811 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 2 Part 3 Book 68 - But When - The Fullness of Time - Part 3

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 3 * BOOK 68 BUT WHEN -THE FULLNESS OF THE TIME – PART 3 Galatians 4:4; Galatians 4:9; Ephesians 2:4 We’ll pick right up where we left off. I don’t feel that I quite did justice to the end of verse 9, in Galatians 4. So, you can be turning back to it if you’ve lost it here in the studio. For those of you out there in television, again, we’d like to invite you to open your Book and take out your pen and pad and study with us. My whole premise is, “What does the Book say? And what doesn’t it say?” And if it doesn’t say it, don’t try to push it in there, because you get in trouble when you do. Here we go, with a continuation of our last program in Galatians 4. We were in verse 9. Galatians 4:9a “But now, after that ye have known God,…” After these pagans had come out of their idolatry, it becomes not only known of God, but they knew God themselves. They come into a relationship through their salvation. But, as we were explaining in the last program, they were being besieged by Judaizers from the Jerusalem church who were still under the Law, primarily. The Temple was still operating. I think a lot of people forget that. I think they forget that when they read these things in Paul’s letters, especially. They forget that the Temple is still going. My goodness, the Jews are having animal sacrifices every day. The mainstream orthodox Jew is still completely under the Law - the dietary laws and everything. So, the Jerusalem church is still those kinds of Jews. They had simply embraced Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. And as such they became believers in that or the believing of the Gospel of the Kingdom. So, they were separated from the mainstream of Israel. But they were still law keeping Jews. My, I can prove that so easily. Let me show you a verse. I always do everything with Scripture. Go back to Acts. I think it is chapter 22 verse 12. Now, this was a believing Jew up in Damascus, but he was still on the same page with these Jerusalem believers. This says it all. Acts chapter 22:12a “And one Ananias, a devout man, according to the law,…” But what was he? He was a believer that Jesus was the Christ. That’s why he was so fearsome of Paul coming to Damascus. He was one of those that Paul was trying – or Saul – was trying to stamp out of Israel. But what was he? “Devout according to the law.” Another good one to prove that is Acts 21:20. Let’s look at it. Acts 21:20 “And when they (believing Jews) heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, (Paul) Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:” Now, this is what we have to understand. And as soon as Paul’s Gospel becomes evident to the Gentiles, it’s “not under law.” We’re going to look at that right now. In fact, coming back from Acts, stop in Romans chapter 6. I just have to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it, because the vast majority of Christendom is still just about in the same situation, as these Gentiles were always hearing, “You can’t be saved by just Paul’s Gospel, you also have to be baptized.” Others say that you’ve got to join a church. A lot of them now are saying that you can’t be saved unless you speak in tongues. You can’t be saved unless you give tithes and offerings. That’s all extraneous. Just like the Judaizers are pulling at Paul and his Gentile believers, but beloved, we’re not under any of that. Romans chapter 6 verse 14. This is one of the first verses that you have to show to people. Romans 6:14 “For sin (Or the old Adam as he’s dealing with it in this chapter.) shall not have dominion over you: (Why?) for you’re not under the law, (You’re not under demands for Temple worship and sacrifices. You’re not under any demands to do something.) but under grace.” And grace is just what it says – the complete favor of God to us who don’t merit a thing. I always like to use Saul’s conversion as the perfect example of the grace of God. Here was this rebel, this guy who was killing people. Throwing them into prison, just because they’d embraced Jesus as the Messiah. He was all hung up in the traditions of the fathers. And as he approaches the city to Damascus, God doesn’t put him through a whole week or two of conviction. God doesn’t have somebody preaching at him all the way from Jerusalem, but instantly God stops him, and He says, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Of course, old Saul didn’t know who the voice was, except that it came from heaven. What was his response? “Who are you Lord?” Now you see, the Lord prompted all this by grace. He didn’t have to. But by pure grace, He stops that raging bull, is the best way I can describe him. #Lesfeldick #BibleStudy #Bible