Christ Crucified lesson 7 Foolishness

CHRIST CRUCIFIED lesson 7

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

What a word.  Jesus Christ crucified is the message every church should be preaching.  Oh, that we would have a singleness of mind to preach Jesus Christ crucified.  The finished work of Christ is the centerpiece of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No cross, no salvation; know the cross; know salvation.

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.  As we shall see; leaving the strength of the cross is foolishness.  Leaving the central truth of Jesus Christ crucified as the exclusive source of our salvation is witchcraft indeed.   There is a bewitching factor from the enemy of our soul; false doctrine is trying to move the church away from complete trust and reliance upon Jesus and move it to the believer’s own performance.

Galatians 3:2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

So, what is the answer?  Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  Only by the hearing of faith, and never by the works of the law.

Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—

Paul is using such strong language “foolish” and “bewitched”!  If it begins by faith in the crucified Christ are you now made perfect by the flesh?  Has this journey of faith been in vain?  He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  Some have not seen the demonstration of the Spirits power because they have moved the object of their faith from Jesus Christ and Him crucified to their own noble performances.

Galatians 3:6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

The just shall live by faith and exclusively by faith in the crucified One Jesus Christ.  There is no other way to be counted as righteous and right before a Holy God.

Galatians 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The blessed ones are those who have joined with Abraham and put your faith in the righteous seed of Jesus Christ Himself; this is the only source for the nations to be blessed.  It is Jesus!

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."

If it is of the flesh or the works of the law, or some man’s tradition it leaves that one under the curse.  The just shall live by faith, it starts by faith, continues by faith and will finish by faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  It cannot be and never will be in good works.

Galatians 3:12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The law always makes the demand on the worshipper; “The man who does them shall live by them”.   Christ has redeemed us from this curse by becoming the curse for us.  We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith and there is no other way to receive.

Galatians 4: 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Jesus Christ came to redeem us from being under the law; Christ crucified is the exclusive way.  His desire is for us to receive the adoption as sons.  Now the privilege is to those who have faith in Jesus Christ, as a son you can cry out “Abba Father!”

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

No confidence in the  flesh is the mantra for every mature and healthy Christian. 

Philippians 3:4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul said if anyone had reason to have confidence in the flesh it might be himself, but….

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Anything he might count to have confidence in the flesh he counted it loss; in fact, all confidence in the flesh he counted as rubbish.  One thing to pursue and know; the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.  That I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having our own righteousness, which is our own good performance, but that which is through faith in Christ alone!  It is the righteousness which is from God by faith in the crucified Christ.

Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

In Jesus' name press on, lay hold of that for which Jesus Christ has already laid hold of you.  Identifying with the death burial and resurrection of Christ is the only way and there is no other way to victory.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Keep reaching for the prize of sweet relationship with Jesus.

Philemon 1:4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

The most effective testimony is not declaring what you have done for God!  The sharing of your faith will become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Declare the verse because it is life giving and delivers the believer to victory

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Jesus is the faithful God

God is good all the time!