Don't Just Settle for an Appetizer.

S-Galatians 2-Paul's Summary of the Council at Jerusalem

S-"So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." Galatians 5:1

A-Your Freedom from slavery to sin

L-Quick Summary

  - Jesus as we begin looking at Galatians 2, I pray You open our hearts and fill them with a desire to go deeper with You. Bring this chapter alive for all who read it, just as You have for me. Amen

-As we dive into Galatians 2, we need to remember why Paul wrote this letter. In doing so, this chapter will make a lot more sense.

So what was the purpose?

     -To call out the Judaizers who forced strict obedience to the law, and to tell Christians everywhere it's not the law that will save you. It's actually your faith in Christ that saves you and sets you free, and its available to Jews and Gentiles alike.

So as Paul begins chapter 2-He begins by telling the churches in Galatia after 14 years (which ranges from the time of his conversion up to his meeting in Jerusalem) I went back to Jerusalem because God told me to.

"Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. I went there because God revelaed to me that I should go." 

 

Why is this so important?

Because many of the Christians were easily influenced by the false teachers, who preached that you had to be circumcised in order to be saved. In laymen terms-they believed the Gentiles had to be converted to Jew if they wanted to be saved.

And this is where Paul stepped in and said, "That's wrong." No one has to be converted, or circumcised, in order to be saved. And who would know better than Paul?

No, it's putting your faith in Christ that saves you and sets you free.

And this is where you have to dig in God's Word a little deeper to put it altogether.

So flip on over to Acts 15 and it will give you a clearer picture and understanding of what Paul is talking about.

**I know your thinking, who has time for this. Better yet, you might be thinking how does this apply to me?

Well it applies to you, because it will take you deeper into God's Word, which brings you to a deeper understanding of Christ.

All to often we just skim the surface of His Word. We seek out what applies to us rather than dig deep and actually go further in our search to know more about Christ. But we should!

So I challenge you today to go a little deeper. Search a little longer. And come out knowing more about Christ than you did before. Don't just feed your heart an appetizer, feed it the main course.

I promise God will show and teach you something, if you will just allow Him to.

S-Share more depth of God's Word with someone.