What is is grace? Greek charis 1 that which affords joy, pleasure, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

What is is grace? Greek χάρις charis 1 that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; 2 good will, loving-kindness, favor. 2a of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. – Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon Justice vs. Mercy vs. Grace

Book of Galatians

Introduction to to Galatians • Epistle (a circular letter) written by the Apostle Paul • Original recipients were “the churches in Galatia” (1:2 ) which had been founded during the first missionary journey of Paul. • Galatia was a region of cities in southern Asia Minor where the Gauls (Celtic people from the British Isles) had settled after migrating from western Europe through Italy and Greece. • Region included the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, located in modern Turkey. • Paul and Barnabas visited these cities on Paul’s first missionary journey.

Letter written by Paul from Antioch of Syria in about 48-50 AD http://www.preceptaustin.org/sites/www.preceptaustin.org/files/images/galmap.gif

Galatians 3:1 :1-14 14

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Galatians 3:1 (NAS) You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified? Galatians 3:1 (HCSB)

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:2-5 The Socratic method is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions. - wikipedia

(1) How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Galatians 3:2 Paul did not question their salvation but challenged them to consider whether they were saved and received the Spirit by faith or on the basis of works. It was by faith when they heard Paul preach the gospel. As Gentiles, they did not possess the Mosaic Law anyway. (2) How will you be sanctified? Galatians 3:3 Presupposing the answer that the Galatians became Christians by faith, Paul asked if they were so foolish as to think they could begin the Christian life in one way (by faith) and move on to spiritual maturity in another (by works). (3) Did you suffer in vain? Galatians 3:4 As Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps at the end of the first missionary journey, they warned the Galatian converts that they would suffer as Christians (Acts 14:21 – 22). Persecution soon followed, and Paul reminded them that if they turned from grace to Law they would brand their former position in error and would then have suffered for nothing. (4) On what basis did God perform miracles? Galatians 3:5 That miracles were performed among the Galatians by divine power was recorded in Acts 14:3, 8 – 11. It was clear that these supernatural works were not the result of the works of the Law but from the hearing that leads to faith. - Bible Knowledge Commentary

Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. Galatians 3:6-9

Now the Lord said to Abram , “ Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house , to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed .” Genesis 12:1 -3 The justification of uncircumcised Gentiles was anticipated in the universal aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant when God announced the gospel to Abraham. – Bible Knowledge Commentary

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying , “ Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great .” Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus ?” And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir .” Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir .” And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it (credited it) to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6 How was Abraham, the father of Jewish people, justified? He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham’s faith in God’s ability to perform what He promised was accepted by God as righteousness and so the patriarch was justified — before he was circumcised (cf. Gen. 17:24). How then could the Judaizers insist that circumcision was essential to being accepted by God? – Bible Knowledge Commentary

The Jerusalem Council refuted the teaching that circumcision (or any other physical act) was the seal of one’s salvation. What do some Christian churches teach? • Baptism • Speaking in tongues • Confession • Communion

The True Gospel Jesus + _____ = salvation

For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them .” Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith .” Galatians 3:10 -11 “Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them .” Deuteronomy 27:26

Salvation by Faith Alone (sola fide) An Old Testament and New Testament Concept Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16 -17

However , the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them .” Galatians 3:12 Only perfect performance could win divine approval under the Law, but since that was not achievable the Law could only condemn a person and cause him to cast himself on God in faith. – Bible Knowledge Commentary So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord. Leviticus 18:5 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James 2:10

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us —for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” Galatians 3:13 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21:23 The positive side of Paul’s argument emphasized that there is hope for all who have broken the Law and are therefore under its curse. That hope is not in man but in Christ who redeemed us from the curse of the Law. But how did Christ redeem ( exēgorasen, lit., “buy out of slavery”) man? The answer is by becoming a curse for us. This is a strong declaration of substitutionary redemption whereby Christ took the penalty of all guilty lawbreakers on Himself. Thus the “curse of the Law” was transferred from sinners to Christ, the sinless One (cf. 1 Peter 3:18), and He delivered people from it. – Bible Knowledge Commentary

New Testament Words for Redemption Greek Word English Meaning agorazō (verb) To buy, to purchase in the market (or slave market) 1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1; Rev. 5:9; 14:3 – 4 exagorazō (verb) To buy out, to purchase out of the market (or slave market) Gal. 3:13; 4:5; Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5 lytron (noun) Ransom, price of release Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45 lytroomai (verb) To ransom, to free by paying a ransom price Luke 24:21; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18 lytrōsis (noun) Act of freeing by paying a ransom price Luke 1:68; 2:38; Heb. 9:12 apolytrōsis (noun) A buying back, a setting free by paying a ransom price Luke 21:28; Rom. 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:7, 14; 4:30; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; 11:35 -Bible Knowledge Commentary