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Word of Encouragement

Word of Encouragement is a biblical study sent to readers via e-mail weekly. Each Word of Encouragement is designed to help God’s people reflect and refocus our minds on the reality of our union with Jesus Christ and what this means for us today. Word of Encouragement is an especially helpful study if you are someone who desires to understand more clearly the Reformed Faith.

The e-mails focus on a variety of Biblical subjects, as well as including excerpts, quotes and thoughts from the pens of Reformed scholars both historical and contemporary. If you are interested in subscribing to Word of Encouragement, please e-mail me at crbiggs@comcast.net, and you will be added to our free mailing list. A Place for Truth and Word of Encouragement have been on the web since 1996.

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Previous WOE Selections:

Word of Encouragement –Complete Volume I

Word of Encouragement –Complete Volume II

Word of Encouragement –Complete Volume III

Word of Encouragement –Complete Volume IV

Word of Encouragement –Complete Volume V

Word of Encouragement –Complete Volume VI (Word Version)

 

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Sample Word of Encouragement:

Word of Encouragement

 

Gospel 101

As we begin today’s study, let us summarize the Apostle Paul’s gospel and the “other gospel” of the Judaizers:

 

Simple Gospel of the Apostle Paul: (1) “Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, (2) at that moment you are saved-delivered-rescued from sin and God’s wrath; (3) now you live obediently according to God’s Law because the Spirit has written it in your hearts” (Eph. 2:8-10: Because of God’s mercy, we are saved by grace, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in).  Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-10:

 

ESV Ephesians 2:4-10: But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

Christ plus nothing equals salvation-deliverance and the fruitful obedience of faith because of our life-giving union with Jesus..

 

The Judaizers’ “Other Gospel”: (1) “Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and (2) keep the Law of God the best you can; and then (3) you are saved.” (Contrast from Machen, ‘Notes on Galatians’, pg. 49).

 

Christ plus cooperation with God equals salvation-deliverance…

 

In today’s study we want to consider further the Apostle Paul’s gospel that was being exchanged for “another gospel which is no gospel at all?”  Our ‘Word of Encouragement’ will focus on unpacking the sweet and amazing gospel of Jesus Christ, and how Paul summarizes it in Galatians 1:1-5, and how he responds when the Churches of Galatia begin to turn from the true gospel to a false one!

 

ESV Galatians 1:1-10: Paul, an apostle- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 

In Galatians 1:6, Paul says that the Galatian churches have “amazed,” “astounded,” or “caused him to marvel” at just how quickly they had turned away from the true gospel of grace that he had preached to them and how quickly they have exchanged it for a false gospel!

 

We are all guilty of “quickly” turning away from the true gospel.  Sin has tainted us in our hearts, minds, and wills in such a way that we want to work our way up to God, rather than having him send us (from God to man) a Savior to deliver us from our sins, and to rescue us from our awful plight.  Here is a summary of Paul’s gospel from Galatians 1:3-4:

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…

 

The Apostle Paul summarizes his gospel at the beginning of his letter by saying that Jesus “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age.”  Paul is saying that according to the eternal will of God, God sent his son to deliver us, or rescue us from a world of sin and misery by giving Jesus “for our sins”.  Jesus was offered “for our sins” as a substitute for those whom he loved so that we could live as sons and heirs of God in Christ Jesus (Gal. 4:1-6).  The hope of every Christian should be that Jesus gave himself willingly, because of his great love for us, “for our sins.” As the Apostle Paul says it differently in Romans 5:8:

 

“…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

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Soli Deo Gloria!

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