filled
with vainglory, selfishness, and envy. (Gal 5:26) "Let us not
be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one
another."
9. Temperance.
Temperance is self-control. It stands in stark contrast to
such works of the flesh as lasciviousness, wrath, strife,
murders, drunkenness, or revellings. Those are the marks of
an animalistic mindset. God wants us to control ourselves. Be
responsible for yourself and your own actions. Discipline
yourself to do what is right.
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III. THE PURPOSE OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS TO

MAKE US LIKE CHRIST.
The nine-fold fruit of the Spirit is a wonderful picture of the
character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Study the Gospels. Was Jesus
loving? Was Jesus at peace? Was the Lord filled with joy? Was He
longsuffering? Was He gentle? Was He good, benevolent towards
others? Did He walk by faith in obedience to His Father? Was He
meek? Temperate?
Of course! He was all of these things, perfectly fulfilled for 33
years without a failing. You will not find one work of the flesh in the
life of the Lord Jesus, but you will find a constant example of the fruit
of the Spirit. And, by the way, the Holy Spirit that wants to fill you is
the same Holy Spirit that filled Jesus during His earthly ministry.
(Luke 4:14) "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into
Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region
round about."
The Holy Spirit wants to transform us into the likeness of Christ.
(2 Cor 3:17-18) "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is liberty. {18} But we all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
IV. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT WILL BE PRODUCED IN

THE CULTIVATED LIFE OF A BELIEVER.
The Bible compares our hearts to different kinds of soil. Consider
the different types of “heart soil” that we find in the parable of the
sower:
(Luke 8:11-15) "Now the parable is this: The seed is the
word of God. {12} Those by the way side are they that
hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out
of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. {13}
They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive
the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a
while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. {14}
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when
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they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and
riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to
perfection. {15} But that on the good ground are they,
which in an honest and good heart, having heard the
word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
1. Way side ground – the seed is snatched away. These people
are lost. They never receive the gospel.
2. Rocky ground – the seed does not have enough ground to
take root, and only grows for a little while. These people are
saved – they received the word – but they lack the character
to handle the times of temptation. These folks may get
involved for a little while, but they do not last. They
backslide quickly.
3. Thorny ground – the seed is choked out by the things of this
world. These people are saved but their spiritual lives are
choked out by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life.
They did not bring forth any fruit to maturity.
4. Good ground – the seed falls into a good and honest heart.
These people are saved, and their hearts are cleared of the
rocks and thorns of this world so that God can bring forth His
fruit in their lives.
The Holy Spirit produces the fruit. But it is up to you to get the
garden of your heart in good shape so that He can produce His fruit.
A lot of saved people have allowed their hearts to be filled with rocks,
weeds and thorns. It is no great wonder that their lives are marked by
the works of the flesh, instead of the fruit of the Spirit. Cultivate a
heart that is “good ground” for God.
How can I keep my heart cultivated so that the fruit of the Spirit
can be constantly produced? Two things are necessary:
1. Walk in the Spirit.
(Gal 5:25) "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit." This is a daily choice. A daily action. A daily yielding
of self. It requires a decision to obey God, and not the flesh.
And this decision must be made constantly. When the Holy
Ghost points out things in your life that hinder His control,
yield quickly and remove those rocks or thorns.
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2. Crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts.

(Gal 5:24) "And they that are Christ's have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lusts." The flesh must not be
coddled or treated. It is to be crucified.
Two aspects of the flesh are mentioned here:
¾ The affections of the flesh. This refers to what the
flesh likes.
¾ The lusts of the flesh. This refers to what the flesh
wants.
There may be some things that you like that God does not
like, and you are going to have to make a choice. There may
be some things that you want that God has denied, and you
are going to have to make a choice. You are either going to
crucify those likes and wants or you are not going to have the
fruit of the Spirit in your life.
W<X
Examine your life. Is your life marked by the hurtful works of the
flesh, or the helpful fruit of the Spirit? The Holy Ghost wants to be in
control, and He wants to make you more like Jesus. The decision is
up to you.
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Chapter Twenty
THE MINISTRY OF RESTORATION
(Gal 6:1) "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are

spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
In Galatians 5:13, we are told to “by love serve one another.”

God does not save people and then isolate them from each other.
Rather, God saves us and puts us into His local church and commands
us to love each other and serve each other. The local church is a
family and a community, and we each have a responsibility towards
each other. Cain, the rebel, tried to abdicate his responsibility towards
his brother. (Gen 4:9) "And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel
thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
The fact is that we each have Biblical responsibilities towards
each other. In a very real sense, we are responsible for each other’s
well being. Now, I am not totally responsible for you, because you are
a free moral agent and you are ultimately responsible for yourself.
But I am responsible for my end of God’s commandments concerning
other believers.
Galatians 6:1 connects with 5:13. Part of my service towards
other believers is the ministry of restoration. Unfortunately, getting
saved did not exempt me from sin’s presence in my life. I am still a
sinner and so are you. Everyone in this church is a sinner. We all still
possess the potential for every work of the flesh mentioned in chapter
5. We can fall from our steadfastness. We can backslide. We can fall
into error and doctrinal heresy. We can become lukewarm towards the
things of God. We can be overtaken in a fault. As members of the
local church, we need to know what to do with a brother that is
overtaken with a fault.
Consider some truths concerning the restoration of a fallen
brother or sister in Christ:
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I. THIS COMMAND CONCERNS A BELIEVER THAT HAS

