This book of Galatians is for me ons of the most important book in the bible as it explains the way of salvation through the righteousness of Jesus . Unless we understand and receive this message as an experience we are not converted. Conversion like Ellen g White says is a rare experience . Few Christians are converted. I realize that one of the biggest problem in the world is legalism and pride.
Galatians chapter 1 summary gives us the solution to this incredible problem that even today few are speaking about or know the solution for. Not only the Christian and religious world is proud and legalist, but also non believers stand only on rules without having any change in the heart. What we shal take to heaven is who we are not what we do. Once God changes who we are then what we do will change.
When one strives with his own efforts to change what he does without having the heart changed. Then this Christian life is a nightmare and a great burden . Galatians chapter 1 summary gives us the way out of this religious nightmare called legalism .
GA 1 1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
This is a very important verse. I remember i was evangelising in the south of France. This is the place where most protestants lived in the middle ages. Very dusty and cowboy like towns . It is fascinating to see that a country that was so catholic had a place called Cevennes which was mostly protestant and resisted to much the persecutions of the papacy . There a men asked me a question
Who send you to preach ? Or his question was saying Can you prove to me that you are not talking from yourself but that God has sent you? Tonya most people believe in reason and self truth . The bible says the opposite, it says that all truth comes from God that God is truth .
That God choses people He wants to tell others about the love of Jesus . And that the words of those chosen ones are not from men , but from God .
Today Christianity believes in men. Many Christians believes that the words of the preacher comes from him . Let us go back to the bible and find out that when one is sent of God what he says is inspired of God . Galatians chapter 1 summarytells us that we cannot believe the new movements in the world to worship human reason and human thoughts.
If what a preacher said came from him then there would be no need of the Holy Spirit, no need to have a bible as miens thoughts would be enough to proclaim the truth as men would have truth in their mind . God would not have needed to create churches and send the bible and prophets is human reasoning was enough . Paul says he was sent from God and the words he spake came from God .
GA 1 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
Paul was sent to the pagans. Tonya most Christians congregate where there are other Christians . This is too easy and comfortable . The truth of the bible is not going to the ends of the planet as is Gods will .
In Galatians chapter 1 summary it says that modern Christianity is failing in doing its mission of preaching to the world. It is selfish to do such a thing, to be blessed by God with so much truth and let others perish without this amazing truth that Jesus loves you and me so much and He died so that we could be freed from destruction and enjoy heaven forever.
GA 1 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
What we need in the end times is grace and peace. So much trouble is going on in the world that peace is taken away. When we know the bible we can have peace knowing that one day this story of battle between good and evil will soon end. We need grace because only God can give us wisdom to know how to tell others about his love.
GA 1 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
This age is evil . If you go to the post about pride it explains well what evil is . In fact the word evil and proud and used different times in the bible as meaning the same thing . Many sins are never mentioned in churches and most Christians do not know what sin is . In Galatians chapter 1 summary we learn that what God loves is that we love each other and love God above all . People think that sin is what we do .
Many follow many rules and traditions , but they forget that who we are is what we shall take to heaven . This evil world doe snot know that many sins that are offensive to God are never mensionned in churches. Such as pride, arrogance, selfishness, unloving, unkindness, apathy, dishonesty . Through the death of Jesus we have the hope that one day we will escape this evil world to go to a place where everybody Wil be loving, kind, honest and gentle .
GA 1 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
This is the opposite of today evil world is to give glory to God in all things. The basis of sin is pride, or worshipping oneself . We either give God the glory or we take the glory that belongs to Him to ourselves. There is no middle ground . Nobody will be in heaven who will have taken glory to themselves.
In heaven only people who love and serve others will be there. In Galatians chapter 1 summary we learn that this can be accomplished only through the righteousness of Jesus . As our own works are valueless . In fact the only value of works is that we work because we want to love God and others and we are grateful to God . Our works have nothing to do with gaining acceptance with God or gaining heaven.
GA 1 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
This verse goes along with the one above about men s opinions and reasoning power. Here the bible states again that there is an absolute truth . Today there are many churches but how can that be when we know that there is only one bible and one truth ? This is because there are false teachers. You can read the article on how to read the bible. What happens is that when we do not read the bible correctly and if we are dishonest then we will teach false doctrines To be careful how we read the bible , in contact, and reading all verses about one topic is safer than coming swiftly to conclusions and ending up believing a lie .
