Monday, November 8, 2010

Christian Liberty and the Law of God

This week I will be preaching from Galatians 5 on the subject of "Christian Liberty and the Law of God." Here is the text of the chapter from the ESV and some questions to get you started thinking about the text.

Galatians 5:1-26 ESV For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (2) Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. (3) I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. (4) You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. (5) For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. (6) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (7) You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? (8) This persuasion is not from him who calls you. (9) A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (10) I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. (11) But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. (12) I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! (13) For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (14) For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (15) But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (16) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (17) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, (21) envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (24) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (26) Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

After reading over the text a few times, think on these questions:

- From what you know about Galatians, from what had the Galatian belivers been set free? From what "corresponding captivity" have we been set free?
- What does it mean for Christ to be of "advantage" to us?
- What is circumcision and what is its relationship to the law?
- What does it mean for faith to "work through love?"
- What is the relationship between Gal 5:6, 13, 14, 23, 6:15 and 2:20-21
- What is the "truth" they were to obey? See Gal 2:5
- What is the "offense of the cross" to which Paul refers in v.11?
- Though Paul says repeatedly that we have been set free (vs. 1, 13) he still seems to indicate that we are accountable to something. Explain/describe from what we have been set free and to what we are now held accountable.
- Explain the phrase in v. 23: "against such things there is no law."


These are just a few things to get the wheels turning regarding the text. I hope to have more of an actualy "Family Devotional" for you all in a couple of days.

Grace,
Pastor Jason



Christ's Mission, God's Law and Man's Greatest Need

Family Devotionals
Week of 31 October 2010
Text: Matthew 5 - 7




Devotional 1


Theme for Devotional 1: Christ and the Scriptures


Read Text: Matthew 5:17-20

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18) For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (19) Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


Discussion Questions:

1. Discuss the negative and positive statements that are made in this passage regarding the Scriptures (ie. The Law and the Prophets). I will get you started and then you fill in the rest as a family:

Negative

v.17 The Scriptures are not to be abolished

v.18

V.19


Positive

v.17 The Scriptures are to be fulfilled

v.18

v.19


2. According to v.20, what is it that that the Scriptures are designed to produce in our lives? Have someone in the family read James 1:22.

3. Read from James 1:23-27. Discuss amongst yourselves “why” doing of the word matters to God?

4. Look again at Matthew 5:20. What is at stake if we fail to take Jesus’ words seriously?


Family Prayer Suggestion: Spend some time praying together, or lead your family in prayer and focus your request on asking God to make you a family that takes his word seriously.




Devotional 2

Theme for Devotional 2: Christ and the Scribes


Read Text: Matthew 5:21-26 ESV

You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' (22) But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. (23) So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, (24) leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (25) Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. (26) Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.


Discussion Questions:

Throughout this section, especially in vs.21, 27, 31, 33, 38, and 43 Jesus opens his teaching on the law of God (especially God’s moral law) with something like “You have heard that it was said...but I say to you. Christ holds himself out, in this section of Scripture, to be a better interpreter of the law of God than the Scribes.

1. From reading the section of Scripture above from Matt 5:21-26, what does it appear the Scribes had done with the commandment (found in the Decalogue - The Ten Commandments) against murder?

2. Read Matt 23:23. What did the Scribes have a tendency to do with the “laws” of God? How are they doing that in our text in Matthew 5?

3. What kind of “sins” does Jesus set forth as embodying the sin of murder? See v.22. Looking at the sin of murder this way - seems to hit a little closer to home than the way the Scribes looked at it - doesn’t it? Talk about this for a while with your family. How have you been guilty of this in your home this week?!

4. What does the sin of refusing to reconcile (ie. being angry)with your brother hinder? See vs.23-24?

5. Jesus drives this teaching home with a pretty striking illustration. What do you think he is trying to communicate with such a “drastic” picture?

6. What hope do any of us have before such a view of the law of God? How can we possibly escape?


Family Prayer Suggestion: Spend some time praying together, or lead your family in prayer and focus your attention on asking God to help you see his law for how “really” penetrating it is and disclose to each of you ways you have tried to modify his law so it is more manageable. Spend some time confessing how lightly you have regarded his law in exposing your sins.




Devotional 3


Theme for Devotional 3: Christ and the Sinners

Read the following Texts:

❏ Matthew 5:19-20 ESV Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

❏ Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

❏ Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

❏ Matthew 7:13-14 ESV "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (14) For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

❏ Matthew 7:21-23 ESV "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' (23) And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Discussion Questions:

1. What in the texts read above, helps you understand how seriously Jesus takes obedience to his law?

2. Compare Matt 5:20 with v.48 of the same chapter. What is left unsaid, but clearly implied in v.48 that can be drawn from v.20?

3. Is Jesus using hyperbole - exaggerated speech - when he says we have to be as “perfect” as God to get in heaven?

4. Doesn’t this seem kind of extreme? What are some reasons this may seem rather harsh?

5. With all that said - what hope do any of us have of making it to heaven in the end?

Read: Matthew 7:24-27 ESV "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (25) And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (26) And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (27) And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

This is Jesus’ concluding application to his “Sermon on the Mount.” In making the comparison between the two possible responses to his teaching, what makes the difference in the final estimation between the two men who both built houses? What is significant about the answer to this question in relation to the answer you gave for Question #5 just above? Where are you in regard to the need to build your life on the foundation of the reality of Christ? Where are those in your family regarding this eternal matter?

Family Prayer Suggestion: Spend some time praying together, or lead your family in prayer and focusing your attention on making a proper response to the teaching of Christ in this section of Matthew’s gospel.