BEEN OVERTAKEN IN A FAULT.
(Gal 6:1) "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which
are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
It is important that we understand what the Scripture means when
it says “overtaken in a fault.” All of us have faults. We all have flaws
in our character that need work. It does not take a Sherlock Holmes to
“find fault” in another believer.
Galatians 6:1 is not a license to judge each other’s faults and look
for what is wrong in Bro. So-and-so or Sister So-and so. Galatians 6:1
is not a license to be critical of others and then go around trying to fix
what is wrong with everyone else. God has not called us to police
each other. He does not give us a ticket book or the authority to give
each other demerits.
Churches are not helped by conceited, self-appointed people that
spend their time picking apart other believers, looking for flaws and
passing judgment. Such Pharisees usually strain at everyone else’s
gnats while swallowing their own camels – humps, hides, and hooves
(Mt. 23:24). Jesus told such people to take the beams out of their own
eyes before they started working on the motes in the eyes of others
(Mt. 7:5).
Most of the time, we need to be concerned with working on our
own faults and fixing our own character flaws. Please do not take this
chapter or this verse and say to yourself, “That’s right. Ol’ Bro. So-
and-so really has some serious flaws. I am going to set him straight.”
As we shall see, such an attitude probably exempts you from
obedience to this command.
“If a man be overtaken in a fault.” Everyone has faults, but not
everyone has been overtaken in a fault to the point that they need to
be restored. Overtaken means “taken by surprise.” It means caught
unawares or caught in the act. The word is used in comparison to a
thief in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 - "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness,
that that day should overtake you as a thief." Here is a believer caught
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by surprise in a serious fault, in what appears to be sinful or erroneous

behavior, or caught in some heresy.
“Overtaken in a fault” implies that this man has been involved in
the fault for some time, and it has finally caught up with him. Here is
a Christian that has been involved in something that he should not
have been involved in. You can fill in the blank. For some time, it has
been hidden. He has not been caught. He is unrepentant, but he has
not yet been overtaken in his fault. Then, finally, his sin finds him
out.
David was finally overtaken. Nine months after his adultery and
the resulting murder of Uriah, Nathan said, (2 Sam 12:7,12) "And
Nathan said to David, Thou art the man...For thou didst it secretly:
but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." It took a
long time for David to be restored – and, in fact, he wore the scars for
the rest of his life.
This verse deals with a Christian involved in shameful behavior
that is “overtaken,” caught by surprise. I have seen it happen many
times. Every pastor has, and anyone that has been in church for more
than a few years has. Don’t mess with sin, folks. You will not get
away with it. Get right with God about it and get back on track.
Sooner or later, your sin will find you out! It is better to get it right
before it overtakes you!
Galatians 6:1 tells us what to do with such believers that have
been overtaken in their faults. We do not throw them away. We do
not seek to destroy what is left of their lives. Someone has said that
the Christian army is the only one in the world that kills its own
wounded. God says that we are to seek to restore them after they have
been overtaken in their fault.
II. THIS COMMAND IDENTIFIES WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN

THE MINISTRY OF RESTORATION.
“Brethren...ye which are spiritual, restore such an one.” That
exempts the carnal Christian. Carnal Christians are not suitable for the
ministry of restoration, because they tend to fall into one of two
extremes:
1. They execute the sinner out of a misguided hatred for the sin.
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2. They excuse the sin out of a misguided love for the sinner.
Pharisaical Christians want to take the fallen brother and brand
him for life. They do not want to forgive and they will never forget.
They will treat the fallen person like a second-class heathen for the
rest of his life, and they will make sure they everyone in the future
learns of the misdeed through their long-tongued gossip. They will
say very pompously that they just hate the sin, when in fact they are
simply carnal, divisive, and puffed up with pride. They are not like
their Saviour, who told a repentant adulteress, "…Neither do I
condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:11).
On the other hand, carnal Christians may attempt to excuse the
sin because they have an unbalanced, misguided love for the guilty
party. These bleeding-heart Christians want to take the fallen brother
and excuse the sin without dealing with it. This point is illustrated
every time a teenager gets pregnant out of wedlock. When the guilty
teenagers are found out, overtaken in their fault, they are soon
surrounded by a gauntlet of relatives excusing their behavior and
daring anyone to judge the sin. Instead of bringing the faulty
Christian to repentance so that they can be restored, the sin is
whitewashed and swept under the rug. Sometimes, the parents will lie
about the situation to cover up the sin. Often, they will get angry with
the pastor, when he did not commit the sin. This misguided love does
more harm than good, because the person at fault is not brought to
repentance.
The Corinthian Church is a great example of carnal Christians
that did not restore a fallen brother. (1 Cor 5:1-5) "It is reported
commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication
as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have
his father's wife. {2} And ye are puffed up, and have not rather
mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from
among you. {3} For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit,
have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that
hath so done this deed, {4} In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our
Lord Jesus Christ, {5} To deliver such an one unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus."
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This young man was living in sexual sin, without repentance,

though he had been found out. It was commonly reported that this
behavior was taking place. The church’s testimony was being badly
damaged in their community. Instead of dealing with the young man
and seeking to bring him to repentance so that he could be restored,
they became puffed up about it. They excused him instead of dealing
with him.
Paul said that since he was not repentant about this sin, the church
needed to put him away. They needed to deal with him. (1 Cor 5:9-
13) "I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
{10} Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the
covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go
out of the world. {11} But now I have written unto you not to keep
company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat. {12} For what have I to do to judge
them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
{13} But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away
from among yourselves that wicked person."
To their credit, they actually did what Paul told them to do. The
young man was to be given a choice: get right, or get out. If he
remained unrepentant, he would be excluded from the church.
They dealt with this young man. In 2 Corinthians, Paul
commended them for this. Apparently, this man had repented, and
Paul told them to forgive him and restore him.
Repentance must precede restoration. (2 Cor 2:6-8) "Sufficient
to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. {7} So
that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest
perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
{8} Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward
him."
God’s command is for spiritual Christians to seek to restore such
an one. A spiritual Christian is one that is walking in the Spirit, and
whose life bears the fruit of the Spirit. Love, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, meekness, and temperance are requirements for
those that would seek to restore the fallen.
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At the same time, a spiritual Christian is going to stand for the

truth of God’s Word. A spiritual Christian is going to understand the
mind of God concerning sin and restoration. The spiritual Christian is
going to be like God in that he hates the sin while loving the sinner. A
spiritual Christian is not going to violate the truths of God’s Word in
his attempt to restore a fallen believer. He is going to “go by the
Book.”
III. THIS COMMAND HAS A SPECIFIC GOAL.

