Basic HTML Version
The Amish Voice 4
QUESTIONS
:
1. Why has God connected salvation with faith instead of works
and the law?
2. How would you explain the concept of faith to a person who
was seriously examining Christianity?
3. Why do some people think it takes more than faith in order to
be saved?
3. A BELIEVER GROWS BY FAITH (v. 3).
Again, note the question:
“Having begun your Christian life in the
Spirit, are you now maturing and being made perfect by the
flesh?”
A believer does not become spiritually mature by focusing upon his
flesh, upon what he can do with…
No matter how strong and disciplined his flesh is—no matter how
many good deeds and laws he is able to do in his own flesh—the be-
liever’s flesh does not make him grow spiritually. Focusing upon his
flesh and upon the strength and work of the flesh only causes the be-
liever to concentrate upon himself. It emphasizes self, not the Spirit—
the human and physical, not the spiritual and heavenly.
Note another fact: no matter how many good works are done and no
matter how many laws are kept, they cannot make a man perfect; they
cannot impart eternal life to a man. There is no man upon earth that is
living eternally because of works. There is no law whatsoever that
can keep a man alive forever and ever. No matter how many works of
the law a man has done
in his flesh
, he has not achieved perfection—
not the holy perfection that makes him acceptable to God. If he is
ever to be perfect enough to be acceptable to a Holy God, it will be
because God perfects him, not because he has worked and become
perfect through his corruptible flesh and human efforts.
As Paul says, “Are you so foolish?” Is God so low that corruptible
and dying man can achieve so much? Is man so exalted that he has so
little to achieve in order to be perfected? Any thinking and honest
heart knows not.
A man
begins
his journey to God when he truly believes in
Jesus Christ and is “born again”—
a spiritual thing
.
A man
continues
his journey as he is daily renewed by the
Holy Spirit—also
a spiritual thing
.
The only way a believer can spiritually grow and mature is to focus
his life and mind upon Jesus Christ. The believer must focus his mind
upon the things of Christ moment by moment, and as he does, the
Spirit of God will draw his mind to spiritual things.
Remember: the Spirit of God lives
within
the believer. He is there to
work within the believer and to help him grow and mature in Christ.
The believer keeps his mind and thoughts upon Christ, cast-
ing down imaginations and making every thought obedient to
Christ.
“Casting down imagination, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring-
ing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ” (2 Co.10:5).
The believer focuses and keeps his mind and thoughts upon
being conformed more and more to the image of Christ. He
keeps his mind and thoughts upon Christ all day long—
praising, honoring, worshipping, and asking for His help and
guidance. He learns to live and move and have his being in
Christ.
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to
be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren” (Ro.8:29).
The believer who focuses his love, attention, and life upon the
Lord Jesus Christ is accepted by God. God loves His Son so
much that He accepts any person who truly loves and focuses
his life upon His Son. And someday—in the glorious day of
redemption—God will perfect the believer and conform him
perfectly to the image of Christ.
“For our conversation [citizenship, behavior] is in heav-
en; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according
to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself” (Ph.3:20-21).
QUESTIONS
:
1. It is very fashionable in our culture to be a “self-made” per-
son. In what ways do people try to increase their faith?
2. What is the only way that you can grow in Christ? What are
some distractions or barriers to growth that you need to over-
come?
3. How does this verse help you to refocus upon the Lord?
4. A BELIEVER SUFFERS BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH (v.4).
When the Galatians accepted Christ, they had suffered ridicule, abuse,
isolation and persecution from their neighbors; and apparently the
persecution had continued for some time (Ac.14:1-7, 19, 22). The
point is this: if the Galatians now turned away from Christ to some
false teaching, then the suffering they had borne for Christ would be
in vain. They would have suffered for nothing. In fact, they would
now appear foolish if they turned away from Christ when they had
suffered so much in order to embrace Him.
APPLICATION:
Every believer who truly turns to Christ has some suffering to
bear. It may be mild, but some suffering is borne. There is the
suffering of...
separating from the world
his efforts
his discipline
his works
his morality
his goodness
his just behavior