Why Turn Back? - Part 1

Last week we set the stage of who we are as sons and heirs. As I went through today's lesson and reflected back, sometimes you get dragged down by this, the title today is Why Turn Back? That's a good question. Why do we keep turning back to old ways? principles of legality. It says in, I think, verse 9, these beggarly elements of the flesh, these weak and beggarly elements, which is in New King James. I like that translation. Actually, I'm going to share with you a few others, but I like that one, weak and beggarly elements. How strong is that?

So today we're going to look at this section of Why Turn Back, and we're going to end on an upward note, setting the stage for Randy next week, who will carry the text on as we move through Galatians 4. So let's read. Actually, let's begin at verse 1, Randy, and read down through verse 11 where we're going today.

However, at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements or things to which you desired to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.

All right, good. So we actually remember, I intended for you to begin at verse one, but we're okay. Oh, I'm sorry. We're okay. In fact, let's go back and do it again. Forgive me, everybody. I think, you know, we need to put this in context. Sometimes I think we kind of ultimately partition the word too much. So one through eleven, please. Yeah, I'm sorry. That's okay.

Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything. But he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the element victims of the world.

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and an heir to a god. However, at this time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you that perhaps I have labor over you. Thanks, Randy. So we see this kind of pendulum swinging back from bond slaves to adopted sons and then back to bond slaves again. So the entire text looks at this kind of oscillation of being under these weak and beggarly elements versus being lifted up and adopted as sons and Abba Father. I mean, what a contrast we have here and is not that the Christian life. I mean, we're constantly on this pendulum, but we need to be reminded that God sees us as adopted sons.

And even in the text today, we're going to see that we knew him, but he has known us. And it's rather, it's a conjunction that ultimately lifts him up far beyond who we are in knowing him. And that's really both scripturally true and experiential, I think, as we go forward. Let's begin with the text.

Verse 8, but then indeed, when you did not know God, you served those by nature those which by nature are not gods. When you did not know God. Interesting, the Greek verb for know here is the literal or figurative term, or this head knowledge. So what do we think about knowing God from this perspective? Does the world know God figuratively, literally, or ultimately, intellectually?

I think we could boil this down into atheistic, monotheistic, or polytheistic, right? So the age in which Paul was writing was what of those three? Now remember, Galatians is written to the Jewish believer predominantly, but we're going to see today that this goes far beyond the Jewish believer. This appeals to the Gentile too. But in Paul's age, monotheistic, polytheistic, or atheistic?

Polytheistic. All these gods and idols, the Greek culture, I mean, just think about it. So, this is a head knowledge. If we said today, how many people know God simply admitting there is a God? One God, monotheistic. Is this most of the world? Some of the world? Few of the world? What has God said in his word? I mean, I make myself known unto all of mankind through creation, conscience, and then Christ finally, the three C's of knowledge of God. So what do you think? I mean, the Muslim world, one God?

The Jews, which, by the way, are numbered at, what, 13 million or something? It's hard for me to believe. I think half of my work went... No, I'm just teasing. But in my field, there's a lot of Jewish people. And some of them are very good friends, actually. It's been neat to see the Lord work through that. Many times, opportunities to talk seriously about the things of the Lord. It's been fun. All right, head knowledge.

I would say most of the world are not atheistic. In fact, if you look at the surveys of Americans, we say that 50% are Christians. 90% believe in God. I think it's 9 out of 10 that believe in God. So very few people are, I think today, polytheistic, and I think the rest are atheistic. But monotheistic, 90% of America anyway, up to half of those claim to be Christians. But we all kind of doubt that, don't we?

I mean, OK. All right. Manifested by ignorance. Really, right? OK. Perfect active participle. What's that mean? Not to drill down on Greek grammar here. But then, indeed, when you did not know God, it's a negative. When you did not know him. It's interesting. You didn't know him. figuratively or through head knowledge. So I think this is the polytheistic culture in which clearly the Gentiles were raised. Perfect active. Perfect meaning what? Active? We're responsible. And participle is just a modification of Greek grammar to show it's an ongoing activity. I point out here, but even the heathen in some way originally knew.

And now, interesting, gnoska got into Romans 121. Now, what do you think of when you think of gnoska in terms of the Greek verb, to know? What's that? Gnoska. What do we think of, though, in scripture when we think of that type of knowing? Well, so is this a head knowledge? Don't you think of Gnoska as a relationship we have with the Lord Jesus Christ?