“Restore such an one.” “Restore” means “to bring back; to
repair; to rebuild; to revive.” Bring them back, repair what is broken,
build them up again, and revive them again. Try to get them back to
where they used to be before they were overtaken in the fault, or as
close as possible.
David was overtaken in a serious fault. The whole “matter of
Uriah” was the lowest point in his life. But at least he got right about
it. He repented. He did what he could to get right about his sin. He
never committed those sins again. He was restored. He would never
be the same, but at least he did not continue on the path that he had
slipped into. The sword never departed from his house as punishment
for his crimes, but at least he was able to restore fellowship with God
again. It cost him, but I believe that David died right with God.
If a Christian falls, we want to restore that person. The first
requirement is genuine repentance on the part of the sinner. God
wants genuine contrition and a broken heart over sin. There is no
doubt that David was brought to true repentance after Nathan’s
rebuke. Psalm 51 records his cries for mercy:
¾ (Psa 51:1-4) "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy
lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions. {2} Wash me thoroughly
from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I
acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before
me. {4} Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this
evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou
speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."
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¾ (Psa 51:16-17) "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I

give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. {17} The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite
heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
If a person is not repentant, they cannot be restored. If they are
repentant, it is up to the church to forgive, forget, and help that
believer to overcome their sin and get back on track for God.
IV. THIS COMMAND TELLS THE SPIRITUAL CHRISTIAN

TO COME TO THE FALLEN CHRISTIAN WITH A “SPIRIT
OF MEEKNESS.”
(Gal 6:1) "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which
are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." The spiritual Christian
trying to help a fallen Christian must have a proper spirit of
meekness, with an honest humility concerning his own weaknesses
and failings.
I have rarely ever seen a spirit of meekness in those trying to
“restore” another Christian. I have seen the spirit of superiority and
anger, and the spirit of pride, and the spirit of arrogance, but rarely
the spirit of meekness. I have seen Christians go to those that had
offended them in anger, just to vent their steam, call names, and walk
away without reconciliation. They may have thought that they were
obeying the Word of God, but they were not, because they lacked the
spirit of meekness the Word of God commanded them to have.
We need to remember our own errors, faults, and presumptuous
sins. Doing so will help us to maintain the humility we need so that
we can help those that are fallen. (Psa 19:12-14) "Who can
understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. {13} Keep
back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have
dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent
from the great transgression. {14} Let the words of my mouth, and the
meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my
strength, and my redeemer."
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(James 5:19-20) "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth,

and one convert him; {20} Let him know, that he which converteth the
sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and
shall hide a multitude of sins."
I hope that none of you is ever overtaken in some fault that would
require restoration for your life, but if you are, I hope this church will
have the spirit of meekness and the willingness to restore your life.
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Chapter Twenty-one
BURDENS TO BEAR & SHARE
(Gal 6:2-5) "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ. {3} For if a man think himself to be something, when he is
nothing, he deceiveth himself. {4} But let every man prove his own
work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in
another. {5} For every man shall bear his own burden."
Some have fancied that there is a contradiction between verses

two and five. Verse 2 says to bear each other’s burdens, while verse
five says to bear my own burden. However, there are no
contradictions in the King James Bible. Our understanding may be
faulty, but the Bible is not.
Verses two and five are not contradictory. They are
complimentary. These are two separate sets of burdens:
¾ Verse 5 – Burdens to bear. These are personal
responsibilities.
¾ Verse 2 – Burdens to share. These are personal infirmities.
Verses three and four describe two opposite mindsets in relation
to those two burdens:
¾ Verse three corrects the self-centered, me-first mentality that
keeps many from having a true servant’s heart. (Gal 6:3)
"For if a man think himself to be something, when he is
nothing, he deceiveth himself."
Here is a man or woman that thinks too much about
themselves and too highly of themselves. This Christian
thinks in their heart of hearts, “I am really something.” They
would not say it aloud. They just feel it in their hearts. This
puffed up mindset keeps Christians from obeying verse two.
This person is too selfish to help others with their burdens.
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GALATIANS
The problem is that verse 3 says that this kind of a

Christian is really “nothing.” He has been deceived by the
pride of life. There is nothing more sneaky or deceptive about
us than the pride of life that is in each of us.
The cure for this attitude is to stop thinking about
yourself altogether. Think highly of others and little of
yourself. (Phil 2:3-4) "Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. {4} Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others."
Paul said that he was “less than the least of all.” (Eph
3:8) "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is
this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ…" Most of us would have put
ourselves somewhere in the middle – not the best, but
certainly not the least.
¾ Verse four corrects the irresponsible, welfare mentality that
keeps many from taking care of their personal
responsibilities. (Gal 6:4) "But let every man prove his own
work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and
not in another."
This verse corrects the person that wants others to do
everything for him. They want you to bear all of their
burdens. This is the basic idea behind many that expect the
government to take care of their needs. They do not want to
bear their burdens. They want others to bear their
responsibilities.
Verse four says to do your own work so that you can
prove it and be proud of what you have done. There is
nothing wrong with the kind of pride that comes from a job
well done. God was well pleased with what He had made in
the Creation, and there is no sin in finishing a job and being
proud of what you have done.
Do your own work. Do not expect others to do it for you.
And then you can rejoice in what you have accomplished.
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In verse 3, you have the self-centered Christian that is so busy

