Bible Chapel of Shawnee  
February 4th, 2018  
Galatians series

Lesson 2: Understand the situation
 
**Rhetorical theme**: Understand the situation.
 
**Full theme**: As a father with children, Paul wants the Galatians to understand their situation to prepare their hearts to return to living in the gospel of justification by faith.
 
1. Introduction
    
    1. Come to the application part of Paul's teaching
        
        1. Defended the gospel source
        2. Defended the gospel truth
        3. Now he's reinforcing how they can walk
    2. Mostly struck a forceful, even harsh tone so far, but Paul is like a father
    3. As a father myself:
        
        1. I find myself being forceful to make sure Ethan understands
        2. But, always wanting to show tenderness afterwards
            
            1. I want him to succeed
            2. I want a good relationship for the future
    4. First lesson in 5:1-6
        
        1. Understand the stakes
        2. It's all freedom or all slavery
    5. Now, the second lesson in 5:7-12
        
        1. Understand the situation
        2. It's serious, but definitely recoverable 3. How you got here (vv7-9)
    
    1. Racing analogy - they started off well
        
        1. Mixing analogies?
            
            1. 5:1 - stand firm, things of the mind, doctrine, faith
            2. 5:7 - running well, things of action, works
            3. Not separate concepts--definitely intertwined
        2. Hints in Galatians
            
            1. 3:1-5
                
                1. Hearing with faith
                2. Suffer for faith
                3. Miracles happening among them
            2. 4:14-15
                
                1. Received Paul well
                2. Sense of blessing and sacrifice
            3. 5:5-6
                
                1. Wait for the hope of righteousness
                2. Faith working in love
    2. Current state
        
        1. 1:6 - quickly deserting Christ
        2. 3:1 - bewitched by someone
        3. 5:2-4 - in danger of:
            
            1. Christ of no benefit
            2. Enslaved to entire Law
            3. Severed from Christ
            4. Fallen from grace
    3. Active hindrance
        
        1. Encouraging on one hand - if we're running well, we won't suddenly wake up some day and be on the wrong track
        2. Warning on the other hand - watch out for deceivers, false teachers
            
            1. Jesus warns of them - Matt. 7:15-16
            2. Paul warns of them - 2 Cor. 11:12-15
            3. Peter warns of them - 2 Pet. 2:1
            4. John warns of them - 1 John 4:1
            5. Jude warns of them - Jude 4
    4. Foreign persuasion
        
        1. Simply put, not from God
        2. How do we know? Paul told us in chapters 3-4￼_Paul outlined how the Galatians could have known they were believing something not from God. He did so from many different angles:_
            
            1. Experience
            2. Historical examples (Abraham)
            3. Knowing God's character
            4. Culture (heir in a household)
            5. Analogy (Sarah and Hagar)
            6. Scripture (purpose of Law, promises of God)
        3. Galatians were not vigilant enough. Perhaps it sounded spiritual, so they believed it without much discernment.
    5. Dangerous doctrine
        
        1. Leaven
            
            1. Several definitions: lump from old dough mixed into new dough
            2. Multiples until entire lump of dough is "infected"
        2. Law for justification
            
            1. Maybe just started with circumcision?
            2. Infected their entire doctrine: Gal. 2:21
            3. Other things
                
                1. Mistrust of Paul, Gal. 4:16
                2. Hints of relational issues, Gal. 5:15 5. You're not beyond recovering (v10)￼_You can simply adopt the same view you had, that I still have now. The ones in trouble are the false teachers. They will bear their judgment._
    
    1. Worried Galatians
        
        1. Paul's tone strongly suggests they ARE in trouble
        2. Humble hearts would be turned by this point in the letter!
        3. Natural to wonder if they're past the point of no return
    2. Their task: adopt no other view than what they once had
        
        1. The work of the Lord
        2. The grace of the Lord
    3. There is trouble for the false teachers: their greater responsibility means judgment. James 3:1 7. You can trust me (v11)￼_I haven't changed since we first met. I'm still persecuted because I'm still placing the stumbling block in front of the Jews by preaching the cross of Christ._
    
    1. Paul's points from chapter 1
        
        1. 17 years passed but doctrine still lined up with the other apostles
        2. Stood firm, even to Peter
    2. Since then:
        
        1. His message has been consistent
        2. Evidenced by his continued persecution
        3. Motivated by the knowledge that doing otherwise would remove the cross of Christ from his teaching 9. I'm not mad at you (v12)￼_Paul only wishes that the false teachers would go away._
    
    1. Despite his tone, he loves the Galatians
        
        1. Gal. 4:11-12, 19-20
        2. The fact that he wrote this letter!
    2. His desire is just that the false teachers would leave them alone
10. Conclusion
    
    1. Paul is a loving father speaking encouragement to his children
    2. Made two points now
        
        1. Understanding the stakes
        2. Understanding their situation
    3. Prepared now to return to the right mindset (view)
    4. Next: how to live by the Spirit