Galatians 3
Foolish believersverses 1-4
O foolish Galatians – who has bewitched you
that you should not obey the truth
before whose eyes Jesus Christ
has been evidently set forth
crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law
or by the hearing of faith?
Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit
are you now made perfect by the flesh?
Have you suffered so many things in vain?
if it be yet in vain
Saved by faith aloneverses 5-9
HE therefore that ministers to you the Spirit
and works miracles among you
does he it by the works of the law
or by the hearing of faith?
Even as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him for righteousness
Know you therefore that they which are of faith
the same are the children of Abraham and the Scripture
forseeing that God would justify
the heathen through faith
Preached before the gospel unto Abraham – saying
In you shall all nations be blessed
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham
Redeemed from the curse of the Lawverses 10-14
FOR as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse
for it is written
Cursed is every one that continues not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them
BUT that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God
it is evident for
The just shall live by faith
AND the law is not of faith – but
The man that does them shall live in them
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law
being made a curse for us
for it is written
Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree
that the blessing of Abraham might come
on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith
Seed of Abraham saves: Jesus Christverses 15-18
Brethren – I speak after the manner of men
Though it be but a man’s covenant
yet if it be confirmed no man disannuls
or adds thereto
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made
HE said not – And to seeds – as of many
BUT as of one – AND to your seed
which is Christ
AND this I say – that the covenant
that was confirmed before of God in Christ – the law
which was four hundred and thirty years after
cannot disannul
that it should make the promise of none effect
FOR if the inheritance be of the law – it is no more of promise
but God gave it to Abraham by promise
Law of Moses was a schoolmasterverses 19-25
Wherefore then serves the law?
It was added because of transgressions
till the seed should come to whom
the promise was made
and it was ordained by angels
in the hand of a mediator
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one –
BUT God is one
Is the law then against the promise of God? God forbid
for if there had been a law given which
could have given life
verily righteousness should
have been by the law
BUT the Scripture has concluded all under sin
that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ
might be given to them that believe
but before faith came – we were kept under the law
shut up unto the faith which should
afterward be revealed
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ
that we might be justified by faith
but after that faith is come
we are no longer under a schoolmaster
FOR you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus
Unity in the body of Christverses 26-29
FOR as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ
There is neither Jew nor Greek – there is neither bond nor free
there is neither male nor female
for you are all one in Christ Jesus
And if you be Christ’s – then are you Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to the promise
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (940 “bewitched” [baskaino] means to speak ill of one, to slander, to bring evil on one by feigning praise or an evil eye, to charm, to look at someone with a covetous or envious heart, thought of as casting a magical spell that wreaks various degrees of harm on its object, or envy)
DEVOTION: Good people can confuse believers. There were a group of Jewish people who came to the church and told them that they had to follow the commands of the Law of Moses in order to be really saved.
These individuals used the Old Testament to prove their point. They had the members of the church at Galatia thinking that Paul was wrong and they were right.
Paul said they were bewitched. This meant that they were put under a spell to believe these individuals over Paul. There are some really smooth talkers in our world. They can convince many that they are telling the truth when they are really telling them a lie.
This has happened in the financial world often. Someone will present a plan to get rich quick to a group of people. They will believe them and find out later that they were taken advantage of by the individual. He ran off with their money. Some of these individual get caught but a majority get away with it. At least they get away with it here on this earth. They will not get away with it for eternity.
People tend to follow the people with the best presentation even if it is a lie. Paul told these believers that they were following a liar.
We need to check out the teachings of everyone we hear. Each time we hear a message we need to get into our Bible and see what it really says or ask someone we trust if the person is truly a good teacher.
CHALLENGE: Remember we are not to be followers of any pastor, teacher, author or evangelist unless they fully agree with the teachings of the Bible. No new revelations. No restating of the facts of the Word of God. The Bible is inerrant. The Bible is the final authority. Trust the Word of God fully!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (1344 “justified” [dikaioo] means be freed, be righteous, declared righteous, to put right with, acquit, set free, obey righteous commands, vindicate, clear of transgression, or put in right relationship with God)
DEVOTION: Our relationship with God is based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. There is nothing we could do to earn our own salvation. No amount of works would please God to have HIM give us an inheritance in heaven.
