WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday February 5, 2017
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RE-CREATED TO LIVE IN HARMONY
(GOD’s children are heirs through faith, not through pedigree)
(Galatians 3:24-4:7)
Throughout the Apostle Paul’s
ministry he often returned, again and again, to the same point; The solutions
to the enigmas of human life has always been, in having and maintaining an
experiential relationship of friendship with GOD, and, in having continued
faith in GOD.
GOD’s
covenant with Abraham was made possible because of his faith in GOD and not because
of his obedience to the law. This is true simply because the Law of Moses, at
that time, did not yet exist. And even after Israel was introduced to the Law
by GOD’s servant, Moses, it served only as a guardian and teacher, guiding us
until JESUS CHRIST came. And now that HE has come, our salvation lies solely on
our faith in HIM.
Now,
as believers, we no longer need the Law as our guardian, because now, the HOLY
SPIRIT guides those who believe in CHRIST JESUS (Vs. 24-25). We are children of
GOD, only through our faith in CHRIST. Symbolically, when we become one with
CHRIST in baptism, we are made like HIM, and are expected to emulate HIM
through our behavior and actions, at all times. And so, whether we are Jew or
Gentile, rich or poor, or, male or female becomes totally irrelevant.
When
we belong to CHRIST, we become the true children of Abraham, and we also become
the heirs to all of the promises that GOD gave to him (Vs. 26-29). In Galatians
chapter 4, verses 1-7, Paul continues to expound on the point that we are
children of GOD only through our faith in CHRIST.
In
first century Israel, the process of growing up was far more definite than it has
ever been in American life in this, or any other century. Back then, on the
twelfth birthday of a Jewish male, his father would take him into the
synagogue, and on that day, the boy would become a “Son of the Law”, after
certain religious oaths and rituals were performed. He would then, quite
literally, become responsible for his own actions before GOD. There was then
established, a clear boundary line between the boy that was, and the man that
now is. Literally overnight, the boy became a man.
When
the male was under the age of twelve, he was a mere child in the eyes of the
Jewish Law, and therefore, under the rule, or dominion, of the laws of his
parents. But when he became of age, he was freed from under their rule, and
became fully responsible for making his own decisions, and, could also claim
his inheritance from them.
That’s
how it was with us before CHRIST came. We were under the spiritual rule of this
world, literally slaves to sin. But when GOD sent CHRIST to be born of woman
into a world of sin, and subject HIMSELF to the Law as a 100% human being, HE
also represented for us, the one and only chance we had to be freed from under
the dominion of sin, death, and the Law.
As
a 100% human being, JESUS perfectly obeyed the laws of GOD, simply because HE
shared GOD’s “nature”, just as all human beings do, even before the HOLY SPIRIT
ever descended upon HIM at the River Jordan, following HIS baptism by HIS
cousin, John the Baptist. At that point, HE had already lived a perfect life
for 30 years, and HE obeyed HIS FATHER GOD completely, simply because it was
HIS natural desire to do so. In other words, JESUS proved, quite literally with
HIS own life, that we, as human beings, don’t obey GOD simply because we don’t
desire to do so, and not, because we can’t help it!
JESUS,
through HIS vicarious sacrifice, made it possible for all mankind (Jews and
Gentiles), to be adopted into the family of GOD (if they choose to), as HIS
very OWN children. And thus, believers can voluntarily choose to become heirs
to everything that CHRIST HIMSELF has, just as well as they can choose not to
accept HIS inheritance, and to instead, opt to continue to meander along the
road to destruction.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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