being something that he does not have time to think about others. In
verse 4, you have the lazy Christian that is so dependent on others
that he cannot bear his own burden or take care of his own
responsibilities. Verses 2 and 5 tell us how to be good burden-bearers.
Let us look at the two different burdens that we are commanded to
bear.
I. BURDENS TO BEAR.
(Gal 6:5) "For every man shall bear his own burden." This is a
burden that I must shoulder by myself. It is my responsibility. Each of
us has responsibilities that are ours alone. That is a big part of adult
life.
People today are very irresponsible. They do not want
responsibility. They want to play all the time. They work so that they
can play. They do not take their marriages, children, finances, or God
seriously.
People do not want to be responsible for providing for their
families. They want the government to subsidize them. Men do not
want to provide for the children they produce. People do not want the
responsibility of marriage. They would rather shack up. Our society is
sliding because adults do not take their responsibilities seriously.
They refuse to bear their own burdens.
We all have burdens of personal responsibility to bear, and we
need to bear our own burdens. I cannot run away from my burden. I
cannot throw my burden down and quit. I cannot hand my burden
over to others. If I am going to be a man, I have to be man enough to
face my responsibilities and do whatever it takes to bear my burdens
of personal responsibility.
My Basic Responsibilities include:
1. My responsibilities to God.
I have responsibilities as a child of God that are mine to
bear. I am thankful that His commandments are not grievous.
I am thankful that His yoke is easy and His burden is light,
but that does not mean that I do not have a burden to bear for
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the Lord. His will is my responsibility. Christianity is cross-

bearing, not cross-wearing. I need to shoulder that burden
and do what God wants me to do. Our churches are crippled
by people that are not mature enough or responsible enough
to serve the Lord faithfully. They do not take their
responsibilities to God seriously.
2. My responsibilities to my family.
I have responsibilities as a husband that are mine to bear.
My wife is my responsibility and no one else’s. Her parents
are no longer responsible for her welfare. I am. If a man takes
a wife, he had better understand his responsibility. It is not
her responsibility to provide for him. The Bible does not
command her to work by the sweat of her brow. I understand
that emergencies come and sometimes things have to be
done, but every husband needs to “man up” and shoulder his
responsibility as the husband.
The husband is to be the head of his wife. That is also a
tremendous responsibility. That means he needs to be the
leader of the home. Some men are too wimpy and gutless to
be the head. The wife bullies him or manipulates him until he
is a henpecked wonder. Or, he just steps back and lets her do
everything, and she has no choice. The man ought to be the
decision-maker and the leader of his home. He ought even to
correct his wife if need be. Job corrected his wife when she
was wrong.
The husband is to be the provider, the breadwinner. The
husband is responsible for the financial well being of the
home. The husband is to be the protector of his wife. Being a
husband is a tremendous responsibility, and every husband
must bear his burden. He will answer to God for this
responsibility.
The wife also has responsibilities to her husband. She is
to be his “help meet for him.” (1 Cor 11:9) "Neither was the
man created for the woman; but the woman for the man." The
wife is responsible for submission to her husband’s
leadership. A rebellious or manipulative wife is not a good
wife or a good Christian.
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It is amazing how unbiblical our Christian homes are!

They are totally out of order. Bear your burdens. Take care of
your responsibilities. Work on being the best husband or wife
that you can possibly be, no matter how your spouse
responds.
Get things in their proper places. Take care of your
responsibilities. It is no wonder that our churches and our
society are a mess when our CHRISTIAN homes are not
really Christian. They are heathen homes in disguise.
I also have responsibility towards my children. My
children do not belong to the State. It does not take a village
to raise my children. I do not want any “Village People” near
my children. It takes parents to rear children.
Irresponsible parents want others to rear their children for
them. As soon as they can, they ship them off the daycare and
then into the public schools to raise. They want the
government to feed them, clothe them, nurture them, entertain
them, and teach them. I will thank the government to keep
their nose out of the front door of my house. My kids are my
responsibility and I will shoulder the burden of providing for
them and training them up in the way they should go.
I have a responsibility towards my parents. I am to honor
them (Ex. 20:12) and requite them in their old age (1 Tim.
5:4). “Requite” means to “pay back.” Do not abandon your
parents in their old age because it would inconvenience your
life to care for them. You were pretty inconvenient
sometimes, and they took care of you. Pay them back.
3. My responsibilities to my church. I have a responsibility
towards my church. I should support it and serve in it. I
should support it with my tithes and offerings. Men especially
have a responsibility towards their church. God has called us
to leadership in His church. The men ought to stand up and be
counted. They should not bail out or abdicate their
responsibilities to others.
4. My responsibilities to my country. I am to love my country
and submit to the higher powers, as long as they do not
violate the law of God. I am to pay my taxes. I am to honor
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GALATIANS
the laws of the land. If called upon to do so, I should be