HE could only accept a perfect sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world. When Jesus died on the cross and was buried and rose again our salvation became available to us and all those who are followers of Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament law was to show us that we were sinners. No man has ever kept the Law of God perfectly except Jesus Christ. All others are condemned to lake of fire for eternity. That is why God gave those who come to HIM in repentance a way to escape this punishment for sin.
Once we become followers of Jesus Christ we live by faith or trust in what HE has done for us. We realize that we are to serve HIM in love. We are never saved by our works but they manifest that there is a relationship with God.
Some people are still trusting in their personal works to get them into heaven. They are wrong. Some religions teach that their followers have to do so much in order to make it into heaven. If they don’t do just enough they will be spending eternity in the lake of fire.
Are you living your life trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus to complete your salvation or are you trying to add your works to the mix? If you are trying to add to Jesus sacrifice you have never truly trusted HIS sacrifice. You are not on your way to heaven if this is true of your relationship with God. You are still counting on your works.
The phrase: “The just shall live by faith” is repeated four times in the Word of God: Hab. 2: 4; Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10: 38 and here. We should stand up and take notice when it happens throughout the Bible.
CHALLENGE: What does God see in your thought process regarding the salvation HE has provided for you through HIS Son? Does HE see your trust in HIS sacrifice alone?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. (3316 “mediator” [mesites] means a go-between, an internunciator, an reconciler, an arbitrator, or one who intervenes between two)
DEVOTION: Paul is explaining the difference between the law and faith. Under the law the priests acted for the people by offering sacrifices for themselves and then the people. The law was a teacher of what was pleasing to God and what was displeasing to God. The law was the schoolmaster to teach before the coming of Christ.
No one in the Old Testament could keep the law, therefore, the need for daily sacrifices. If the law could have saved people then there was no need for Christ. Paul said that even Abraham followed God by faith. Abraham was not justified by his works. It was his trust in God that gave him blessing. Throughout the Old Testament we find the statement that the “just shall live by faith.” Works were not going to do it. Why? Because they could not satisfy the wrath of God. Only the blood of Jesus Christ as our substitute could satisfy HIS wrath. Christ was the redeemer of all those who put their faith in God.
We follow God by faith. The difference between law and faith is that the law can’t save and faith does. There is no longer any need for the priests to offer sacrifices because Christ was the final sacrifice for our sins. Christ is our arbitrator. HE goes between the Father for each of us who believe. HE does this on a daily basis. HE is defending us against our enemy, the devil, who is accusing us regularly for our daily sins. Isn’t it great to know that someone cares that much about us? Do we care enough about HIM? Paul is warning the Galatians to stop trying to go backwards. Do we think we can be saved by the works of the law? Are we thinking that we can find it in ourselves, deep within ourselves, to follow the LORD on our own? Too often we think like those who are religious that we can reach up to God and win HIS favor. It is God who reaches down to us. HE did it through Christ alone.
CHALLENGE: Go to the LORD with every detail of our life and ask HIM for guidance through each day. Pray without ceasing!!! Remember prayer is just our conversation with God. Talk to HIM.
: 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (1520 “one” [heis] means numeral, used of a single unit or thing, not two or more, a certain one, someone, first, or reference to a single indefinite person)
DEVOTION: Division is not something the LORD wants to see in HIS church. HIS desire is for addition and multiplication. HE wants all those who enter into a relationship with HIM through repentance and confession of sin to get along with one another.
There should not be a cultural line drawn between believers. There should not be an economic line drawn between believers. There should not be a gender line drawn between believers.
All believers are one in HIM. HE has given gifts to each individual to be used in the local church. Each person has their gift. No one should be coveting another person’s gift. Each gift is needed for the local church to move forward for the LORD.