I mean we kind of know him experientially. We have a relationship with him. This is more of an intimate thing. Love, agape. You know, the love of the world, right? The same kind of love the unbeliever can show for the world is the same kind of love Christ has for us. I mean, this unconditional love is love not the world or the things of it is agape.

So this, in my opinion, is kind of that use of Gnoska in Romans 121. But, you know, in Romans 121, you know, the heathen, remember, originally knew that they thought they had an experiential relationship, but it said they failed to retain them in their knowledge and so corrupted the original truth. These were not true believers, although they claimed to have an experiential and soul-based relationship with God. Yes, Gail?

I thought our knowledge of God Epi-gnosis is really that extra step up. What you're saying is that this is the way we know God. Well, this is for the most part. I mean, epi-gnosis is used rarely compared to gnoska in terms of our knowledge of God, experiential knowledge. Both terms can be used for that relationship. Epi-gnoska is really a higher term, a more intimate term, which is used some. I don't want to overly categorize, but gnoska is commonly used for the relationship of the believer to the Lord Jesus Christ. But epigonosis is that kind of additional kind of second blessing. No, it's not a second.

All right. So who are the you here? Jewish and or Gentile believers? What are your thoughts? Good job. I like that answer. Although the types of gods would have to be somewhat different. Let's look at Acts 17, 29, and 30. And this kind of has, I think, relevance in terms of this type of broad appeal. So whoever gets Acts 17, 29, and 30. And this is Paul on Mars Hill, I believe.

For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is likened to gold or silver or stone, raven by art and man's device. In the times of this ignorance, God weepeth, but now command us all men from everywhere to repent. So this verse, to some extent, reflects on these different types of idols that are possible and other gods. And here it talks about gold and silver and other kind of physical forms. But the idols can go far beyond that. But it says, he would call all men to repent. I don't think this is narrowly applied to the Jewish believer. This has much broader appeal.

You serve those by nature that are not God. So here's, you know, back to this early part of Galatians 4. This service is as a bond slave. Remember, but then indeed when you did not know God. This qualifies us before we came to Christ. All of us. The Jewish believer particularly because of the legal system in which Galatians is set. But we all were bond slaves to different kinds of gods, other gods. And who are these gods?

Let's look at a couple examples. We're not clearly going to read Isaiah 44, 9 through 20, but if you want a very descriptive list of the way the Jewish nation constructed gods other than Jehovah or Yahweh, you get a very good description. But let's look briefly at Deuteronomy 12, 2 and 3. And Psalms is nice, 115, 4 through 8. So Tom, could you take the Psalms? And Lindy, are you looking for the Deuteronomy passage? OK. And by the way, there are endless, endless passages about other gods. You know, graven images, idols, etc. Or just looking at a few. Lindy, how you doing? You ready? Yeah.

Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains and on the hills under every spreading tree where the nations you are disposing worship their gods. Break down their altars. Smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah pulls in the fire, cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. Okay, so that's an example of surrounding nations. The psalm passage. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

They have mouths, but they can't speak. Eyes they lay, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. Nose does have an ape, but they smell not. Head does have an ape, but they hear not. Feet have an ape, but they walk not. Neither speak they, but you hear not.

They that make them are like unto them, so is everyone that trusts them. Okay, so what's one obvious difference between these gods and our god? What about the communication issue that you just addressed in those passages, Tom? Yes. They're mute. They're mute. Not much transpiring there between these graven images. In general, it seems like they're inefficient, inefficient.

I like that. See, your English is so much better than you think. That's very good. I really like that. That's great. Inefficient. OK. Yeah, so these are just graven images. They just sit there. It's hard to believe. You go to the Far East. You're in China or Japan. You see all these Buddhist images and stuff. You just kind of look at this dead piece of wood.

You know, just as an aside, this is really an aside, I didn't even intend to think about this or say this today, but Jay Vernon this week, we're in Deuteronomy now, it's been good, I enjoy him so much, but anyway, he was talking about people who need pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ, right? I mean, there's no description of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible. I mean, the idea that we have to conceptualize what this human figure looked like is really Not intended, I think, in terms of the way God communicated with us, right? But yet, how is our God different from these graven images? He's a living being. I mean, he's someone we can actually have active communication with. Yeah, but somebody's going to think you're crazy. You say this to any Jill or John on the street, they're going to think you're crazy. Communicational.

