You are listening to Word Alive with Derek Stringer and my name is Brenda Critchley. Thankss for fall ining us today – and if you happen to me new to the programme – good – this is the topographic point to be if you want to cognize what the Bible has to state about doing the most of our lives.
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Yes – We ‘re all about doing sense of the Word of God. We do n’t hold to do it relevant it is relevant! We merely necessitate to see in what manner and use it to our lives.
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And that ‘s what Dr Stringer will be making one time once more here on Word Alive. The current series is Paul ‘s missive to the Galatians and we ‘ve reached chapter 2 poetries 11 to 21. I ‘ll bit in here and at that place – but over to Derek
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Thankss Brenda.
I came across a amusing narrative. Frank and Mabel were holding relational jobs. Married for 40 old ages they were now both 60 old ages old. A faery godmother appeared and said to Frank, “ I can allow you one want. ” He thought for a minute and so said, “ I would wish to be married to a adult female 30 old ages younger than me. ” She waved her wand and it happened. . . he was 90 old ages old and still married to Mabel!
I imagine that Frank was a but upset by how things turned out.
We have reached in our surveies through Galatians chapter 2 from poetry 11. We are faced with two of the large guns of the early church – Paul and Peter turn toing a struggle between them. There ‘s something important for us to take from this if we are to go on populating an effectual Christian life.
Read along in Galatians 2 poetries 11 to 14 if you can:
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“ When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the incorrect. Before certain work forces came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to pull back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the Circumcision group.
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The other Jews joined him in his lip service, so that by their lip service even Barnabas was led astray.
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When I saw that they were non moving in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in forepart of them all, ‘You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and non like a Jew. How is it, so, that you force Heathens to follow Judaic imposts? ”
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This is Paul ‘s ‘Tale Of Two Cities ‘ – Capital of israel and Antioch. Jerusalem is where the church started. Antioch is where trusters were foremost called Christians.
Paul had visited Jerusalem with Titus. There was a feeling among some that Titus should be circumcised a Jew in order to be a proper truster. Paul stood against that because he knew it would torpedo reliable Christianity. It is trust in Christ entirely that leads to redemption non trust plus some Acts of the Apostless that we do.
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And now one time once more the truth of the Gospel is at interest.
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Yes – In Jerusalem the issue was Circumcision. In Antioch the issue is Judaic dietetic Torahs. What a truster should or should non eat.
Alongside Paul ‘s concern to support the Gospel, retrieve that false instructors are seeking to discredit him as an apostle. He points out that James, Peter and John endorsed him as an apostle. But Paul was non guided by the other apostles. Refering some cardinal issues, he became a usher to them.
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“ When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, ” said Paul.
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There was no lasting rift. It was a impermanent oversight of opinion by Peter.
We would make good to look closely at what happened so that we do n’t do a similar error.
First: Peter AND PAUL ARE OUT OF STEP WITH ONE ANOTHER.
In the Church we must larn to populate with some struggle.
The narrative is told about a railroad company that noticed that in a rail accident it was the last compartment that seemed to endure the worst. The suggesting was made that it should be removed! It ‘s non so easy done is it? And if hard people leave the church they will shortly be replaced by more hard people.
Let ‘s acquire existent! Our integrity is non based on perfect understanding. If my married woman Pauline and I agree on everything one of us is non necessary.
An 8-year-old male child was asked, “ How can a alien Tell if two people are married? ” He replied, “ See whether they yell at the same childs. ”
Subsequently in Galatians Paul says we are to “ bear with one another. ” We are ‘family ‘ – and households have there ups and downs – but a good household works at it.
The struggle in Antioch developed in six phases. Brenda!
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First: Peter comes to Antioch and sits down for a repast with some Gentile Christians.
Second: Certain work forces came from James in Jerusalem.
Third: Peter becomes concerned about what they will believe of him doing him to pull back from the Gentile trusters.
Fourth: The other Jews joined him in his lip service even Barnabas.
Fifths: Peter was clearly incorrect.
Sixth: Paul rebukes him to his face.
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Now – This behavior was out of sync with the Gospel. Peter knew he was free from such suppressions about whom he could tie in with. When God called him to see a heathen named Cornelius to assist him understand true religion – he had at foremost said “ No, Lord. I ca n’t travel to the place of such a adult male. ” God had made it clear that you ca n’t state ‘no ‘ and ‘Lord ‘ in the same sentence like that. If God says ‘go ‘ and He is your ‘Lord ‘ , you go. God was stating, “ Do n’t name dirty what I call clean. ” Peter had gone and seen that redemption was for all people non merely the Jews. Peter had to explicate his action to the trusters in Jerusalem. Now in Antioch that same group has turned up.