Some believers are not satisfied with the gifts God has given them and they want other gifts. This causes division. There are many people who want to have the gift of pastor/teacher that have never received it but they are still trying to practice it in spite of the fact that God has never given them the gift.
Today we have too many churches that are trying to be politically correct in some of the gifts rather than being Biblically correct. We are not to put unqualified people in areas that will cause division in the church. Some people covet gifts they were never intended to have.
CHALLENGE: If you are trying to practice a gift that was never intended for your gender, you need to stop coveting something that God never intended.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Works of the Lawverses 2, 5, 10, 11
Abrahamverses 6-9, 14, 16, 18, 29
Scriptureverses 8, 22
It is writtenverse 10
Book of the lawverse 10
Law is not faithverse 12
Curse of the Lawverse 13
Law (430 years after)verses 17, 21
Under the Lawverse 23
Law was schoolmasterverse 24
No longer under schoolmasterverse 25
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 6, 8, 11, 17, 18, 20, 21, 26
Sight of Godverse 11
Promises of Godverse 21
God forbidverse 21
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesusverses 1, 14, 22,26, 28
Christ verses 1, 13, 14, 16, 17, 22, 24, 26-29
Jesus Christverses 1, 14, 22
Crucifiedverse 1
Redeemedverse 13
Hanged on a treeverse 13
Covenant confirmed in Christverse 17
Mediatorverses 19, 20
Christ Jesusverses 26, 28
Faith in Christ Jesusverse 26
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spiritverses 2, 3, 5, 14
Promise of the Spiritverse 14
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God is oneverse 20
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Angelsverse 19
Ordained by angelsverse 19
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Galatiansverse 1
Fleshverse 3
Heathen = Gentilesverses 8, 14
Nationsverse 8
Not justified by the lawverses 11, 17
Manner of menverse 15
All under sinverse 22
Greekverse 28
Neither bond nor freeverse 28
Neither male or femaleverse 28
All one in Christ Jesusverse 28
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Foolishverses 1, 3
Bewitchedverse 1
Not obey the truthverse 1
Made perfect in the fleshverse 3
Cursedverses 10, 13
Transgressionsverse 19
Sinverse 22
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Obey the truthverse 1
Learnverse 2
Faithverses 2, 5, 7-9, 11, 12, 14, 23-26
Perfectverse 3
Sufferverse 4
Ministerverse 5
Work miracleverse 5
Hearing of faithverse 5
Believedverses 6, 22
Accountedverse 6
Righteousnessverses 6, 21
Justifyverses 8, 24
Preachverse 8
Gospelverse 8
Blessedverses 8, 9, 14
Faithfulverse 9
Justifiedverses 11, 24
Just shall live by faithverse 11
Redeemedverse 13
Promise of the Spiritverse 14
Brethrenverse 15
Promisesverses 16, 17, 21, 22, 29
Covenantverse 17
Promise by faithverse 22
Faith revealedverse 23
Justified by faithverse 24
Children of God by faithverse 26
Baptized into Christverse 27
Put on Christverse 27
One = unity in Christverse 28
Heirsverse 29
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Works of the lawverses 2, 5, 10, 23
Abrahamverses 6-9, 14, 16, 18, 29
Children of Abrahamverse 7
Law not of faithverses 12, 17
Blessing of Abrahamverse 14
Covenantverses 15, 17
Promises made to Abraham and sonsverse 16
Inheritance be of the lawverse 18
Seed by whom promise was madeverse 19
Law is our schoolmasterverse 24
Jewverse 28
Abraham’s seedverse 29
Church (New Testament people of God)
Preached the gospelverse 8
Brethrenverse 15
No longer under a schoolmasterverse 25
Baptized into Christverse 27
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
29 Third, through faith in Jesus Christ all who believe also become one with those who have been saved by faith throughout the long history of salvation. Thus, by union with Christ, believers become “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Here that which Paul had previously declared to be Christ’s—the inheritance of the promise made to Abraham (3:16)—he now applies to the Christian church as a whole by virtue of its actually being Christ’s body. The verse carries the thought back to the beginning of the chapter.
