The Power of the Gospel
I've just started my women's Bible study for the new year. The study is called The Power of the Gospel, Paul's Letters to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. It was written by Trudy Ries and Karen Scotti and is published by Calvary Chapel Pasadena.
I'm so glad to be back in study and blessed to be with the same group of ladies I've gotten to know over the past two years. I think God knew I needed the familiarity this year to be able to share the struggles of my heart. So here's a summary of our first week's study from Galatians chapter 1. . .
This book includes Paul's letters to the churches in Galatia. Max Lucado writes that "the book of Galatians is the Emancipation Proclamation for the church. . .It defines Christian liberty. Paul wrote it to combat those in the church who were insisting that it was necessary to follow a law or code to be saved." This teaching of legalism threatened to bring the church back "into the bondage of keeping the law." (TPotG) But Paul showed that our justification is by faith and not by anything we have done. He revealed how the gospel of grace applies to the life of the believer. Galatians, then, "is a document of freedom." (ML)
Paul opens the book of Galatians by telling us that he is an apostle who was sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father and by all the brothers with him. An apostle is one who is sent with a commission. (WW) We read in Acts 9 that Paul was a zealous man who thought he was doing God a service by persecuting the church. He was a learned man, but spiritually blind and depending only on his righteousness. While traveling to Damascus intending to persecute the believers there, Paul (Saul), suddenly saw a bright light from heaven and heard a voice. In that moment, Paul learned that Christ was indeed alive and that he had actually been persecuting the Messiah. Because he trusted Christ, all of his values changed and he was a new person.
My first encounter with Christ took place in my late teens. Finding myself pregnant at the age of 16, I sought the Lord wholeheartedly for wisdom. It ended up that I choose to relinquish my daughter in adoption to a wonderful Christian family. It was during that time and in the months and years to follow, that I began to experience the power of the gospel in my life.
The very first Bible verse I ever memorized was John 3:16 which states that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The words to this verse began to have real meaning to me. God gave up His only Son for me. I could relate to giving up a child. Although I didn’t give my daughter up to death, my right to be her mother was put “to death” and I knew how difficult it had been. Knowing that God loved me enough to give up his Son to death was an incredible revelation.
Another verse I learned early on was Proverbs 3:5-6. These verses say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I had seen this truth worked out in my own life. When I discovered I was pregnant, my future path was unclear. I had no idea which way to go. I had to make one of the most important decisions ever. When I turned to God and trusted Him to lead me; my path became clear and I knew just which way to go. Had I relied on my own feelings and emotions, I risked making a choice that was not the best for my daughter.
And finally, Romans 8:28 which has become my life verse. “God works for the good to those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” I had created a not so great situation for myself and my daughter. But because I loved God and sought His will for both of us; God worked the situation out for the good of my daughter, for me, and for His glory.
As Paul continued, he reminded the Galatians that because of God's grace and Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we are saved from our sins through our faith in Christ. Warren Wiersbe writes that "the Gospel centers on a person - Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus paid a price - He gave Himself up to die on the cross. His purpose was to deliver sinners from bondage." We are saved by grace through faith and not by our own actions. And now, because we are saved, we now experience peace with God and with one another.
Paul wrote this letter because the Galatians were deserting the grace of God; the Judaizers (those who believed that many of the ceremonial practices of the OT were still binding on the NT church) were perverting the Gospel of God by teaching that salvation was based on works and not on grace; and the people were confused or "troubled" instead of at peace because they were reverting to living by the flesh instead of by grace. Paul warned that anyone preaching a gospel other than the true Gospel was accursed (the Greek word is anathema which means dedicated to destruction or eternally condemned).
We are warned elsewhere in the New Testament to be on the look out for false teachers. Matthew 7:15 says they will come as wolves in sheep's clothing. Colossians 2 tells us false teachers will have fine-sounding arguments (v.4); hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and false, worldly religious teachings instead of Christ (v. 8); and that they will exhibit false humility and worship angels (v. 18). Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:17 that the lawless (wicked) men will speak evil of authorities that seek to enforce God's law. They will promise freedom, but what they teach is really lawlessness.
Those opposed to Paul questioned the authority of his message. Warren Wiersbe writes that "Paul's enemies pointed to his nonconformity as proof that his message and ministry were not really of God. . . His nonconformity was divinely deliberate; God had chosen to reveal Himself in a different way to Paul." Paul made it clear that the authority of his message was from God. It had come to Paul by revelation from Jesus Christ. Paul did not invent it nor did he receive it from any man. Because his message and ministry were divinely given, anyone adding to it was in danger of divine judgment.
Paul then used his past to explain the call on his life. First, Paul was a persecutor. He zealously persecuted the church and was profiting as well as progressing in the Jewish religion. Paul was well known and respected. Suddenly, Paul became an apostle, a preacher of the Gospel. He had intended to go to Damascus to persecute the Christians, but instead ended up preaching that they were right. The Jews did not play a part in his conversion because they were encouraging him in his persecution. The Christians ran from him, so did not share the gospel with him personally. The change in Paul had to come from God. Paul's conversion was a spiritual miracle. His past conduct as a persecutor of the church plus the dramatic change that he experienced proved that his message and ministry were from God.
