#432 The Jesus Trip, Paul’s System of Truth

#432 The Jesus Trip, Paul’s System Of Truth
By: D. Karl Thomas

(Sermon notes, PowerPoint Slides & Group Discussion Question links at the bottom of the page)

Romans 6:17 “…yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
“standard of teaching” (AMP) “Pattern of teaching” (NIV) “Paul’s system of truth.” (Weymouth)

Romans 6:17-18 (NLT) “Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”

James Stalker (The Life Of Paul) “Paul’s letters contain the best explanation of Christianity in the world. The right way to look at them is to regard them as the continuation of Christ’s own teaching…. ”

“… They contain the thoughts that Jesus carried away from this world unuttered. They are the advanced teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul was specially chosen by God to make clear the inner workings of the Gospel.
You can get born again by accepting the proclamation but you grow up on the explanation.

Galatians 1:13 “You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it.”

Acts 20:24 “The ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Paul uses the word “grace” more than any other writer in the Bible. (144 times)

Romans 1:5 “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,…”

Romans 2:16 “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”

II Timothy 2:8 “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.”

Galatians 2:2 “…that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles.”

Galatians 2:7 “…the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me.”

Romans 16:25 “Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret in ages past.”

Ephesians 3:2-3 “…if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery…

Galatians 1:11-12 “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 3:8 “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,…”

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 1:6-7 “…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…”

Grace (charis):– good will, loving-kindness, favour.

The merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles virtues.

G – God’s R – Riches A – At C – Christ’s E – Expense

Galatians 1:6-7 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Saving grace took sin off of our books and sustaining grace takes and keeps sin out of our lives.

Indicative And Imperative

Theology and Ethics / Doctrine and Duty / Positional and Practical / Belief and Behaviour
Freedom and Responsibility / In Christ and In The Lord

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what he has done and zero in on what we’re to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in God’s prior action, and …

forgetting that truth results in self-righteousness, pride, and despair. As you study Scripture, remember that the imperatives are always rooted in the indicatives. God calls you to become who you already are in Christ.”
E. M. Fitzpatrick

“God has not given us power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You don’t become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God.”
Neil T Anderson

1 Corinthians 1:2, 11 “To the church … to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, … there are contentions among you.” 1 Corinthians 3:3 “Are you not acting like mere humans?”

Galatians 5:13 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh (SARX — meat sack), but through love serve one another.”

There is a difference between relationship and fellowship.

You may always be a son through identification but that does not mean you have a working intimate fellowship. Grace gives me spiritual union and then I get to unpack all the benefits.

Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you have been raised with Christ [indicative], seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above [positive imperative], not on things that are on earth [negative imperative].

“Your mind trying is catching up with what your spirit already knows.” Caroline Leaf (Switching On Your Brain)

Ephesians 4:23-24 “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,… And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Grace is a gift of the nature and empowering presence of God

Law Demands Performance Grace Empowers Behaviour Grace has a higher standard

Galatians 3:3, 5 “How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? … I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.”

Galatians 4:21-30 “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: … which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants:… from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar…and SARAH corresponds to Jerusalem which (Mt Zion) now is,— but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”

“…But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted (TO PURSUE IN A HOSTILE MANNER) him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son…”

Where is that in Scripture? Genesis 21 “Weaning”

Genesis 21:1-12,

“So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast … And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; …shall not be heir with my son,…”

When Abraham made the choice to remove the attempt to achieve righteousness through the flesh he stepped into a new place of favour and blessing!

Boldness Freedom Taking Inheritance Confronts Rulers of the Day and took His land Planted…

Romans 1:17
“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, ‘The just and upright shall live by faith.’”

The Jesus Trip, Paul’s System Of Truth, PowerPoint Slides, PDF

The Jesus Trip, Paul’s System Of Truth, Sermon notes to print, PDF

Group Discussion Questions – Week #11, to print, PDF