The use of the word “seed” without the article is of great importance, for it keeps the necessity of a union with Christ constantly before the Galatians. The prize the legalizers had been holding before the eyes of the Galatian Christians and by which they had hoped to win them to the ceremonial aspects of Judaism was the possibility of becoming part of the seed of Abraham. They meant physical seed. Paul now replies that what the legalizers were offering through circumcision was actually already theirs in Christ. But it was only theirs in him. He is the seed to whom the promises were made. Believers enter into the promises by entering into him, thereby also becoming spiritual seed to God.
This last section of the chapter has been filled with references to Jesus Christ. He is mentioned six times, and the point of each reference is that Christians receive all that is of value spiritually by virtue of their attachment to him. Stott has noted,
This is a three-dimensional attachment which we gain when we are in Christ—in height, breadth and length. It is an attachment in “height” through reconciliation to the God who, although radical theologians repudiate the concept and we must be careful how we interpret it, is a God “above” us, transcendent over the universe He has made. Next, it is an attachement in “breadth,” since in Christ we are united to all other believers throughout the world. Thirdly, it is an attachment in “length,” as we join the long, long line of believers throughout the whole course of time.
It is through faith in Christ and in Christ alone that we find ourselves. (Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, pp. 469–470). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
29. Abraham’s seed. As being one with Christ. See vv. 7, 16. In Rom. 4. Paul shows that Abraham was justified by faith, and was thus constituted the spiritual father of all believers in Christ, whether circumcised or uncircumcised. The purpose of God in making the inheritance of the promise dependent on faith was that the promise might be sure to all the seed. Abraham, he says, is “the father of us all” (Rom. 4:16). This spiritual paternity does away with the current Jewish notion of physical paternity. Physical relationship with Abraham is of no significance in the economy of salvation. The apostle “discovers the basis of Christian universalism in the very life of him in whose person theocratic particularism was founded. He has demonstrated the existence of a time when he represented Gentilism, or, to speak more properly, mankind in general; and it was during this period, when he was not yet a Jew, but simply a man, that he received salvation” (Godet). (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 4, p. 131). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
Verse twenty nine. The Judaizers taught that by becoming subjects of the Mosaic law, the Galatian Gentiles would become the seed or progeny of Abraham. Paul asserts that this privilege comes to one by faith in Christ. In Romans 4, Paul shows that Abraham was justified by faith, and was thus constituted the spiritual father of all who put their faith in Christ, whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised. God made salvation dependent upon faith in order that it might be available to both Jew and Gentile. Since Abraham is the spiritual father of all believers, this does away with the false Jewish notion that kinship to Abraham brings one into the divine favor and gives one salvation. By belonging to Christ, believers are also Abraham’s posterity, for Christ is the seed of Abraham. Since believers have entered into relationship with Christ, they must consequently have a share in the same state, and must likewise be Abraham’s seed. (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Ga 3:29). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.)
3:29. Third, believers in Christ are Abraham’s seed. As Paul previously stated, Christ is the Seed of Abraham (vv. 16, 19); therefore being in Christ makes a believer a part of that seed and an heir of the promise to Abraham. Any discussion of the seed of Abraham must first take into account his natural seed, the descendants of Jacob in the 12 tribes. Within this natural seed there is a believing remnant of Jews who will one day inherit the Abrahamic promises directed specifically to them (cf. Rom. 9:6, 8). But there is also the spiritual seed of Abraham who are not Jews. These are the Gentiles who believe and become Abraham’s spiritual seed. They inherit the promise of justification by faith as Paul explained earlier (cf. Gal. 3:6–9). To suggest, as amillenarians do, that Gentile believers inherit the national promises given to the believing Jewish remnant—that the church thus supplants Israel or is the “new Israel”—is to read into these verses what is not there. (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Galatians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 600). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The Law Cannot Do What the Promise Can Do (Gal. 3:27–29)
With the coming of Jesus Christ, the nation of Israel moved out of childhood into adulthood. The long period of preparation was over. While there was a certain amount of glory to the Law, there was a greater glory in the gracious salvation of God as found in Christ. The Law could reveal sin and, to a certain extent, control behavior, but the Law could not do for the sinner what Jesus Christ can do.