willing to fight and die for my country. I am to pray for the
leaders of my government. Since I have the right to vote, I
need to vote. It is an irresponsible Christian that allows
himself to be “too busy” to cast his vote for his own
government.
5. My responsibility towards my society, to make it better
and not worse. I have no right to be a dead weight on
society. As citizens of a free nation, the greatest nation on
earth, we have civic responsibilities to take care of. Getting a
divorce or fathering illegitimate children or living off welfare
or engaging in illegal activities are harmful to the fabric of
our society. Let each of us – especially Christians, the salt of
the earth – take care of our responsibilities towards our
society.
6. My responsibility to my neighbors and those around me. I
have no right to be inconsiderate of them. I am to love my
neighbor as myself. I do not have the right to risk other’s
lives by driving drunk or driving dangerously. I have no right
to endanger others by my actions. I do not have the right to
steal from my neighbor, or deface his property. I have no
right to cause my neighbor any harm – physically or
financially. This is the basis for much of our law, and for
much of the law of God.
7. My responsibility towards my employer.
If I agree to work for a certain amount of pay, I have a
responsibility to do the work that is expected. If I am paid for
eight hours’ worth of work, I should do eight hours’ worth of
work. See Ephesians 6:5-9 for the will of God concerning
employers and employees.
These are burdens that I must bear. They are my personal
responsibilities. I must not shirk these responsibilities. (Gal 6:5) "For
every man shall bear his own burden."
II. BURDENS TO SHARE.
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(Gal 6:2) "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ." This verse takes us back to the last chapter - (Gal 5:13-14)
"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty
for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. {14} For
all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself." Bearing one another’s burdens is a ministry of
love towards each other.
This kind of burden would include hardships, heartaches,
difficulties, or anything else that requires a helping hand. I cannot
take your responsibilities, but I can help you to get through a tough
stretch. I can encourage you or try to be a blessing. I cannot take over
your family finances, but maybe I can buy you some groceries and
help you to get through a tough time. This is real Christian love and
compassion: (1 John 3:16-18) "Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. {17} But whoso hath this world's good, and
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? {18} My little
children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
truth."
In my Sunday School class, I illustrated these truth using two
backpacks and a large ice chest with two handles. I put on a backpack
and gave the other to another man. The backpacks represented our
personal burdens, our responsibilities. I must bear these myself. The
ice chest represented burdens to share. While each of us bore our own
backpack, we lifted the chest between us. We bore our own burdens,
and shared a burden together. That made it easier for both of us. That
is what God is telling us to do here in Galatians 5:2-5.
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Chapter Twenty-two
THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING
(Gal 6:7-10) "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap. {8} For he that soweth to his
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. {9} And let us not be
weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
{10} As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
It is important to understand that the universe and everything in it

runs according to the laws of God. God created everything, and
everything must operate within the laws that He established for His
Creation. The Universe is not lawless chaos, as the evolutionists
would have us to believe. It is orderly, operating by divine laws. What
we call nature is really just God’s organizational structure for His
Creation.
Men must work with the laws of God in the natural realm. NASA
can put men in space and launch probes into deep space, but NASA
scientists have to find ways to operate inside the laws of God. Doctors
must operate within the laws God has designed for the human body.
Everything is under the laws of God for His universe.
One of the most important laws of God that the Christian should
be concerned about is the law of sowing and reaping. This is the law
of cause and effect. There are consequences for every action. This is
both a natural law and a spiritual law. It is first referenced in Genesis
8:22, which says that God has ordered "…seedtime and harvest…”
Every Christian needs to understand the law of sowing a reaping.
You will reap what you sow, in due season. What we sow is going to
determine what we reap in this life, and in the life to come.
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GALATIANS
I. THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING IS SET AND

IRREVERSIBLE.
(Gal 6:7) "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap." You cannot get around this law.
You will not make a mockery of God and His law. Whatever you
sow, you are going to reap. God will not cancel out this law. He set it
and will not change it.
The farmer has to abide by this law. If he wants a crop, he has to
sow the seed, and sow it at the right time. The farmer does not make
up his own schedule and expect God to rearrange His law to help the
farmer. The farmer knows that the law of sowing and reaping is set
and irreversible. So, he sows his seed at the right time, and in the right
way, and he then waits patiently for the harvest.
Christians who sow to the flesh think they can get around the law
of God. They mock God and His judgment and holiness. The
backslider or the sinner always believes that he or she will be the one
that gets away with it, that gets by with it. Somehow, I will sow but I
will not reap.
Millions of lost sinners are hanging on to the thread of hope that
somehow they will get by with their sins and get into heaven without
Jesus. They will not, and the Christian that sows sin and thinks that he
will get away without reaping is blinded by the devil.
Whatever you do, you need to realize that there is reaping
involved sooner or later. There are consequences for our actions.
David thought he could sow with Bathsheeba, but not reap. He even
tried to make sure he would not reap by having Uriah killed. But he
reaped a sword in his house for the rest of his days. Even on his
deathbed, Adonijah tried to steal the throne. Samson thought he could
sow with Delilah and not worry about reaping. But when the Spirit of
God left him, he was blinded and made a joke to the Philistines, and
ended up committing suicide. I could tell you stories of many
Christians who thought they could sow their seed to the flesh and
never reap, and they have always reaped – they reaped heartache,
disease, broken marriages and homes, lost jobs, lost ministries, and
some lost their lives.
When you go against the laws of God, you get hurt every time.
Go on the roof of the building and say, “I’m going to defy gravity.”
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And jump off. See how well you defy gravity. When you go against
the law of sowing and reaping, you will not defy it; you will just reap
from it.
So, work with the law of sowing and reaping, and sow to the
Spirit, and not to the flesh. Sow goodness so that when you reap, you
reap goodness. Work with the law of God, instead of against it.
II. THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING HAS THREE

