May - Reading 19

Good evening -

Our Scripture schedule for today is:

Mark 14:53-65

Galatians 3:1-14

Psalm 112

2 Samuel 13

May God bless the reading of His Word.

 

Good evening -

In 2Samuel tonight we get a taste of Nathan's prophecy of the "sword (not) departing from (David's) house." I find chapter 13 a very human story in the actions of all of the characters. Amnon discovers that it was not love that he felt for Tamar, but just burning lust. Poor Tamar the helpless victim of rape and having the signifigance of this horrific act played down by Absalom. David grieves and is infuriated by this act but does nothing in the way of bringing about justice, perhaps influenced by his own remorse over his sin involving Bathsheba, and even more importantly, Uriah. Perhaps most human of all and the character to whom I have the most affinity is Absalom. It is a very difficult thing to let God have the vengeance when a loved one is wronged. Like Absalom, crimes against the weak and helpless infuriate me and the way that he bided his time and waited for opportunity show that the murder of Ammon was a premeditated act.

We also read tonight Mark's telling of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. The account in Matthew is just about the same length but Mark's telling, to me, is far more personal and emotional. The only "crime" that the Sanhedrin can pin on Jesus is His admission of being the Christ. Matthew is clearer in his explanation of the demands for "prohecy" in verse 65. In Isaiah 11:2-4 we read that the Messiah would be able to judge without the aid of sight: 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord -
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord .

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Finally, I love the opening line of Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This poetic, mournful opening of this chapter characterizes the Book. I haven't taken time to count the number of times that the word "faith" appears in this Book, but there is no question that Paul can not emphasize this theme enough to these legalists. NNE is saved by the law! Even if one could fully observe them, the Grace of God is a gift that is freely given! Amen.

May God bless you

- Clint

 

This was my first Sunday School lecture back on 6/22/03. As I was beginning in the middle of the Book, the thoughts are a bit more widesweeping than a verse by verse commentary. - Clint

Galatians 2:15-4:7

Review of Galatians to this point:

 Salutation (1:1-5)
 Denunciation (1:6-9)
 Authentication of Apostleship and Gospel preached (1:10 – 2:21)
 The lesson today and last week: The Doctrine of Justification – Chapters 3-4

*Note – It is almost impossible to have a discussion on Galatians in the modern day without bringing in the example set by other denominational views of the concept of Justification. The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century relied heavily on the teachings of Galatians and in these discussions I am likely to point fingers at other groups. The purpose of this is similar to the directions we see, for example, on seat belts. We know what we SHOULD do because the incorrect way is shown with a red circle drawn around it and a diagonal line drawn through it. I do not believe that one has to understand this concept in order to be saved, that would be legalistic of me! I do not believe that one needs to be Baptist to be saved, that, too, would be legalistic of me. In fact, I have a hunch that most of those who claim the title “Christian” do not even have a firm grasp on what this concept entails, and they do not in fact need to, to attain salvation. However, once a believer understands this concept and what it entails, the teachings of the New Testament will suddenly take on a new dimension that adds a much more crystalline clarity to the theology presented. It also protects the church and clarifies the role of Spiritual discernment within the believer.

Paul is amazed that the Galatians were unable to use Spiritual discernment in recognizing the legalistic instructions of the Judaizers, hence, “O foolish Galatians!” (3:1) Paul now goes about drawing a picture, dissecting the first of the basic components of the salvation experience, Justification.

2:15-21

As in any debate, Paul begins his argument based on a premise accepted by all parties: the moral depravity of man and his need for salvation. Man is separated from God by sin, beginning with Adam. Sin cannot stand before God as it is contrary to His Nature and it would retreat from Him just as darkness retreats from light. Therefore, it is necessary for man to obtain Justification to stand before God so that he may receive Grace, the unmerited favor of God, and thus attain salvation. All parties agreed on this premise.



Paul now outlines the Christian view of Justification and its relationship to the Law and the necessity of Christ’s Sacrifice. Between the time of Moses and Christ, man is under the Law. The Law served to point out transgression and to act as a guardian. It never claimed to bring one to salvation. It was a “curse” in that it convicted man and showed his shortcomings, his unworthiness. (See figure 1) The Law did not offer any opportunity for salvation and was viewed as a single entity. If one was to keep the Law, he must keep ALL of the Law, a human impossibility. For example, one could keep the Ten Commandments, observe all the dietary regulations, never touch his wife during menstruation, never boil a goat kid in its mother’s milk, but then one day accidentally wear a poly-cotton blend and fall short of the Glory of God. James 2:10 agrees completely with this point. Certainly, it is easy to perceive of the stringent, unending list of regulations as a curse.

When Christ came, he completed the Law, fulfilled the Law, and made the Law obsolete. By dying on the Cross, He became the “curse,” conditionally, as the Law stated in Deuteronomy 27:26 and took on man’s transgressions. The single condition for coming out from under the Law was faith in the Gospel. Where does faith originate? Romans 10:17 tells us “faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God.” Therefore, faith originates from the call of the Spirit and is described in Galatians 5:22 as a “fruit of the Spirit.” Even this is not the work of man but of God. All that is required of man is allowance within his own free will when the Spirit calls him by responding with faith. This is, in fact, all that man can do. See Figure 2 Faith is always the first step toward Glorification.



Now our transgressions are no longer being pointed out by the Law. Instead, the fulfillment of the Law, Christ, Who is God, born under the Law, takes on the curse, becomes the curse and releases us from the curse. This is Justification, that bridge to God known as faith, that makes us worthy of receiving Grace, or, unmerited favor.

Continued tomorrow.

[ May 19, 2004, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: Clint Kritzer ]

 

Our Scriptures for 5/20 are:

Mark 14:66-72

Galatians 3:15-29

Psalm 113

2 Samuel 14-15

 

Our Scriptures for 5/20 are:

Mark 14:66-72

Galatians 3:15-29

Psalm 113

2 Samuel 14-15

 

Our Scriptures for 5/20 are:

Mark 14:66-72

Galatians 3:15-29

Psalm 113

2 Samuel 14-15

 

Our Scriptures for 5/20 are:

Mark 14:66-72

Galatians 3:15-29

Psalm 113

2 Samuel 14-15

 

Our Scriptures for 5/20 are:

Mark 14:66-72

Galatians 3:15-29

Psalm 113

2 Samuel 14-15