13 March 2018

Rags to Riches




Theme: Heirs of God

Scriptures: Galatians 4:1-31

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)
Know: We are heirs of God through faith in Christ, not by our own merits.
Think: View my life as an opportunity to bring glory to my Father.
Do: Live by faith in Christ, free to obey Him in the power He gives me.

B1 Galatians 4:1-7,
C1 Children Some interpret this as
D1 Jews under the elementary principles of Jewish laws.
D2 Jews and Gentiles before they believed.
D3 Gentiles (the Galatians) who believed in many gods before believing into Jesus Christ.
C2 Elementary principles Some interpret this as
D1 Mosaic law
D2 The many gods of idolatry
D3 Sin
C3 Whatever the meaning is the principle taught is every human is under bondage.
C4 What are some things that people are in bondage to?
C5 What is the significance of God sending His son as Redeemer?
C6 Why did Jesus have to be born of a woman and under the Law?
C7 Adoption as sons
D1 Sons here includes male and female gender.
D2 The word for adoption is υἱοθεσία huiothesia. It means adoption.
D3 It is used in Scripture 3 ways:
E1 Physical adoption as going through an agency to adopt a son or daughter. It is this sense the Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses (Exodus 2:10).
E2 National adoption as Israel was adopted by God (Romans 9:4).
E3 Spiritual adoption as being brought into the family of God, thus a believer is a son of God or a daughter of God. He is our Father. He has adopted us.
E4 It is a present reality for believers: Ephesians 1:5 NKJV Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
E5 It is also future:
F1 Romans 8:19 NKJV For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
F2 Romans 8:23 NKJV Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
E6 A note from Vincent’s Word Studies on this passage:
Then an heir (καὶ κληρονόμος): Καὶ marks the logical sequence. Comp. Rom 8:17. The figure is based upon Roman, not upon Jewish, law. According to Roman law, all the children, sons and daughters, inherited alike. According to Jewish law, the inheritance of the sons was unequal, and the daughters were excluded, except where there were no male heirs. Thus the Roman law furnished a more truthful illustration of the privileges of Christians. Comp. Gal 3:28.
E7 Give some of the benefits of being an adopted son or daughter of God.
E8 Remember that we were slaves of sin: Romans 6:20-21 NKJV For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
E9 Now we are slaves to righteousness and heirs of God: Romans 6:22-23 NKJV But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
C8 What is good about being able to address God as "Abba, Father?”
C9 What do we inherit?
D1 The earth (Matthew 5:5)
D2 Eternal life (Matthew 19:29)
D3 A heavenly family (Matthew 19:29)
D4 God’s Kingdom (James 2:5)
D5 The Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)
D6 Kings and Priests (Revelation 5:9-10)
D7 What we need to live a Christian life (2 Peter 1:3)
D8 The Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
D9 Forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9)
D10 Freedom from guilt (Romans 8:1 and Hebrews 10:22)
D11 Free from slavery to sin (Romans 6:18)
D12 A heavenly home (John 14:1-2)
D13 Perfect knowledge and freedom from ignorance (1 Corinthians 13:12)
D14 Some other blessings: Revelation 21:4 NKJV And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
B2 Galatians 4:8-20
C1 Name some things that the Galatians were enslaved to.
C2 In Galatians 4:10, days, months, seasons, and years are mentioned. What would Paul be referring to?
C3 We don’t know for sure what Paul’s physical condition was (Galatians 4:14). It was not mentioned, because today there are many physical conditions that would appear to be offensive. Why didn’t the Galatians reject Paul and his message?
C4 How do people become an enemy for telling the truth?
C5 Are we to ask forgiveness for telling the truth?
C6 Some truths:
D1 The truth that they were sinners. (Galatians 5:11 and 1 Peter 2:8). Truth can be offensive.
D2 The truth that it is appointed to die, then to be judged. (See Hebrews 9:27).
D3 Galatians 5:7 NKJV You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
D4 Galatians 2:11 NKJV Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed. (and read then through verse 14).
C7 Galatians 4:17-18
D1 Two versions
E1 17 They are enthusiastic about you, but not for any good. Instead, they want to isolate you so you will be enthusiastic about them. 18 Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good—and not just when I am with you. (CSB)
E2 17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you. (NLT)
D2 How do false teachers butter us up to manipulate us?
E1 Butter upflatter with the intention of getting something.
E2 How can we avoid being manipulated?
C8 What is the pain that Paul is feeling for the Galatians?
C9 When does Paul state that he will not feel this pain anymore?
C10 Christ formed in you
D1 Bob Utley makes this comment of the passage:
"until Christ is formed in you" "Formed" [Greek root morphç] was used in a medical sense for fetal development. Morphç could refer to the abiding character of something. This text refers to their maturity in Christ (cf. Eph. 4:13), or in other words, their Christlikeness (cf. Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Gal. 4:19; Eph.1:4; 4:13; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:3,7; 5:23; 1 Pet. 1:15). This does not necessarily mean two different experiences of the Christian life—salvation and maturity—and yet we all know that maturity is a developmental experience.
Paul showed that his motives in teaching and preaching to the Galatian churches were totally different from those of the self-seeking false teachers.
D2 Would this include right doctrine, a Christian worldview, a Christian lifestyle in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds?
D3 How do we develop this?
B3 Galatians 4:21-31,
C1 Explain in your own words Paul’s allegory of the 2 sons (Galatians 4:21-26).
C2 Why is being under the law (obeying Mosaic Law) being in bondage?
D1 John Calvin writes in his commentary on Hebrews 12:22:
Then he contrasts mount Sion with mount Sinai; and he further adds, the heavenly Jerusalem, and he expressly calls it heavenly, that the Jews might not cleave to that which was earthly, and which had flourished under the Law; for when they sought perversely to continue under the slavish yoke of the Law, mount Sion was turned into mount Sinai as Paul teaches us in the Gal 4:21 of the Epistle to the Galatians. Then by the heavenly Jerusalem he understood that which was to be built throughout the whole world, even as the angel, mentioned by Zechariah, extended his line from the east even to the west.
D2 What are we Christians to be firmly attached and steadfast towards—the earthly or the heavenly?
C3 In Paul’s allegory, how are Christians the children of the free woman?
C4 Are we to obey the Law of Moses? If so, how? (Basically, only when it is repeated in the New Testament to be obeyed. Nine of the ten commandments are repeated in the New Testament, for example. The Sabbath Laws are not).
C5 Is our righteousness only from faith or do we have to do good works and follow the Law of Moses to be saved, forgiven, reconciled with God?
B4 Next week
C1 Family first
C2 Theme: Household of faith
C3 Scriptures: Galatians 6:1-10

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