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The Soil
of this Sin Cursed World Our working theme of Galatians: “Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as taught in Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone” CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THIS STUDY Old Testament Promises Of Earthly Prosperity For Obedience FAITH WORKING THROUGH LOVE IS TO BE THE PRINCIPLE BY WHICH WE LIVE
OUR LIVES AND INTERACT WITH OTHERS
(Gal.5:6) A. The Christian life begins with faith in Christ. The Christian life perseveres by faith in Christ. B. Faith in Christ changes our relationship to God. Faith in Christ changes our relationship to everyone else. C. The pursuit of holiness is simply a faith working through love. 1. Through faith in Jesus we receive the harvest of Pentecost for life. 2. Faith in Christ doesn’t end when we are justified, it is only the beginning! If you are struggling with the deeds of the flesh
what/Who do you need? If you would like your relationships with others to be
characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, what/Who do you need? D. “against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:23). 1. The Ten Commandments are still relevant for Christian living (cf. Ephesians 6:1-3). 2. The Law is a compass. It’s a map and sign post pointing us Jesus. But the law has no power to get us to our destination. 3. If we see another Christian living in sin we need to stop them, take out the map of God’s Law and explain that they are going the wrong way (Galatians 6:1-2). a. Some Christians think that if they find a brother caught in sin that it is “loving” not to say anything. They may even think that by remaining silent they are keeping the “peace.” b. Errant brothers or sisters must be dealt with in a “spirit of gentleness” (6:1). Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit (5:23). c. The point is that there is a right and a wrong way to live! i. Many Christians say that the “standard” by which we live is some kind of mystical leading of the Holy Spirit. ii. There is an absolute standard and it is God’s commandments as kept by Jesus (cf. Matthew 3:16-4:11; 5:17-20). While Paul’s statements are simple, one difficulty that arises is where the law fits into all this, “The most significant question in current scholarship pertinent to Pauline ethics is the place of the Law.” (Stephen Charles Mott, “Ethics” in Dictionary of Paul and his Letters, p.271) OLD
TESTAMENT PROMISES OF EARTHLY PROSPERITY FOR OBEDIENCE A. The promises of the Old Covenant pertaining to earthly prosperity and blessing demonstrated that Israel could not keep the stipulations of the covenant (Deuteronomy 28; Joshua 24:19). B. We can never forget that while the Scriptures so make a connection between obedience and earthly prosperity there is just as much of an emphasis upon obedience and earthly adversity (Genesis 47:7-9; Job; Psalm 34:19; 73; etc.). C. In the Scriptures, earthly life and prosperity extends beyond the 70 or so years of our life here and looks forward to life everlasting in the new heavens and the new earth. D. Most people who “prosper” by the standards of this sin cursed world do so because of expedience and not obedience. Whenever a Christian sets their heart on earthly riches they will mislead by expedience and not lead by obedience (Colossians 3:1-7; 1 Timothy 6:8-11). THE SOIL OF THIS WORLD AND THE NATURAL THINGS OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT
ABLE TO PRODUCE OR NURTURE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. A. This world cannot contribute an ounce of nourishment to the Christian life, the Christian marriage, the Christian household or the Christian church. B. Not only can’t the world nurture the fruit of the Spirit, but the world is antithetical to the fruit of the Spirit (John 15:19; Galatians 1:4; 5:19-26; James 1:27; 4:4; 1 John 2:15). 1. Public education is not rooted in the soil of Christ. Beware because it is rooted in soil most fertile for producing deeds of the flesh such as immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry…envy, drunkenness and carousing. 2. 99% of television will not benefit your growth in Christ. In fact, much of what is on TV and movies is nourishing for the deeds of the flesh (cf. Psalm 101). 3. The joy derived from instruments and secular music not the supernatural joy produced of the Holy Spirit. “Christians have no choice but to be diligent students of their host cultures…One critical issue concerns the inability of many Christians to identify the important differences between native flora and flora of God’s kingdom. For too long we have wrongly assumes that indigenous plants pose no serious threat to a Christian way of life. As a result, many churches routinely and unwittingly cultivate these indigenous plants, bringing to harvest fruit that bears within it the seeds of some other kingdom” (Philip Kenneson, Life on the Vine, pp.26f.). |
