First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge

First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge

By FPC BRReligion & Spirituality
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First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge episodes

  • Galatians 2
    • Legalism: (Grace through faith in Jesus) + our obedience (works) = Salvation
    It’s the right behavior with the wrong belief.
    It’s the belief that obedience earns us favor before God. It places too much emphasis on our obedience.
    The Judaizers were legalistic, adding works to the gospel in order to earn God’s favor.
    • Hypocrisy: (Grace through Faith in Jesus) = Salvation
    It's the right belief with the wrong behavior.
    It’s believing the gospel in our hearts but not living it out with our lives. It places zero emphasis on our obedience.
    Peter was acting hypocritically, his actions didn’t reflect the gospel he believed. He was “pursuing unity at the expense of gospel truth.”
    • What prevents us from keeping each other accountable?
    • When do you find yourself drifting toward legalism? Toward hypocrisy?
    • Gospel: (Grace through Faith in Jesus) = Salvation + Obedience
    It’s the right belief with the right behavior.
    Our obedience is no longer legalistic because we’re not obeying to earn God’s favor, we’re obeying because of Christ’s work in and through us.
    • There’s an order to the gospel, and that order is . . . God saves us, and THEN we follow him. He doesn’t accept us BECAUSE we follow him. (Tim Keller)
    • “By faith you are so cemented to Christ that He and you are as one person, which cannot be separated but remains attached to Him forever.” (Martin Luther)
    1 hr 3 min
  • In Christ=In His Body

    Being in Christ connects us to one another in eternal bonds. The Lord Jesus does not flatten us into some bland homogenous unity. His Spirit awakens the unique personalities, gifts and insights of each believer. He brings us alive. He also creates a unity deeper than tribalism. Skin color, biology, desire, cash—none of these singly or together are adequate to identify creatures uniquely made in the image of God. We have a better story. We joyfully embrace a shared status as created and beloved.

    26 min
  • Galatians 1
    • The gospel is salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. Grace is God’s unmerited, revolutionary, and life-changing favor poured out upon undeserving sinners.
    • If we don’t understand the GOSPEL, we don’t understand CHRISTIANITY. If we don’t understand the gospel, we can’t defend the gospel. If we don’t understand the true gospel, we’re at risk of believing a false one.
    • There's only one gospel, so if you’re not preaching that one, you’re not preaching the gospel at all. When you add to the gospel, you lose the gospel all together. To add to the gospel is to diminish the cross!
    • Paul was astonished that there are people distorting the gospel of Christ, but he was more astonished that the Galatians were listening to them, that they’ve turned away from the gospel so quickly. How fickle we are!
    • "Satan operates more effectively through false gospels than through any other avenue, because it’s a great way to confuse God’s people… to take sound theology and twist it.” Tony Merida
    • The Judaizers were not preaching the gospel, they were preaching legalism (working in our own power, and according to our own rules, in order to earn God’s favor).
    • The gospel doesn’t tell us what we have to do to please God, it tells us that God is already pleased with us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is such great news! So why are we so prone to ADD to the gospel?
    • Paul's allegiance wasn’t to the Jewish Christians, and it wasn’t even to the Gentile Christians . . . his allegiance was to God. He wasn’t motivated by what would please one side or the other, he was motivated by the one, true gospel. Who do you long to please? Man? Or God? Whose approval are you seeking?
    1 hr 9 min
  • Living in Christ

    Imagine the divine embrace of Father and Son. Then claim how you are included. In that circle. The Spirit has relocated you into Christ. And Christ is in the Father’s arms. We’re gathered home in the everlasting embrace of the God who is love, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

    25 min

About First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge

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First Presbyterian Church Baton Rouge is a church passionately committed to Christ Jesus our Lord and ardently engaged in studying the Scriptures. We love reaching out to our city and world with the…