Legacy Bible Podcast

What does it truly mean to live as a child of God? In Episode 137 of The Legacy Bible Podcast, we continue our study of Galatians and explore the incredible spiritual riches, freedom, and power that belong to every believer in Jesus Christ.

Drawing from Galatians chapters 4 and 5, this message examines how God sent His Son to redeem us from bondage and give us the full standing of sons and heirs through Christ. Rather than living in spiritual poverty or returning to the habits of our former lives, Christians are called to experience the joy, love, and victory God has made available to them.

Discover why salvation is more than escaping judgment, how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live according to God's Word, and why genuine Christian freedom leads to loving service rather than self-indulgence.

This teaching challenges us to build our lives on biblical truth, remain steadfast in our freedom in Christ, and allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in our daily lives.

Join us as we explore what it means to live out our identity in Christ and walk faithfully in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Show Notes:

Living as Sons of God: Freedom, Faith, and Walking in the Spirit

What does it mean to live as a son or daughter of God? This episode explores the believer's identity in Christ, the riches of God's grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform everyday life.

In This Episode

Scripture References

Key Takeaway

God did not redeem us merely to rescue us from our former condition. Through Jesus Christ, He has brought us into a relationship with Himself, given us the Holy Spirit, and equipped us to live in freedom, love, and spiritual victory. Our response is to stand firm in Christ, remain grounded in biblical truth, serve others in love, and consistently walk in the Spirit.

Reflection Questions

Thank you for listening to The Legacy Bible Podcast. Continue studying God's Word, growing in your relationship with Jesus Christ, and putting biblical truth into practice.

Subscribe for more Bible teaching and share this episode with someone who would benefit from studying God's Word.

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What is the difference between trying to earn righteousness through keeping the law and receiving righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ? In Episode 136 of The Legacy Bible Podcast, Rev. Chuck Rains continues his teaching from Galatians 3, exploring God’s promise to Abraham and its fulfillment through Jesus Christ.

This message explains why the law cannot make us righteous, how Abraham’s faith illustrates the way we receive God’s blessing, and why Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise. Through faith in Christ, believers receive justification, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a new identity as children and heirs of God.

Discover how the law reveals our need for a Savior, why salvation is a gift of grace rather than a reward for good works, and how Christians are called to live out righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Join us for this encouraging Bible study on the sufficiency of Christ, the certainty of God’s promises, and the freedom believers have through faith.

Episode Overview

In this message, Rev. Chuck Rains continues his study of Galatians, explaining the relationship between faith, grace, the law, and God’s promise to Abraham. Scripture teaches that no one can earn justification by keeping the law. Instead, God offers righteousness as a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ.

What You’ll Learn

Key Scripture References

Reflection Questions

Key Takeaway

Salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned through law keeping. God’s promise is fulfilled in Christ, who provides the righteousness sinners cannot achieve on their own. Believers are called to live out their new identity through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to be made righteous before God? Can we earn His acceptance by keeping His commandments, performing good works, or striving to live a moral life? In Episode 135 of The Legacy Bible Podcast, Rev. Chuck Rains explores these important questions through the Apostle Paul's teaching in Galatians 3.

Drawing from the example of Abraham, Paul demonstrates that righteousness has always been received through faith in God, not earned through human effort or obedience to the law. The message then turns to the heart of the gospel: Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by taking our place and satisfying God's righteous demands.

This Bible study explains the difference between doing good works to earn God's favor and doing good works because we already belong to Him. Through faith in Christ, believers are justified, receive the promised Holy Spirit, and learn to live each day by trusting in their Savior rather than relying on their own strength.

Discover why Jesus Christ is our only hope for salvation—and why the Christian life, from beginning to end, must be lived by faith.

Full Show Notes

The Legacy Bible Podcast — Episode 135

Justified by Faith: Christ Has Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law

Episode Overview

In this message, Rev. Chuck Rains continues his study of Galatians, examining the relationship between God's law, justification, and faith in Jesus Christ. The central truth is that no one can be declared righteous before God through personal achievement or perfect law-keeping. Our only hope is the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

What You'll Learn

Scripture References

A Key Takeaway

We do not perform good works in order to become God's children. Through faith in Christ, we receive justification and become His children; then we seek to live righteously in gratitude and obedience to Him. The same faith through which we come to Christ must sustain us throughout our lives.