No, but what is the evidence that we have a God that communicates? Why don't we begin way back? Alright, so we believe scripture. What did scripture reveal about God, the Almighty, in the Old Testament? He wasn't totally aloof. He wanted a relationship with his people and individuals. How did he exemplify that? Through Christ. Well, through Christ, yeah, I mean that's the ultimate. He did it in his image. Alright.

Did he talk to anybody? Yeah, he communicated repeatedly with the great prophets that we all relate to, and particularly reflect back in the book of Galatians. So he communicated personally through Melchizedek, or through angels, or through prophets, and through theophanies, right? To the prophets of old times.

So there was direct communication, making the covenants that God made throughout. the Old Testament. And then, of course, everything is pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, you know, here was God in the human form who communicated repeatedly with thousands and thousands of people, was ultimately seen crucified, dead and buried, risen, communicated again. And then God has given us a spirit. And the point is, we have a God who communicates, right?

Donna? Well, I was thinking, in the Jewish nation, didn't other nations know that the Jews had a God that they knew He was real? Didn't other nations acknowledge Him as the Jews having a real God? Can we think of good examples of that? Well, because of the ironic fact that the Jews were dispersed at various times in the Old Testament, that there were witnesses to the Lord, whether they wanted to be there or not. And so, indirectly, especially in regard to Esther and others, there was a witness of the Lord outside Israel. So it had to be everywhere the Jews were pushed off to be resiled.

Who was the non-Jewish queen who came to Israel? Esther. Esther. Esther. I was with a guy yesterday. Esther is Jewish. Who am I thinking of? Queen Yeshiva. Queen Yeshiva. Right, that's who. I was talking to somebody yesterday at the memorial service for Cort's mom.

This is Bill. Apparently he's had his genetic sequence examined. and apparently has evidence of Jewish history. It's funny, Echol is kind of a German Jewish name, and I guess I'm not going to have my DNA sequenced to see if, in fact, I fall within this heritage or tradition. But anyway, today we can actually find out whether some of us have some Jew in us by looking at our DNA sequences. Anyway, all that aside.

So describe this condition, this condition of serving by nature of the gods. How would you exemplify that in terms of a description? If you were a glass of Romans and you were professing yourself to be wise to the king's crudels and so you decided, okay, let's make an image of the God above and have it hanging for us anytime we want, day or night.

Yeah. Okay. I'd like to say just a couple of things. Lucia, do you want to say something? Well, I was thinking, it's like when you want something and you ask the God for it. You always think you need to ask, otherwise he's not going to do it. Or you have to burn some incense, otherwise he doesn't respond. That's where, you know, where he comes. He can say, well, your father already knows what you want. Even different in terms of what to add to your pudding. All right. We have an ability to communicate, knowing he hears our prayers. The answers always don't come immediately the way we want.

But anyway, he's working out our salvation with But in the reality sense, there's no freedom from anxiety and fear. What does the believer have in his or her citizenship? We have eternal security. We are called to a life in Christ that is not filled with anxiety and fear. Why turn back really is turning back to a position of anxiety and fear, isn't it, in terms of the earthly existence? Not rest. I mean, if you're in rest, you know that you're in rest. I mean, you don't have that anxiety and fear. And as soon as I'm anxious, or as soon as I'm fearful of a situation, I know I'm not resting.

Well, true, and if you think about other gods, whether they be simply idols or worship of things of the world system, ultimately there's always something we need to do, right? There's some requirement, some legality to it. Not true here. Secondly, it's a lack of reality. Who are these gods or idols anyway? As we mentioned a few minutes ago, these are just kind of brass or stone. carvings of wood or something. What is this anyway? Talking or praying or obedient to some graven image just doesn't have any reality testing.

Whereas the Lord has revealed himself repeatedly in multiple ways over time. And his word is true. There are plenty of examples that were outside the word of miracles that were performed that were recorded. Other people saw these miracles and knew the story of the parting of the sea. I mean, there were many unbelievers who weren't Jews who knew about that incident that happened. So, I mean, they knew there was no other God could do something like that. I'm not going to say some people can't come to salvation through the study of historical truth, but not, I think, a few. I mean, but yet we have the record of history in our favor.

