Brethren, this present evil world, which does not look to God’s Word for
understanding and truth, has turned the word “Israel” into a term of
condescension and disdain. The world does not appreciate the word “Israel”
and they are fearful of this word. There is almost a hate for the term
“Israel.” Because of this hate, this disdain, the people who use the word
“Israel” in that way, have insured that they are going to miss out on the
most extraordinary and fabulous promises of God, that God has for His
people. God does call some now, and opens their minds. But all of the rest
will have their minds blocked, and they will miss out on God’s promises at
least for the time being, until the Great White Throne Judgment.
For those of us who believe and are faithful, God’s promises are sure. God’s
promises are plenteous.
Who then will be the recipients of the spiritual blessings that far surpass
the promise of physical blessings that were made to ancient Israel? God
made a lot of promises; many of them had to do with land, health, and
physical things. But there are spiritual and eternal promises that God made.
Who will be the recipients of those promises? The answer is, it is the
Israel of God. But, who is the Israel of God? What is the real transcendent
fulfillment of the Israel of God? What does that mean?
When most people hear the word Israel, they envision the Jews' land of
Palestine. That is what you see on the news daily. They think of it as just
being a little speck in the Middle East.
Unfortunately, the leadership of our country is more in sympathy, and more
concerned with those who would drive the Jews of the modern-day land of
Israel in Palestine into the sea. They are more in sympathy with that
movement than they are with God’s end-time prophecies about the Jews and the
holy land. In the scriptures God does talk about that in the end time.
There are those high in our government who would count it a victory if the
state of Israel were abolished completely.
They do not know their Bible – but the answers are there.
The name “Israel” refers to much. It first appears, back in Genesis 32:28,
when it is given by God to our father in the faith, our patriarch, Jacob.
Genesis 32:28, 30 “And [Jesus Christ, God of the Old Testament] said, Thy
name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou
power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” And Jacob called the name
of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is
preserved.
Jacob's name means "one who supplants," because he had usurped the
birthright from his brother, Esau.
Genesis 25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him:
and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Jacob’s name was changed to Israel by God with the prophetic meaning, “the
prince who overcomes or prevails.” That is pointing to the ultimate reality
that spiritual Israel would rule with Christ as kings and priests. We are
going to jump around to locations, to names and to spiritual concepts when
we are speaking about Israel.
Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we
shall reign on the earth.
Jacob’s twelve sons and their descendants are all referred to as Israel.
We, those of us in God’s church, who understand the birthright promises that
God made to Abraham, realize that America and the English speaking nations,
formerly known as the British Commonwealth - Ireland, Wales, Scotland, - all
of the United Kingdom, and the English speaking colonizers of Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, are also properly referred to as
modern day Israel of the Bible. We are recipients of those physical promises
that go all of the way back to Abraham.
Do not make the same mistake as so many do when reading a prophecy about the
people of Israel, and apply it to modern day Palestine.
I was reading the Journal last week, and reading an article written by one
of God’s ministers. He jumped track, and he took a verse from the scriptures
that referred to Israel as God intends Israel to be, and he applied it to
the modern day state over in Palestine.
Let me give you another use of “Israel.” We commonly speak of “ancient
Israel,” “Israel in captivity,” “Israel in the Promised land”. They are to
be understood as the children of Israel that God brought out of Egypt and
into the Promised Land. That was the fulfillment of some of the promises for
land and for blessings.
A very common mistake, that I see today, is the use of "Israel" and "Jew"
interchangeably. I have seen it from Billy Graham and on down. They will
synonymously use one or the other. They think that the Jews killed Christ
and so there is a good deal of anti-Semitism that is not spoken, but
possibly felt. Sadly they apply that to Israel. When they try to study their
Bible and they run across the word Israel, their mind just substitutes Jew,
and then they derail and they cannot come to a right answer. It is a very
beautiful truth that has been restored to us, brethren, that we can
understand the difference.
All Jews are Israelites, but all Israelites are not Jews. Judah was only one
of the twelve sons of Israel. We will touch on a few of them today.
God made many promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those promises were both
physical and they were spiritual. We need to know how to discern the
difference.
Paul explained that all of these promises would find their fulfillment in
Israel.
Romans 9:3-4 “…my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are
Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants,
and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.”
Paul is saying, ‘You who are Israelites like me’. Paul was of the tribe of
Benjamin. They very often did not distinguish between Jews and Benjamites,
because they were there in the Promised Land together.
