The amazing reality of the Christian life is that God Himself indwells all those who have looked to His Son by faith through His Holy Spirit. This is truly remarkable if you take a moment to think about it. No other religion in the world believes this. Consider it for a moment: God not only condescended to come from the infinite heights of heaven’s…

What does it look like to live in the freedom of the gospel? Galatians 5 answers that question for us. Paul begins chapter 5 with a powerful truth: “Christ has set us free,” followed by an urgent appeal: “stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (v. 1). In continuing his defense of the gospel, Paul emphasizes that if the …

We live in a world that values personal identity. We identify ourselves and others by pronouns, tattoos, sexual preference, political party, color of skin, and a hundred other varieties of differentiation. However, all these self-identities are frivolous and vain. Identity politics is the force that draws people away from each other instead of pull…

Entering a dark room can be an uncomfortable experience. You don’t know where the furniture is and the danger of hitting a knee or a toe on the corner of a bed or dresser is a real problem. So what do you do to alleviate this situation? You turn on the light. Light exposes all things that are hidden by darkness. You no longer have to fear the bumps…

One of the lures of social media is the promise of being able to raise your social status among your fellow humans. The places you go, the things you know, and even what you eat can all be displayed for the sake of picking up more approval in the form of “likes, shares, and subscribes.” But the most important status change is the one that, as sinne…

Some sections of Scripture can be read more quickly and understood more easily than Galatians 3. Paul is traversing 2000 years of God’s covenant dealings with people, without breaking a sweat, so if you are trailing him, panting and out of shape, you are not alone! Here, Paul parries and counters arguments from the Judaizers while helping the Galat…

Galatians 3:10-18Oleh Four Points Church

Galatians 3:5-14 Part 2Oleh Four Points Church

Oleh Four Points Church

Oleh Four Points Church

Paul has already warned the Galatians twice in chapter 1 that if anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to the one he preached, they are to be anathema, accursed, considered outside the faith that was once-and-for-all delivered to the saints. At the end of chapter 2, Paul begins to get a little more specific about the problem that these churches are…

After recounting his confrontation with Peter, Paul continues to establish his defense of his gospel. In this section, Paul lays the logical and theological groundwork for his message, perhaps summarizing what he spoke to Peter during their confrontation. His message is clear: salvation is not based on what we have done but solely on what Christ ha…

Can’t we all just get along? Let’s be honest: not many of us like confrontation. However, the gospel demands that we graciously confront other believers who are not walking in alignment with its message. Overcome by the fear of man, the Apostle Peter had to be confronted by Paul himself because of his behavior, which had severe implications for oth…

Entrusted with the Gospel part 3Oleh Four Points Church

False brothers exist (Galatians 2:4). Just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not necessarily mean they are. The Bible is full of false people. Almost every book of the New Testament has warnings against individuals who teach what is false. Jesus informs His followers about them (Matthew 7:14), Paul suffers because of them (1 Timothy…

False brothers exist (Galatians 2:4). Just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not necessarily mean they are. The Bible is full of false people. Almost every book of the New Testament has warnings against individuals who teach what is false. Jesus informs His followers about them (Matthew 7:14), Paul suffers because of them (1 Timothy…

Men believe they know everything. God knows better. Jeremiah 10:14 reminds us that “Every man is stupid and without knowledge.” Paul, an incredibly learned man, would be seen as a sage among most of the Jewish population in the first century (Philippians 3:4-6; Acts 22:3), yet he denounces his own knowledge and ability when it comes to the gospel. …

Most of the time, if you want to confront someone, you start with some good news first. A compliment or an affirmation of your relationship to them might precede the hard conversation. Paul often commends the churches he writes to for things he knows they are doing well. In Galatians, Paul moves directly from the brief reminder of the gospel messag…

We are fascinated with the origins of things we love. Documentaries cover the history of a particular style of music. Or they tell us about the younger years of our heroes and how their formative experiences shaped their great accomplishments. Shows for “foodies” visit the restaurant that is the “original,” the first to serve a particular dish. In …

Proverbs 8Oleh Four Points Church