The interesting thing in Science Magazine, which is really a very prominent, high-impact journal in the biologic and other sciences field, I was reading on the plane coming back from New York this week about some recent evidence that when they trace the Jewish heritage through DNA sequences, First of all, the Jewish nation is divided into three groups of Jews. One is the Ashkenazi. a Jewish nation. The second is the Sephardic Jewish nation. The third is the Middle Eastern Jew, which actually extended into Persia and even into Asia. Those three groups of Jews, now through DNA sequences, were all identified to come from a common single heritage, which was dated somewhere around 2000 BC.

Now, what do you make of that? In Science magazine, there was no reference to biblical truth at all. They simply were saying, gee, isn't it interesting? The Jews really did come out of one nation. spreading then into these three different components and no mention of the Bible at all.

They have to acknowledge that there could really be, this could be true. They definitely don't want to say. But the reason I cite that is simply this. I think this study of historical evidence, even the DNA sequences now that point to the Jewish nation is really being founded in one family in one place on earth at one given point in time.

That doesn't bring people to Christ, does it? I mean, for the most part. I'm not saying it couldn't, but it for the most part doesn't. So, thus, this state of being an unbeliever is a state of lack of freedom. So let's look at that in a little bit more detail. Slaves, but slaves to the deities of their own creations, what they are. They're really not free. They think they're free because they don't have all this religious legality tied up.

And by the way, what a fault of today's Christianity, and probably a fault of Christianity for 2,000 years. This idea that after you... And Galatians is all about that, isn't it? Once you come to be saved, you've got all these traditions and legacies and rules and regulations to follow. Religious slavery is what this is. So the unbeliever, whether he or she knows it or not, is a religious slave. Their religion is different than ours, but it's a series of expectations and qualifications for them to have any peace, and that peace is limited at best.

But let's look at John 8.36. What a great verse. I frequently look at this as a pillow for a tired head. It's a great, great verse. Anybody who gets that, please read it. Isn't that great? And from what is this freedom, Donna? This idea that Christ has made us free. What's that freedom from?

It's not from the CIA. Tom, for some reason, if I had heard that answer and I would have put it to one of the members of the class, it would have come from you. Anyway, you're right, not free from the CIA. You know, I wouldn't have thought of that, Tom. Donna, freedom from what?

Sin, the world, yourself. Okay, freedom from sin in what way? Let's think about this. Let's free associate a little bit. Freedom from sin, what does that mean for the believer? You can choose not to sin. Choose not to sin. I put it a little differently, but that's correct. Okay, the life in Christ is free from sin, right? My choosing not to sin is almost a power of the flesh sometimes. I mean, I don't want to get into this, because this is really deep, deep, important theology, I think. But we do have a choice, because when we live by the Spirit and we're lifted up in the Christ nature, there's no sin. So that's a life by grace, live by faith. So that's the Christian...

Well, no, but position gets translated into condition. If I just say, there's something sinful, a thought that I could have that's sinful and a thought that over here is not sinful and I'm considering, I don't know, there's kind of a defeatist attitude. Well, I'm going to choose this one.

It's almost kind of a self-righteousness when we're thinking about choice. When we're lifted up by the Spirit, there's no choice. I mean, the Christ life is one without sin. Are we on the same page there? No, I don't think so. I think if there are two things that you can choose between when you are unbeliever or something, you cannot choose out of bad motive.

I would say the unbeliever can choose what's right and wrong. Yes, but eventually it's motivated by human effort. by himself, like when you trace the motivation down, it's usually itself is. How about this, Why Turn Back? The title of today's lesson is Why Turn Back? I mean, if in my Adam nature, or my sinful nature, my unsaved nature, I have a choice between good and evil, I'll make some good choices.

She's talking about the motivation, but the source of life is not. The source, but the source is the same for the believer as it is the unbeliever. The Christ life, there's no choice. We have an opportunity to live by grace through faith and live a life that's free from sin.

Gail? It appears to me that this verse is talking more about position than about my experience. It seems that experience in the New Testament comes more when you get into the feeling with our experience as we walk in the life of Christ. It seems to come out more in the epistles where this seems, in my mind at least, to focus on the fact that I am in Christ, and the difference that that makes to me is before I fall, before I'm saved, I fall short of the glory of God.

True. There is no option. I am bound there. But when I am in Christ, I am free, not just free, but I am free indeed. Right. I am totally free. I am no longer, even though I may choose to sin at times, or not choose, just do it. I am still, in God's eyes, His child, and I no longer am positionally falling short of the glory of God. Correct. Correct. There's no doubt about that, but remember Galatians is the second, 4 through 6 is the second half of the epistle of the Galatians. We're talking about the walk here now too.