Physical Israelites “pertain the… promises.” God very clearly shows, through
Paul’s inspired writings, that to the flesh and blood physical Israelites,
pertain the promises.
When were those promises made?
What were those promises?
Paul expands on that to show that, to show that all who are baptized in
Christ are Abraham’s seed - covenant people - and heirs to the promises.
But, that goes on to more than the physical promises; that goes on to the
spiritual promises.
Paul explained to the Gentiles, that although at one time they were excluded
from the promises of God given to Israel under the Old Covenant, but, they
have become heirs of the promise of grace through Jesus Christ.
We have been going through the book of Galatians and we see that there is no
difference, neither Gentile, Israelite, male or female. If you are baptized,
and you are converted, then you belong to Christ, and you are Abraham’s
seed, and heirs to the promise through Christ.
That means that we, who are in God’s church, are His covenant people.
As we study through the epistles, keep in mind that the brethren to whom the
letters were written were looking for the fulfillment of God’s promises,
much like we do today. Sometimes we do not think about that. Today, we think
about Jesus coming back. But they had a little bit different concept being a
little bit closer to the time of Christ. There was still a residual
sentiment that the Kingdom of Israel in its physical powerful manifestations
would be set up like it was at the time of David and Solomon. But, there was
a general expectation of the promises, and they applied it the best that
they could, much the same as we do today.
Their expectations were more along the line of physical Israel being
restored and having Abraham as their father. You remember some Jews that
Christ was talking to, they said that they had Abraham as their father, and
Christ refuted that.
Even the Gentiles who were being factored into Israel had difficulty
grasping the concept of spiritual Israel.
That is something that we will do today, we will try to distinguish between
Israel and spiritual Israel.
We are going to try and conclude the book of Galatians today, and we will be
looking at Galatians 5 and 6.
As we study through these epistles, we are able to focus on some of the
major tenets of our faith. Not all of them. In Galatians 3, we could have
made a real good case for studying “oneness” as a husband and wife are one
flesh. God the Father and Jesus are one spirit. We cannot touch on every
concept, but we will try to cover many of the major concepts.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made
us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
What does it mean Christ has set us free? Free from what? Free to do what?
When we speak of freedom in America we often mean freedom from unwarranted
government intervention, and rules and regulations.
Does freedom in Christ mean that we are free to party hardy, as our carnal
minded society would do? Or does freedom in Christ mean that we have come
out of that world into the glorious light of Christ, and that we will not
have to suffer the bondage of sin that comes from a sinful lifestyle?
The yoke of bondage is the death penalty for our sins. We have been set free
from that.
We will be talking again about works of the ritualistic law, the “ergon”
works of the law that do not take away sin.
When Jesus died, He validated, He ratified a new and better covenant. That
is the spiritual covenant. Not with physical blessing, but of eternal life.
The world is confused on this point too. They say, “I believe in Jesus
Christ, I have faith in Jesus Christ.” But, brethren, when we say that, we
are not talking about believing that historically Jesus existed. The world
believes that there was a man in Israel, and His name was Jesus, and He
existed. I believe in Jesus. That is not what the Bible talks about when it
says, “Believe in Jesus.” Believing in Jesus is believing what Jesus stood
for, who He was, what He taught, what He said that you must do. The world
could care less about that what Jesus represented, but we are to believe the
way of life that Jesus represented. That is what would bring salvation.
Romans 5:8 says that Jesus Christ died in our place… in our stead. We
brought the death sentence on ourselves, through our sins.
Jesus Christ in His love, and in the Father’s love, died so that we did not
have to die, and that we might have eternal life.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
[future tense] saved from wrath through Him.
This is a freedom; we do not have to die.
Romans 5:10 teaches that Jesus’ death removed the obstacle between us and
the Father… but that does not grant us eternal life – eternal life comes
through the righteousness of Christ which is imputed to us because we were
saved by Jesus’ life that the Father restored to Him.
Just because Jesus died, if He had stayed dead, we would not have eternal
life. God the Father had to raise Jesus Christ back to life.
In the covenant with Abraham – if he believed that Jesus would do as He
promised – it was counted to him as righteousness. That justified his past
guilt. Abraham was a sinner, like you and I have been sinners. But because
of his faith in Christ, he believed in what Christ did and he acted on it.
Study the life of Abraham and you will see that he acted on it in a big way.
