Working to Love One Another

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King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]

Date: Sunday, November 26, 2023
Chapters: GALATIANS 4-6
Message: Working to Love One Another

Hello My Friend,

When I first met my husband one of the things that he said had impressed him about me was that I did not just sit there whenever he would bark so to speak as I would bark back. He said that he had never met anyone who barked back and did not give up on him. It took me some time to figure out that he husband loves to banter and is not always serious when he says something to push my buttons, but it works for us. If anyone were to hear us they would think that we were really arguing with each other. While I know that I need to work on not getting so worked up when my buttons get pushed my husband has taught me something, love endures, [1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;  6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;  7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.]

Another word for charity is love so I guess the things we give to our loved ones, friends, and especially strangers does constitute as love. Then I read this, [Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;], which led me to this passage, [Ecclesiastes 9:7-10  Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.  8  Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.  9  Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.  10  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.]

You know, even loving someone takes work, the love we have for God does not come on our own, it comes as the Holy Spirit guides us. Remember, [1 John 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us.] So, the work we do for God today, whether it be in His ministry, outside of the church, being a prayer warrior, or even a housewife counts for something. There are some things that we must do on our own, even God cannot force our hand to accept His Son as our Saviour, and once we do our part, God, can do His part. As we come to the end of the reading of Galatians, Paul, gives us a pretty awesome and perhaps a little overwhelming revelation into those who receive Christ as their Saviour.

[Galatians 4:1-7  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;  2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.  3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:  4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.]

[To redeem them that were under the law,] Sinners, who had violated the Law, and who were exposed to its dreadful penalty were now redeemed solely through their faith in Christ. Before we knew Christ as our Saviour, we really were under the law of some religion or of our own self righteousness, but Jesus set us free and redeemed us from whatever it is that we were trusting in to get us to heaven. Now, the work we do for Him is not of obligation, but love. Jesus simply said it this way, [John 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.]

What are Christ’s commandments? He tells us what they are, [Matthew 22:37-40  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  38  This is the first and great commandment.  39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.] In other words, the very first ten commandments that God had given to us, written with His very own finger, are contained within these two commandments. Remember, we are now under the Law of grace so what we do through Christ matters, the problem comes when, without realizing it, the Law becomes more the way of life than grace. The people knew that Christ would save them through their faith in Him, but many were talked into believing that the Law took place over grace. And that was Paul’s biggest concern.

[Galatians 4:10-18  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.  11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.  12  Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.  13  Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.  14  And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.  15  Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.  16  Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17  They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.  18  But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.]

[Where is then the blessedness ye spake of?] Paul, is saying that until he confronted them with the truth of their mixing the Law with grace they were right there by his side, even willing to lose an eye to protect him, but now he is seen as an enemy. If there is one thing that we need to stand firm on is that while we are to respect the Law of Moses we are still under the Law of grace and no one needs to banter us about stance, [Colossians 2:18,20-22  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;  22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?]

As saved born again Christians we must understand that it is okay to disagree at times, but that disagreement must never be in regards to the Gospel, we need to be on the same page with this. Also, we must never be afraid to speak the truth for fear of offending others as those who do get offended may not be saved. We have so many wolves in sheep’s clothing that the only way we can tell the wolf from the sheep is by the way they respond to the truth, the wolves as in the case of the Galatians, were adding circumcision to salvation. Paul, goes on to call them out and warn them that there will be bigger consequences placed on them for leading people astray from grace.

[Galatians 5:1-5,7-10  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  2  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  3  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.  5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?  8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.  9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.  10  I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.]

[that he is a debtor to do the whole law.] This is why salvation has always been a free gift, it is impossible to follow every commandment written in the Law, and if we break one, we break them all. Do you think that it is easy to love God with all our might and others as we want to be loved? It takes work, but it is not impossible.

[Galatians 5:14-18,21-24  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  15  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.  16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.]

[against such there is no law.] Let me tell you, there is more strife and judgment in the Church among one another than there is among those in the world. I remember when I first dedicated my life to Christ, I was sitting in a Bible study class where a woman who recently got saved asked a question and instead of answering it in an empathetic way she responded rather harshly, and that woman never returned. You cannot reach people and show them how to get out of sin by ganging up on them, and casting harsh judgment upon them, you reach them by walking in the Spirit that indwells us, [Romans 8:1-2  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.]

[And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh] The second that we receive Christ as our Saviour we sacrifice our sinful flesh and actually become living sacrifices for Christ, [2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.]

By allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us we are no longer bound to the Law, meaning we are justified by our faith in Christ, not by the works of the Law. However, the Holy Spirit that indwells us automatically wires us to walk in the Spirit and even enjoy it. And let me tell you, there is a joy that comes from letting go of the people and things that expose us to these things and walking in the Spirit. None of us are without sin, therefore, let us not hinder those who are seeking Jesus, and let us also not become weary in our walking in the Spirit.

[Galatians 6:1-9  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.  3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.  4  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  5  For every man shall bear his own burden.  6  Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.  7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.]

[But let every man prove his own work,] Here is the key, we are responsible for our own actions, if we take care to remove the sin from our lives then we will not be so judgmental of others. And then, we can come others with our concerns for them, and be able to help them through the love of Jesus, just as He does with us.

[Galatians 6:12-17  As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.  13  For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.  14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.  16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.  17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.]

[for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.] Every scar that we get as we walk our lives with Christ shows Christ through us. There is no joy that the world can obtain better than what we get through Christ, knowing He is with us every step of the way is all the hope we need in this life. Christ set you free when He died on the cross for you, if you believe that then, there is hope for you to get out of any situation you are in. He can bring you out of bondage, however, you must let Him help you. Put your trust in Him and He will set you free, [John 8:31-32  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.]

Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for giving Your life on the cross for me. Thank You, for saving my soul, and setting me free from the bondage of religion and dead works that could never have saved me. Lord, I do not want to use my liberty for my flesh, rather to give honor and glory to You by living my life through You. Lead me and guide me, cover me with Your mercy, grace, and protection. Remove from me the desire to walk in my flesh and give me Your strength to walk it Your Spirit, for He dwells in me. Let me be a witness and testimony of Your power, and teach others the importance of knowing You as their Saviour. May Youe Light shine through me more with each and every scar. I pray these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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