Galatians 5

[marks]

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

The simple truth here is that you can go with grace or works, you don't get to make up your own combo recipe.

We work empowered by God's grace, not that we work to obtain God's grace.

Much love!

 

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3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

If you decide to go with the "works" model, then you are stuck with that alone.

I hear people insist that they will be judged for there acceptibility to God by their adherance to the Law. I hope they realize, this means that they are on the hook, from the beginning, for all of it.

Again, you don't get to make up your own recipe. Either grace, and faith, or works or Law. But if you choose Law, man, I don't envy you! Who isn't already disqualified from succeeding? All have sinned!

So then by faith and grace, in this is our salvation and rebirth.

Much love!

 

[marks]

4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Note: In the above we see Paul exhorting his followers to resist going back under the law. Since we have been set free from the law we are not to go back under the bondage of the law.

It's a dead end. Being dead to the law, there's no where to go, so any concept that we go back under the Law is a fiction. We talk about grace. I do not believe Paul is saying here that we lose God's favor unto salvation, we are redeemed, and we are His. But I do believe that when someone chooses to think that they can be more favored, more redeemed, more saved, more holy, more righteous, by picking out something that if they do it, God will reward with these things, the very act of making that choice takes us not away from God's grace to save, but it does take us away from God's grace to stand.

Fallen from grace.

Having left the grace that does cause us to live holy lives, trading that grace away, in exchange for a system of belief and behavior intended to bring as a reward, a payment, a debt, that God now rewards us with . . . . since we've been such good people.

As you've commented already, Paul's warning is clear, Don't go there.

Much love!

 

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5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

So we do not gain righteousness by doing good works, we gain righteousness by faith. Reliance upon Jesus, and not upon ourselves.

Much love!

 

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6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. ---- Note: Not man’s love but through God’s love.

These seducers selected circumcision as the "good work" needed to be right with God. What are we being seduced with? What appeals to the flesh? To pride? To our desire to be "special"? We are special, in Christ. None of these "good works" avail anything. They don't do anything for us. Nothing. Trying to make yourself right with God is always failure. You cannot.

Only faith . . . working through love.

Much love!

 

[marks]

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

We move through our Christian life, a new life of love and peace and joy in Jesus. Clean and fresh and then . . . what happens?

They say, you aren't good enough. You have to do this. You have to do that. You have to be this. You have to be that. If you're not this, if you don't experience that, if you didn't do those, well, we all know what they say. You haven't got it. Not saved. Not spiritual. Much worse, we've all seen it.

Who hinders you?

Who is telling . . . you . . . that Faith in Jesus is Not Enough?

Who is telling you that you cannot rest in the finished work of Christ?

Should you be listening?

Much love!

 

[marks]

8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.

Since it was God who declares we are dead to the Law, then it's not Him, that's for sure. And if not God, then who?

Much love!

 

[GodsGrace]

How were the Indians living in North, Central and South America DRAWN to Jesus during the first 1400 years after Jesus was “lifted up” and before anyone arrived from Europe to share the gospel?

You say that “all” must mean “all men without exception” but reality says that “all men without exception were NOT drawn”.

Shall we be just as unreasonable with the word “men” that you are with the word “all” and conclude that “all men without exception” are drawn, but women are not drawn to Jesus?

“All” and “men” are, in my opinion, both meant to be taken less literally than “all without exception” and “men without women”.

You see A, now, because it suits YOU, you do not take ALL and MEN literally.

Do you think all men went to hell before Jesus?

Have you read Romans 1:19-20?
Could you explain it please---because I think you don't understand it.

ALL MEN were drawn to Jesus means that
ALL MEN were drawn to Jesus. I take the words of the bible literally in the N.T.

ALL MEN are drawn to God...
Romans 1:19-20

BUT NOT ALL MEN RECEIVE GOD.

MEN INCLUDES WOMEN...
It means the human race.

 

[marks]

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Let this thinking in just a little and see what happens in your mind.

Legalism is like an infection, if you tolerate a little - I must perform to be accepted - then, since this in reality panders to the flesh, expect more to follow. I think we've also all learned that the flesh never wants just a little. It will always want more. When we give in to the pride of thinking we do this ourselves, make ourselves righteous, and that pride just gets hungrier. And having already given in a little, it's easier to give in a little more.

And in time, we can come to believe that this thinking of the mind of the flesh - that it's not about what Jesus did, instead, it's about what "I" do - we can mistake this for our own mind, God help us, and then, we become under that bondage. Driven to perform, failure when we don't, and forever behind those who hold out this shiny trinket, If you work the law enough you can stop sinning. But the leaven works it's way through.

Much love!

 

[GodsGrace]

Why bother posting scripture, all you do is ignore my argument, tell me I am wrong, and ask me to explain three examples of scripture pong.