Because it's saying, again, the title I've given this section is why turn back? Because that's the condition. The condition is going back under legality and depending on a life that is not positionally based. I mean, that has connections or qualifications to it.

Again, I think there's no question we all make choices. I just want to say that the spirit-led choice is a life, not this kind of weighing the consequences. And we can all make good decisions that are based on simply self-righteousness and preservation of our moral character because of the consequences if we make wrong choices. That's why there are plenty of people who say, well, I'm a good person. I didn't ever make those bad choices, so that's why I'm here in New York. So I look at the freedom of sin as a freedom from the penalty of sin, number one, and the freedom from a life that's sin-filled, which is back to position. And if we weren't positionally in Christ, there's no Christ life that's spirit life.

Let's move on. But now after you've known God, different Greek verbs are known, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage? So known here is gnoska. the same Gail, the same Gnoska that we were looking back at Romans 121 and by the way much more commonly than Epigonosis but anyway that's what we're talking about here knowing God is Gnoska and by the way God rather are known by God as Gnoska I mean it's the same term as Romans 121 rather this is neat in the Greek and I had fun kinda getting in this a little bit rather is more or in a greater degree or better so much the more I mean, this rather is not simply, oh, I'd rather have a peach than a plum.

So that means I might right now want a peach. Both are good. I mean, this is a high, this is a logarithm. You OK with that, Tom? OK. It's multiplied tenfold. This is a much greater knowledge of God, of us, than ours of his. Neat, to put that into perspective. By His great grace, by which He called us. We know Him by His grace, but He knows us even much, much more.

So let's look at these real quickly. John 15, 16. Donna, could you do that one? Alishka, could you look at 1 John 4, 9, please? Or 19, I'm sorry. Oh, OK. Well, you're excused. Ingrid, could you do First John? She can do it. She can translate. Are you going to do it or are you not going? OK.

And then Philippians 2.13. Ingrid, that'd be great. And we may need to shortcut some of these verses, which I've picked out for today's lesson just because of time. John 15, 16. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Okay, God knowing us, that He has something for us to do and to respond by obedience, by faith.

1 John 4.19 We love because He first loved us. Okay, so we come to Him because He first thought about us, right? Kind of rather God knew us and then we, by the way, respond.

Philippians 2.13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Okay, so ultimately we all have a walk, we all have a life and ultimately he's in the business of working out all this to his good pleasure. By the way, there could be infinite numbers of verses that show his working in us, his knowledge of us, his calling us to himself. Turn means to revert or bring back. So because you know God and He even knows you better, why is it that you're going to turn again or revert back to old ways?

Galatians 1.6, as we talked about early on in the study of Galatians, and I'll read that, I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that call you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. And what was this other gospel back in Galatians 1? What's this other gospel that Paul was referring to in Galatians 1?

Yeah, this mixing of law and grace. Law is perfectly righteous and holy, but the life is not to try to abide to the law. Galatians 3.24, the law was our what? Schoolmaster, right, to bring us to Christ.

Weak and beggarly elements. And I just put in kind of a self-serving comment here. I just love this New King James Version description. Weak and beggarly elements. I think it's so descriptive. That's almost Hawthorne or something. We'll give it to the Spirit of the Lord. It's great language.

Weak is feeble, without any strength, totally unable. You know when we see weak in the scriptures, and I think the relatively uneducated, not that I am a student of the Word of God, weak is kind of like we bring something to the table. Weak. Yeah, and we're helped out by God. You know, God will help me along the way. I mean, I'll kind of do so much. This weak in the Greek is a very strong term. It means no strength. Impotency. No strength. Zero.

I think that's one of the most critical elements of understanding grace, is that if you don't understand this, then grace has a lesser meaning as well, and salvation, you've brought something to the table. But you know, we could go back to the conversation we had five minutes ago on this choice versus a life deal. I feel pretty strongly that the life is lived by the power of the Spirit, by our faith, and ultimately lifts us up Because on our own, when we bring our own kind of human capabilities to making good choices, it's not what is anything but witty and subtle, in my opinion. But anyway, let's go on. Beggarly, destitute of wealth, destitute of influence, destitute of position, destitute of honor. Bankrupt. What? Bankrupt. Bankrupt. Good.

Let's compare this to Ephesians 1.18 very quickly.