DEFINITE FACTS INVOLVED:
1. You will always reap what you sow.
If you sow grass burrs, do not expect a harvest of tomatoes. If
you sow corn, do not expect to reap watermelons. You will reap
what you sow. If you sow sin, you will reap heartache. If you sow
righteousness, you will reap good things. You will reap what you
sow, so be very, very careful what you sow.
2. You will always reap later than you sow.
A farmer plants his seed, and he does not expect a harvest
overnight. It takes time before the harvest grows, and longer
before the reaping begins. Sometimes, it takes years to reap what
you have sown. Concerning David and Bathsheeba, it was about a
year before he really started reaping. And he kept on reaping for
the rest of his life.
Some people think that just because they sinned and did not
reap immediately that they got away with it. Not so. (Eccl 8:11-
13) "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed
speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them
to do evil. {12} Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his
days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with
them that fear God, which fear before him: {13} But it shall not
be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which
are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God."
And sometimes a person thinks that the reaping is over. And
then a fresh crop comes up, and more heartaches come. David
may have thought it was over when the baby died. But then
Amnon and Tamar. Absalom killed Amnon. Then Absalom stole
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GALATIANS
the kingdom. Then Absalom was killed. Then he could not build
the Temple. Then Adonijah tried to steal the kingdom from
Solomon. David spent about 20 years reaping from a one-night
stand and a few months of deception, dishonesty, and the murder
of Uriah.
This also applies for good sowing. We expect to reap right
away, but sometimes we have to wait awhile for “due season to
come.” We must be patient.
3. You will always reap more than you sow.
If you plant one kernel of corn, and a corn stalk may produce
a couple of earns of corn with a thousand kernels each. One
tomato seed will produce many tomatoes. One peach tree seed
will produce many harvests of peaches.
You reap more than you sow. It multiplies. So, take heed to
what you sow, because you will get a whole lot of it back. If you
sow to righteousness, you will have a good harvest. But if you
sow to the flesh, you will reap much more than you have sown!
Be careful what you sow!
III. THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING APPLIES FOR

BOTH GOOD AND EVIL.
As Christians, we can either sow to the flesh, or sow to the Spirit.
What we sow and where will determine what we reap. (Gal 6:8) "For
he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
1. Sowing to the flesh.
God says if we sow to the flesh, our sinful nature, we will of
the flesh reap corruption. If you sow sin, living in the flesh, living
to please yourself, living for the pleasures of this world – you
won’t reap pleasure and peace and happiness and joy and
prosperity. You will reap corruption. You will sow the wind and
reap the whirlwind. You will sow seeds that hurt others, and you
will reap a hundredfold.
If you sow to the flesh, you will reap unwanted pregnancies,
hasty marriages, quicker divorces, disease, poverty, shame,
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sorrow, misery, heartache, and maybe even an early grave. I am

telling you the truth. TV does not show you the truth. TV is
make-believe. I am telling you the truth of the matter. What
people show you is not the truth. You see the smiles but God sees
the sorrow. You had better listen to God.
The world makes an affair look glamorous and exciting. Read
Proverbs 5,6, and 7 for the truth. The world makes smoking,
drinking alcohol, or doing drugs look cool. The Bible tells you
the truth. The world makes being sexy and flirting seem like the
way to be – but God tells us the truth about such things.
If you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption in your life.
It will hurt you now and shame you at the Judgment Seat if you
are saved. And if you are not saved, it will hurt you now and
damn you at the Great White Throne Judgment.
2. Sowing to the Spirit.
Thank God, there is another kind of sowing we can do, and
another kind of reaping. I can sow to the Spirit, and of the Spirit
reap life everlasting. If sowing to the flesh produces corrupt
things, sowing to the Spirit produces good things.
Sow righteousness. Sow obedience. Sow faithfulness. Sow
generosity. Sow love. Sow some kindness. Sow some mercy. Sow
some helpfulness. Sow some grace. You will reap it back one
day. You reap what you sow.
Ask yourself, “What do I want to reap?” Then sow those
things. Sow to the Spirit.
IV. THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING ENCOURAGES

US TO KEEP SOWING, AND NOT TO FAINT.
(Gal 6:9) "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due
season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Be patient. Do not be weary in well doing. Do not get tired in
your minds because you do not reap an immediate harvest. Keep
sowing the good seed, because “in due season we shall reap.” This is
a certainty. The one condition is that we “faint not.” Quitting cancels
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out the good reaping we might have received. At least, we will not be
there to reap it.
There are at least three forms of sowing that have special
promises of reaping attached:
1. Sowing goodness to others.
(Gal 6:10) "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of
faith."
Joseph sowed some goodness to the butler and the baker
while they were in prison. It was two full years before he reaped,
but he did reap. Little deeds of kindness and helpfulness will
come back to us one way or another. Be careful to watch for
opportunities to be a blessing to each other – “especially unto
them who are of the household of faith.” Jesus said when you
give a cool cup of water to one of His people, you have given it
unto Him.
2. Sowing generosity to those in need.
Christians are to give to God, and be generous to the cause of
Christ.
¾ (Eccl 11:1) "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou
shalt find it after many days." Throw your bread upon the
waters. You will find it again after many days. One
preacher said, “It will come back buttered!”
¾ (Luke 6:38) "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with
the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again."
¾ (2 Cor 9:6-10) "But this I say, He which soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. {7} Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful
giver. {8} And God is able to make all grace abound
toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
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things, may abound to every good work: {9} (As it is

written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the
poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. {10} Now he
that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for
your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the
fruits of your righteousness;)"
3. Sowing the gospel to a lost and dying world.
(Psa 126:5-6) "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. {6}
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with
him." If we would sow the precious seed with a burdened heart,
we would be bringing in some sheaves. I think we are missing the
tears – the broken heart for souls destined for hell.
Keep sowing that gospel seed. Pray everyday for souls. If we
do not see the full reaping in this life, it will be wonderful to
come before Jesus, bringing our sheaves to His throne!
W<X
The unchanging law of sowing and reaping. You cannot get

