(At Redeemer we are now preaching through the book of Galatians. It's beautiful, and deep! I just sent this letter to my Redeemer family.)
Good morning Redeemer family!
This coming Sunday I am preaching on Galatians 3:23-4:7. In this section there are some big ideas, and beautiful verses. For example, Galatians 3:26-28:
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
I hope you see how 3:28 fits in with the entire Letter to the Galatians. Let me remind you.
- There were some Jewish Christians who were saying and teaching that, to be "justified" (made right with God), a person had to also become a Jew (keep the Mosaics laws - dietary, circumcision, etc.).
- Paul calls that teaching "another gospel." (Gal. 1:6-9)
- The true good news (gospel) is that what Christ has accomplished on the cross is enough to justify a person.
- So, a person's justification is by faith, in what Christ has done. Paul pleads wit4h the Galatian Christians - Don't add anything to this, like to be made right with God you also have to be a Jew, or to be made right with God you also have to be a male, or to be made right wit4h God you also have to be a free person.
Here is the theme in Galatians:
Paul, a Jewish believer in Jesus, writes to counter the claims of some other Judeans who were telling the Galatian Gentile believers that they must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order to truly belong to God’s people.
(From Craig Keener, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.
That's it.
Please prepare for this Sunday by reading Galatians 3:23-4:7.
Blessings!
PJ
