The Fruit Of Redemption

                                                               Sunday School Lesson
                                                                   February 26,2012
Lesson Focus:
When you live by the
spirit your life bears fruit
Lesson Scripture:
Galatians 5:22-6:10

Introduction:

Christians should walk in the power of the Spirit,developing Christlike characteristics that show the fruit of His Spirit.What does that look like? Love is what Christ did for us on the cross.His love was sacrificial,serving,caring for another without any conditions.That love manifests itself in the fruit of His Spirit.The attitude of Joy says, regardless of the circumstances,I can see God working and I'm glad.Peace is harmony and tranquility with one's self and others,knowing God is in control.Patience is enduring,steadfast under difficult circumstances,without anger toward irritating people.kindness, goodness,and gentleness are ther centered,so weare ready to do the best for the other person with a gracious,sweet disposition.Faithfulness is the quality of loyalty,keeping commitments and promises. The goal of any christian should be having a loving harmony in relationship with God and each other.

The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-26,KJV

 ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

   ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
   ²⁴And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
   ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

   ²⁶Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Footnotes:
Having just highlighted the loathsome works of the flesh(vs.19-21),Paul went on to contrast them with the righteous,holy work of the spirit and the fruit He produces in the lives of the believers who walk in Him.That "fruit" is singular suggests the various aspects of the Spirit's fruit develop and grow together and not as separate pieces of fruit existing independently.Love is listed first, and highlights its prominence among the other aspects of the fruit.Those who love with God's kind of love can also experience joy, peace, longsuffering(patience), gentleness(kindness), goodness,faith (faithfulness), meekness(gentleness), and temperance(self control) in their lives.Against the fruit of the Spirit "there is no law"(Vs.23).Those who are in Christ can do what the non-believer cannot: Live in a manner that glorifies the one who was crucified for sin.Sin no longer has rule over the believer, because on the cross, Jesus broke sin's power.By coming to the cross in faith,believers are made alive by the Spirit and therefore are admonished to also walk with Him.Sadly, however this is not always the case.Chapter 5 closes with examples of what failure to walk in the Spirit can look like,pride,wanting to be first,antagonizing others,and envying what they have.

The Fruit of Grace

Galatians 6:1-6KJV

¹Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

   ²Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
   ³For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
   ⁴But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
   ⁵For every man shall bear his own burden.
   ⁶Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Footnotes:

Having laid the groundwork regarding what the fruit of the spirit is and also what it is not,Paul then gave an example of walking in the Spirit.The term here for"caught"means to suprise or ambush,and "sin"refers to trespass or deviation from uprightness.At times temptation can surprise believers or catch them off guard that they may fall into sin,even if they know what they are doing is wrong. Spiritually mature believers can discern whether someone has been ambushed by sin, or is in outright open rebellion against God. When the former is the case, the mature believers will deal meekly and gently with the transgressor because they realize that ,apart from God's grace, they too could be caught off guard by temptation.Helping others in times of need fulfills the law of Christ, which is to love one another as he loves us.We must help and not look down on those who have stumbled in their spiritual walk, lifting them and even carrying them until they can walk on their own. 

The Fruit of Our Actions

Galatians 6:7-10,KJV

 ⁷Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

   ⁸For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
   ⁹And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
   ¹⁰As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Footnotes:

Paul admonished his readers to live and be who they are in Christ.Believers have God's Word and Spirit to guide and enable them to live in a manner that glorifies Him.To do other wise is an attempt to mock God,who will not be mocked.You will reap what you sow.Actions have consequences.Sinful acts will reap destruction; God pleasing acts will reap eternal blessings.Sometimes doing right will bring on attacks from the evil doers,but we believers have been equipped to do what is right,and we do so with the power of God's indwelling Spirit and the hope of reaping a bountiful harvest of blessings if we faithfully press on.We are compelled by love for Christ and those He died for to do good to eryone,with special priority given to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.When we walk in the Spirit we do not conform to the lust of the flesh

Heirs to The Promise

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                                                         February 19,2012
Lesson Focus:

In Christ we are adopted
as God's Children
Lesson Scripture:
Galatians 3:15-18;
4:1-7
Introduction:

God made a binding agreement with Abraham concerning his seed.The term seed is one person, Christ.The Jewish people thought the seed refered to Abraham's children,the Jewish nation.But Paul was teaching the Galatians, and all believers,differently.Christ is the channel,the way, to inherit God's blessing,not joining or identifying with the Jewish nation.When God established the promise with Abraham it included many blessings and benefits..When non-believers rather Jew or Gentile place their trust in Christ these promises become theirs because of their connection with Christ.