To begin with, the Law could never justify the guilty sinner. “I will not justify the wicked,” said the Lord (Ex. 23:7); yet Paul states that God “justifies the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5). King Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, reminded God to condemn the wicked and justify the righteous (1 Kings 8:32); and this was a proper request in light of the holiness of God. The trouble is, nobody was righteous! It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that the sinner is justified—declared righteous—before God.
Furthermore, the Law could never give a person a oneness with God; it separated man from God. There was a fence around the tabernacle and a veil between the holy place and the holy of holies.
Faith in Jesus baptizes us “into Christ” (Gal. 3:27). This baptism of the Spirit identifies the believer with Christ and makes him part of His body (1 Cor. 12:12–14). Water baptism is an outward picture of this inner work of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:44–48).
The phrase put on Christ (Gal. 3:27) refers to a change of garments. The believer has laid aside the dirty garments of sin (Isa. 64:6) and, by faith, received the robes of righteousness in Christ (see Col. 3:8–15). But to the Galatians, this idea of “changing clothes” would have an additional meaning. When the Roman child came of age, he took off the childhood garments and put on the toga of the adult citizen. The believer in Christ is not just a “child of God”; he is also a “son of God” (see Gal. 3:26, where children ought to be translated “adult sons”). The believer has an adult status before God—so why go back into the childhood of the Law?
“All one in Christ Jesus”—what a tremendous claim! The Law created differences and distinctions, not only between individuals and nations, but also between various kinds of foods and animals. Jesus Christ came, not to divide, but to unite.
This must have been glorious news for the Galatian Christians, for in their society slaves were considered to be only pieces of property; women were kept confined and disrespected; and Gentiles were constantly sneered at by the Jews.
The Pharisee would pray each morning, “I thank Thee, God, that I am a Jew, not a Gentile; a man, not a woman; and a freeman, and not a slave.” Yet all these distinctions are removed “in Christ.”
This does not mean that our race, political status, or sex is changed at conversion; but it does mean that these things are of no value or handicap when it comes to our spiritual relationship to God through Christ. The Law perpetuated these distinctions, but God in His grace has declared all men to be on the same level that He might have mercy on all men (Rom. 11:25–32).
Finally, the Law could never make us heirs of God (Gal. 3:29). God made the promise to “Abraham’s Seed” (singular, Gal. 3:16), and that Seed is Christ. If we are “in Christ” by faith, then we too are “Abraham’s seed” spiritually speaking. This means we are heirs of the spiritual blessings God promised to Abraham. This does not mean that the material and national blessings promised to Israel are set aside, but that Christians today are enriched spiritually because of God’s promise to Abraham (see Rom. 11:13ff).
This section of Galatians is valuable to us as we read the Old Testament Scriptures. It shows us that the spiritual lessons of the Old Testament are not for the Jews only but have application to Christians today (see Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11–12). In the Old Testament we have preparation for Christ; in the Gospels, the presentation of Christ; and in the Acts through Revelation, the appropriation of Christ.