Randy, could you do that one for us? I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of this calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. A little different than Beggarly, huh? The riches of his glory in saints.

Boy, a little different than what we're describing here. Elements. First things are principles of perverted Judaism. I mean, in a sense, Not idols here, but religion. Remember, idols were partly a problem for the Jew, but it was more just the religious tradition, and likewise, the legacy.

It does deal perfectly with an experience I had at our last family reunion in St. Augustine, Florida. Most of the people in attendance there still considered themselves Catholics, and they got this stupid board game out called, Is the Pope Catholic? played, played it according to Baltimore catechism. And who won the game? My aunt and uncle.

No further comment on that one. All right, so the interlinear Greek calls this impoverished fundamental principles, which is okay. NIV, weak and miserable principles. New American Standard, weak and worthless elemental things. What do you have, Randy? What did you read? Oh, it says elemental things. Okay, elemental things is the New American Standard. You don't have worthless before elemental? Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, just worthless. Okay, so Randy read that earlier. Weak and beggarly elements I love.

Notice desire again. This is present active indicative. Present meaning right now. Active, I'm involved. Indicative, it's factual. Why are you ongoing right now in your mindset and in your life? depending on these weak and beggarly elements, this religiosity, if you will, of things gone by. And by the way, that appeals to the Gentile as well as the Jew. More so to the Jew, perhaps, but the Gentile relates to where we were before we all came to Christ.

To be resolved or determined or purposed to renew. This is a strong, active verb indicating I'm going back and that's where I want to be. And why or how does this desire come to be? Why do we want to turn back? I think sometimes it's comfortable for people to be where they grew up or how they grew up or in that environment. They feel comfortable. And why do they feel comfortable? Why do we all at times feel more comfortable turning back to these vaguely elements?

It's something we're used to. We've kind of been with it so long. It's not even defective. It's something that we know the ins and outs of. We can play the game. What's the benefit of it? Well, but who's at benefit? Exactly. Buffs up the old man, right?

What's the other reason we turn back to these weak and beggarly elements? Just give me the rules. Margaret's hit the nail on the head. I think we live in a world system that's based on performance and goals and setting outcomes and achieving them, right? I mean, it's a whole world system. Donna and then Alicia.

Yeah. I mean, that's another thing, our lack of faith, right? God's grace is sufficient for us to believe all that he's revealed, right? The old man tends to want to depend on self and ignore all the grace God's given us. Alicia, you had a point? Yeah, probably the same. Yeah, okay. Alright, so that's why and how.

By the way, this sin nature, remember everybody, I think this class has this 100% correct, but that sin nature never goes away. And in fact, we've discussed this many times in the past, the sin nature ultimately gets more revealed for what it is as we grow in grace. As the light gets brighter, the darkness gets more revealed for what it really is.

But that's not where we spend our time. We don't need to dwell on the old man. We need to learn him by our experience, and the spirit is convicting. But remember, we confess, we move on. Our relationship to God is as sons and heirs, not as people needing to behave through the obedience of weak and beggarly elements. That's not the task before us.

So what motivates it? I think I answered that right now. It's motivated by the sinful nature, by returning to ways gone by that no longer have any merit. To be in bondage, in context, this appears to be kind of a legal thing. And as in Galatians 4.3, which we studied a few weeks ago, 4.3 says, even so we, when we were children, were in bondage over the elements of the world. So it's kind of like going back to childlike ways where, in fact, we're under law and ultimately responding in that manner.

Galatians 5, 19, and 20, I will read. And I think that's worth just bringing up here for a second. So 19 and 20 says in Galatians chapter 5, now the works of the flesh are manifested, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath. Factions, seditions, heresies, and it goes on, endings, murders, and all that.

We're going to be studying that probably late October or something. But, you know, the sinful nature in each and every believer is capable of all these things. If we fall back and we really turn back into the ways of the old man, there's nothing about us as believers that can keep us from that other than stopping in our tracks and responding to God's great grace of who we are in Christ. That's the only way that this behavior is ultimately modified.

And what value? Colossians 2, 20 and 23, and let's just pass on that. We can go back and look at the value of living under bondage in that passage. But there is a purpose here, isn't there? And the purpose is Galatians 3.24, reminding us that being under legal things is really simply a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

Romans 8.29, right? We're in the business of all things work together for good, for those who recall, according to his purpose. I mean, we're being conformed to the image of his Son.