In a minute of failing Peter walks out on these Gentile trusters. Put yourself in the topographic point of the Christian Gentiles. Imagine how they will be experiencing. Peer force per unit area can be a deathly thing. It ‘s non merely something that adolescents worry about – most of us conflict with it.
If person demanded that Peter deny Christ or dice. I think he had got that one down. He would decease! His existent fright now is a church split. So, he took the easy manner out.
Let ‘s halt right here and understand this. Church leaders have difficult picks to do. We want to delight people but we ca n’t make it all the clip.
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No leader is likely to be absolutely consistent,
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Or ever right!
For illustration, a leader may hold a oversight in judgement, as we ‘ve seen with Peter at Antioch. Although Peter was inspired as an apostle to compose the letters we know as 1 and 2 Peter and which are accepted as important Bible, there ‘s no claim in the Bible that his or any other leader ‘s personal actions or opinions are infallible. Even a great leader may hold oversights.
For another illustration, a leader may hold a unsighted topographic point. In Acts 15:39 Paul and Barnabas were be aftering a missional trip together when Barnabas suggested seting John Mark back on the squad. Mark had gone AWOL on a anterior mission and Paul was n’t traveling to put on the line being stood up once more. Barnabas, on the other manus, wanted to give John Mark a 2nd opportunity ; he may hold been somewhat biased, though, since Mark was a cousin, harmonizing to Colossians 4:10. Paul and Barnabas could n’t make understanding on the issue so they split up into separate missional squads.
John Mark did turn out out. He became an associate of Peter and, during Paul ‘s first imprisonment, Mark was portion of his support group. My decision on this dissension? Paul had been the better justice of behavior at Antioch, but Barnabas may hold been the better justice of character with John Mark. Even with all of his penetration on the issue of Judaizing, Paul is non portrayed in the New Testament as holding unflawed opinion.
Furthermore, a leader may hold good ground to non ever do things the same manner. While Paul protected Titus from the demand of Circumcision in Galatians 2, he allowed Timothy to subject to Circumcision in Acts 16:3.
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Was he inconsistent?
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There ‘s no uncertainty about that, at least at first glimpse. But the state of affairss were different. One was an issue of doctrinal demands and the other was an issue of scheme for making Judaic communities, of acquiring a first hearing with them. ( One other small fact. Timothy ‘s female parent was Judaic and his male parent Gentile, while Titus ‘ household was wholly Gentile. )
In Acts 21:26 Paul returned to Jerusalem and participated in Judaic rites at the temple. And unlike the state of affairs at Antioch this did n’t affect an issue of separation or of justification ; Paul himself was still Judaic and he respected the patterns at the temple. He was prepared to “ go all things to all work forces, ” so that he can win some.
Whether for good ground or hapless, leaders are n’t ever consistent and they surely are n’t ever right. Because of human fallibility, one of the precautions that should be of import to us is plurality of leadership-that determination doing on of import issues is broadly-enough based, that we seek more than a au naturel bulk.
Christian leading is a serious and hard naming. Failures occur. It ‘s easy to pick holes. If you must face do certain it ‘s over something significant.
I say to Church Leaders, “ You need to cognize what to travel to the wall for. ” Some issues truly are n’t worth the fuss. But some are. Part of the duty of a Church leader is to cognize the difference.
Some old ages ago Britain had a difference with Iceland. It was known as the ‘Cod War ‘ . That was a delusory rubric, because the Cod were ne’er safer. The difference about angling rights between the two states meant that the Cod could bask a clip of peace and prosperity. The struggle between the two states meant that they were left entirely.
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And the Devil laughs when we are acquiring at one another. He is left to his ain oblique devices.
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And of class, the people outside the Church expression on, and God ‘s name is tarnished.
We should maintain in head the end and non our personal satisfaction of winning an statement. The result we seek should ever be to advance the Gospel, to see that the good intelligence is shared.
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When the adherents complained to Jesus that some other followings were working miracles in His name, Jesus quieted them. As the history is recorded in Mark 9, it appears they were n’t so concerned with the message as with continuing their insider position.
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Paul, excessively, was glad for any legitimate agencies that advanced the Gospel, whether through his imprisonment or through some who saw themselves as challengers to Paul. He wrote about this in Philippians, “ What does it count? The of import thing is that in every manner, whether from false motivations or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. ”
We can differ with one another, and at times we must. But we must take attention to differ without going disagreeable. The result should ever be to advance the Gospel.
This is why Paul was out of measure with Peter and was willing to confront him down.
Second: Peter WAS OUT OF STEP WITH THE GOSPEL.
