• Be a sister or brother in Christ to your fellow sisters and brothers in Christ.  Take care of your spiritual family!

 Verse 6:1 says, "If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

    If you know a fellow Christian who is walking in sin, you should show them love and help them restore their relationship with the Lord.  This doesn't mean pointing fingers, condemnation, lectures or the like.  This means in GENTLENESS, pray with them, pray for them in your quiet time, remind them of who they are in Jesus, and do what you can, in love, to bring them back to a healthy walk of repentance with the Lord.  This text says, "you who are spiritual".  This isn't referring to a group of pastors or elders or a 'class of Christians' but more referring to a more mature believer. It would be hard for a believer who is less mature than the one caught in sin to help the struggling one back to a united walk with the Lord. This text encourages a more mature believer to lead the less mature believer back in relationship with the Lord. 

• You will reap what you sow.

Verse 8 says, "For the one who sows to his own flesh, will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

The next verse says, "And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

What are you going to spend your time sowing?

~Leanne~

• We have freedom in Christ.  Therefore, walk in the Spirit and do not gratify the desires of the flesh!

How many of us realize we fall back on our before-salvation tendencies? Do you know that we have freedom in Christ? FREEDOM! We don't have to live by or for the world any longer. We can only experience freedom in Christ when we choose to walk in Him rather than walk in our flesh- otherwise, we deny our freedom, and succumb to our old selves- the slaves we were to the world.  Let's wake up and realize our freedom!  What is walking in the Spirit? Well, walking in daily surrender to Jesus. When we do this, fruit will be produced in and through our lives. In verse 22, it lists the fruits of the Spirit- meaning, things that will be produced when we walk in the Lord. Here they are:

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• gentleness
• self-control

There are a few on that list that I need to mature. The closer we get to Jesus, the more fruit that is produced in and through us.  We shouldn't beat ourselves up if these qualities don't mirror our tendencies, but we should aim to be closer to Christ.  HE alone does the work in us. We just need to live in Him and let the Spirit prune and mold us. These qualities will mature in us as we let the Spirit do His work!

~Leanne~

• In verses 1-7, Paul explains the term "heir" and explains that until a son is old enough to receive his inheritance, he is pretty much a slave. He relates this to us, that until we accept Jesus, we are enslaved to elementary thinking. We cannot comprehend the mysteries of Christ, because we have not received Him.  Once we accept Jesus, we become heirs and we receive an inheritance, starting with receiving the Holy Spirit and ending with eternal life and all it's blessings. Therefore, if you are in Christ, you are no longer a slave to the world, but an heir of Christ!

• Paul tells the Galatians in verses 8-11 that if they return to Judiasm, they would be leaving God and following false gods and worldly principles and structures.  They have been set free through Christ and they would only be returning to enslavement of the world. 

    How many of us slip and return to our old ways? Remember: we have been set free in Jesus!  We should not abandon Him and return to our elementary ways, our worldly ways, our sinful ways- whatever you wanna call it.  Do you realize we leave our freedom and go back to enslavement?  If you were to be set free from prison- bound by shackles, would you willfully decide, hmmmm... I'm going to leave my free life and go back to prison, to be bound by shackles once more?? Doesn't that sound so foolish? Spiritual enslavement is so much more detrimental!  It involves our eternal direction- death or freedom!  It controls and directs all of who we are!  Choosing to go back to a physical prison would affect your comfort level, your food intake, your social life.  Choosing to go back to a spiritual enslavement affects your choices, your relationships, your bondage to sin, your ETERNAL life! If any of you have seriously struggled with something and have found deliverance and freedom and have truly repented- there is no WAY we would choose to go back to that enslavement!  Freedom in Christ is so much more than temporary comfort.  It is eternal freedom- and there is so much even in the word freedom.  Do not abandon Christ to return to your false gods, false identities and crippling enslavement. 

• Paul reminds them of how much they were blessed by the knowledge and freedom in Jesus.  He also tells them that the false prophets flatter them so that they too will be flattered and create a false sense of belonging. 

