Discussion question: What is the main point of this passage?
The Spirit has freed us from the Law by the power of Christ’s work and has allowed the law to be fulfilled in us. God’s Spirit gives us the power to live for God and not for the flesh therefore we are under obligation to live by the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the body.
Discussion question: In v3, ” 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,” Does this mean that God’s very Law was too weak to save us?
Gal 3:21 if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on the law.
The Law is not weak, the flesh is weak
An offering for sin: Gen 22:8 God provides His own offering for our sin
Discussion question draws from previous question: If so, why did God give His Law to the Jews if He knew that it wouldn’t save anybody?If not, does this mean that the Law does have the power to save and that modern day Jews don’t have to believe in a Messiah to save them? and does that mean that we are powerful enough to save ourselves?
Discussion question: Is the Law a law of works that can save or a law of faith, by faith we are saved?
- Lev 18:5 So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD.
- Deut 27: 26‘Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- Deut 30:10-14 The Word is near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
- Is 53:4-7 The suffering servant
Discussion questions: In v4, “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
- What is the requirement of the Law?
Gal 3:23-25
- How do we fulfill the requirement of the Law?
Romans 13:8
- Do WE fulfill the requirement of the Law?
Col 2:14-17
Ex 34:6-7 – God forgives the repentant
2 Corinthians 5:21 – He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Philippians 3:8-9 – More than that, I count all things to be loss . . .so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.
Discussion questions: In v5-6,
- This seems very black and white, either our minds are set on the Spirit or the are set on the flesh, as Christians, do we go back and forth between the two or is it a one time thing where we believe and our minds are no longer set on the flesh?
- If we do go back and forth, how is it that verse 6 can say that the mind set on the flesh is death when v2 says we are set free from the law of death?
Discussion questions: In v8, “and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
- Does this mean that all the good things going on in the world, for instance the building of a children’s hospital or the charitable donation to the Katrina relief fund, if done by a non-believer, aren’t pleasing to God?
- If so, how can we present this truth to non-believers, how can we tell them that not one thing they do is considered good by the Lord, without having them explode in anger?
Leader: for your review:
1 Cor 6:19-20 – Body is a temple to the Lord, you are not your own, but you have been bought with a price
Eph 6:17 – the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God
Matt 11:12 – violent men take the Kingdom of Heaven by force.
Matt 18 – unless you….you cannot enter into the Kingdom
v.13 – putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit:
- 1 Cor 2:13-14
- Eph 6:17
-2 Tim 3:16-17 – profitable for rebuke
-1 Tim 4:13 – public reading of Scripture
-2 Tim 2:7 – pay attention to what I say
-2 Tim 2:15 – AWANA
-Ps 1:2 – he delights in God’s Law and meditates day and night, Josh 1:8
-Ps 119:11 – treasuring God’s word in our hearts
-1 Tim 4:7-8 – discipline