Reflection Questions

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Hashtags: #LegacyBiblePodcast #JustificationByFaith #Galatians3 #JesusChrist #SalvationByFaith #ChristianLiving #BibleStudy #Grace #Redemption #WalkByFaith

Closing Encouragement

As you face the challenges, temptations, and decisions of the coming days, keep looking to Jesus Christ. Trust Him not only for your salvation but also for the strength to live a life that honors Him. Our hope is not in our own righteousness, but in the perfect work of our Redeemer.

In Episode 134 of The Legacy Bible Podcast, Rev. Chuck Rains continues an important study in the book of Galatians, examining Paul’s defense of his apostleship and, more importantly, his defense of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

This message addresses a foundational question: Is salvation based on what we do, or on what Christ has already done?

Using Paul’s confrontation with the Apostle Peter at Antioch, Rev. Rains explains the danger of compromising the gospel to please people or conform to religious expectations. Even Peter, a respected apostle, had to be confronted when his actions contradicted the truth that salvation is through Christ and not through keeping the law.

The message emphasizes that no amount of religious activity, good works, or human effort can provide salvation or assurance of salvation. We are justified by faith in Jesus Christ, not by the works of the law.

Rev. Rains also explores the powerful truth of Galatians 2:20—that the believer has been crucified with Christ and now lives through faith in the Son of God.

This episode is a reminder that the gospel cannot be compromised. Our hope is not found in ourselves, our performance, or religious practice, but entirely in Jesus Christ and His finished work.

Full Show Notes

The True Gospel Must Be Defended

Paul's message was not simply Paul's personal opinion. He claimed that the gospel he preached had been received by revelation from Jesus Christ. Because Christ was the source of his message, the gospel carried divine authority.

This provides a standard by which every competing message can be tested. Any teaching that makes man, human achievement, religious performance, or human authority the foundation of salvation must be rejected when it contradicts the gospel of Christ.

Salvation Is Not Based on Human Works

False teaching can lead people to believe that Christ's work is insufficient and that they must continually perform religious works to assure themselves of their standing before God. Rev. Rains warns that this can place people into spiritual bondage to human authority rather than freedom in Christ.

The gospel declares that salvation rests upon God's provision—not man's performance.

Justified by Faith

Galatians 2:16 provides the central doctrinal statement of the message:

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.”

The believer is declared righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ, not through keeping the law. Human beings cannot achieve salvation through perfect obedience because no one can perfectly keep God's law.

Key Scripture References

This episode continues the study of Paul's message in Galatians and examines the believer's new identity and freedom in Christ.

The teaching begins by revisiting the importance of God's Word as the ultimate standard for truth and the role of God's love working through believers. God's grace supplies everything necessary for an eternal relationship with Him, while God's peace demonstrates the ongoing work of that grace in the believer's life.

Delivered From Sin and Into Righteousness

The message explains that biblical deliverance is both from something and into something.

Through Christ, we are delivered from:

And we are delivered into:

The righteousness God requires cannot be produced through human sincerity or good intentions. It comes through Jesus Christ and His righteousness.

The believer is pictured as being clothed with the "garments of salvation." Through Christ, we are welcomed into God's family and given His righteousness as a gift.

God's Grace Must Be Appropriated

Although God provides everything necessary for righteous living, believers must choose to appropriate what His grace supplies.

The message makes an important distinction: Christians are redeemed, but Christians can still sin. God's discipline is evidence of His loving concern for His children and His desire to bring them back into righteousness and holiness.

The Christian life is therefore not lived through self-effort. God's power is available, and believers are called to trust Him and walk in what He has already provided.

Dead to the World

One of the central passages in the episode is Galatians 6:14:

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

The teaching emphasizes the two-sided nature of the believer's relationship to the world: the Christian is dead to the world, and the world is dead to the Christian.

Because of our identification with Christ, the values and attractions of the world no longer have the authority they once had.

The episode uses several illustrations to communicate this truth: someone who has died no longer participates in the activities of this world, and in the same way, the believer should recognize that the old life and its values no longer define him or her.

Colossians 2: Dead to the World's System

The same principle appears in Colossians 2:20-23. Those who have died with Christ are no longer to live as though they remain controlled by the elementary principles and religious regulations of the world.

The message warns against believing that righteousness can be achieved through man-made religion, rules, self-denial, or severe treatment of the body.

