Somebody is lying to you!

1
Somebody is lying to you!
A look at Galatians 3
2
What does an unbeliever, believe?

• You have to live by a list of rules to be a
  Christian.
• You have to become righteous to be a Christian.
• You have to become worthy first, in order to be
  in the family of God.
• God wont love you until you get your act
  together.
• The Christian life is too hard to achieve, so I
  will stay a non-Christian.

3
But the truth is

• God loves us first, no matter what weve done or
  what we do. (jn 316)
• God has already paid our sin debt, whether we
  believe it or not we just have to receive it.
  and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins
  and not for ours only, but also for those of the
  whole world. 1 Jn. 22
• He welcomes us just how we are.
• As we repent and forsake our sin, He provides the
  power to walk it out in our daily lives. But I
  say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry
  out the desire of the flesh. Gal. 516
• God initiates with us first, all we do is receive
  what He has done. The outward will follow. A
  changed life is a result. But now having been
  freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive
  your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and
  the outcome, eternal life. Rom. 622

4
Galatians 31-6

• You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you,
  before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly
  portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I
  want to find out from you did you receive the
  Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing
  with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by
  the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the
  flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain--if
  indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who
  provides you with the Spirit and works miracles
  among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by
  hearing with faith? Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD,
  AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

5
Why do we feel distant from God?

• Why is it that sometimes we feel distant from God
  and other times we feel closer?

6
How we began is how we should be living

• We began by believing and receiving.
• Our relationship with Christ began with Him
  initiating with us, and us responding by
  receiving.
• Nothing has changed in our relationship He
  still initiates first and we respond.
• Our lives are to be lived the same way we began
  believing and receiving what He has already done.
  
• When we feel close to God, it is when we are
  believing and trusting what is true.

7
Distance results when we arent receiving

• Just like before we came to Christ, if we believe
  subtly that something is up to us to work on or
  accomplish, we will distance ourselves from God
  on a daily basis. (like the unbeliever).
• We must live how we began by the Spirit and
  hearing with faith.
• We must live by receiving first, not doing first.
  
• We began by receiving and doing was the result.
• -Same is true now.
• Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so
  that we may work the works of God?" Jesus
  answered and said to them, "This is the work of
  God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
  Jn 628,29
• Now to the one who works, his wage is not
  credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to
  the one who does not work, but believes in Him
  who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited
  as righteousness, Rom 44,5

8

• Everything we need in life is by receiving what
  He has already done.
• Strength, joy, power, understanding, motivation,
  will power, unction, giving, hospitality.
• The fruit of the Spirit in our lives (love, joy,
  peace, etc.) is a result ITS FRUIT.
• A result of receiving what is already true.

9
What are we to believe?

• What did we believe when we first started?
• The gospel!
• We never leave the good news that are sins are
  paid for and we are clean before God. We need the
  good news every day.
• We are also to believe and receive daily
• -His love for us,
• -that He is near (in us and we are in Him)
• His kind heart towards us.
• The heart is strengthened with grace as we
  receive the basic truths of the faith. We have
  strength to overcome, to live Godly lives, and to
  love others.

10
Tired out

• If we are not living with a receiving posture, we
  are living with a doing posture or its up to
  me posture.
• This is the works of the law.
• This will tire us and we will distance ourselves
  from God to some degree (just like the
  unbeliever, because we are unbelieving).

11
You really should get it togetheryou slacker!

• We start believing its too much of a hill to
  climb to be where we should be.
• We walk around with subtle guilts
• I should be praying more.
• I should be reading my bible more.
• This is the result of not living in a receiving
  and believing posture
• having canceled out the certificate of debt
  consisting of decrees against us, which was
  hostile to us and He has taken it out of the
  way, having nailed it to the cross. Col 214

12
Evidence of living under the works of the law.

• You subtly feel like you havent been doing
  enough.
• Flip side You feel like youve been covering the
  base, Ive been doing what I need to do this
  week.
• If youve been living by the Spirit and receiving
  none of this is an issue. You are on a ride of
  enjoying Jesus, via receiving what Hes already
  done.