Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

What Paul Tells Us in Galatians
(A Bible Study)

1. He warns against a false gospel opposed to “the truth of the gospel”
(1:6-12; 2:5, 14).

2. Paul’s understanding of that “truth” forced him to contend with the
leadership of the church of his day. His understanding was more clear
than that of the apostle Peter, or James (1:16-20; 2:12-14).

3. The “all men” who are sinners are not put right with God by any good
thing they can do, but “by the faith of Jesus” (2:15-19).

4. Honest human hearts identify with Christ on His cross. As with Him,
the natural result is: self is crucified. The slightest taint of
legalism “frustrates the grace of God” and denies the cross (2:20, 21).

5. The alternative to “the truth of the gospel” has to become a form of
Spiritualism. “The hearing of faith” is a heart-appreciation of the
Good News in the gospel; it works miracles (2:1-5).

6. All believing humans repeat the experience of Abraham’s unbelief
followed by his learning to believe (2:6-14).

7. “The curse” of the law is not obedience to it but disobedience.
Christ’s experience on His cross was that “curse,” the horror of our
second death (3:10-14).

8. The law was written in stone because of Israel’s old covenant
unbelief; but that does not invalidate God’s promise in the new
covenant to write it in the heart (3:16-21).

9. The law written in old covenant stone served as a policeman driving
Israel under legalism until they should come back to Abraham’s
experience of justification by faith (3:22-29).

10. All who live under a sense of condemnation and fear are like the
barefoot boy bossed about by slaves on the ranch, while born to be the
heir of the estate (4:1-3).

11. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception denies the truth of Christ’s
full genetic identity with our fallen human race, which is necessary
for true redemption from sin (4:4-7).

12. “The third angel’s message in verity” is the full liberating truth
of the new covenant (4:16-31).

13. Salvation by faith cannot be understood unless faith is understood
as that which “works by love [agape]” (5:1-6).

14. Proclaiming “the truth of the gospel” always brings persecution on
its proclaimer (5:11, 12).

15. The genuine liberty inherent in true faith never produces license
(5:13, 14).

16. The Holy Spirit is stronger than the “flesh” with all its sinful
addictions. Therefore, if one understands and believes Paul’s “truth of
the gospel,” he finds it easy to be saved and hard to be lost (5:16-18;
compare Matt. 11:28-30; Acts 26:14).

17. To “walk in the Spirit” is to believe He is holding on to your
hand, not vice versa (5:18-25; compare Isa. 41:10, 13).

18. We cannot truly help someone else unless we can sincerely put
ourselves in his place (“there but for the grace of God go I”) (6:1-6).

19. The final mark of the beast will be “persecution for the cross of
Christ.” “The truth of the gospel” as it is in Galatians will
therefore be part of the final “loud cry” that will lighten the earth
with glory (6:12, 13).

20. To understand and believe this gospel of the cross delivers one
from captivity to worldliness in all its forms (6:14).

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.