In the New Covenant if we believe Jesus (what He said, and what He stood
for), that it is imputed to us for righteousness. If we believe that He is
our Savior, and we live our lives in accordance with His precepts, statutes,
and guidelines, then that righteousness in imputed to us.
Romans 4 talks about Christ’s righteousness being imputed to us.
Romans 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void,
and the promise made of none effect:
If you can just do ritualistic things, like a school boy following all of
the ritualistic laws and if that saves you and gives you eternal life, faith
is made void. You do not need to believe in Jesus Christ, you do not even
have to live like Jesus Christ. You can just do these various ritualistic
things. “The promise is made of none effect.” But, brethren, let us be
clear, the promises are in effect, all of God’s promises are sure.
Romans 4:20 He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Why would he do that? He was old, but he still believed God through his
unbelief and his doubts.
Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was
able also to perform.
Abraham did not doubt for a minute that God would do what He said. He knew
that he was weak in the flesh, but he knew that God would do what He
promised.
Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
We are talking about this faith in Jesus Christ, and having Christ’s
righteousness imputed to Abraham.
Romans 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed
to him;
In other words, if we act in accordance with what Jesus Christ has said, His
righteousness will be imputed to us. That requires that we live a life like
Jesus Christ lived. He forgave, He was merciful, and He died for others. The
exact same things are required of us if we want Christ’s righteousness
imputed to us, because our righteousness is as filthy rags and entirely
insufficient.
Romans 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on
Him [Father] that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye [cause yourself to] be
circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
In other words, if you think that you are going to have salvation by being
circumcised, by ritualistic law, Christ shall profit you nothing. These are
very strong words; it is either this or that. And the Galatians had fallen
back in to believing, because of the Judaizers that the way to God’s
Kingdom, the way to righteousness is by going back to the ritual works of
the law. So what we see in verse 2 is Paul is telling them not to rely on
circumcision to save them. It cannot, and it will not save them.
Galatians 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised [submits
to circumcision], that he is a debtor to do [fulfill] the whole law.
This is the whole ritualistic law. He had never better slip up on one single
point or he loses his salvation. So, I guess you could say that if somebody
was able to keep all of the law perfectly, it is impossible, and then they
would never have sin. Then if they did not have sin they would not have to
die according to the law. Well that is foolish talk. Everyone has come short
of the glory of God.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by [no “the”] law; ye are fallen from grace.
If you try to do it by ritualistic law you are fallen from grace. You are
not in God’s graces, and you are not going to receive the promises of God.
That goes from being called, having faith, having repentance, all of the way
to salvation.
If your righteousness is based on legalism then you are cut off from Christ.
Paul uses this concept of being cut off in reference to circumcision and in
reference to our relationship with God. You are cut off from Christ, and
your relationship is abolished, and you are dropped from His good graces.
Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit [as opposed to the fleshly works]
wait for [fully expect] the hope of righteousness by faith.
This means that we fully expect, as we saw with Abraham a moment ago.
Abraham knew, he was fully persuaded that it was going to take place. So
Paul says that we, through the spirit, fully expect the hope of
righteousness by faith. These are verses that we do not often go through and
it is good to go through these epistles and understand very clearly what is
being said. This is written, as we saw, for our sakes on whom the ends of
the earth have come.
Because we are making the same mistake, in many ways, in God’s church today,
and we will touch briefly on that in a few moments. It is Christ’s imputed
righteousness, not our own righteousness of works.
Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor
uncircumcision [they are not even a part of the equation]; but faith which
works by love. [agape – Godly love – because God grants us faith – we do not
work it up ourselves.]
What does that mean? That is because none of us work up faith, and even that
is given to us by God.
God grants us faith; we do not work up our own faith. Yes, we try to build
on our faith and strengthen our faith. We look to God, and we read His word,
and we believe what He says. But that is a gift from God. We are not members
of God’s church, of the body of Christ, through our own works. That is by
the grace of God.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:
God grants us the faith.
Romans 12:3 ...God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
1 Corinthians 12:8-9 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
...To another faith by the same Spirit;
God, through His Holy Spirit, gives us faith. So we cannot boast, we cannot
be prideful and say that we are better than our neighbor next door. We can
say that we are different than our neighbor next door, and the timing is
different for us.
Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey
the truth?
We know who tripped them up – it was the Judaizers that taught them that
they must be circumcised and keep all of the legalistic rituals to be
righteous in God’s eyes – which was in effect turning their back on the
sacrifice and redemption of Christ – which is obeying the truth.