Next, Paul described himself as a believer. He made it known that his change of heart had come from God. God did it. God did it by grace. God did it through Christ. God did it for the sake of others. God did it for His glory.
Finally, Paul was now a preacher. Following his encounter on the Damascus road, Paul did not immediately go to the church in Jerusalem to see the apostles. He spent time in study, prayer and meditation with the Lord alone in Arabia for perhaps three years. He then returned to Damascus and later went to Jerusalem.
While in Jerusalem he spent fifteen days with Peter, as well as James, the brother of Jesus. He then went on to Syria and Cilicia in Asia Minor, which was where his hometown of Tarsus was. The result of his conversion was that the people he preached to praised God.
Like Paul, God has called us out of darkness into His light to declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9). We have been called to please Him by bearing fruit in every good work and by growing in the knowledge of Him. (Colossians 1:10)
The power of the gospel transforms the lives of those who receive it. As I look back over my own life, I can see how God has been changing me. He is molding my heart to be more other's focused, helping me to develop a servant's heart. As I continually learn to surrender my life and will to the Lord's, I am becoming less anxious when difficult circumstances arise and I have grown in contentment and true joy. Most importantly, the Lord is teaching me to have a biblical/eternal perspective which impacts all areas of my life, helping me to make choices that will honor and glorify Him. It is a continual process; but thankfully, the power of the gospel is never ending.
Quotes taken from:
The Power of the Gospel by Trudy Ries and Karen Scotti p. 1
The Inspirational Study Bible by Max Lucado p. 1337
The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete New Testament by Warren Wiersbe pp. 546-552
We are warned elsewhere in the New Testament to be on the look out for false teachers. Matthew 7:15 says they will come as wolves in sheep's clothing. Colossians 2 tells us false teachers will have fine-sounding arguments (v.4); hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and false, worldly religious teachings instead of Christ (v. 8); and that they will exhibit false humility and worship angels (v. 18). Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:17 that the lawless (wicked) men will speak evil of authorities that seek to enforce God's law. They will promise freedom, but what they teach is really lawlessness.
Those opposed to Paul questioned the authority of his message. Warren Wiersbe writes that "Paul's enemies pointed to his nonconformity as proof that his message and ministry were not really of God. . . His nonconformity was divinely deliberate; God had chosen to reveal Himself in a different way to Paul." Paul made it clear that the authority of his message was from God. It had come to Paul by revelation from Jesus Christ. Paul did not invent it nor did he receive it from any man. Because his message and ministry were divinely given, anyone adding to it was in danger of divine judgment.
Paul then used his past to explain the call on his life. First, Paul was a persecutor. He zealously persecuted the church and was profiting as well as progressing in the Jewish religion. Paul was well known and respected. Suddenly, Paul became an apostle, a preacher of the Gospel. He had intended to go to Damascus to persecute the Christians, but instead ended up preaching that they were right. The Jews did not play a part in his conversion because they were encouraging him in his persecution. The Christians ran from him, so did not share the gospel with him personally. The change in Paul had to come from God. Paul's conversion was a spiritual miracle. His past conduct as a persecutor of the church plus the dramatic change that he experienced proved that his message and ministry were from God.
Next, Paul described himself as a believer. He made it known that his change of heart had come from God. God did it. God did it by grace. God did it through Christ. God did it for the sake of others. God did it for His glory.
Finally, Paul was now a preacher. Following his encounter on the Damascus road, Paul did not immediately go to the church in Jerusalem to see the apostles. He spent time in study, prayer and meditation with the Lord alone in Arabia for perhaps three years. He then returned to Damascus and later went to Jerusalem.
While in Jerusalem he spent fifteen days with Peter, as well as James, the brother of Jesus. He then went on to Syria and Cilicia in Asia Minor, which was where his hometown of Tarsus was. The result of his conversion was that the people he preached to praised God.
Like Paul, God has called us out of darkness into His light to declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9). We have been called to please Him by bearing fruit in every good work and by growing in the knowledge of Him. (Colossians 1:10)
The power of the gospel transforms the lives of those who receive it. As I look back over my own life, I can see how God has been changing me. He is molding my heart to be more other's focused, helping me to develop a servant's heart. As I continually learn to surrender my life and will to the Lord's, I am becoming less anxious when difficult circumstances arise and I have grown in contentment and true joy. Most importantly, the Lord is teaching me to have a biblical/eternal perspective which impacts all areas of my life, helping me to make choices that will honor and glorify Him. It is a continual process; but thankfully, the power of the gospel is never ending.
Quotes taken from:
The Power of the Gospel by Trudy Ries and Karen Scotti p. 1
The Inspirational Study Bible by Max Lucado p. 1337
The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete New Testament by Warren Wiersbe pp. 546-552
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