SERIES SUMMARY

As strange as it is, from the earliest days, the church struggled with understanding the Gospel—what the gospel is and how the gospel is lived out in daily life. In Paul’s day, there was a group called the Judaizers who taught that for Gentiles to become Christians, they first had to become Jews. It wasn’t enough to simply put your faith in Jesus; it was faith plus adherence to the Mosaic Law. However, the Good News of the gospel is that we are made right with God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Anytime you add “plus anything,” you destroy the gospel. Galatians, “the letter that saved the church,” is all about clarifying the gospel and calling us to abandon any form of rule-based Christianity. It’s about how to live in and live out grace by the power of the Spirit. It’s about bearing the fruit of relating well to people so that we reflect the character of God in any circumstance.

SERMON SUMMARY

Rule-based Christian living cannot and will not make us right or keep us right with God. Only the Gospel of grace “justifies” us before God. When we lose our grip on the Gospel, it’s because we’ve taken our eyes of Jesus and what He’s done for us, and put our focus onto ourselves and what we think we need to do to be in right standing with God. 

SERMON SCREENSHOTS & KEY POINTS

Jesus + nothing = salvation vs Jesus + obeying the Law = salvation

Three observations from this passage.

1. The Gospel of grace is slippery. (2:11-14).
2. The Gospel of grace alone is what makes me right and keeps me right with God (2:15-21).
3. The Gospel of grace alone keeps my eyes on Jesus and off myself. 

*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.

SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS                  

Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. In fact, some of these questions may prompt other questions that may be important to group members. So, feel the freedom to explore other questions as long as they don’t become “rabbit trails.”

1. Think back over what Paul has been telling us about the Gospel. How would you summarize the “Good News” of what Jesus did for us is all about?

2. READ Galatians 2:14-21

3. At the heart of everything Paul is saying is the idea of “justification” (see v16). What does justification mean and how is it different from forgiveness?

4. If we were simply forgiven of our sins and not “justified” where would that leave us before God?

5. How might misunderstanding justification as simply another word for forgiveness lead to a rule-based approach to Christian living?

6. In this passage, Peter, Barnabas, and other Gospel-based leaders lost their grip on grace. Why is that? How could prominent apostles let the Gospel slip away?

7. What are other things that might cause people to lose their grip on the Gospel of grace?

8. Spend some time unpacking Gal2:20. How does the truth of Jesus living in me to live His life through me” impact how you might live out your life with Christ differently? 

9. Think about what Paul says here in v20. ”I no longer live the life I live.” …How would internalizing that reality change the way you think about following Jesus?

10. Did anyone experience Communion a bit differently this week? …Why was that?

11. What else? …What “aha’s” and what “take-aways” have impacted you from this message/passage?