Setting the example Jesus left for us to follow
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Christian Liberty, Love Fulfills the Law, Walking in the Spirit
November, 2020
Our Weekly Bible Study begins with us reading the assigned scripture ahead of time and preparing our hearts for study and discussion. When we meet (virtually or in person) we first read the scripture as a group, and then take turns sharing and discussing what impacted us the most, and our general interpretation of what we read.
Making Notes as we go through Bible Study is always encouraged, as it helps to increase our understanding of what we have read, and also allows us to become more comfortable and familiar with the Bible.
To make participation easier and more memorable for our younger children, we will include a link to Storybook Bible images of the readings whenever these are available.
This week’s virtual Bible Study focused on Galatians 5. The fifth chapter in our study on the Book of Galatians. After praying and reading through the chapters, we discussed the verses at length, and shared our personal views on what we had read.
Verse 1: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free”. This liberty that Paul speaks of is a freedom from the flesh, from Satan’s power, from the corruption of the world through lust. Satan holds people in his power, the chains of darkness are upon them, they are enslaved by their sins; in bondage. It is important to remember that in this life we must stand for something, or we will fall for everything. Stand in Christ, and stand in the gift of liberty that He has given us!
Verse 2: The ritual of circumcision performed for spiritual reasons. Paul explains that those who undergo circumcision because they think they need more than Christ will gain no benefit from Him.
Verse 4: The grace of God brings salvation. Those that remain under the law will not experience or benefit from grace.
Verse 5: The crown of righteousness awaits those of us who are followers of Christ.
Verse 6: Circumcision was being worn by the Jews as if it were a badge, but they had no liberty-they were bound.
Verse 7: Paul remarks that the Galatians understood the Word well up to that point, and questions what has now hindered them from obeying the Truth. We must also be careful to avoid those who may hinder our walk with Christ.
Verse 9: Even the smallest drop of sin or error can negatively affect the entire person, group or church.
Verse 10: Paul informs the Galatians that whomever has persuaded or hindered them from obeying the Truth shall bear his own judgement.
Verse 13: The flesh will happily use liberty as an opportunity to behave immorally. We must resist this temptation and instead use our liberty to love and serve one another.
Verses 14-15: The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Verse 16: Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We must fix our eyes on the Lord and immerse ourselves in His Word daily, for there lies our strength.
Verse 21: Paul’s statement “and the like” indicates that there are many more works of the flesh that he did not mention in this list.
Verse 22: The “fruit” of the Spirit. Notice that the word fruit is singular, not plural. The fruit of the Spirit is love (the kind of unconditional love that Christ has for us) and where the Holy Spirit is present, all the other characteristics will flow freely out of that love and grace. As believers, the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and we should therefore witness the development of all these characteristics within us. It is important to realize that although many unbelievers may appear to have several of these characteristics, they usually do not possess them all, as having these qualities coexist in one person is unnatural for the flesh, they require God’s grace to grow and develop.
Verse 24: Have we crucified the flesh and its passions and desires? This is a good measure for us as believers. We should all check ourselves in this regard regularly.
Verse 26: Vain glory- Seeking accolades and praise for ourselves. Additionally, not everyone who says he/she is in our court really is. Many of the overdone accolades we receive from others are merely temporary and are often also for some purpose benefiting the person who is bestowing them upon us.
As you read through this week’s Bible passage, ask yourself:
What are MY thoughts on what I am reading?
How can I apply this to MY life?
Blessings!
The Fruit of the Spirit
YMM hosted its annual children’s Christmas treat on Saturday, December 16th, at the Mentoring Centre in Priory, St. Ann. …