• Paul compares the contrasts of Sarah and Hagar. (Sarah was Abraham's wife who was old and barren, and Hagar was Sarah's servant.  Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham to carry their family line through her because of her unbelief that God wouldn't do what He promised. Hagar bore a son, Ishmael, and later, Sarah bore Abraham a son, Isaac. ~Genesis 16 & 21.) Here are the contrasts made by Paul in verses 21-31:

Jesus came from Isaac's lineage, from the free woman.  Just as Isaac was born of a promise, so we are born of God's promise if we are saved through Christ. If we are born again in Jesus, spiritually, we can call ourselves Isaac's descendants too. Therefore, as it says in verse 31, we are not children of the slave, but of the free woman. 

~Leanne~

• Verses 1-10    The apostles-specifically James, Cephas (Peter) and John- approved and accepted that Paul's knowledge and intent for sharing the gospel was infact profound, and confirmed his ministry to the Gentiles. This meant that Paul and Barnabas were a team, preaching to the Gentiles and James, Peter and John were a team, preaching to the Jews.  In verse 10, Paul says that the apostles asked him and Barnabas to remember the poor. 

• Verses 11-16    Peter was an influential leader who preached the gospel to the Jews.  Many Jews still followed their traditions and dietary laws- they were not to eat certain things, and they were only to eat with eachother, and not with Gentiles or people from other nations.  Peter, because he preached that Jesus came to save the world, and not just Jews, had abandoned the law and specifically at this time, in Antioch, ate with the Gentiles.  However, certain men came to Antioch- to the place they were- and Peter changed his actions.  He ate with Jews only, and separated themselves from the Gentiles.  These "certain men"  were sent from James, and were most likely still following the dietary laws of the Mosaic Law.  Verse 12 says, ...but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted...along with him..."The circumcision party" is indication that these certain men still followed the Jewish law and still practiced circumcision- most likely along with the dietary law.  Peter was probably not aware that his example of separation from the Gentiles, because of what these certain men would think of him, was threatening to the gospel being preached to both Jews and Gentiles that both were equal in God's sight, and that the law should was no longer necessary now that Jesus had come.  Peter's actions may have severe consequences.  There may have been some Jews then, who went back on what truth had already been planted in them- that the Gentiles also could attain eternal life through Jesus, and the law was not a means for salvation.  Remember, before Peter's vision and acceptance of the Gentiles (Acts 10-11), the Jews believed only Jews could be saved.  So, they did not associate with other nations (including Gentiles) and they believed everyone had to become Jew- be circumcised and follow the Mosiac Law to be justified and approved by God. So, the fact that Peter was displaying an act of separation and possibly superiority over the Gentiles made their teaching seem unimportant and useless.  At this time, Paul publicly addressed his hypocrisy and held him accountable to his actions.   In verse 15 and 16, it says, We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Although the paragraph is new, and your Bible most likely has a new heading, these verses are still addressing Peter's sin.  Both Peter and Paul were born Jewish and Paul even trained in Judiasm zealously. (See Galatians 1:13-14) Paul is excusing the Mosaic Law in verse 15 and 16 and says that it is no longer needed to be saved- but that having faith in Jesus is the only way, and we will not be justified by our obedience to the law. (Also see Ephesians 2:8-9)

• Verses 18-21    I love verse 18- For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come. Paul is explaining that if the gospel teaches that faith in Jesus is the only way, and that the law has nothing to do with salvation- going back to obeying the law is sin.  Paul admonishes Peter in saying that if you go back on what you are teaching (if you are being a hypocrite) you are proving to be a sinner. In Christ, we a are new creation. We must no longer live according to our ways before salvation.  And living according the importance of the Mosaic Law is an example of Peters actions and influence on the other Jews. In verse 19, Paul says he "died to the law", meaning that he doesn't abide by it to gain salvation.  No longer does Paul have to obey a law through his own efforts, but can fully rely on his faith in Jesus and the grace that flows from Him. Romans 6 correlates with verses 19 and 20 in Galatians and talks about being dead to sin, and being alive in Christ. In verse 2 it says, How can we who died to sin still live in it? Verse 6- We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin. Verse 14- For sin will have no dominion over you , since you are not under law but under grace. Paul declares that if our approval comes from obeying a bunch of rules and laws, rather than through faith in Jesus and reception of His grace, then Jesus Christ died for no reason.  If that were the case, we wouldn't need Jesus- we could attain salvation by our obedience to the law.  This is a major foundational truth in Christianity- it is not by works, but by faith in Jesus we are saved. 