The eed Of Promise
Galatians 3:15-18,KJV
¹⁵Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
   ¹⁶Now 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.
   ¹⁷And 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.
   ¹⁸For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Footnote:

In trying to help the Galatians understand that people become children of God by faith in His promises and not by keeping the law, Paul turned to an example from everyday human affairs. Through out history, people have conducted personal and public business by means of convenants or contracts between one another.The ability to trust that people will keep their word is critical. This is the point that Paul was making to his readers.God made unconditional promises to Abraham and his seed,the ultimate fulfillment being in one person,the Lord Jesus Christ.And because God never breaks His word,the subsequent covenant He made with Moses and the rest of Israel at Sinai 430 years later didn't replace the promise to Abraham.Inheritance of God's blessings through Abraham comes by faith in the promises to Abraham'seed(Christ) and not by keeping the law. 

The Children of Promise
Galatians 4:1-7,KJV
  ¹Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
   ²But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
   ³Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
   ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
   ⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
   ⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
   ⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Footnotes:

In the time when Paul is writing,an heir did not come into full rights of his inheritance until he reached the appropriate age,as designated by his father.Under the law ,God's people were much like the underage heir,awaiting the divinely appointed time.That fullness of time came when God sent forth His son to be born in Bethlehem,live a perfect life under the law,minister and teach the ways of His heavenly Father,and die  on a cross, in order to redeem those under the Law as well as all who were enslaved to the basic elements of this world system,rather Jew or Gentile.Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me".He is our fulfilled promise from God.Everything God promised mankind was fulfilled in Christ Jesus. 

The Place Of Ultimate Trust

                                                                 Sunday School Lesson
                                                                     February 12,2012
Lesson Focus:
Pay attention to what
you put your faith in.
Lesson Scripture:
Galatians 3:1-14

Introduction:

Paul gave the new believers in Galatia a firm talking to:"Have you come under the spell of an evil magician or a demon?" He was calling them back to truth.The Galatians had allowed false teachers to come among them who were telling them they had to become Jews and follow the law along with their new Christian beliefs.Paul reminded them of the day they received the Holy Spirit,when they understood Christ,His crucifixion,His saving power,and the working of the spirit.The Gentiles were caught somewhere between their pagan temples and the Jewish synagogues.Paul says," you belong to neither.You have to walk away from your old pagan worship but you are not required to start attending the synagogue.Abraham was declare righteous,not because he followed any law,but because he believed God's promise.The Christian life is about faith in God, and His word,and the obedience of the two.Our true christianity is based on our faith in Jesus Christ and our obedience to His word.

The Foolishness of the Flesh

Galatians 3:1-5KJV

¹O 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?

   ²This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

   ³Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

   ⁴Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

   ⁵He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Footnotes:

When it came to living to the glory of Christ,the Galatians were unwise and lacking understanding because they had been seduced into living a lie.Paul and other faithful teachers had clearly presented the gospel,Christ crucified for our redemption,whic the Galatians had readily received by fath.Yet they had chosen to forsake the purity of faith for the putrid works of the flesh or human efforts.Paul marveled at how this could be, considering how much the Galatians had suffered for the truth of the Gospel.Apart from the workd of te spirit,sinners hate the light of the gospel truth because their deeds are evil.