Galatians 5:8-9 This persuasion [legalistic rituals] cometh not of Him [God
the Father] who is calling you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Why does Paul put “a little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump?” They knew
very well what it meant. It meant that it does not take many Judaizers to
corrupt the entire church. One rotten apple spoils the barrel. It only takes
one or two Judaizers to corrupt the entire church.
Galatians 5:10-11 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be
none otherwise minded [not led astray from the truth]: but he that troubles
you shall bear his judgment [he will bear the blame], whosoever he be. And
I, brethren, if I yet [still] preach circumcision [the false claim made
against Paul], why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offense of the
cross ceased.
Paul had circumcised Timothy for an entirely different reason, not for
salvation. But he was being accused of saying that you had to be circumcised
on the one hand, and then telling the Galatians that they did not have to be
circumcised, and he was coming under quite a bit of condemnation.
The word “offense” in the Greek is the word ‘scandal’ and it means very much
what the word scandal means in English. It means something that has been a
stumbling block, something that trips you up, something that comes along to
cause you to fall down.
Paul would say, ‘If I was teaching circumcision, and you do not have to
believe in salvation through Jesus Christ, then I should not be being
persecuted, I would be on the right side of things according to the
Judaizers’. The doctrine of a crucified Messiah was the stumbling block,
scandalizing the Judaizers’ pride. The Jews did not accept Jesus Christ.
Christ was persecuted, He was killed; they did not like what Jesus Christ
taught. Jesus taught to look to His Father, to love one another, those kinds
of things. They did not want that kind of religion.
Galatians 5:12 I would [wish] they [Judaizers] were even cut off [amputate
themselves – not only circumcise – but entirely] which trouble you.
Like homosexuals – drop out of the gene pool of humanity. Cease to exist.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty [called on
terms of freedom in Christ]; only use not liberty for an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve one another…
He is saying, ‘No, this is not the way that you use the freedom in Christ.
You do not have the freedom to go where you want, do what you want, bless
yourself, and revel, and so forth’.
Galatians 5:13 …by love [according to God’s Ten Commandments, according to
God’s way of living] …serve one another.
In other words, do not be self-serving because of your freedom, but be
serving others.
This is the crucial point of this entire book to the Galatians.
The Galatians had left off laying their lives down for one another in favor
of ritualistic religion. There is no salvation in that.
Today, church members have left off laying their lives down for one another,
and they have substituted “a looking to men at headquarters,” rather than
trusting God and looking to His Word.
Today, church members have raised “church government” to a par with God’s
revealed authority. That is in place of forgiveness, reconciliation,
healing, Christ’s love, repentance, mercy, compassion. What do they do? They
substitute their versions of the calendars, holy names, organizational
loyalty (‘be loyal to me and my organization’) and organizational rivalry in
place of the precepts that Jesus Christ taught. Jesus Christ taught no such
thing.
It is very clear what Jesus Christ taught, yet we have a lot of substitutes
in the Church of God today. That is the same mistake the Galatians made, and
they had a substitute faith. They had moved away from the simplicity in
Christ.
II Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ [to a substitute religious conviction].
There are no substitutes to the simplicity that is in Christ, it is straight
forward.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
That is pretty simple is it not? But, wouldn’t we rather be watching what we
eat, the way that we wear our clothes, how we participate in activities with
people that really amounts to nothing but socializing, because sometimes
after services the sermon is not spoken of, no-one is provoked into good
works, the scriptures are not discussed.
I John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar:
for he that loves not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God
whom he hath not seen?
It is very clear that if we do not love our brother there is no salvation.
Jesus taught a Christianity of right relationships with our fellow man. So
many say, ‘It is You and me Lord. I am by myself; I do not want to get
involved with other people. I do not have time for other people, they are
all the same, nobody listens, and nobody wants to do what God says, so I
will just leave them all alone’.
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be
not consumed one of another.
It is like a gun fight where they both draw at the same speed and they both
kill each other. You can chew each other up and both lose your salvation.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh.
What does it mean to “…walk in the Spirit?” It is according to what Jesus
Christ taught.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth [fights] against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye
cannot do the things that ye would do.
You are prevented from doing what is right. Paul says that the flesh and the
spirit are distanced as East is to West.