Three things put Peter out of measure with the Gospel and it robs the universe of benefits. They are fear, lip service, and legalism.
The fright of adult male puts us out of measure with the Gospel.
The Gospel does non engender fright but assurance and daring.
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To Timothy, Paul said, “ God did non give us a spirit of fright but of power and love and self-denial. ”
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George saw a psychoanalyst for four old ages for intervention of the fright that he had monsters under his bed. It had been old ages since he had got a good dark ‘s slumber. Furthermore, his advancement was really hapless, and he knew it. One twenty-four hours he stopped seeing the psychoanalyst and decided to seek something different.
A few hebdomads subsequently, George ‘s former psychoanalyst met his old client in the promenade, and was surprised to happen him looking well-rested, energetic, and cheerful.
“ Doctor! ” George says, “ It ‘s astonishing! I ‘m healed! ”
“ That ‘s great intelligence! ” the psychoanalyst says. “ You seem to be making much better. How? ”
“ I went to see another physician, ” George says enthusiastically, “ and he cured me in merely ONE session! ”
“ One? ! ” the psychoanalyst asks unbelievingly. “ How did he bring around you in one session? ”
“ Easy, ” says George. “ He told me to cut the legs off of my bed. ”
We all have our frights. Some people may be afraid of monsters under their bed. More likely, your frights involve winging or highs or spiders or public speech production. One of the greatest frights we portion in common is our fright of decease. But there is besides the fright of traveling public with the Gospel as God gives chance.
I find it important that the words “ Do non be afraid ” are found 48 times in the Bible. God said it to Abraham, to Joshua, to Elijah. Jesus said it to his adherents when he came walking on the H2O, at his Transfiguration, and after his Resurrection. And Jesus came to let go of us from what may good be our greatest fright of all — fright of decease.
I do n’t cognize what ( or who ) it is that you are most afraid of today. What I do cognize, though, is that God has promised to be with you.
If you feel hesitating about a clear testimony to Christ when a God-given chance comes your manner – your primary demand is to see the Gospel for what it is. Stop and see all that God in Christ has done, is making, and will make for you. Sing and believing the Gospel you can state, “ The Lord is my assistant, I will non be afraid ; what can adult male make to me? ”
We have impermanent oversights of religion like Peter.
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And God is gracious to his mistaking kids.
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He surely is – He sent Paul to Peter to convey him back in measure with the Gospel. Possibly he sent me to you today to remind you that you do n’t necessitate to fear any adult male. Stand for the truth of the Gospel.
Hypocrisy is besides out of measure with the Gospel.
Peter, Barnabas and the other Jews were ambidextrous when they withdrew. They were stating one thing with their actions and believing another. They feared what adult male might make and so they put up a forepart.
All lip service is rooted in fright or insecurity. That is why it is so out of measure with the Gospel.
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Insecurity is inconsistent with the Gospel.
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When you feel insecure or frightened and avoid taking a base you are out of ‘sync ‘ with the Gospel. The conflict you are contending is a conflict to believe the Gospel.
The Gospel tells us that the decease of Christ assures us of God ‘s love. So it gives deep stableness and security to our lives. Christ ‘s resoluteness to endure for me shames me in my disposition to be reticent in admiting Him. Centre your life on Jesus and his Gospel and root out lip service.
And one more thing here – legalism is out of measure with the Gospel.
Legalists do n’t bask their religion and they do n’t desire anyone else to bask theirs either. A legalist ‘s list of regulations is longer than God ‘s. And they seek to enforce their list on others.
To Peter you could state, “ You would coerce Gentiles to follow Judaic imposts? ” If Peter had said: “ What do you intend? I have n’t said Gentiles must populate like Jews. ” Paul would state, “ Your actions speak louder than words. You are giving the feeling that Judaic patterns are superior. ” That is legalism! Necessitating that a individual does some plants of jurisprudence to be accepted.
LET ‘S GET THE MESSAGE.
First: IF YOU GET OUT OF STEP WITH ANOTHER BELIEVER MAKE SURE IT ‘S WORTH IT.
There ‘s an old narrative that ‘s deserving reiterating. A adult male is about to leap of a span into the river. Spotted by a passerby, he tries to maintain the self-destructive adult male speaking.
He says, “ Do you believe in God? ”
“ Yes ” he replies.