The Family Of Faith

Galatians 3:6-9KJV

 ⁶Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

   ⁷Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
   ⁸And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
   ⁹So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Footnotes:

Those who sought to bewitch the Galatians believers may well have used Abraham as an example in their arguments,likely pointing to the fact that God instituted the rite of circumcision with Abraham. But God had promised Abraham years earilier that his descendents would be as abundant as the stars of heaven, and Abraham believed the promise.As a result of the faith,"Abraham believed God and he counted it as righteousness".Salvation by grace through faith is not just a New Testiment concept as Paul made clear to the Galatians.When sinners respond in faith to God's gift of salvation in Christ,they are adopted into God's family as children of Abraham,the man of faith.

The Fulfillment of Faith

Galatians 3:10-14KJV

¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

   ¹¹But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
   ¹²And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
   ¹³Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
   ¹⁴That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Footnotes:

Here Paul's argument shifted from the example of Abraham to an examination of what the Old Testiment says abut the law and faith.We cannot kepp th elaw perfectly,the law was designed to show man he was lost and needed a savior.If we could live by the law Jesus wouldn't of had to die. Paul pointed to Habakkuk 2:4 which states that  the righteous,those justified in God's eyes, shall "live by faith".The ultimate fulfillment of God's grace is in His Son,who took the law's curse upon Him to redeem us from the law.Jesus hung on a cross that all who believes can be blessed with the blessings of Abraham.

Seeking Something to believe In

                                                                          Sunday School Lesson
                                                                               February 5,2012
Lesson Focus:
We are not saved by doing,
but by believing in Christ.
Lesson Scripture
Galatians 2:15-21

Introduction:

Paul and Peter were Jews by birth,automatically entitled to certain priviledges,unlike the Gentiles who were not given the Law.However,no one,Jew or Gentile,is declared righteous or becomes a Christian by following the Law.One purpose of the Law was to lead people to know they needed a Savior.When Jesus came He showed us a better way.God delares salvation to all who trust in Christ and His finished work on the cross,not depending on their works or obeying rules.Christ is the only one who has kept the law perfectly.No one can stand before God and say"I have done enough to earn your favor".Jesus has to stand with us.We are justified in Christ.In Christ we are totally cleasned and make right with God.Therefore,is a Christian to go around and do as he pleases?No that is foolish behavior,and is not the walk of one born again in the spirit of God.The life we live we now live in Christ,as we are hid with Christ in God.

Not by Works of The Law
Galatians 2:15-16KJV
 ¹⁵We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
   ¹⁶Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Footnotes:

One of the challenges Paul faced in his ministry was communicating unambiguously the relationship between faith and works.Before putting his faith in Jesus,Paul was a Pharisse who took great pride in his ability to keep the requirements of God's laws.And he was well aware of the importance the law had in the lives of the Jewish people.But when he put his faith in Jesus,he learned that salvation was based on faith not on works.When Paul wrote the Galatians,he was reinforcing the message that believers are justified by faith alone and not by their ability to observe God's laws.Paul pointed out that if we could be made righteous any other way,Jesus would not have had to die.Our faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the only way man can be saved.

I Am CrucifiedWith Christ
Galatians2:17-21 KJV
 ¹⁷But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
   ¹⁸For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
   ¹⁹For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
   ²⁰I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
   ²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Footnotes:

Paul was not concerned only about those who said that a person had to obey God's laws to be saved.He was also concerned about those who wanted to continue in a legalistic lifestyle even after being saved,since they saw following the law as also essential to salvation.Peter and Barnabas were swayed by pressure from Jewish Christians legalist in Antioch.Paul pointed out,however,that the law as a measure of righteousness died on the cross with Jesus and can no longer be used as a means of determinining if a person is righteous.The only measure God uses now is faith.It's "Christ in us" that saves us.Paul's statement in verse 20 that he has been "crucified with Christ" embodies the change from living by rules to living by faith.Now we can't just say we have faith, our lives must be one of faith,there must be evidence of our faith, for faith without the works of that faith is dead.

If Christ now lives within you there should be some evidence of that new life in Christ.There should be a change in our attitudes and actions.Our lights should so shine before man that they see our good works and glorify God.In Christ we become a new,made another, different from the first,old things have passed away behold all things are become a new.