So, brethren, you and I should never think for a moment that we cannot be
drawn off course. Look at the examples in the Bible of all of the people who
were drawn off course. That is why we put on the whole armor of God.
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under [no “the”]
law.
You are not to be subject to legalistic ritualism. There is no specific
article “the” there. But if you are led by the Spirit, then you have not
substituted something for the simplicity in Christ.
We are going to go through some lists, and I will go through them rather
quickly. These lists, brethren, are not to be gone through quickly. We can
use these lists to diligently examine ourselves prior to each Passover. God
says that if we would judge ourselves, if we would measure ourselves, if we
would examine ourselves, then we would not be condemned.
Works of the flesh
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, [impurity] uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, [enmities] variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
[jealousy] seditions, [sectarian division, passionate anger] heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I
tell you before, as I have also told you in time past [forewarned you], that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Brethren, you have to look these up and find out what they mean, and apply
them in your life. Do not just say, ‘I don’t do those works of the flesh’.
Take each one apart and see if our dealings with our mate, our dealings with
our children, our dealings with our parents, if our dealings with the people
that we work with, if any of these things come in. Look at “seditions”
because we have had a lot of sectarian division in God’s church.
Brethren, do we believe the scriptures? We have people that do these things
and they think because of their position that they, or that nobody knows
about it.
Again, we need to measure ourselves against this list as well. We can come
short of these.
None of this is natural; every bit of this is hard work. This is the doing
part of our faith.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith [trustfulness],
Are we peacemakers, are we patient?
Galatians 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
You can do as much of that as you want, you can be as meek and temperate as
possible.
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts.
We buried the old man of sin.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
We have God’s Holy Spirit given to us; we are the children of God. But we
must do it, we must live our faith.
Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another,
envying one another.
It is wrong to say be loyal to me, look to me for understanding, trust no
man but me.
“…Provoking one another…” - that is a two way street. That is brotherly
love. That is ‘helping’ one another. That is the purpose of getting
together. We read back in Hebrews 10, “Provoke one another to good works.”
That is our responsibility.
“…Envying one another…” - envying the good gifts. That person was a
wonderful example; I want to be a wonderful example too.
We are our brother’s keeper – that is true religion.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which [call
yourselves] spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Brethren, this is a command of God, and this is something that we must do if
somebody is overtaken in a fault, and you know about it, you have to
“restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.” You do not get all puffed up
and throw your chin back and your shoulders back, and think that you are
better than them. You go to them and you reason with them, and you show them
the word of God, and tell them the repercussions, and what it does to their
character and so forth. You do not want to be sinful in correcting someone.
James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error
of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
That is a responsibility of a Christian. We do not have an option in the
case.
Brethren, I would put a red flag in my notes here. This command is rarely
complied with in God’s Church today. How often have there been terrible sins
in the church and people will not get involved? That is something to think
about, brethren.
Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ.
Do you want to get right with God? Bear one another’s burdens. As we come to
Passover, let us ask ourselves, “Have I helped someone else in their
difficult walk?” “Have I borne their burdens?”
Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is
nothing, he deceives himself.
I think that applies to a lot of the church. We think, ‘I went to church
last Sabbath, and saw all my buddies there. I think I am something now. It
is me and Christ, and I am going to be in the Kingdom’. Do not think that we
are in good standing when we are not doing what Jesus Christ says to do.
Galatians 6:4-5 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have
rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his
own burden.
We are all guilty! We all have our sins, our weaknesses, our transgressions
and our faults. We will stand before Christ, and we will give an answer for
ourselves. And, when we have had opportunity to love a brother, to lay our
life down for a brother, if we did not do it then we have not done as Jesus
Christ commanded us to do. Jesus said we are to lay our life down just as He
did. That is the job of a Christian. That is what we were called to. We were
not called into a social club of good friends and prosperity. We were called
to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate [share] unto
him that teaches [Paul] in all good things.
Paul is talking about resources here, he is talking about the things that
you have an abundance of, whether it is clothes, food, money, connections,
whatever you have. Paul could use the resources to spread the gospel
message. There are some people who listen and listen, but do not contribute
a penny so that others might hear. Brethren, we are not just feeding
ourselves. God will call some in the last hour. Paul went from town to town.
He was stoned, beat up and brutalized, because he did not know who God the
Father would yet call. It is the same today. Let us get the message out to
the extent that God gives us the strength.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked [defrauded or deceived by
what is really going on]: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap.