Now explain for me how EVERY PERSON ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH FROM THE YEAR AD 33 ON was drawn to Jesus Christ when millions of people were born, lived and died during that time with absolutely no chance whatsoever to hear the gospel and had no clue who Jesus was.

Start with everyone in the Western Hemisphere before 1492. In what possible sense were they drawn to Jesus?

Are you aware of the fact that Jesus is God?

Are you aware of the fact that GOD existed BEFORE Jesus was born?

Again,,,do you believe all men went to hell before Jesus was born?

Have you studied Romans 1:19-20 yet?

PLEASE DO.

Here it is:

Romans 1:19-20
19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Would you care to explain the above to us all?

 

[marks]

10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

This we need to remember, the Lord knows those who are His. We are safe in His hands. But He will judge every man according to their works, and those who set themselves as teachers, whom the Lord did not call . . . We need to stay focused on walking in faith, in grace, in His Spirit, and know that God will set all things to rights. Even as distressing as it may seem in the current time, as we see deceivers and seducers getting worse.

Much love!

 

[marks]

11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.

Those who teach righteousness through works seem to have a pattern of how they treat others who teach grace. Obviously Paul is not in that camp, and the cross is an offense. People want the credit for themselves.

Much love!

 

[marks]

12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Note: Paul confirms that we are under liberty. However he exhorts us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

So true!

Liberty from Law, but not liberty to serve the flesh.

We can serve our flesh, or through love serve one another. You know, I hear so much that age old objection to our liberty in Christ, "Oh, so you're saying you can just sin all you want?" Nonsense already answered by Paul.

It's like sitting in front of your all time favorite food, and food that disgusts you, and someone saying, You can eat whichever you want, but what do you want?

The only reason you would eat the disgusting food is if you were convinced there was some benefit. Some seductive voice, you will be righteous, you will be holy, you will see things, you will know things, just take your eyes off of faith, it's about what YOU do. Forget the Bible, it's a dead book, where will that lead? When we reject the revelation from God to man, in favor of what we think in our minds.

I read how Paul reacts to this teaching, and I know how I feel when I see people begin to question the faith they have in Jesus Christ, as they here these voices on and on.

Much love!

 

[marks]

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

We need not compare our behavior to anything - anything - in the Law, as this One thing supercedes all, that we love.

Telling a child of God to love is like telling a mammal to breath. It may take a whack or two at the beginning, but it's how we're made.

OK, in our case of loving others, it's a growth process of sanctification. But that one word remains only one word, Love.

Much love!

 

[marks]

15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

"What happens . . . when good forums go bad!!!"

'nuff said.

 

[marks]

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

The heart of the matter.

Go north, and then you won't be going south. Simplicity itself!

So what happens to remove us from that simplicity?

For one thing, the Lie of Condemnation. You are disqualified. God has disfellowshipped you. You're sins separate you from God. You said a bad word. You aren't righteous enough for God. The lies go on and on. For the child of God, there is therefore now no condemnation.

We can simply walk in the Spirit, which happens to be the life we were reborn to live. This then becomes our new "normal". Walking in the Spirit.

And by walking in the Spirit we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Not, for instance, by doing good works of righteousness.

Can we understand how the philanthropist who makes and gives billions of dollars, and dedicates his entire life in caring for others, if this is outside of being what the Holy Spirit wants to do through us, then this is still rebellion?

Perhaps I can save the life of a dying man, but if what God intends is that I'm somewhere else digging a canal, then I'm outside of God's will, insisting I'm doing good. But what will He say? I never knew you.

Much love!

 

[marks]

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

True, or not true? I'd answer true.

Will there be a time while we remain in these bodies of flesh that this verse will not be true? Of course not. This describes the way the Spirit is, and the way the flesh is.

Much love!

 

[marks]

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Note: If we are placing our belief, faith, trust and confidence in Jesus’ shed blood we are not under the law. There is only two conditions that apply to man today, either he/she is under the law of sin or they have been set free.

Yes, again, this is either/or, not a mixture of both, some private recipe of salvation.

So in saying that we are under law, those who declare such things, by the same word acknowledge not being led by the Spirit.

Much love!

 

[justbyfaith]

So @marks,

What do you make of the following?:

1Co 6:9, 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,
1Co 6:10, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11, 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.

Gal 5:19, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told youin time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Eph 5:3, But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Eph 5:4, Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
Eph 5:5, For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6, Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Col 3:5, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6, For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:


It would seem that there is a list of don'ts that if we do them, we will not inherit the Lord's kingdom!

 

[marks]

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Note: this is a condemnation of the flesh and confirmation that flesh shall not enter heaven.

How often do we see those who insist we do works of law to obtain righteousness engage in hatreds and contentions, jealousies, so many of these? Are we really really saying you must keep the Law perfectly to be saved?

No one does that, so if this were true, no one is saved.

Everyone can see the works of the flesh, they shout out their insolence and pride, their unloving and self-serving manner. This is not the manner of those who are inheriting the kingdom of God.

Much love!