How good it was to gather yesterday to worship God together! There were more than a few moments on Saturday where we 
wondered if the roads would be bad and we’d have to cancel. God is good! Yesterday we studied the last section in Galatians 4. Paul points to the story of Sarah and Hagar to illustrate once and for all that there really are only two kinds of people in the world – those under law, who are slaves; and those under grace, who are free. You can listen to or download the message here. We hope these questions will help you apply God’s word to your life.
1) How does Paul use the story of Abraham’s two sons to illustrate the foolishness of seeking to go back to the law?
2) Why is it impossible to be saved by grace and still insist on obedience to the law? In other words, why are the Judaisers so wrong for Paul?
3) Why do you think, like Sarah, we come up with our own man-made, human, self-sufficient solutions to achieve God’s promises or speed them along?
4) What mechanisms do you use to short cut God’s promises with your own effort or power in: finances, marriage, parenting, relationships? Any other categories you can think of?
5) How do you think the Spirit of God wants to work in you to help you reject your own efforts and to trust and rest in His promises?
We are grateful for you and hope that you have a grace-filled week!
Eric
Welcome to at the corner, a place where the pastors of Sovereign Grace Church hope to serve you by discussing various topics.
February 10, 2010 at 8:59 AM
Good morning Eric,
Wonderful message last Sunday (Feb. 7). I really appreciate the time you put into prep. and the passion with which you preach the word.
Something you said (if I wrote it down correctly), was “just believe”. Robert Rauch and I have been studying faith and what it really is and means to have faith. I think you must believe before faith comes.
I have been thinking about your question on faith. Something else that has hit me over the years (I have never taken the time to study it) is the word “believe”. It is a very deep word when I think about it.
“To exercise belief in; to credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of, upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions ofthe mind, or by circumstances other than personal knowledge; to regard or accept as true; to place confidence in; to think; to consider; as, to believe a person, a statement, or a doctrine. ”
Why do I believe the word of God in scripture? Because of the testimony of the saints. Summary —Faith Explained. The Faith of the Elders. Remarkable Examples of Ancient Faith. All Seeking for a Better Country. The Victories of Faith. The Sufferings Endured by Faith. Christians Exhorted to Follow These Glorious Examples.1–3. Faith is the substance. The old meaning of substance, as well as of Hupostasis, the Greek word here used, is “stand under,” that is to be a foundation. Faith is the foundation on which all our hopes for the future are built. The evidence. Rather, the conviction or persuasion of things not seen. Without faith we would be limited to the very narrow world comprehended by the senses. 2. For by it the elders, etc. The ancient men of God, through faith, so lived, that they have obtained a good name. 3. Through faith we understand, etc. The creation of the world is among “the things not seen,” and all our knowledge of it rests upon our faith in the word of God. Indeed, our knowledge of all past history depends upon faith. 4–7. Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. See the account of Gen. 4:1–5. Abel’s faith was probably shown in offering just such a sacrifice as the Lord demanded, while Cain made an offering according to his own ideas. Obtained witness. In some way the Lord testified his approval of Abel’s sacrifice, and showed his disapproval of Cain’s, perhaps by sending fire to consume Abel’s. By it. By his faith. His faith speaks to all ages. 5. By faith Enoch was translated.
I have forgotten who to give the credit to for the above. Probably Grudem; it wasn’t mine.