It is strange thing, but I have seen this quite a few times in God’s church.
Some people think that when they fool the minister – somehow they are in
good standing with God. God is not mocked; he is not defrauded, or deceived.
God knows what is going on. We answer to God alone.
Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption [doomed to perish]; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting.
Are we laying our lives down, are we provoking one another to good works?
Or, are we doing exactly what Paul says here? To have life everlasting we
have to live like Jesus Christ lived. Some people think that you just have
to get in the right group, in the right organization. Brethren, the way to
the Kingdom of God is much more difficult than that.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.
We shall attain the Kingdom of God, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all
men, especially unto the [brethren] who are of the household of faith.
You start with the church brethren. It means that you guide them, you lead
them, you point them in the right direction, and you encourage them.
Now Paul is concluding this letter and he is saying, ‘Do not settle for
second rate religion, which is no religion at all. You Galatians, you church
people, you are very special, you are set apart, and you are holy people.
Paul told them, ‘All the biblical promises are specifically for you, not for
the world at this time’.
Paul called the spiritual promises to Israel, “covenants of promise.”
Ephesians 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.
Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the
circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the
fathers,
The ultimate promise made to Abraham was that from his loins would come
forth the Messiah and Savior.
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee
[Abraham] shall all nations be blessed.
Brethren – that applies more now, today, this year, more than it ever did,
with regard to the people of God, the called out ones, the body of Christ.
Those promises apply today.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith
not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is
Christ.
Paul clarifies that as we might not see that when we are reading this in
Genesis. You should go back and mark your Bible where this is said. These
are prophesies of a Messiah. Mark your Bible here:
Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyed my voice [which is Christ].
No man can bless all the nations of the earth, this is talking about
spiritual. All nations, that is the Gentiles, will be blessed eventually.
But, brethren, those promises apply to the house of God right now.
Another Messianic prophecy:
Genesis 26:4 I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and
will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed.”
God made physical and spiritual promises to Abraham. The physical promises
involved physical greatness for his descendants, but the spiritual promises
had to do with Christ and those who would become spiritual through Christ.
Also contained in the promises way back there to Abraham was the more
important spiritual promise of salvation to all men who would become
Abraham's "seed" (his descendants).
The singular seed is the direct promise about Jesus Christ in whom all the
earth will receive spiritual blessings - salvation. Jesus is Savior.
In Abraham, all mankind is to eventually have access to God's spiritual
blessings.
It is those who have become the “Israel of God” who will eventually inherit
the Kingdom of God.
The incredible truth is that these spiritual blessings are bestowed on us
today! Not on physical Israel, however, but on spiritual Israel – the Church
of God – the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they
[alone] are constraining [forcing] you to be circumcised; only lest they
should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
They know that if you do it God’s way you will be persecuted. But they do
not want to be persecuted so they go back to their ritualistic practices.
There is religion today, you live it out in the open and you will never be
persecuted, but it is not true religion. You follow the laws of Christ and
you will be persecuted.
Galatians 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep [no
“the” ritualistic] law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may
glory in your flesh.
Paul said that they want the control, they want the numbers, they do not
really care about you.
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory [boast], save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world.
Paul is saying that the only thing that matters is salvation in Christ.
Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything,
nor uncircumcision, but [becoming] a new creature [spiritual creation].
We have to become a new spiritual creation in Christ. Beware of those who
teach that all mankind is the same, and that we all come from the same
primordial swamp of humanity.
There is exceptionalism, and it is the people of God! Jesus is exceptional.
The prophets and the apostles were exceptional. We are the Israel of God. We
are exceptionally and qualitatively different from other people.
Jesus is our Brother, God is our Father, and we are the Israel of God. That
is the ultimate fulfillment, the transcendent meaning of the word Israel.
We are the ultimate recipients of the spiritual promises Jesus made to
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) – we who have God's Spirit are the
fulfillment of those promises – the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them,
and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
God is faithful to keep all the promises that He made to our father,
Abraham,
Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body
the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Paul says that he has rock scars on his head, and on his back, scars where
he has been beaten and lashed. That is his proof that he is walking in
Christ and has been persecuted.
Galatians 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit. Amen.
In all who are led by God’s Holy Spirit is the ultimate fulfillment of the
spiritual promises. They will come on all of the world in the millennium,
but right now we are the recipients of all of the spiritual promises of God.
We are the Israel of God.
WZ/pp/sl