Religious activity by itself cannot overcome the desires of the flesh. True victory comes through Christ and dependence upon His power.

Loving God Leads to Obedience

The study then turns to Deuteronomy 6:5:

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might."

The foundation of obedience is love for God.

The Ten Commandments are discussed as an expression of God's righteousness, while emphasizing that keeping the law is not a means of earning salvation. The teaching highlights God's command not to have other gods and connects it with God's desire that His people love Him rather than give their devotion to competing objects of worship.

The order is important:

Love God → desire to please God → obey His commands.

Obedience is therefore not merely external conformity. It flows from a heart that has been changed by God.

A Renewed Mind

Romans 12:2 provides another key to Christian living:

"Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Transformation changes what we consider valuable and important.

The believer's goals, priorities, desires, and values should increasingly reflect God's values rather than those of the world.

Ephesians 4:20-24 reinforces the same truth by describing the believer putting off the former way of life, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, and putting on the new person created according to God in righteousness and holiness.

No Other Gospel

The episode closes by returning to the central message of Galatians.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is complete. Nothing needs to be added to Christ's finished work. Salvation cannot be achieved through human works, religious law, sincerity, or self-effort.

The believer's daily victory likewise does not come through human strength. It comes through trusting Christ, loving God, and allowing His power to work through us.

The closing prayer emphasizes the importance of studying Scripture, sharing God's Word with others, and helping people understand that salvation is found in Christ Jesus alone.

Scripture References

Key Takeaways

Christ Is the Only Hope

Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and that they would be His witnesses. The Apostle Paul expressed the same confidence in the Gospel, declaring that he was not ashamed of it because it is the power of God unto salvation. — Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16

The world desperately needs the message of Jesus Christ. People search for happiness, peace, meaning, fulfillment, and freedom from fear and destructive habits. Yet the message emphasizes that lasting hope cannot ultimately be found in human solutions. Christ alone is the Savior and the only true hope for the sinner.

The Work Christ Has Already Accomplished

Colossians 1 points to the completeness and supremacy of Christ. Through His death on the cross, Christ made peace and reconciled those who were once alienated from God.

For the believer, the work of Christ means more than simply receiving partial forgiveness. In Christ, the believer is presented as holy, unblameable, and unreprovable before God. — Colossians 1:18–23

This truth gives believers confidence as they reach out to others. We do not point people to ourselves or our own perfection. We point them to what Jesus Christ has already accomplished.

Be Clean and Available for God’s Use

The believer is called to turn away from sin and become a vessel prepared for the Master's use. — 2 Timothy 2:19–22

When we sin, Scripture gives us the assurance that confession brings God's forgiveness and cleansing. — 1 John 1:9

Romans 12:1–2 calls believers to continually present themselves to God as living sacrifices and to be transformed through the renewing of their minds. A surrendered and clean life makes us available for God to use as His witnesses.

Go to People God’s Way

Evangelism is not merely about having the right words. It requires the right spiritual attitude.

The servant of the Lord is to be:

These qualities are emphasized in 2 Timothy 2:24–26. The message reminds us that reaching people requires patience and dependence upon the Spirit of God rather than simply relying upon intellectual preparation.

Start Where People Are

When inviting someone to study the Bible, begin with a need they recognize in their own life. Show genuine love, friendliness, and interest in what is good for them.

The invitation should be personal. Rather than simply making a religious appeal, invite someone to come as your guest and participate in a Bible study where life's questions can be examined in light of God's Word.

The purpose is not primarily to promote a particular church. The ultimate purpose is to bring people to Jesus Christ. — Colossians 1:20–23; Acts 1:8

Reaching Different People

The message gives practical examples of how to approach different groups of people:

A religious person:

A neighbor:

A relative:

A spouse or close mate:

The Challenge

The closing challenge is simple: Are you willing to be used by God?

Pray for your neighbors, friends, relatives, and those closest to you. Let God's love fill your heart and motivate you to speak. People are hurting, and Christians have the responsibility and privilege of pointing them toward the Savior.

The message closes with a prayer for yielded hearts, available lives, and the courage to reach out and invite others to discover God's answers in His Word.

Key Scriptures

Who in your life needs to hear about Jesus Christ?

In Episode 131 of the Legacy Bible Podcast, we continue exploring the biblical call to evangelism and the responsibility of every believer to share the gospel. This powerful message brings the subject of evangelism close to home by challenging us to consider the people who are already part of our daily lives.