around it. You won’t mock God. Whatever you sow, you will reap.
You will reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you
sow.
So, make sure you sow the right kind of seed, and in the right
place. Sow to the Spirit, not the flesh. Then be patient, and wait for
God’s “due season” for your reaping!
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GALATIANS
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Chapter Twenty-three
NO GLORY BUT THE CROSS
(Gal 6:11-18) "Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with
mine own hand. {12} As many as desire to make a fair show in the
flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should
suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. {13} For neither they
themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you
circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. {14} But God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. {15} For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creature. {16} And as many as walk
according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the
Israel of God. {17} From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear
in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. {18} Brethren, the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."
Verse eleven indicates that Galatians was the only Epistle that
was written entirely by Paul’s hand. The other Epistles were dictated
to others but signed by Paul with an unmistakable signature. (2 Th
3:17) "The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the
token in every epistle: so I write." (1 Cor 16:21) "The salutation of
me Paul with mine own hand." It is believed that Paul had serious eye
problems, which caused him to write with very large letters, hence,
“how large a letter I have written unto you.”
In these last verses, Paul is going to summarize the entire purpose
of Book. Galatians was written to combat the heresy of the legalists in
the Galatian churches. Consider three final thoughts:
I. PAUL’S GRIEF.
(Gal 6:12) "As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they
constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer
persecution for the cross of Christ."
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GALATIANS
Let me remind you that Paul wrote this Book to defend the gospel
and to attack the heresies of certain Jews that had crept into the
Galatian churches with a false gospel of works. These Judaizers had
taught the churches that God would not save Gentiles as Gentiles. The
Gentiles had to be circumcised after the manner of Moses, which was
the initiatory ritual into Judaism. They said that Gentiles had to
become Jews before God would save them. They added a step to
salvation. They said, (Acts 15:1) "…Except ye be circumcised after
the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Paul stood against this
heresy and called it a false gospel.
Anyone that adds anything to God’s plan of salvation is a legalist,
a heretic, and is under a curse according to Galatians 1:8-9. They are
teaching “damnable heresies.” They are deceiving people into
trusting in a false hope. Salvation is through 100% trusting faith in
Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice for the atonement of our souls.
Salvation is never 50% faith and 50% baptism, church
membership, or good works. Salvation is never 75% faith and 25%
perseverance to the end. Salvation is never 99% Jesus and 1% you or
your church. Salvation is 100% Jesus – all the way, from the
guttermost to the uttermost – or it is not salvation at all.
These Judaizers wanted to make a trophy, a show, out of these
Gentiles. They were not willing to suffer the persecution of the cross.
They wanted to still fit in with the other Jews. Remember at this time
that the Jews were the great enemy of the Christians. That is not anti-
Semitic; it is New Testament fact. Read the Book of Acts.
We have these same groups today. They teach baptismal
salvation, works religion, church salvation, works salvation, and
temporary salvation. They have added unscriptural works to God’s
simple plan of salvation, and stolen some of the glory from Jesus
Christ. They are leading their followers to hell unless someone
reaches them with the true gospel.
Preachers need to quit trying to be nice and start being right. If
someone teaches that baptism saves, I am going to preach against
them – and just about all of them do. The Catholics, Lutherans,
Anglicans, Pentecostals, Church of Christ, and others, all believe that
baptism either saves or has a part in salvation. Baptism does NOT
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save or have any part in it. How can we preach the true gospel of
Christ without attacking the false gospels of our day?
In verse 13, Paul identifies that these people were frauds and
phonies. (Gal 6:13) "For neither they themselves who are
circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that
they may glory in your flesh." He said, “They tell you to keep the law,
but they don’t keep the law. They just want to glory in your flesh.
They want to brag about their Gentile trophies.” Paul said, “These
men are frauds. They have ulterior motives. Their purpose is not the
glory of God. They want glory for themselves.
These Judaizers were the great heartache and chief adversary of
Paul’s ministry. They are still the grief of every Bible-believer that
desires for sinners to be saved. The rudest people I run into are those
who are trusting in works or religion while claiming to be Christian.
They have been blinded and deceived, and it is extremely sad.
II. PAUL’S GLORY.

(Gal 6:14) "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I
unto the world."
If anyone had the religious and moral qualifications to earn their
way to heaven, Paul did. (Phil 3:4-6) "Though I might also have
confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof
he might trust in the flesh, I more: {5} Circumcised the eighth day, of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the
Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; {6} Concerning zeal,
persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the
law, blameless."
Paul had the credentials to boast if he wanted to. Instead, he
counted his credentials as “loss.” (Phil 3:7) "But what things were
gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." There was no profit in
those things concerning his soul. There was no hope for him in those
things. Paul gloried only in the cross of Christ.
A works-based plan of salvation steals the glory away from
Jesus. It teaches men to glory in their religions, their personal
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GALATIANS
morality, their religious observances, their religious leaders, or their

own good deeds. This is glorying in the flesh.
God has so designed salvation that all the glory goes to Jesus, and
none of the glory goes to the person being saved. (Eph 2:8-9) "For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast." No one
in heaven will have any grounds for boasting. They are all there by
grace.
If you could go to heaven today and do a “man on the golden
street interview,” asking those there how they got there, you would
NOT hear: “I lived a good life. I was baptized. I was a church
member. I was honest.” They will all say, “We were sinners that got
saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Listen to the redeemed
saints in Revelation 1:5-6 - "…Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, {6} And hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen."
Ask them, “How did you get here?” They will answer, “We were
washed from our sins in the blood of the Lamb.” Who gets the glory?
The Lamb gets all the glory! (Rev 5:12) "Saying with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
No sinful flesh will glory in the presence of God. CHRIST is our
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. (1 Cor 1:29-
31) "That no flesh should glory in his presence. {30} But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: {31} That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
If I were to ask you today, privately, one-on-one, this question:
“What are you trusting in to take you to heaven when you die?” What
would your answer be?
¾ “I try to live a good life.” You get the glory.
¾ “I was baptized.” Baptism gets the glory.
¾ “I am not as bad as others.” You get the glory.
¾ “I am a church member.” The church gets the glory.
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Who gets the glory for what you are calling salvation? You or
Jesus? Paul said, “I won’t glory in my religion or my morals, I will
glory only in the cross of Jesus Christ, where He died as the Lamb of
God for my sins.”
(Gal 6:15) "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth
any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Circumcision
does not avail concerning salvation. Neither does baptism,
reformation, church membership, communion, catechism, good
deeds, etc. All that avails is a “new creature.”
Tell me, how are you going to make yourself into a “new
creature?” You can’t change what you ARE. You might change what
you do, how you act, what you say – but you can’t change the kind of
creature that you are. You can’t change your nature. Only Christ can!
(2 Cor 5:17) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new."
III. PAUL’S GOODBYE.

