Rightly dividing the Word of Truth has finished its 65th week. We were able to finish our overview of Galatians 4, focusing on v.8-31. The main doctrinal issue covered in this chapter is that we are the children of God by faith. We are the heirs celestial / spiritual descendants of Abraham as promised in Genesis 22:15-17. The physical descendants (Israel) are as the sand of the seashore. We are pictured as the stars of the sky (all believers of this dispensation of the grace of God). Paul used the allegory of Ishmael (Law) and Isaac (grace / promise) to teach us the DTDA truth that salvation by grace sets us free from the bondage that the law puts upon us. Jerusalem which is above sets us free from the weak and beggarly elements of the law! We are the children of the freewoman, which pictures salvation without the constraints of obedience to the law. This is the last chapter of Galatians the deals strictly with the doctrine. Chapters 5 & 6 will give us the practical side – the application of the doctrine. Chapters 1-4 confirm our standing, our position, our wealth as heirs. Chapters 5-6 help us to understand our state, our power, and how we apply the doctrine in our walk or practice. Paul has dealt with the error in doctrine that was delivered by the judaizers. Now, in the next two chapters, we will see how we are to exercise our liberty without the bondage of the law. **I want to make a disclaimer about my comments concerning passion week, and Easter. The things I shared this morning do not flow with traditional passion week teaching, especially about what day of the week Jesus was crucified. It is not my intent to cast dispersion upon a Good Friday crucifixion and a Sunday morning resurrection. As I stated, the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and resurrected three days later. This is the common ground we stand on, whether he was crucified on Wednesday or Friday. There is still an empty tomb, and we serve a risen Savior! The question I had to answer is found in Matthew 12:38-40, and the three days and three nights Jesus prophesied that he would be in the heart of the earth, and work back from that statement to see when Passover occurred in his adult life, on Wednesday, which would answer the conundrum of his birth year and death year. It is something I had to work out for my own understanding. Thank you for your understanding. The main focus is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as payment for our salvation!**