2 Corinthians 4.6, I don't remember that verse exactly. But since it's in 2 Corinthians 4, it has to be great. Okay. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

So, you know, this turning back transiently that we all end up doing, and some people for long periods of time, really, is all God's purpose in us to bring us into a correct relationship both positionally and conditionally to the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, he's not going to get on the cross again for us. It's a done deal. He sees us as sons and heirs, not as people returning to the weak and beggarly elements that are so easy to be distracting. OK, so let's look at the last two verses pretty quickly.

You observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. And this just reminds us that this is really, again, predominantly for the Galatian Jew, and less so to the Gentile. But clearly, I think all of us can get into these traditions too. So observe means to stand beside and watch and to watch assiduously, observe carefully. It's kind of, you know, do this and do it in the right way. Present middle indicative simply indicates that the middle voice implies that they were intensely interested in their own profit from this type of behavior. That's good. Good, Tom.

So a general reference to these traditions, if you really want to read all these things about days and months and seasons here, the Leviticus passage really is a kind of a fun thing to go back and read. And I might just suggest, you know, take five minutes today later than this week and take a look at that, because it goes into great detail about all these traditions. It seems to me fun that he doesn't really say in detail which kind of day or month, but says kind of generally that it can work with any context, which it doesn't, seems to me, like Leviticalism and Catholicism. Yeah, right. There's a lot of tradition even in Protestantism. not only in mainline churches, but I think even in more biblically based gatherings.

Days, which is basically related to the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath. So the Saturday deal, we don't need to get into that. Months and seasons, these are rituals lasting more than one day by tradition. So months and seasons are not just day of the Sabbath, and months are the new moons where Sabbaths, new moons and feasts are mentioned, and those are referred to in those two passages in 1st and 2nd Chronicles. Seasons are the annual feast weeks of the Jews, and those include things like the Passover, the Unleavened Bread, the Day of Atonement, on and on and on, all the festivals that the Jewish nation celebrates. And years really relate to the sabbatical year, which is every seventh year.

Remember where the land was put to not and ultimately allowed to be kind of recultivated for planting for the next six years? The year of Jubilee, which was seven sabbatic years, i.e. 49 years, and then the 50th year was kind of a year of pardon, and that was the year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, 8 through 10 reviews the year of Jubilee as that 50th year. So this is certainly not a path of the Gentiles for salvation for sure, but could a saved Jew continue to participate in these ordinances?

Question for the class. If you're a Jew, if you're a Messianic Jew and have come to Christ, what about these ordinances? Can someone still participate in these? a completed Jew, they can kind of play around with it, but they can see the reason behind the reason and let it fade gradually from your consciousness as they begin to understand their true position in Christ. Other thoughts on that? I was actually thinking about this very question as we came on the topic, because I'm aware of, I have some acquaintances that do these They're Messianic Jews and they practice very... Friday night they have their Seder service and they do a number of things that... I don't think that as a Jew who has died to Judaism and is alive as a Christian needs to continue practicing those things. Is it sinful? I don't... I think it falls under liberty, but I don't see the need to participate in it. Is it kind of like the circumcision-uncircumcision deal? It's kind of like the meat offered to idols kind of thing? Is it alcohol in our own environment? I mean, stumbling blocks.

It would seem to me that a Messianic Jew who took on these ordinances and seasons and moons, who put it into perspective in terms of the Lord Jesus Christ, might have a ministry there. I mean, so I think there's got to be some freedom here maybe to allow, who are we to judge anyway? But I think it's possible that a converted Jew could ultimately do this in the right way if it's spirit-led that ultimately might be appropriate. But this isn't saving them. And this, for the most part, has no purpose or reason to be there after somebody comes to Christ.

Other thoughts? Certainly something that can be continued if done, I think, by the power of the Spirit. And let's contrast this with a way of Christianity for each one of us. These ordinances, months, festivals, feasts, moons, seasons, sabbaticals. Contrast that with a Christian. What's a Christian life all about? Focus on Christ.

OK. But how does that take place? Each Sunday? It's a 24-7 deal, isn't it? There's no kind of tradition of, gee, Sundays is a great day. I mean, we gather on Sunday, we have the fellowship around the Word of God, but this is a 24-7 deal. It's a day in, day out, minute by minute, hour by hour scenario.

And you know, if you think of it, when we have traveled around the world, Sunday is not necessarily everyone's day of rest. It depends on what the religion like in China. We just get China. That's not their day in Muslim countries. Friday and Saturday are their holidays.