Our spouses, children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances all represent opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ and share the message of salvation.

Evangelism is not merely a church program or an occasional activity. It is a calling for every believer. God desires to use His people as vessels to bring the gospel into the world around them.

This episode challenges us to ask an important question: Is there someone you love who does not know the Lord?

Scripture References

In This Episode

We explore:

Welcome to Episode 130 of the Legacy Bible Podcast. In this message, we examine the biblical responsibility and privilege of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost world.

Jesus gave His followers a clear command: they were to be His witnesses, beginning where they were and extending to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Great Commission is not simply a calling for a select few—it is an invitation for every believer to participate in God's work of reaching others with the message of salvation.

In This Episode

The book of Acts demonstrates that the Gospel was proclaimed in many different settings. The apostles preached publicly to large crowds, ministered personally to individuals, entered homes, crossed cultural boundaries, and continued proclaiming Christ even in the face of severe opposition. Their methods varied, but their message remained the same: salvation is found in Jesus Christ.

This episode also emphasizes that believers do not witness in their own strength. The Holy Spirit empowers God's people to speak with boldness and gives them the ability to faithfully communicate the truth of the Gospel. We are vessels through whom God can work.

Not everyone will receive the message. The early believers experienced rejection, persecution, and opposition. Yet they continued to preach the Gospel wherever they went. Their example reminds us that faithfulness to God's calling is not dependent upon an easy or favorable response.

Evangelism also involves more than an initial conversation. Those who respond to the Gospel need encouragement, instruction, fellowship, and continued discipleship. The message concludes with a practical challenge to become personally involved in reaching others, inviting them to study God's Word, and demonstrating the love of Christ through genuine concern and ongoing support.

Key Scripture References

A Challenge for Every Believer

The central challenge of this message is simple: Don't merely talk about evangelism—be involved in it.

God has given the command. He has provided the message. He has promised His presence. He has supplied the power of the Holy Spirit. The question remains: Will we make ourselves available to be used by God in reaching others?

Share the Gospel. Invite someone to study God's Word. Pray for those God places in your life. Encourage new believers. And trust the Holy Spirit to work through your faithful witness.

What does it mean to truly hear from God—and how can we know whether we are following His will?

In Episode 129 of the Legacy Bible Podcast, we return to Acts 11 and follow Peter as he explains to the apostles what happened when he entered the home of Cornelius, a Gentile, and witnessed the Holy Spirit come upon those who received the gospel.

Peter's experience challenged deeply held prejudices and demonstrated that God's salvation was not limited to one people. The apostles ultimately recognized that God had granted repentance and life to the Gentiles as well.

This message explores the ways God communicates His truth, emphasizing the authority of the written Word of God and the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. We are reminded that personal spiritual guidance must never contradict Scripture, must glorify Jesus Christ, and must be received by a believer who is clean, surrendered, available, and willing to obey.

The message also brings a powerful challenge for evangelism. Sharing the gospel requires more than simply speaking about Christ. We must be willing to set aside our prejudices, live clean lives, obey God's direction, and welcome those who respond to the gospel as brothers and sisters in Christ.

The central question is simple but searching:

What will rule your life—your own desires and prejudices, or God?

Listen and consider what it means to hear God's Word, follow the Holy Spirit, overcome prejudice, and faithfully bring the gospel to others.

In This Episode

Key Scripture

Acts 11:17

Peter's response captures the heart of the message:

"What was I, that I could withstand God?"

Peter had to choose between his own expectations and God's revealed purpose. His willingness to obey opened the door for the gospel to reach people he previously would not have considered.

Scripture References

This episode draws heavily from the following passages:

Major Takeaways

1. God's Word is our objective foundation

The written Word of God provides the foundation by which we understand God's truth. Personal impressions and spiritual experiences must never be allowed to contradict Scripture.

2. The Holy Spirit teaches and guides believers

The message emphasizes the Holy Spirit's continuing work in the believer. The Spirit teaches, leads, and brings God's truth to bear upon specific circumstances.

3. Personal guidance must be tested

A personal spiritual impression is not the same as the objective written Word of God. Because the human heart can deceive us, personal guidance must be approached carefully and tested against Scripture.