“ That ‘s good, so do I. Are you a Christian or a Jew? ”
“ A Christian. ”
“ So am I – are you Protestant or Catholic? ”
“ Protestant. ”
“ We ‘re the same – so am I. ”
“ Are you Anglican, Methodist, Baptist or something else? ”
“ I ‘m Baptist. ”
“ Well what do you cognize, so am I – Are you independent Baptist or Baptist Union? ”
“ Independent Baptist. ”
“ Is n’t this singular, we ‘ve got a batch in common, so am I. Are you Independent Fundamentalist Baptist or Independent Liberal Baptist? ”
“ Independent Fundamentalist Baptist. ”
“ Great! I am every bit good. ”
“ Are you Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Council of 1879 or 1912? ”
“ I ‘m Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Council of 1912. ”
With that answer the adult male pushed him and said, “ Die misbeliever. ”
Folkss, we do n’t hold clip for any of that.
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Whether for good grounds or hapless, leaders are n’t ever right. Do n’t do yourself the church critic or go a nuisance on every issue.
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Try the 100 old ages from now trial. Think about the differences and issues that fuss you. Will it count that much one hundred old ages from now? Most will be seen to be no large trade.
If you are traveling to acquire out of measure with a truster make certain it is worth it.
SECONDLY: DO N’T Get OUT OF STEP WITH THE GOSPEL.
Believe the great Gospel of Christ. Do n’t fear what work forces can make. Make n’t play the dissembler. If Peter was capable of lip service so are we. It is a deathly enemy of the Gospel.
This statement was on a company notice board:
“ We have been established for over one hundred old ages and have been delighting and displeasing clients of all time since.A We have made money and lost money, suffered the effects of coal nationalization, coal rationing, authorities control, and bad payers.A We have been cussed and discussed, messed about, lied to, held up, robbed, and swindled.A A The lone ground we stay in concern is to see what happens following. ”
As I read that mark, I could n’t assist but believe of the apostle Paul who listed all the tests that he experienced in his Christian life.
You about expect Paul to state, “ The lone ground I keep functioning Christ is to see what happens following. “ A But, a more accurate statement would be: A “ The ground I keep functioning Christ is out of grasp for all he has done for me. ”
Make it your purpose to amplify the free grace in Christ and be in sync with the Gospel.
And this is really of import – we ca n’t make that if we are non clear about the Gospel in the first topographic point.
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And that ‘s why in poetries 15 to 21 of Galatians 2, Paul expands on the truth of the Gospel –
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Yes – because we must acquire it absolutely clear.
We ‘re looking now at poetries 15 to 21:
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“ We who are Jews by birth and non ‘gentile evildoers ‘ know that a adult male is non justified by detecting the jurisprudence, but by religion in Jesus Christ. So we, excessively, have put our religion in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by religion in Christ and non by detecting the jurisprudence, because by detecting the jurisprudence no-one will be justified.
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‘If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes apparent that we ourselves are evildoers, does that intend that Christ promotes wickedness? Absolutely non! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a law-breaker.
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For through the jurisprudence I died to the jurisprudence so that I might populate for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer unrecorded, but Christ lives in me.
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The life I live in the organic structure, I live by religion in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
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I do non put aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the jurisprudence, Christ died for nil! ‘ ”
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Never acquire off from the 5 rules of the Gospel that are the bosom of the affair.
First: Our greatest demand is to acquire right with God.
And we can be ‘justified ‘ before Him. The New Testament universe used that word in their jurisprudence tribunals. ‘Justification ‘ is an act of God that gives us the position of being in the right with God even though we do n’t hold the province of being right. Because it is an act non a procedure one Christian ca n’t be more right with God than another. Merely as you ca n’t be merely a small pregnant, or you ca n’t be more married than another – you ca n’t be more justified. In justification God declares you right with Him.
I love the Pigeon English version of the Bible on this: “ Travel ee say Im wholly right! ”
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So our greatest demand is to acquire right with God – and we can be “ justified by religion in Christ. ”
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Second: Our greatest folly is to believe we can make something ourselves.
Obeying regulations, being good, maintaining spiritual rites.
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Paul could n’t state it clearer.
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Third: Our greatest find is this – all we need is Christ.
He is necessary and He is sufficient.
In Revelation 1:18 Jesus Claimed: “ I Am The Alpha And The Omega. ”
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That ‘s the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
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We have 26 letters in the English alphabet. Let me state you about Christ by constructing the image on the letters.
He is the Advocate, the Amen, the Almighty.
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He is Bethlehem ‘s Baby, the Bridegroom, Bread and Bright and Morning Star.
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He is the Christ, Creator, Counsellor, Comforter and Crucified.
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He is the Door and Deliverer.
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Emmanuel, Exalted, Everlasting
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The Fruit of the Spirit, the Fountain that refreshes, the Fullness of the Spirit and the Friend that ne’er leaves us.
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He is God, Good, Great and our Guide.
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He is our Hope, Helper and Healer.