Your Christian life ought to take on new wonder and meaning as you realize all that you have in Christ. And all of this is by grace—not by Law! You are an adult son in God’s family, an heir of God. Are you drawing on your inheritance? This will be Paul’s theme in the next section. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 703–704). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Ver. 29. For if ye be Christ’s, &c.] Or seeing ye are his, not by creation only, but by the father’s gift to him, by the purchase of his own blood, by the power of his grace, making them willing to give up themselves to him; not only his by profession, saying they are the Lord’s, calling themselves by his name; but by possession, Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith, and they having his spirit as a spirit of regeneration and adoption: then are ye Abraham’s seed; not his natural but his spiritual seed, the seed that should come, and to whom the promises were made, ver. 16, 19 and so were upon an equal foot even with the Jews that believed: and heirs according to the promise; being the children of God, they are heirs of God; and being the spiritual children of Abraham, the children of the promise, which are counted for the seed, they are, according to the promise made to Abraham and his spiritual seed, heirs of the blessings of the grace of life, and of the eternal inheritance; of the blessing of justification of life, and of everlasting salvation; of this world and of the world to come; of all the spiritual blessings of the covenant of grace, and of the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance of the saints in light; to which they are begotten through the abundant mercy of God, for which they are made meet by the grace of Christ; and to which they have a right by his justifying righteousness. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 25). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
A NEW PRINCIPLE
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21
We are meant to use all our God-given natural faculties. That is why when God wants a great teacher of the Christian Gospel, he chooses a man like the apostle Paul. Yes, but Paul was no more a Christian than the most ignorant person in the church at Corinth. It is the principle that matters. We must not merely consider this in terms of understanding and ability; it is something much more wonderful and glorious than that. And that is why Paul was able to say in 1 Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
God, he says, takes the ignorant, and by means of them He confounds the wise, and He takes the weak and confounds the mighty—because of this new principle that He introduces.
What, then, is the effect of the introduction of this principle? This life eternal about which we are speaking is something that affects the entire person. But it is especially interesting to observe the way in which it affects a man’s understanding and apprehension of spiritual things. And the way to look at that is to contrast the natural, unregenerate man, who is not a Christian, with the man who is a Christian. According to Scripture, the natural man is spiritually dead. May I be so bold as to put it like this: If there is anybody to whom these things about which I am speaking are really utterly meaningless, then, as I understand Scripture, it means that such a person is spiritually dead and has not received eternal life because, as Paul puts it, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him” (1 Corinthians2:14). They are meaningless to him.
A Thought to Ponder: God takes the ignorant, and by means of them He confounds the wise—because of this new principle that He introduces.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 153-154, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
A venerable confession of faith states it rightly: “God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any way to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.”
We dare not speak on God’s behalf to explain why He allowed these particular acts of evil to happen at this time to these persons and in this manner. Yet, at the same time, we dare not be silent when we should testify to the God of righteousness and love and justice who rules over all in omnipotence. Humility requires that we affirm all that the Bible teaches, and go no further. There is much we do not understand. As Charles Spurgeon explained, when we cannot trace God’s hand, we must simply trust His heart.
…. (The Goodness of God and the Reality of Evil by Albert Mohler)
“If people can be sensible about these everyday matters, why can’t they be sensible about eternal matters, especially since the consequences are much more tragic?” from Be Decisive: Jeremiah by Warren Wiersbe.
Jerry Jones, Owner of the Dallas Cowboys called a meeting with all of his Coaches, Players and field staff and firmly told them, “You are all simply paid performers on a stage and that field is my stage! You will stand, with your hand over your heart and with respect, when our Country’s National Anthem is being played or you will no longer be a Dallas Cowboy, a Coach for the Dallas Cowboys or have any association with the Dallas Cowboy Organization! I will immediately fire you, no matter who you are!”
Deuteronomy 29
The covenant with the children of Israel is renewed in Moab.
INSIGHT
After laying out the options before the Israelites at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim, God now says, “Choose.”
But by His grace, He makes clear the consequences of these choices. How terrible are the curses-and how wonderful are the blessings.
Seeing the alternative so clearly before us, what could possibly account for our choosing the curses? The only conceivable answer is that we don’t believe God. We don’t really believe that the blessings will be that good-or that the curses will be that bad.
The Old Testament was written for our instruction. We must learn to take God at His Word. Period. (Quiet Walk)
Lessons from Amos: Seek the Lord
“But seek not Bethel. . . . Seek the LORD, and ye shall live.” (Amos 5:5-6)
Bethel had a long history with Israel. Abraham camped near Bethel when he first entered the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:8) and “called on the name of the LORD” at Bethel when he returned from Egypt (Genesis 13:3-4). Jacob’s dream of the ladder took place at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-12, 19), and later it was there his name was changed to Israel (Genesis 35:9-15).