~Leanne~

•     Verses 6-9    Paul warns the church of Galatia against the gospel that was being taught to them that wasn't the gospel Paul had originally preached to them.  Paul assures them that the gospel he preaches is the true gospel, and that he is a trustworthy vessel of God's Word.  One example of the "different gospel" mentioned in verses 6-9 refers to the Old Testament teaching of Moses, where you need to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law in order to be a follower of God.  Basically, they were taught that they needed to become Jewish in order to be saved.  In Acts 10, Peter had a vision of a net coming down from heaven containing animals, reptiles and birds that the Jews were "unclean" and not supposed to eat; such as ravens, lizards, hawks, pigs, etc.  God spoke to Peter and told him to eat what was in the net.  Peter refused three times.  Peter was confused by this vision, as he was Jewish and by the law, he was not allowed to eat the things in the net from the vision.  Why was God asking him to disobey the Jewish law? Just after the vision, Peter was told that men would come to his door and that he needed to go with them.  Minutes later, men came to his door, and he went with them.  These men were Gentiles, and it was unlawful for the Jews to associate with such people.  Peter realized that the vision he had of the "unclean animals" in the net was not a literal expression of God not eat the animals in the net, but rather, God asking him to  associate with people he was taught were "unclean".  When Peter was with these people, God showed him that they too, were accepted by God- which was completely against the Jewish teaching. So, although Paul was taught through his religion that only Jews were saved and followers of God, his knowledge of that changed, when God revealed to him that the Gentiles could also attain eternal life through repentance and should not be judged because they don't follow Jewish law, but rather the Jewish law was void because Christ introduced a new covenant that replaced the Mosaic Law.  Jesus was the only way to heaven- not by following traditions and rules made by men of the Old Testament.  Paul was chosen by God, to preach Christ to the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.  (Acts 9)  

            Paul repeated twice that if anyone is preaching a gospel other than that he taught (the truth) let that man be accursed.  We really need to test ALL that we hear about God, Jesus and the Scriptures.  If it, in any way, is different, contrary, distorted from what the Bible says, it is not the true gospel.  Remember in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, we just read about false prophets.  Many prophets are deceived themselves, and so lead others astray.  This was Paul's major concern with the Galatians- that they would not be led astray but would stay firm in the gospel that was preached to them by himself.  Note in verses 11 and 12 where Paul says that he did not learn about Jesus from man or was taught by another apostle, but was given revelation by God himself. (Acts 9)  Pauls conversion was quite significant as he tried to destroy the church- persecuting and killing people who followed Christ.  Paul was so well known as the persecutor, when he became saved, many were unsure if he was the real deal.  Because of his enormous transformation in Christ, people glorifIed God because of his testimony They only were hearing it said, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me. ~Verse 23-24. 

~Leanne~
    Paul also asked the Galatians, am I trying to please man or God?  This is a question I want you to ask yourself.  Are you seeking the approval of man or of God? You can't seek both.  If you are a true follower of Jesus, you should only be seeking God's approval, as Paul answered.  In what ways do you struggle with trying to please people?  Let us not do so, but only seek God and His approval, for He has the only opinion that counts. 

• Lord, I pray that our eyes would be open to the truths of Your Word.  I ask that we would have discernment about doctrine that is contrary to that which is Yours.  May we aim to please You, and You alone.  Show us areas in our lives that we try to please people, so that we can rid ourselves of that ungodliness.  Amen.