GA 1 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert[a] the gospel of Christ.
Paul says that those who teach false doctrines trouble and perfect the gospel of Jesus. Here Paul is specifically talking about people who want dithers to be saved y works, they wanted Christians to do things that were no longer required as Jesus had died on the cross. We are now saved by grace. In Galatians chapter 1 summary it tells us that men has no righteousness, only God is righteousness .
When we still cling to the belief that our works amount to anything or that there is any goodness in us then we are not converted and we deceive others. No men shall be saved with the works of the law. The bible also says that if we are saved by works then grace is no more grace. We are either saved by grace or by works. The light cannot be green and red at the same time .
GA 1 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be [b]accursed.
Here Paul confirms it is not about whet is popular in the day that we should follow. We should not follow what people want to be truth . But the truth is in the bible and whether people follow it or not, it remains the truth . Even if the whole world teaches that human reasoning is the truth and that human can create truth and it the whole world teaches that we are saved by works, then we should not follow them .
GA 1 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Let us follow only the bible and not teachers that bring teachings that have no foundation on the Word of God . In Galatians chapter 1 summary we learn about righteousness by faith . Asking God everyday to give us his righteousness is the only solution to do Gods will by his strength.
GA 1 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
The bible also says that if we follow the world then we cannot please God . We have to chose the world of Jesus . To be rude, proud, arrogant, mean is accepted by the world . To seek the first place, to be spathic and uncaring is great is our society . The bible says we cannot enter heaven with such defects. But the good news is that Jesus righteousness is enough
GA 1 11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
Again here a rebuke to the modern world of self worship and following human reasoning rather that the plain truth of the bible . The bible and the words of a messenger of God comes from God .
GA 1 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The revelations of Gods messengers come from God . Even if the words of the mouth come out from a human instrumentality . God and the Holy Spirit are the ones who talk through the human agent . Galatians chapter 1 summary teaches us that truth only comes from God .
GA 1 13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
Here we see that there is conversion only in God . God can transform hearts and make a legalist like Paul who was so called perfect in the law, yet he did not see the corruptness of his heart. This is what legalists do , they think they are oo and perfect, this is because they often only look at what other people are doing . And they are blind to the condition of their own hearts. They go by rules and do not understand that legalism, pride, selfishness, unloving behaviours can never enter heaven.
GA 1 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Paul was a super Pharisee, he persecuted those who accepted the truth of the love of Jesus who died on the cross. He did it ignorantly but Paul was transformed and received the righteousness of Jesus which is the only solution to the sin problem.
GA 1 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
Paul says that God separated him for his work . But was God responsible that Paul was a Pharisee ? Not it was the teachings of the Pharisees that thought Paul the gospel in a way that made him a legalist and Pharisee. The way we read the bible and understand can make the difference between life and death .
GA 1 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
Paul was not taught by men but by God directly . The same for me brothers and sisters. I had a dream in Spain one day while i was totally atheist. And God came to me in a dream and told me I am God I love you . This is a special call , the same for Paul who was called directly by God . Flesh and blood did not teach Paul but God Himself .
GA 1 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Paul was sent to Arabia to learn the truth after his call from God on the road to Damascus.
GA 1 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see [c]Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
Paul also spent time with Peter the ardent apostle of Jesus . Paul was grateful to have had the privilege to have met one of Jesus apostle and converse with him about Jesus .
GA 1 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
GA 1 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
Paul was not writing form himself, God only choses men who are honest, humble and sincere.
GA 1 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
GA 1 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.
Paul was a true Christian someone who travelled the world to tell others about the love of Jesus for humanity and his death on the cross . That whosoever accepts the love of Jesus can be forgiven and enter heaven one day / In heaven where there will be no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain .
GA 1 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” GA 1 24 And they glorified God in me.
For the apostles were afraid to meet Paul knowing that he persecuted Christians . Then afterwards they found out that Paula conversion was real and true and they were happy to see that God could do such amazing transformations in people s hearts.
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