Later, however, Bethel became Bethaven, the “House of Idols” (Hosea 4:15), after Jeroboam I established a temple to the golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33). And much later, Assyria, after the destruction of Israel, left false priests at Bethel to corrupt the land (2 Kings 17:27-34). The place became a substitute for the person of God.
The danger comes when God becomes fixed to a place or an event where there is more concern for property than people. The kind of place (one’s denomination) substitutes theology for truth, or the experience gives more credence to intuition than inspiration. Worship of place or event supersedes the worship of God. Both substitutes will produce error.
The admonition of Amos is to “seek the LORD” (Amos 5:6). The promise is that if we seek the Lord, we “shall live.” We will not find God in a place but in a person (Acts 4:12). We cannot find God in a campaign but in a commitment (Matthew 6:33). We surely will not find God in promises from men but in power from God (2 Peter 1:4).
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Trump administration and pro-life groups a major victory Monday, upholding a new rule that prevents certain federal funds from going to groups – such as Planned Parenthood – that promote or perform abortions.
The 7-4 decision means the Department of Health and Human Services can continue enforcing the rule, which was finalized last year.
Opponents call it the “gag rule,” while supporters dubbed it the “protect life rule.”
At issue are $300 million in funds within a family-planning-program known as Title X, which provides low-income people with cancer screenings, pregnancy tests and contraceptives.
The new HHS rule prevents Title X money from going to clinics that “perform, promote, refer for, or support abortion as a method of family planning.” It also requires recipients to financially and physically separate their abortion services from their non-abortion services.
Planned Parenthood, which receives an estimated $60 million annually from Title X, chose last year to drop out of the program. Planned Parenthood and other like-minded groups joined a coalition of states in suing the federal government to overturn the rule.
But the Ninth Circuit – often a thorn in the side of social conservatives – sided with the Trump administration. The same lineup of justices last year refused to issue an injunction blocking the rule.
The Trump administration’s policy, the Ninth Circuit ruled Monday, is similar to HHS regulations issued in 1988 that were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1991 case Rust v. Sullivan. In fact, the Ninth Circuit noted, the Trump policy is less restrictive than the 1988 regulations in at least “one important respect” – “a counselor providing nondirective pregnancy counseling ‘may discuss abortion’ so long as ‘the counselor neither refers for, nor encourages, abortion.’”
“There is no ‘gag’ on abortion counseling,’” Judge Sandra S. Ikuta wrote for the majority. She was nominated by President George W. Bush. “… In light of Supreme Court approval of the 1988 regulations and our broad deference to agencies’ interpretations of the statutes they are charged with implementing, plaintiffs’ legal challenges to the 2019 rule fail,”
Section 1008 of Title X, Ikuta noted, prohibits funds from being “used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.”
“With the court failing to block the rule, Congress must take action to reverse this dangerous rule and restore access to care for millions through Title X,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. “Planned Parenthood will never give up on our patients and we will continue to do everything we can to fight this rule.”
After Planned Parenthood and others dropped out of the program last year, HHS awarded those relinquished funds to other family-planning clinics, organizations and states.
Pro-life groups applauded the Ninth Circuit’s decision.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for abortions. That’s precisely why Title X includes language allowing the federal government to deny funding to organizations that perform and promote them,” said Elissa Graves of Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief siding with HHS. “The 9th Circuit was on firm ground to allow HHS to follow the law and ensure that no Title X money reaches the coffers of Planned Parenthood or any other organizations that are in the abortion business. … Plenty of other organizations provide valuable and genuine health care services that are deserving of this money. Planned Parenthood is not.”
All seven judges who upheld the rule were nominated by Republicans (four by George W. Bush, two by President Trump and one by Ronald Reagan). The four dissenting votes came from Democratic-nominated judges (all by Bill Clinton).
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