Quick update, life is still good, God is still good, and that is all.

Lawson Perdue-First John Lesson 4

1 John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of god!”
We need to realize that we are children of God, we should think of ourselves as God thinks of us.
1 John 2:28-29 “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
You don’t practice righteousness TO BE born of Him, you practice righteousness because you HAVE BEEN born of God!
3:21 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”
Always being under the law and having your heard condemn you is NOT good! We must have confidence toward God, or how will we trust that He loves us no matter what, and that He does not fulfill His promises based on what we have done.
Righteous living is the result of the righteous life not the other way around! He became sin-so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God, not by something we do, but once we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, the natural result is to live as who you have been made, to live righteously.


Barry Bennett-Galatians Lesson 4

Faith vs. Works

Galatians 3:1-11 “O foolish Galatians who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit, and now you are made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain? If it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministers the spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel to Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

Did you receive salvation or the Baptism of the Spirit by the works of the law? Did you get it by not killing someone? No, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, so we must be taken out from under the law, but we cannot remove ourselves from under the law, so Jesus came and fulfilled the law for us, and then died to remove our sins from us, so that in Him we may be perfectly righteous and no longer under the law, and without law, there is no longer sin, if there is no speed limit to break, then you can’t get pulled over for breaking the speed limit!

Barry Bennett-Galatians lesson 6

Chapter 3

The Blessing of Abraham vs. the Curse of the Law.

Does the one who works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law? Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Know then that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. So God was going to justify the world through faith, not by works. For whoever is of the works of the law, are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is every one that does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

But you see, we are no longer of the law, we are not under the law, no man is justified by the law, no man is justified by what he does, it is evident, for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith, but, The man that does them shall live in them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. 

Ways to approach God,

1. By our own effort, Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done…” 

2. By a religious system, Acts 17:22 

3. By Faith, Galatians 3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law, as it is written, ‘The Just Shall Live By Faith’” 

What is the curse of the law? 

Galatians 3:10 basically, you can’t do it! You cannot keep the law! 

Where you find great amounts of legalism, you will find great amounts of sin. The strength of sin is the law!

Why was the Law given? 

Galatians 3:19 What then was the purpose of the law? The law was given because of transgression.

It was given to maintain a pure lineage until the seed (Jesus) could come. 

It was our schoolmaster to brings us to Christ, to show us that we had no chance apart from Christ. But then, once we have Christ, we no longer need the law! We now have faith rather than law!

What does religious duty create? 

1 Corinthians 8:7 A defiled conscience. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are still young in the faith, it will create a defiled conscience, not talking about sinning, just about certain traditions. 

Titus 1:15 “Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled, …”

Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience…” 

Romans 4:4 “Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of Grace, but of debt.” 

It creates a sense of entitlement, a sense of pride, to think that somehow you have earned something from God. 

Reliance on others rather than on God

Galatians 4:17 “They zealously affect you, but not well, yes, they would exclude you, that you might affect them.” Religious duty says that you should have someone helping you and telling you what you should do. It makes you seek men rather than God for approval! 

That the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we should receive the promise of the spirit through Jesus Christ.

Now... for those interested, just leave a comment, but I have access to Andrew Wommack's notes on the book of Job! And I can give them to whomever. 

God Blessed!

-Ben Heath