BIBLE STUDY ROUND UP - 28 August, 2024.

Are You In Service : August 25, 2024. - Rev Joseph Aliyu

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY - JULY 31, 2024 - Pst Sukanmi Olowo

Bound to Serve - AUGUST 18, 2024 Rev Olagunju

Freedom For Service - August 11, 2024: Rev Ikechukwu Ugbaja

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY - AUGUST 21, 2024 : Dcn Chris Isiguzo

There are various types of freedom: political; economic; etc.

However, what was the freedom Paul was referring to in his letter to the Galatians? The answer is freedom from the "principle" of Law. Paul says that this is the freedom that every person receives and enjoys as a Christian.

What, however, is the problem with this law?

Galatians 2:16-21

1. It awakens sinful desire – Romans 7:7-11.

Paul says that knowledge of the Law actually produces a greater desire for sin. Sin becomes more desirable once it is seen as "forbidden".

2.It produces guilt – v.19; Romans 7:18.

Knowledge of the Law produces tremendous guilt because now that we know what right is, we see what we do wrong and that triggers guilty feelings.

3. It produces a sense of hopelessness – v.16; Romans 7:24.

Knowledge of the Law and seeing how helpless we are to keep it produces a sense of either despair or cynicism.

We can't fully obey God, and this makes us feel hopeless, and frightened because of the consequences of this disobedience (James 2:9-19). When Paul therefore declares to the Galatians that they were free, he meant that as Christians they were now free from the curse of the "Law".

Christians had to obey human laws, taxes, social situations, but they were free from the principle of Law established by God. The question was - How?

1.Put off the Yoke of Slavery

i.Yoke of Slavery - Galatians 5:1.

Yoke represents slavery, servitude and control by someone else over your life.

It may represent willing service and submission to someone else.

What are examples of other Yokes?

What are examples of Forms of Legalism?

2.Put on the Liberating Yoke of Christ - Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

i.Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden “light.”

ii The word ‘easy’ in Greek means – “kind, gracious.”

iii. The yoke of Christ frees us to fulfill His will.

3. Living by the Spirit

i.Living by the Spirit - Galatians 5:16-18 NIV.

•The Christian who lives by faith is not going to become a rebel.

•He is going to experience the inner discipline of God that is far better than the outer discipline of man-made rules.

•No man could become a rebel who depends on God’s grace, yields to God’s Spirit, lives for others, and seeks to glorify God.

ii.Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23.

Apostle Paul and the Churches in Galatia. The infiltration of the Judaizers.

I. THE DESCRIPTION OF OUR FREEDOM

A. Legalism versus Grace

Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ – Galatians 3-4.

The true gospel of Christ involves a freedom from the slavery of Jewish legalism.

B. Abraham

Historical Facts – Galatians 4:19-23

Paul used the events in the life of Abraham as a basis for his argument for Christian liberty (freedom).

Sequence the events in Abraham’s life in a chronological order: Genesis 12 - 21

The Old Covenant Law

Hagar the slave

Ismael, conceived after the flesh Earthly Jerusalem in bondage

The New Covenant

Grace

Sarah the free woman

Isaac, conceived miraculously Heavenly Jerusalem, which is free

Ismael versus Isaac (Flesh versus Spirit) - Galatians 4:22-29

In Abraham’s home we see the same basic conflicts that we Christians face today: ▪ Hagar versus Sarah = law versus grace.

▪ Ismael versus Isaac = flesh versus Spirit.

▪ You cannot separate these four factors.

The Judaizers taught that law made the believer more spiritual, but Paul made it clear that law only releases the opposition of the flesh and a conflict within the believer ensues. (Romans 7:19)

There was no law strong enough either to change or to control Ismael, but Isaac never needed any law.

God bound Himself with a covenant to His people, the Israelites, as a sign of His graciousness and mercy so that He could freely relate with them and sign them up for His

However, God's covenant with His people is promissory and obligatory (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

In Deuteronomy 28:1, Moses stated the condition for receiving the all-round blessings God promised in the preceding verses: "If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth."

We must take note of the two important verbs in this verse: obey and follow. They both