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He is the I Am, Inheritance and Immortal.
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He is Jesus, Jehovah, Judge and Justifier.
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He is King of Kings and Keeper of the keys.
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He is Lord, our Life, our Love, our Liberator, the Light of the World, the king of beasts of Judah and the Lamb of God.
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He is Messiah, Master, Mediator and Man Of Sorrows.
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He is the Nazarene and Name Above wholly other Names.
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He is our Offer, Omnipotent and the Merely Begotten.
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He is our Prophet, Priest, Passover, Prince Of Peace and Pearl beyond monetary value.
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He is Quick and Powerful, the Quieter of the Storms.
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Redeemer, Refuge, Refiner, Resurrection and Rock of Ages.
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Saviour, Substitute, Son Of God, Son Of Man, Stone the builder rejected, the Sweetest Name of all.
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He is the Truth, Teacher, Testator and Tabernacle.
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The Unblemished Lamb, Unchanging God, Unction of the Spirit.
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The Vine, the Vicarious forfeit, the Victor over decease
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The Way, the Word, the Water of life, the Wonderful Counsellor.
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The eXpected Messiah Of The Old Testament and the exalted Lord of the New Testament.
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Yesterday, today And forever
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Sion ‘s Holy King.
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Hallelujah What A Jesus! He is the A To Z and everything in between.
We have something in common with every dweller of planet Earth. Touch your articulatio genuss and turn over your linguas around your oral cavity. There is coming a twenty-four hours when every articulatio genus will bow to Christ and every lingua will admit that He is Lord. We have the astonishing privilege of confirming Him every bit Saviour every bit good as Lord right now.
All this brings us to a 4th rule at the bosom of the Gospel – Our greatest ownership is to believe in Jesus to get down an altogether new life.
I ‘m non merely given the position of being right with God, Christ comes to populate in me. He died for me that I might be forgiven. Now He comes by the Holy Spirit to populate in me. I can state, “ The life I live in the organic structure, I live by religion in the Son of God, who loves me and gave Himself for me. ”
If Christ merely loved me but could n’t assist me I would be hopeless.
If Christ could assist me but did n’t love me I would be hopeless.
But He both loves me and is willing to assist me.
He died that I might be forgiven. He comes to indwell me so that I might be fulfilled. It ‘s non what I do for Him but what He does in and through me that counts.
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Which brings us to the concluding rule and why Paul was so steadfast in what he said about Peter at this point.
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Yes – Our greatest abuse is a failure to swear in Jesus and demo it.
If a individual could acquire right with God by maintaining the jurisprudence so “ Christ died for nil! ”
Do we truly think that God would let His Son to make anything unneeded? If we think that our attempts to maintain any regulations will be good plenty for God it ‘s an ultimate insult to God.
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“ In my topographic point condemned He stood,
Sealed my forgiveness with His blood,
Hallelujah! What a Jesus. ”
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The lone thing He asks is that we believe and receive. Have you done that? Then do n’t endorse off from it.
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You are listening to Word Alive with Derek Stringer and I ‘m Brenda Critchley.
Derek will be back in merely a minute with a supplication to round off today ‘s of import topic from Galatians.
This is portion 4 of the series – you need n’t lose out on the old surveies because we have them recorded and we ‘ll direct them to you merely for the monetary value of the Cadmium and postage – we ‘re non out to do net incomes merely to portion the truth of God ‘s Word. I
Here ‘s Derek Stringer and a supplication –
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Heavenly Father,
May our struggles be of your choosing because we are standing for the Gospel with grace. May we ne’er say to you that you can maintain your grace. That the greatest gift, the decease of your ain boy, was deficient.
May we ne’er nullify your grace. May we ne’er diminish or H2O down the Gospel.
Salvage us from believing it baronial to seek to win our manner to you and to heaven.
Help us to see the horror of it and how awfully ignoble it is.
Salvage us from deny both your nature and the mission of Christ by declining to allow you be gracious. May we ne’er give the feeling that Christ need non hold bothered to decease.
Help us to see how both your grace and Christ ‘s decease become redundant, if we are Masterss of our ain fate and can salvage ourselves.
Grant that we will see our true value as trusters in Christ, and that we will catch a vision of the incomputable value of Christ ‘s forfeit on our behalf. Amons.
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Amons.
Word Alive is a Good News Broadcasting Association production and this is a hearer supported programme.
We ‘re back once more following clip with more about Inner Freedom – the rubric we ‘re giving to this current series through Galatians. I hope that you ‘ll be able to fall in us once more.
Until so, thanks for listening. I ‘m Brenda Critchley with Dr Derek Stringer – good pass and God bless you.
