%% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: start ```dataview TABLE WITHOUT ID this["sermon series"] AS "Series", location AS "Location", subjects AS "Subjects", takeaways AS "Takeaways", this["sermon link"] AS "Sermon Link" WHERE file.path = this.file.path ``` %% | Series | Location | Subjects | Takeaways | Sermon Link | | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ----------- | | [[Allison on Galatians\|Allison on Galatians]] | [[Topics/Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church.md\|Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church]] | <ul><li>[[Library/The Bible (WEB)/00 - About/Subjects in the Bible/conversion.md\|conversion]]</li></ul> | \- | \- | %% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: end %% ## 💡Big Idea >- ### Takeaways and Next Steps - ## 📖Bible Passage >[!NOTE]+ [[Gal-01#v13|Galatians 1:13-16]] >For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn't immediately confer with flesh and blood, [[Gal-01#v14|]][[Gal-01#v15|]][[Gal-01#v16|]] ## Points - Paul often shared his testimony - But Paul also calls us to forget our past self-righteousness and to push on forward to God: - [[Phil-03#v13|Philippians 3:13-14]] Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [[Phil-03#v14|]] - [[self-righteousness]] is a curse and is abhorrent to God. It is sin. - Paul was self-righteous in his past: [[Phil-03#v4|Philippians 3:4-6]] though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. [[Phil-03#v5|]][[Phil-03#v6|]] - But God changed Paul's heart and caused Paul to renounce his past self-righteousness: - [[Phil-03#v7|Philippians 3.7]] However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. - What Paul did and did not forget: - Paul forgot (moved past) his former life of sinning - Paul forgot his selfrighteouness. - But Paul believed we must never forget the grace of God. - It is God's good **pleasure** to save sinners: - [[Gal-01#v15|Galatians 1.15]] But when it was the ==good pleasure of God==, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace ### Paul's Testimony - It pleased God to save Paul in [[Paul's Journey on the Road to Damascus|on the road to Damascus]]. - When will God save our loved ones? Oh if only it would happen today, or at this sermon? - God will save His people **when it pleases Him**. Not before or after. God knows precisely when is the right time. - If you are converted, do you realize that **God began His work of conversion in your life even before you were born**? - Paul was called through God's grace - [[Gal-01#v15|Galatians 1.15]] But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother's womb and ==called me through his grace== - God ordered, prepared and provided the means for Paul's conversion. Paul's conversion was the **culmination** of all of God's work. - This is why Paul did not die of a childhood disease before his ministry. Why Paul survived a myriad of other dangers, because God had work prepared for Paul to do. - This is true of every real conversion. ### The Continual Discoveries of Christ to our souls - It is God who shined the light of truth into our life. We could not see the truth without Him. - [[2 Cor-04#v6|2 Corinthians 4.6]] seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - How blessed it is, that day when God reveals Himself to us. But that day is not conversion? - Throughout our life, before and after our conversion, God reveals Himself to us - It is true that Christ reveals Himself **in us**. But that is not what we are talking about here. What we are talking about here is God revealing Himself **to us**. That is personally in our lives. - [[John-14#v9|John 14.9]] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you such a long time, and ==do you not know me, Philip==? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, 'Show us the Father?' - Merely seeing God, does not mean truly knowing Him. - [[Gal-01#v16|Galatians 1.16]] to ==reveal his Son in me==, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn't immediately confer with flesh and blood, - But Paul truly knew Christ, personally, and it was evident to all the other believers. - there is a difference between **union** in Christ and **communion**. - ❓: How do we obtain this? How do we truly know God? - Pray to God, because only God can reveal Himself to us? - [[Ephes-01#v17|Ephesians 1.17]] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ==may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him==, - ## Application ### What this will give us and do for us - What do we gain from knowing God? What's so great about knowing God. - [[John-14#v23|John 14.23]] Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. ==My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.== - Do you find yourself complaining that God seems so far away? Do you find yourself lonely and bereft? - Sin will do that to you. - If you do not care how you keep the Lord's Holy day, can you complain that you do not feel blessed? - If you do not keep a guard over your thoughts, is it any wonder that you sin in the realm of your thinking and fantasies? - If you are not bothered about following God's commandments, can you wonder that the Lord does not draw near and manifest Himself to you? - He will not honor disobedience. - God will draw near to those who love Him and keep His commandments. It matters. This is why we need [[sanctification]]. - A Christian should not say, *It does not matter if I sin. Do not be too legalistic.* Instead we should ask ourselves *What is the will of my Father? Am I being obedient to Him?* - [[John-14#v21|John 14.21]] ==One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me==. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him." - We need the Holy Spirit to reveal God to us. - [[John-15#v26|John 15.26]] "When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, ==the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.== - We need to read the Scriptures to see God revealed to us. - We need to believe that He is there - [[Ephes-03#v16|Ephesians 3:16-17]] that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [[Ephes-03#v17|]] - We need to associate with good Christians - Everything that God does in a Christians life is to conform them to Him - [[Rom-08#v29|Romans 8.29]] For whom he foreknew, he also predestined ==to be conformed to the image of his Son==, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. - So it only makes sense that we would see some of Christ in a Christian, whom God is conforming to Him. - This is part of the blessing of coming to church and associating with Godly Christian people, they remind us of Christ. - It is difficult to be friends with non-Christians. They do not understand us because they are not our people. - Spend as much time as you can with true Christians. - We need to see Jesus. - When we truly see Jesus, sin becomes repugnant to us, and we no longer want to sin. - When we truly see Jesus we **want** to serve and follow Him. - It is no longer a drudgery, or a grind, or even a duty. No, now it is a **labor of love**. - We love Him, because He first loved us. --- ## Further Study - --- ## 💬Discussion Questions 1.