What is the Role of Works and the Holy Spirit?
Theme: A Journey with Abraham
Theme Verse: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 NIV
Reading: Galatians 5
Memory Verse: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Context: Paul is writing to an infant church he had founded among Gentiles in central Asia Minor (Turkey). Some Judiazers (Jewish believers who insisted that non-Jewish converts to Christ had to become Jews first and keep the whole Mosaic law including circumcision) had infiltrated these churches (about 55 AD during Paul's 3rd missionary journey). The "apostles and elders" in Jerusalem discussed the problem at length (Acts 15). Then Peter spoke clearly on God cleansing their own hearts by faith and being "saved by grace" just as these converts from paganism will be (vs.7-11). The whole assembly agreed and James said they would send word of this to the new Gentile churches. The letter is in Acts 15:23-29. This was around 49 AD. Just because the Council in Jerusalem settled the issue officially did not stop the Judiazers from keeping on trying to win over the new Gentile Christians. The crisis in Galatia was so serious that Paul omits his customary greetings and begins by asserting his apostleship and saying he is totally astonished that they are so quickly believing another gospel. Paul is concerned to defend and explain "justification by faith" but lest people think that means one can ignore the moral code and do as they please, he writes about how Christians are to live out the life of faith in a practical way. Paul says firmly that there IS NO OTHER GOSPEL than what he told them about. (See Map.)
The first thing Paul talks about in our chapter is freedom. When they/we believe in Christ and accept for ourselves the GIFT of new life and a new, right relationship with God, they and we are set free from the slavery of obeying our sinful human nature ("flesh") and are free to choose to live in obedience to God by the power God himself gives -- the Holy Spirit. Paul tells them that if they try to get a right relationship with God through the law they will have to keep it perfectly, which they cannot, so they will lose their new relationship of grace by faith in Christ. It is by faith alone that we receive the new, right relationship with Christ. Are there ways in which we try to get right with God by doing certain things? For example, church activities for the wrong reasons. What else?
But this justification by faith and God's grace does not stand alone--it produces good works through love in action. This new freedom is not a license to sin. For the first time we are free not to sin. Their actions toward others grow out of the response of faith to God in Christ.
What are the contrasts involving freedom? Freedom from the burden of sin. Freedom from the burden of guilt. Freedom from the burden of trying to justify yourself to God. Freedom from hopelessness. Set free for what? Set free to love by the Spirit. Set free to love and serve one another. Set free to persevere and hope by faith. Set free not to see freedom as the world sees it (as an opportunity for indulging ourselves), but freedom to act as God's Spirit leads.
Freedom in Christ is not meant to be used for self-indulgence, "to gratify the desires of the sinful human nature" but "through love be servants of one another." Life lived in the "flesh"/the sinful human nature and life lived by God's Spirit are opposed to each other. We can't have it both ways. What does Paul mean by "bite and devour one another", "be consumed by one another"? Instead of tearing each other down and destroying each other, we should build each other up. Contrasts:
self conceit vs not thinking ourselves better than others
gossip vs keeping confidences& not passing on rumors
provoking one another vs making peace
publicly criticizing vs praise, compliments (honest ones)
envy vs rejoicing over another's blessings
insults vs encouragement
yelling vs dealing with disagreements quietly and fairly
What else would you suggest?
The way the Holy Spirit leads is through agape love (not an emotion but committed to the other person's best interests). That is, faith expressing itself through love. As always, God looks at our hearts. and our motives. Prayer: Lord, soften my heart. Let me be pleasing to you from the inside.
Paul quotes Leviticus 19:18 in vs.14 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I AM the LORD." Jesus also quotes this and adds, "You shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment…On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matt.22:37-40) Jesus is pointing to the basic core that God is after. This love is a response to what God has done. When God gives us the Holy Spirit we are able to act in love and that's what the law and the prophets were all about. When we have freedom in Christ by faith and are led by the Holy Spirit then god's law of love is written in our hearts. Word received: I talk about love through this reading. It is love that will bind your differences together. Look to Me for that love and I will guide you.
Notice the contrast between works (what we do when left to our own sinful human nature) verses 19-21 and the fruit of the Spirit (what God grows in us over time as we keep turning to Jesus by faith as seek to live/walk by the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it on our own! We need to pray constantly that God's Spirit will lead us and give us guidance and strength. Prayer: Holy Spirit I want to live by your power every day. Lead me in your will. Cultivate in me the fruits of your Spirit, especially ________. Help me to keep in step with you. Show me the good works you have prepared in advance for me to do. [God has a good plan for our lives but it requires us to walk in step with Him daily.]
"Stand fast, therefore" in the freedom with which Christ has made us free (Galatians 5:1). We have to make the daily choice to "walk by the Spirit", to "keep in step with the Spirit", "to be led by the Spirit". We received new life through God's Spirit. In the same way we have to live out the walk of faith day by day, walking by the power of the Holy Spirit. This goes back to Abraham's walk of faith--never perfect--but over and over choosing to walk with God, trusting and obeying him. Word received: Stand in My Spirit. Walk in My Spirit. Run in My Spirit. Do the works of My Spirit.
Isaiah pointed to the same thing in Isaiah 40:31, "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles (on an updraft of wind, a symbol of the Holy Spirit), they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah in 30: 21 & 15 also talks about living our lives keeping in step by the Holy Spirit. "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it' when you turn to the right or to the left." and "In returning (repentance) and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." We need to have the attitude Paul expressed in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."
Now look at the Memory Verse. What is God's part and what is our part?? Notice that we are God's creation, workmanship. He made each of us uniquely, with his plan in mind. God has things, good works, in mind for us to do. But we will only do them as we walk by faith, day by day, in the power, guidance and wisdom his Spirit gives. Don't miss the special things God has planned for you to do . There is no greater joy than working with God according to his plan.
Like Abraham we are called to trust God, to trust His Word and to obey Him.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 30
Please read the Study Guide first.
Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
REVIEW: 1. We can't earn a good/right relationship with God. Salvation is a gift. It comes by trusting Jesus and following him.
1.The purpose of the freedom Jesus gives is to make us free not to do wrong (sin).
2. The other purpose is to give us freedom and power to love Jesus and to love others.
3. God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us make right choices.
4. The Holy Spirit also wants to help us grow in the fruit of the Spirit. (Review what they are.)
5. God has many good things He wants us to do for Him. (We have to ask Him to show us what they are.)
6. Like Abraham we are called to trust God, trust His Word and obey Him.
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