So we in this country come on Sundays because our country was founded on quote unquote Christian principles. And so Sunday was our day of rest. It was sort of ordained from the beginning of the founding of this country. But there's certainly nothing other than the Lord had a day of rest. There's nothing that says we have to meet on Sundays. We can meet any day that we want.

We have that. True. Any other thoughts on this? All right. Questions to 16 and 17. We do have a minute. I'll turn to that. Colossians 2.16.17 says, Let no man therefore judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect to a feast day, or of a new moon, or of a Sabbath day, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ. So that's the history of these kinds of days and how they were honored and celebrated. And the days to come presumably reflect the Millennial Kingdom in some time future, where I guess the Jew will be brought back into these ceremonies in a new and purposeful way. But for us, The body, I mean the existence is Christ. And Christ is day in and day out. Never leaves us. There's nothing we need to do to respond except by faith.

Different principle. Last verse, I'm afraid for you lest I have labored for you in vain. Paul often has this fear that he's labored in vain. We're going to look at this. I'm afraid or terrified and enough that I'm going to fly. I mean, in terms of the literal interpretation of being afraid is that you're out of here. Okay, the building's on fire. Let's get out kind of deal.

So Paul's very concerned about this. Lest is indicating that Paul's concern was really not his own, but for the body. That's where his concern really lied. So similar sentiments can be seen in 2 Corinthians 12, 20 and 21, and 1 Thessalonians 3, 5. We don't need to look at that. But Paul is often concerned about the brethren. And that same sentiment is represented there.

Labor is not kind of, you know, taking out the garbage here. We're talking about something that's persistent, wearisome, filled with effort and toil. So Paul's been at this by the power of the spirit with great effort, but without potentially apparent success or effort. So he's really concerned about these believers in Galatia about returning for the Jew, returning to these old ways of doing things, or perhaps even for the Gentile by responding to the natural ways of the sinful nature.

And Paul's labor in Galatians 2.2 is exemplified. So we can go take a look at that. If somebody gets that, they can read that. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of their reputation thus by many means I should not or have known in vain.

Okay, so again, he reflects this possibility that all this activity that Spirit led could be in vain. And again, in vain means no value, right? Okay, but Paul's still about his business. I mean, it's amazing to reflect on Paul's life that's Spirit-led.

Ultimately, the outcome he's concerned about, but his job was simply to be led by the Spirit to bring the truth. to the believers in Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and on and on and on. That's kind of what our walk is. Our walk is there to ultimately exemplify the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives and bring hope to the unsaved and encouragement to the saved. And what the outcome is, we can't control, but we can be encouragement to the believer and ultimately lights in the darkness for the unbeliever. The results are up to the Lord. To conclude, what then keeps us from turning back? Let's look again at last week's lesson, Galatians 4 verses 5-7. And here I just chose 6 and 7.

Because your sons, God has sent forth the spirit of the Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father. Therefore you are no longer a slave. bondservant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. And as I said last week, I'll bring it back again here.

When we communicate, we rest, we fellowship, and we respond by His great grace, by faith, the life gets transformed. And ultimately, we're less likely to turn back, although that sinful nature does show up, doesn't it? The Spirit's convicting, our position is sure, and all we can do then is say, thank you, Lord, and continue onward by faith that we're being conformed to the image of the Son. Any other thoughts here about today's passage, lesson?

Yeah, I was just going to say that what keeps us from turning back is basically the knowledge of that. Not knowledge, not deed, but knowledge. Yes, knowledge that's both head knowledge, the Greek term for knowing intellectually or figuratively or literally, and also the Gnoska, which is the more experiential knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Both kinds of knowledge.

Okay, so Randy next week is going to take you back to kind of this sonship again and finish this passage and then we'll turn from that ultimately the fact that the Galatians ultimately left their blessing behind by returning to this atmospheric legality in their lives. So lots to cover yet and it's been a great book. We've moved methodically, but at the end of this one we ought to be able to distinguish law from grace.

Randy, close us in prayer please. Heavenly Father, we ask that you just continue to remind us of the relationship that we have with you and how that causes us to not be distracted and drawn into legalism. We just ask that you draw our hearts and minds to things above. moment by moment and even this morning during the time of worship and during the lesson in the service we would just continue to be drawing our minds, you would draw us and our minds to things above. In Jesus name, Amen.