Directly from God

by Jan 13, 2019Galatians Series, Sermon

Grace leaves itself open to misunderstanding, even abuse. But God wants us to experience the life-changing power of His grace. Paul did. He experienced God’s grace when he embraced the gospel given to him by direct revelation from Jesus. Now this persecutor of Christians began to preach the faith he once tried to destroy.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think people seem hard-wired to try to earn or deserve a salvation that God clearly says is free?

Adding additional requirements to getting salvation distorts or perverts the Gospel (Gal. 1:6-7). In what sense does adding good works to the requirement of faith appear spiritual but is really an affront to God’s grace?

Read Galatians 1:11-14. Where did Paul get the gospel? Why is Paul’s past as a persecutor of Christians a compelling argument for the legitimacy of his message? What were you like before you placed your faith in Jesus?

In what sense was Paul called to proclaim God’s grace (read Gal.1:15-17)? Did Paul have a choice (compare Acts 26:19)? In what ways have you sensed God’s calling on your life?

Many years are crammed into Paul’s spiritual growth path recorded in Galatians 1:17-24. What was Paul doing all those years (Hint: we know he was growing but the rest may be speculation)?

We might say Paul was obsessed with presenting a clear Gospel. Why is the clarity of the Gospel so important? How is the gospel being undermined among some Christians today?

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