Galatians 4:8-5:12 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

February 7, 2013


 *SEP 1 - GALATIANS 4:8-5:12 - LOVE-SERVICE ENDS LAW-BONDAGE*


 *1. 4:10-11 (4:8-11, NNT) GALATIANS: TURNED BACK TO LAW-BONDAGE. “You
observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest
somehow I have toiled over you in vain.” *Away with picayunish dabbling
with carnal, unprofitable law-traditions! Father, help us to grow in
maturity in Christ! *Hallowed be your :name!*


 *2. 4:16 (4:12-18) GALATIANS: REMINDED BY PAUL OF FIRST-LOVE. “So then am
I become your enemy, by telling you truth?” *Your Gospel of the Kingdom
Father, frees us from legalism and convicts of sin. Our self-will rebels at
Your Good News, all of grace, none of works! Father, *Jesus redeemed* us
from self-will. We join Him in saying Yes! - to all Your will! *Your
:kingdom come!*


 *3. 4:19-20. GALATIANS: CAUSE PAUL A SECOND TRAVAIL. “My little children,
of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you - 20 but I
could wish to be present with you now, and to change my :voice; for I am
perplexed about you.” *How can You meet our daily needs if we are
double-minded, ambivalent, like sea-waves tossed? Father, we renounce
carnality, and choose *Your way* of maturity! We desire You not only to use
us, but also to *endorse* us! *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on
earth!*


 *4. 4:26-27 (4:21-31) GALATIANS: PAUL WOULD PERSUADE BY ALLEGORY. “But the
Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother, 27 For it is written, Rejoice,
you barren that does not bear; Break forth and cry, you that do not
travail: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that has the
husband.” *Forgive us our low state of faith, Father! We believe: help our *
unbelief*. Help us to forsake Hagar and choose Sarah. Help us to identify
with Isaac, not Ishmael. We choose to forgive those who also walk the
lowlands of little faith. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.*


 *5. 5:1. GALATIANS: EXHORTED BY PAUL UNTO LIBERTY. “For :freedom did
Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a
yoke of bondage.” *What a carnal temptation! How prone we are to lapse into
this low level! Father, lift our sights to heaven’s table-land.

*And forgive our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.*


 *6. 5:4 (5:2-6) GALATIANS: LAW CONTRASTED WITH FAITH WORKING BY LOVE. “You
are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by law; you are fallen
away from :grace.” *What an indictment! May none of us deserve such words.
Only in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will we cling. *And
bring us not into temptation.*


 *7. 5:9 (5:7-12) GALATIANS: WARNED AGAINST THE LEAVEN OF CIRCUMCISION. “A
little leaven leavens the whole lump.” *We would beware of the very *
beginnings* of compromise with the pure Gospel of the grace of God. Father,
clearly write on our hearts this truth, that we may truly honor You! *But
deliver us from the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 5:6 (5:2-6) GALATIANS: NEED TO KNOW THIS TRUTH! **“For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith
working through love.” *This is one of the most significant verses of
Scripture! Hear this: “If you love Me, you *will* keep My commandments.”
These are Your words of the Father, Lord Jesus! Father, in love we commit
ourselves to walk in Your words in Christ!


 *SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: *God has planned that each one of us be stewards
over our own bodies. And if God has our bodies: our soul and spirit are
automatically included, for our body is house for them. Perhaps a key verse
for this is Romans 12:1. Jesus as Son of man offered His body to His Father
as a Holocaust, a whole burnt offering. We, as members of His spiritual
body, the One New Man, the church - need to join Him in this act, and offer
our bodies to Him, not as a Levitical offering to be killed, but as a *
living* offering, over which we reign as stewards on God’s behalf.


 One hears little of this teaching in the church, but it is God’s will in
His Word, His Bible.


 One of the clearest messages on this challenge was given by Derek Prince
back in the 80’s entitled, “How Do You View Your Body?” You can see this
sermon freely by doing a “Google-search” on “Derek Prince Youtube” - and
clicking on the above title. It had a profound effect on a Fort Lauderdale
congregation - perhaps 60% positively responding.


 It goes along with another of his messages there, “God’s Medicine Bottle”.
Between the two of them, you and I should not only end up in much better
bodily health - but also be vibrant, active, productive, fruitful members
of Christ’s spiritual body!


 I believe a number of you will respond. J.A.W.


 *C.H. Spurgeon Quotes: “Christ Loves His Church and Let Us Do the Same.” *The
church is not perfect, but woe to the man who finds pleasure in pointing
out her imperfections. Christ loved his church, and let us do the same. I
have no doubt that the Lord can see more fault in his church than I can;
and I have equal confidence that he sees no fault at all. Because he covers
her faults with his own love - that love which covers a multitude of sins;
and he removes all her defilement with that precious blood which washes
away all the transgressions of his people.


 *Our Psalm for the day: 61:5 (61, ESV) LEAD ME TO THE ROCK. “For you, O
God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear
your name.” *What more can we say Father, than David has said in this
Psalm? Our hearts are filled with gratefulness to You. We see Your love
unto us in Christ. Therefore with all of our hearts we say, *Hallowed be
your :name!*


 *Subject and Division: *This Psalm is a pearl. It is little but precious.
To many a mourner, it has furnished utterance when the mind could not have
devised a speech for itself. It was evidently composed by David after he
had come to the throne (see 61:6). The second verse leads us to believe
that it was written during the Psalmist’s enforced exile from the
tabernacle, which was the visible abode of God: if so, the period of
Absalom’s rebellion has been most suitably suggested as the date of its
authorship, and Delitzsch is correct in entitling it, “Prayer and
thanksgiving of an expelled King on his way back to his throne.” C.H.S.



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