Bible Study: It's By Faith 12.01.10

King James Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: It's By Faith
For: Wednesday December 01, 2010
Chapters: Galatians 1-3
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-december-1

Details of Today's Chapters: Paul writes a letter to the Galatians regarding a false gospel, Paul's visit with Peter, the just are to live by faith, not the law, the law replaced by Christ, a child of Abraham, and our guide to Christ.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word faith means trust, when you got saved you may have said a prayer similar to this, “Dear God,
I confess that I am a sinner. I believe with all of my heart that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for me to pay my sin debt. I ask Jesus to come into my heart and save me. I have complete trust in Him and from this moment on I will depend on Him for my salvation. Amen.” When we ask Jesus to save us we are putting our faith or trust in Him and only in Him to save us and it is by that faith that we are depending on Him for our salvation. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” - Romans 5:1.

The Book of Galatians is the ninth book of the New Testament, forty-eighth book of the Bible, and contains six chapters. The author of this epistle (letter) is Paul and it was written to the believers of Galatia. The purpose of the epistle was to correct the false teaching of Jewish legalism in the Church. What we are to learn from the book is that Jesus delivered all of us from law to liberty. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” - Galatians 5:1. This letter for the Galatians forever settles the fact that there is only one way to avoid eternal hell and to be assured of eternal life in heaven for both Jew and Gentile.

The churches of Galatia were formed by both converted Jews and Gentiles, somehow the true Gospel got distorted and the churches began preaching one that a person was justified by faith and works. Paul writes the Galatians to set the record straight and reassure the converts that we are only saved by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that salvation can never be taken away from us. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” - Galatians 1:6-8.

That angel from heaven preaching another gospel is none other than Satan, he was once one of God's angels, but was cast out because he tried to take the throne from God. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” - Isaiah 14:12-15. Satan knows where he is going for eternity, he is trying to keep as many people as he can from knowing the truth as if that is going to keep him from being cast into hell, but he can not escape it neither can anyone else who deceives people with another gospel.

Why is it important? It is important to understand that if one little piece of the Gospel were changed than it would have changed everything else in the Bible as well. Christ, who was sinless, gave His life to save us all from hell, He arose again three days later, proving that even death has no power over the power of God. Every person who believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and allows Him to come into their lives is saved by their faith in Him alone and only by their faith. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:9,10.

The resurrection of Christ is the very heart of Christianity. It is the one sign that tells us with perfect certainty that the sacrifice of Jesus was acceptable to God and that a way had been made for our sins to be forgiven. If the death of Christ would have been in vain than we would all still be sacrificing animals to keep from going to hell. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid...I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” - Galatians 2:16,17,20,21.

God instilled the law of Moses to the Jews as a way for them to be reconciled with God, if you have ever gotten angry at someone for betraying you than you can understand why God reacts the way He does when His people betray Him. However, God knew that no matter how many times a person brought an animal to Him to be reconciled with Him he would still sin, maybe not even on purpose, but it was just in his nature. That is when He knew He had to make a way for a person to be reconciled with Him once and for all, hence, Jesus Christ. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” - Galatians 3:10-14.

We can give a big thanks to Jesus that we are no longer bound to that curse. Praise God! Does that mean we will never sin again? Of course not. Does that mean we are no longer saved if we do? Of course not! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - I John 1:9. Jesus died once on the cross to save us, that means we only have to ask Him once to save us. “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:9-11. Praise God!

Be blessed, enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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