Bible study is such an important activity and yet many Christians don’t actually do much. For that reason, once in a while on this blog I hope to encourage you to do some studying of a particular passage using the questions and comments that I’ll provide for you. I strongly encourage you to delve into these studies whenever you have an opportunity, especially if you don’t have a study program of your own. Dad’s, use these guides to study the Bible with your wife or older children. It will help you be the spiritual leader you desire to be.
In this study we are going to look at Galatians 3. It’s hard to say that one portion of Scripture is more important than any other, but I would have to say that this is an extremely important passage. I’ll be using the ESV version of the Bible in the quotations I provide.
To begin then, you should take the time to read through the chapter a couple of times – maybe even once a day for a week.
Many Christians realize that we are saved and justified by faith, but return to an effort of works to produce the fruit and sanctification of the Christian life. (Sanctification is the process of transformation that makes us more and more like Christ.) What Paul is trying to explain to the Galatian people is that it’s all faith from beginning to end.
1. Look at the questions he asks in verses 2 – 5. Notice how he is connecting the initial salvation to the rest of the Christian life.
2. In verse 6 then what was counted as righteousness for Abraham? What did Abraham have to do to be counted righteousness? In other words what task did he have to perform?
3. Read verses 7-9. Who are the sons of Abraham? What do the Gentiles receive by faith? (vs 8) What do those of faith have? (vs 9)
4. Do some thinking about what it means to be blessed. It means to have God speak kindly toward someone and to act favorable toward someone.
5. Moving on to verse 10 now, you will notice a complete contrast to blessing. What is the opposite of blessing mentioned in verse 10?
6. Who is under that curse? How perfect does one have to be under the law to avoid the curse?
7. What Paul is saying then in verses 11 and 12 is that there are two ways to live – either by faith which he quotes from Habakkuk 2:4 or by the law where he quotes from Leviticus 18:5. The two can’t be mixed.
8. Then in verse 13 he quotes from Deuteronomy 21:23. According to that verse who is cursed? What does that say about Christ then seeing that he was hung on a tree?
9. The point he is working up to then comes in verse 14 where he tells us that since Christ was a curse for us, we can receive the blessing of Abraham. In other words the promised Spirit and all of the benefits of His work in our lives comes as a result of faith, not as a result of putting yourself under some legal system. The curse has already been dealt to Christ and therefore we are free to receive the blessing.
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