THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians
Message Three
The Hearing of Faith
Scripture Reading: Gal. 3:2, 5, 26; 2:16, 20b; 1 Tim. 1:4; Heb. 11:6; 12:2; John 3:15; 1 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 10:17, 12b-13; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Eph. 6:17-18; Isa. 12:2-4; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 3:22, 26
I. Galatians 3:2 says, “This only I wish to learn from you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of law or by the hearing of faith?” Surely we have received the Spirit by the hearing of faith, not by the works of law:(Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
A. In 3:5 Paul goes on to ask the Galatian believers, “He therefore Who is supplying to you the Spirit and doing works of power among you, is it by the works of law or by the hearing of faith?” God continues to supply the Spirit to us also through the hearing of faith, not at all by the works of law. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
B. God’s New Testament economy is a matter of supplying the Spirit and receiving the Spirit; on God’s side, He supplies the Spirit; on our side, we receive the Spirit; day by day God supplies the Spirit, and day by day we receive this supply of the Spirit; therefore, by our experience we know that the supplying of the Spirit and the receiving of the Spirit take place continually—vv. 2, 5. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
II. “Knowing that a man is not justified out of works of law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we also have believed into Christ Jesus that we might be justified out of faith in Christ and not out of the works of law”—2:16: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
A. Faith is the unique requirement for people to contact God in His New Testament economy—1 Tim. 1:4; Heb. 11:6. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
B. The faith in Christ by which the believers are justified is related to their appreciation of the person of the Son of God as the most precious One—12:2: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
1. The experiential definition of faith is that faith is the preciousness of Jesus infused into us. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
2. Genuine faith is Christ Himself infused into us to become our ability to believe in Him; after the Lord Jesus has been infused into us, He spontaneously becomes our faith. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
C. When we believe in Christ, we enter into Him; we believe ourselves into Christ and thereby become one spirit with Him—John 3:15; 1 Cor. 6:17. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
III. Faith is the unique way for God to carry out His New Testament economy with man—Heb. 11:6; 1 Tim. 1:4: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
A. In the New Testament faith bears two denotations—objective and subjective: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
1. In the objective denotation, faith refers to the entire revelation of the New Testament concerning the person of Christ and His redemptive work—Acts 6:7; 14:22; Rom. 16:26; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 1:19b; Jude 3, 20. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
2. In the subjective denotation, faith refers to the act of believing—Luke 18:8; Mark 11:22; 1 Tim. 1:19a. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
B. The economy of God is a matter in faith, that is, in the sphere and element of faith, in God through Christ. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
C. God’s New Testament economy, which is to dispense Himself into His chosen people, is not in the natural realm nor in the work of the law but in the spiritual sphere of the new creation through regeneration by faith in Christ—Gal. 6:14-15; 3:23-26: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
1. By faith we are born of God to be His sons, partaking of His life and nature to express Him—v. 26; 1 John 1:12-13; 2 Pet. 1:4. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
2. By faith in Christ we are put into Christ to become the members of His Body, sharing all that He is for His expression—John 3:15; Rom. 12:4-5. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
IV. The subjective aspect of faith implies at least eight items—Rom. 10:17; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 10:12b-13; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Eph. 6:17-18; Isa. 12:2-4; Eph. 5:18: (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
A. First, faith involves hearing; without the hearing of the word, there can be no faith; faith comes from hearing; when the gospel is preached in a proper way, those who hear it will be stirred up and filled with appreciation; their hearing of the word of the gospel is the beginning of their believing; the reason Christians are lacking in faith is that their hearing is poor—Rom. 10:17; John 5:24; Gal. 3:2; Eph. 1:13. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
B. Second, faith also implies appreciation; after hearing the word of the gospel, a sense of appreciation spontaneously rises up in those who hear; this is true not only of those hearing the gospel for the first time, but for all believers in Christ; whenever we hear the word in a proper way, this hearing awakens more appreciation for the Lord—Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:14-15. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
C. This appreciation is followed by calling, the third item implied in the subjective aspect of faith; all those who appreciate the Lord Jesus will spontaneously call on His name—Rom. 10:12b-13; Isa. 12:3-4a. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
D. Fourth, faith implies receiving; by appreciating the Lord Jesus and calling on Him, we spontaneously receive Him—1 Cor. 15:45b; Rom. 10:12; Gal. 3:2, 5. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
E. With receiving, we have the fifth aspect, that of accepting; it is possible to receive something without accepting it; faith involves both receiving and accepting; those who hear the gospel and appreciate the Lord Jesus automatically accept Him as well as receive Him—2 Cor. 3:16-4:1; Eph. 6:17-18. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
F. Sixth, faith includes becoming joined to the Lord Jesus; by receiving and accepting Him, we are joined to Him—1 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 11:17, 24; 6:3, 5. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
G. Then, as the seventh and eighth items, we partake of Him and enjoy Him; faith partakes of and enjoys what it receives and accepts; in the preaching of the gospel, people hear of God’s grace; then they appreciate it and call upon the Lord; they go on to receive, accept, join, partake of, and enjoy this grace, this is faith—Isa. 12:2-4; Rom. 10:12; Eph. 5:18. (Life-study of Galatians, msg. 14)
V. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”—3:26: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
A. Faith in Christ brings us into Christ, making us one with Christ in whom is the sonship. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
B. We must be identified with Christ through faith so that in Him we may have the sonship. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
VI. “The life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me”—Gal. 2:20b: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
A. Faith is the way for God’s people to apprehend, comprehend, grasp, enjoy, and participate in all that God is to His people through His having been processed—Acts 10:43; John 3:18. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
B. The faith of the Son of God refers to the faith of Jesus Christ in us, which becomes the faith by which we believe in Him—Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:22, 26. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
C. As we hear Him and treasure Him, He causes faith to be generated in us, enabling us to believe in Him—Matt. 17:5; Heb. 12:2: (2003 WT, msg. 7)
1. He becomes the faith in us by which we believe in Him. (2003 WT, msg. 7)
2. This faith becomes the faith in Him, and it is also the faith that belongs to Him. (2003 WT, msg. 7)