4. God requires surrender

Being useful to God requires more than simply hearing His Word. We must be willing to surrender our desires, preferences, prejudices, and plans to Him.

5. God's direction may challenge our prejudices

Peter did not naturally want to enter the home of Gentiles. Yet God told him to go. Peter had to set aside his own restrictions and obey God's direction.

6. The Holy Spirit always glorifies Jesus

Any genuine work of the Spirit will be consistent with God's Word and will ultimately bring glory to Jesus Christ rather than to the individual.

7. Evangelism requires a surrendered life

The message challenges believers to share the gospel from lives that are clean, surrendered, available, and obedient to God.

8. New believers should be welcomed

When the Gentiles received Christ, the apostles did not reject them because of their background. Instead, they glorified God and welcomed them as fellow believers.

A Challenge for Believers

Peter's experience in Acts 11 forces us to examine our own hearts.

Are there people we would rather not reach?

Are there prejudices, preferences, or assumptions that prevent us from obeying God's direction?

Are we willing to say, as Peter did:

"What was I, that I could withstand God?"

Following Christ means allowing God's Word and Spirit to reshape our attitudes, priorities, relationships, and actions.

True evangelism is not simply delivering a message. It is being willing to become God's messenger.

Evangelism and the Heart of the Message

One of the strongest applications of this sermon concerns evangelism.

The gospel is meant to cross barriers.

Peter had to cross the barrier between Jew and Gentile. The early church had to learn that those who received Christ were not outsiders who merely needed to be brought into their fellowship. They were now brothers and sisters in Christ.

The message challenges Christians to open their hearts to those who respond to the gospel and to love them as fellow members of God's family.

We are called to:

Questions for Personal Reflection

In Episode 128 of the Legacy Bible Podcast, we continue our series, "What Kind of People Does God Use?" by examining one of the most remarkable evangelistic encounters in Scripture—the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10.

This message shifts from God's preparation of His servants to God's preparation of those who are ready to hear the gospel. Through the life of Cornelius, we discover that God is already at work in the hearts of people long before we arrive. Our responsibility is to become clean, willing vessels who faithfully proclaim Christ.

You'll be challenged to recognize the "Corneliuses" God has placed in your life—people who are spiritually hungry, searching for peace, and waiting to hear the message that only Jesus Christ can give.

Whether you're seeking greater boldness in witnessing or praying for loved ones to come to Christ, this message offers timeless biblical encouragement and practical wisdom for sharing your faith.

Based on Acts 10, this sermon reminds believers that God delights in using ordinary people who are yielded to His extraordinary purposes.

Full Show Notes

Episode Summary

God not only prepares His servants—He also prepares the hearts of those who will receive the gospel.

Using the account of Cornelius in Acts 10, this message explores how God works behind the scenes through prayer, spiritual hunger, and divine providence to draw people to Himself. Peter simply became the messenger God chose to answer a seeking man's prayers.

This episode challenges believers to cultivate spiritual sensitivity, genuine love for people, and a willingness to proclaim Christ without shame. The question becomes not merely, "Does God want to use me?" but, "Am I prepared when God opens the door?"

In This Episode

Key Scripture

Key Takeaways

God prepares seeking hearts.

Before Peter ever arrived, God had already been working in Cornelius through prayer, fasting, and spiritual longing.

Prayer reveals spiritual hunger.

Cornelius demonstrates that those genuinely seeking God often display a deep desire for truth before hearing the gospel.

Evangelism is God's work.

The Holy Spirit prepares hearts; believers simply obey God's call to share Christ faithfully.

Love removes fear.

The people most open to hearing the gospel are often those closest to us. Genuine love gives courage to speak about Christ.

The message is peace through Jesus Christ.

The answer to humanity's deepest need is not religion, morality, or self-improvement—it is reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.

God is already working around you.

There are "Corneliuses" in every believer's life—people whom God is preparing to hear the good news.

Memorable Quotes

"God prepares both the messenger and the one who will receive the message."

"The people you love are often the very people God wants you to reach."

"Peace comes only through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."

"God is looking for willing vessels to carry the gospel."

Discussion Questions

About the Legacy Bible Podcast

The Legacy Bible Podcast preserves and shares faithful, verse-by-verse biblical teaching from messages preached decades ago that remain just as relevant today. Each episode encourages believers to know God's Word, deepen their walk with Christ, and faithfully pass biblical truth to the next generation.

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