Studies in the Book of Galatians 1
Paul & the Gospel (Gal 1:1-2:21)
Pr Chris Kam | 16/17 Feb 2019
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BIG IDEA: Justified by faith in Christ


1. ________________ the Gospel of Grace (1:6-10)
	
Gal 1:6-7, 2 Cor 11:4, Gal 2:15-16

General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army:
“I consider that the chief dangers which will confront the twentieth century will be:
o Religion without the Holy Spirit
o Christianity without Christ
o Forgiveness without repentance
o Salvation without regeneration
o Politics without God and
o Heaven without hell”



2. ________________ the Gospel of Grace (1:11-2:10)



3. ________________ the Gospel of Grace (2:11-21)

Romans 14:5

* The Gospel needs to be _____________ (2:11–16)

* The Gospel needs also to be _____________ (2:17–21)

“God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. ” - Max Lucado

Memory Verse:  

Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  


Application Questions
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1. What is the most significant thing the Holy Spirit spoke to you about through this sermon?

2. In your own words, answer this question in two to four lines: What is the Gospel?

3. What are the requirements for salvation? Based on your understanding, are you truly saved? How? (If you are not sure, get someone to pray with you.) Share how you became a Christian.

4. Have you ever been told or heard of additional requirements for salvation? Give some examples. How do you know what to believe or when to defend the Gospel against wrong teachings? 

5. What does Galatians 2:20 mean to you? How does Christ living in you help you to live the Christian life?



Synopsis of the Book of Galatians
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(Picture from “Unlocking the Bible” by David Pawson)

Paul’s letter to the Galatians is an honest letter, full of emotion, highly charged and personal. His close relationship to these churches in Southern Galatia started when he first had a hand in planting them on his first missionary journey to Asia Minor. (Acts 13:13-14:23) You may say it was personal to him. Hence the strong tone in his letter from the start. He sounded angry and was risking the friendship he had with them but his desire was for them to see the truth and not be led astray from the true faith towards the legalism of the Jewish laws and licence to sins. 

He pleaded with them to embrace unity in Christ no matter what their racial distinctions might have been. He even took the pen from his scribe and wrote part of the letter himself (Gal 6:11). There were the Judaizers who preached a false Gospel and discredited Paul. Paul had to vindicate his apostleship and message in the first two chapters by describing his message that came through a revelation from the risen Christ Himself. In chapter 3, he got to the heart of the error of justification by the Mosaic Law and brought them back to the Gospel of grace, that they were justified by faith in Christ, not by their works under the Law. The false teachers promoted a notion that to live by grace and in freedom meant a licence to a lawless and degenerated life. Paul made it clear – it does not need to result in a sinful lifestyle - we have been freed from bondage to our sinful nature and we can choose to follow a path of holiness.

Hence the application for today is that we realise we walk a fine line between legalism and licence. There is a liberty that leads us to pursue a life of holiness and godliness, not in our own strength, but through the knowledge of God’s empowering grace as we keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:25). The ensuing life will be one where we exhibit a life with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 2:22-23).

Sermon Titles:
Galatians 1:1-2:21 	Paul and the Gospel
Galatians 3:1-29 	The Christian and the Old Testament Law
Galatians 4:1-20 	The Blessings of a Child of God
Galatians 5:1-13 	What Does Freedom Mean?
Galatians 5:14-26 	The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 6:2-5 	The Christian’s Duty
Galatians 6:7-10 	Sowing and Reaping