Forever Marked by the Gospel
Gal 1:10-24
- How marked are you?
- Are you marked by the marvel of an incomparable message?
- Gal 1:11-12; Gal 1:16-17
- are you convinced by the uniqueness of the Gospel?
- to live the gospel you have to be fully convinced that the gospel you have is completely trustworthy and authoritative
- remember that Paul was once Saul, one of the most ruthless persecutors
- in Acts 9, Paul immediately leaves to start researched the OT and Gospel, comes to present same message as the “super apostles” while being independent from them
- Phil 3 = Paul’s “resume”
- Are you marked by the true conversion power of the Gospel?
- Rom 1:16
- power of God = specific concrete message, NOT a subjective experience
- salvation leads to radical change, liberating you from the powers and hold of the evil present age
- 4 marks/changes to demonstrate that you’re fully converted
- Motivated by Christ’s approval alone/most
- Gal 1:10
- you stop trying to please people
- are you more conscious of your peers rather than to God?
- there remains the possibility that you are more conscious of your peer’s expected social/traditional customs than the Holy Spirit
- A big switch on all the price tags of your life
- Gal 1:14-17
- Phil 3:7
- Your lifestyle testifies to conversion
- Gal 1:13,23
- not just a watered-down, plain “Oh, God is love!” life
- true conversion measured NOT by how freely you live for yourself, but freed from pressure of living in present age to live for the fullness of Christ!
- You are in total devotion
- Gal 1:15-16
- commitment to Christ must be total and exclusive
- if you need a pep rally from your pastor in order to be excited for Christ, it is questionable whether you really have devotion
- Based on your call to Christ, your gifts and complete commitment, are you on a mission that is worthy of the lofty price that was paid for you?
- what exactly did God save you to do?
- Are you doing it?
- Have you kept doing it?
Kerygma
- Luke 10:25-37
- robbers: what’s yours is mine and I’ll take it
- priest: what’s mine is mine and I’ll keep it
- Samaritan: what’s mine is yours and I’ll share it
- lawyer had head knowledge of mercy, but not heart knowledge
- how to have inheritance? someone must die.