(Gal 6:16) "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace
be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." “This rule” is
the salvation rule. Salvation must be by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ. Anything else is a violation of the salvation rule. There is
“peace” and “mercy” for those that obey the salvation rule.
(Gal 6:17) "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in
my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." In other words, leave my
qualifications alone. Do not trouble me anymore. You will remember
from chapters 1 and 2 that they had attacked his position as apostle to
the Gentiles. Paul defended his apostleship and authority.
Now Paul says, “Leave me alone. You guys don’t want to suffer
the persecution of the cross. My body is covered with scars because
of my service for the Savior. I was stoned outside of Lystra. I was
beaten with rods. I have been beaten with the cat o’nine-tails. If I took
my shirt off my back would look like a road map of scars. You don’t
have any scars. Leave me alone.”
He expanded on this in 2 Corinthians, where he also defended his
apostleship. (2 Cor 11:23-28) "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak
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GALATIANS
as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above

measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. {24} Of the Jews five
times received I forty stripes save one. {25} Thrice was I beaten with
rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day
I have been in the deep; {26} In journeyings often, in perils of waters,
in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by
the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils
in the sea, in perils among false brethren; {27} In weariness and
painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often,
in cold and nakedness. {28} Beside those things that are without, that
which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."
Paul said, “You guys talk a big talk but where are the marks on
your body? What price have you paid for following Christ?”
It is easy to sit back and play “armchair pastor.” What have you
done? You have not won anyone to Christ since Noah got off the Ark,
but your criticize those who are trying to get folks saved. It is easy to
sit around a dinner table and gossip about those that are trying to do
something for God. It is easy to sit and gossip and criticize and
slander. But where are your marks? How many churches have you
started? How many souls have you won? How much money have you
given? How many times has your heart been broken in God’s service?
What have you done other than pick apart the work that other men
have built from the ground up? You never win anyone or get anyone
in church, but you like to run off the ones that the soulwinners bring
in.
Paul said, “Leave me alone. I started that church with sweat,
blood and tears. I won those first converts, started the first classes,
and built that church up. Now, you buzzards have come along and
started tearing down what I built. Why don’t you go start your own
church and ruin it?”
May God deliver our churches from such harmful parasites!
W<X
- 250 -
(Gal 6:18) "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be

with your spirit. Amen." The Book ends with the word “grace.”
Salvation is not through the law. It is through the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Thank God for His amazing grace!
- 251 -

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The Living Commentary Series

Lessons from Paul’s Epistle to the

Copyright 2007 by James Rasbeary

Cover design by James Rasbeary.

All Scripture quotations come from the

For additional printed copies, please order online at:

This volume is affectionately dedicated to

BRO. TOM DAVIS

With appreciation for your encouragement and support.

“LEARN THE BIBLE WHILE YOU

The premise of the Book of Galatians is that salvation is the gift

(Gal 1:1-5) "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by

The Book of Galatians is filled with “meaty” doctrine, especially

¾ It will be profitable for doctrine. It is going to tell us what is

(Gal 1:1-2) "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man,

Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and

transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end

These false teachers, whom we call “Judaizers,” began to

serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted

They will not acknowledge that their works are sinful in

receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another

from things strangled, and from blood. {21} For Moses of

(John 1:10-14) "He was in the world, and the world

Jesus warned His apostles to beware of the leaven of the

had to convert to Judaism before they could be saved and become

that he did, based on his visits to some of the churches of Galatia

I. THE PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL.

vain. {15} Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;

Do not add Calvinist doctrines that deny man’s responsibility

Galatians1:3-5 gives a clear statement of the nature of the true

(Rom 6:11-13) "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be

II. THE PERVERSION OF THE GOSPEL.

God’s salvation is wrapped up in a Person – His Son. You

Out soul winning, I have led many people to a saving

Any doctrine of salvation has to match John 3:16. If what

Notice the fearful pronouncement on those who would dare to

I find the “converts” of these gospel perverts in the fearful words

(Gal 2:16) "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of

The Bible is clear that there were only to be twelve true

¾ (Acts 16:4) "And as they went through the cities, they

Consider Paul’s inspired defense of his apostleship and authority:

I. PAUL HAD A DIVINE PURPOSE.

who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his

{6} Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the

II. PAUL HAD A DIVINE CALLING.

the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is

Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify

III. PAUL HAD DIVINE REVELATIONS.

compared with the statements of Paul himself. Here is a generally

And throughout all fourteen Books that were given to him

IV. PAUL HAD DIVINE CONFIRMATIONS.

2. His work was approved by the other apostles.

(Gal 2:1-5) "Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem

withstand Peter was an indication of his position and

The scattered Christians were only preaching to the Jews at first,

children, neither to walk after the customs. {22} What is it

However, though the ceremonial law was dead, it took a long

Paul understood that God’s salvation made every believer an

Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded together for an