Galatians - Real Freedom

Christ died to set believer free.  He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly!  Yet much of the time believers continue to live as if we were still slaves - to sin, to the law, to the world.  The book of Galatians is about the freedom which God won for the believer in Jesus Christ.  This study will take you verse-by-verse through the book of Galatians - called the "Magna Carta" of the Christian faith.  We are all in chains - Come to Christ and be Free Indeed.

Light

Then God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. Genesis 1:3

We usually take light totally for granted. Yet light is not just assumed by God as He explains His creation process to us. Light was created. When we see light it usually means that something amount of energy is being used. A candle wick is burning, a log is on fire, gas is exploding, or electricity is running and slowly burning out a glass encased coil.  We need a source of energy to make light, yet God spoke and the amazing mysterious particle/wave that would be neccessary for living things to perceive the world around them flowed forth without any natural source.  For a time, the universe was lit not by the thousands of lamps which God hung in the sky, each with their fuel supply predetermined to burn exactly as long as His plan demands, but by God Himself.  Light flows forth from Who He is. When Jesus entered into our Spiritual darkness the same thing occured (John 1) No more hunting about for spiritual matches and burning our fingertips trying to view the spiritual landscape.  The Light entered the world and because of Him, mankind can see again.  By the way, if you have trusted in Him, you will one day inhabit a world where there is no need for light that burns again (Revelation 22:5). I am excited to see that light.

Process

The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2

I love watching flowers grow each spring. Seeds turn into sprouts, which turn into stalks, which bring forth buds, which bloom into beautiful and fragrant flowers.  The flowers are beautiful, and they come through a process that is beautiful. I needn't even compare that with the beauty of seeing a loving couple, then a pregnant woman, then that couple holding their child and watching that child grow to maturity...it is too beautiful.  Genesis 1:2 shows that God, the inventor of time, meant for it to be used. Even before the entrance of sin into the world process was part of God's plan. He took time to create the world, carefully and lovingly shaping its every feature and aspect. He took time to redeem the world after man's sin brought destruction, decay and death. Leading up slowly, year by year, generation by generation up to the full revelation of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. When God put on flesh He did not bypass the process of growth the physical maturity. God, who seems always to create by process, would then not be out of order in re-creating by process. This is what we see. Every Christian is in a marathon journey towards conformity with the character and life of Jesus Christ. It can be painful, frustrating, even unnerving. However, it is a beautiful process. It is beautiful because of the One who is doing the work.

The Creator

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth." Genesis 1:1

Henry Morris once said that anyone who believes this verse will have no trouble believing the rest of the Bible. In this verse there is so much to be found. God created everything from nothing. It shows His limitless power. God created a world so beautiful. It shows His artistry and love. God created time, space and matter before any of those things existed. God's innovation is beyond comprehension to us. God didn't succomb to order and structure, reason and logic...He created and what He created dictated all of those necessaries as a mere result of what God had done.  When we discover how atoms hold together or how planets revolve and fly through space without colliding we are only observing what God designed. This is the God who loves us. This is the God who sent His Son to die for us. This is the God who promises salvation to all who believe in His Son and His payment for our sin.

In the Beginning

"One who really believes Genesis 1:1 will have no difficulty believing the rest of Scripture."

~Morris

Genesis starts the great love story of Earth's History. As we look around at the Earth and the Cosmos we are blown away by all that now exists. The beauty and ferocity of the mountains, the overwhelming power of the oceans, the mind-blowing depth of space and the beauty of the starlight. The more we learn about the symphony of creation and the influence of the moon on the tides and the exact placement of the earth in relationship to the sun we are even more overwhelmed with the power with which everything is held together (Col. 1:17). As we consider it all we realize that when we consider God and His power and ability we are far beyond our ability to comprehend.

This is the God who has promised to save all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. His power is displayed in the work of creation. The physical world is a toy in His hand, and He can manipulate them as He pleases. It is He who created, He who sustains and He who will consummate this world. It is also He who loves you, He who calls sinful humanity to Himself to forgive and give eternal life. It is He who made the perfect provision because He desires to be in a relationship with us. He alone is able, and we are to be occupied with Him, with Jesus Christ, because He alone is worthy.

To the Praise of His Glory

to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. Eph. 1:12

This is a segment from our Sunday Night Service wherein we are studying Ephesians. Ephesians 1:3-14 uses this phrase "to the praise of His glory" repeatedly. These are some thoughts on that phrase.

There are two things here that should be very clear to the modern reader:

1) God is the one doing all of this.

2) It is for HIS glory that it is all done.

Again and again we see that this is all to his glory, not to ours, not for us. We are living in praise and glory of Him. It is our major purpose: To bring HIM glory forever! The amazing reality being that, by trusting in Jesus for salvation by His grace we become living, walking examples of how wonderful and amazing God is. The believer is a billboard simply on the basis of his totally unmerited salvation of God’s amazing character. In the saved believer God is shown to be gracious and loving (for saving an undeserving sinner), just and righteous (as the failures and unrighteousness of the believer were justly dealt with at the cross), holy and set apart (by making us perfect He does not have to compromise his own perfection to have communion with Him), sovereign and powerful (as His salvation cannot be overcome by our own demerit). What a magnificent reality that just by putting our faith in Jesus Christ we already exist as a resounding witness to the full and complete character of Almighty God!