Posts by Josh Moody
Ephesians 2:1-10: Ten Key Components of the Gospel
1 Kings 4-5, Psalm 119:17-24, Luke 1:39-56, Ephesians 2:1-10 Ephesians 2:1-10: This is one of the most glorious summaries of the gospel in the New Testament. What are the 10 key components of this gospel? First, outside of Christ we are dead. How often is this message diluted! Around us, according to Paul, are the walking dead! A spiritual…
Read MoreEphesians 1:15-23: 10 Lessons from Paul’s Prayer
1 Kings 2-3, Psalm 119:9-16, Luke 1:26-38, Ephesians 1:15-23 Ephesians 1:15-23: When we listen to godly men and women pray, it is worth observing exactly how they pray and what they pray. How much more so when we have the opportunity to overhear the apostle Paul pray, as he prays here in this second half of chapter 1…
Read MoreEphesians 1:1-14: 10 Ways that Election Is Beautiful
1 Kings 1, Psalm 119:1-8, Luke 1:1-25, Ephesians 1:1-14 Ephesians 1:1-14: We often think of election—or the choice of God—as some negative or nefarious idea snuck in by conniving overly complicated theologians to the detriment of the simple truth of the Bible. But here as we come to Ephesians chapter 1 and the election of God, his choice…
Read MoreGalatians 6: Amen and Amen
2 Samuel 23-24, Psalm 118, Mark 16, Galatians 6 Galatians 6: Having so passionately warned the Galatians against legalism, Paul has now been helping them see that this gospel of grace and peace does by its very nature and power lead to a changed life. This “walking in the Spirit” he has exhorted them to follow. Now, in…
Read MoreGalatians 5:13-26: The Fruit of the Spirit
2 Samuel 22, Psalm 117, Mark 15:42-47, Galatians 5:13-26 Galatians 5:13-26: If we are set free from legalism, does this mean that the Christian has no responsibility to live a moral life? Not at all! There are two dangers frequently fallen into by the unwary. On the one side of the path is the ditch of legalism.…
Read MoreGalatians 5:1-12: Don’t Be a Legalist!
2 Samuel 20-21, Psalm 116, Mark 15:33-41, Galatians 5:1-12 Galatians 5:1-12: If—as Paul has been arguing—it is true that the gospel of grace and peace is the one true gospel, and the legalistic, ritualistic gospel of the false teachers in Galatia was heretical, how then do we ensure that we guard our “freedom” in this gospel? First, remember…
Read MoreGalatians 4:21-31: Two Ways to Live
2 Samuel 18-19, Psalm 115, Mark 15:16-32, Galatians 4:21-31 Galatians 4:21-31: Paul is continuing with his argument that the Old Testament teaches the gospel of grace and peace that he has been preaching to the Galatians. He makes one consistent argument through this section, and it comes with a compelling exhortation. The consistent argument is that the promise that…
Read MoreGalatians 4:1-20: Characteristics of the True Gospel
2 Samuel 16-17, Psalm 114, Mark 15:1-15, Galatians 4:1-20 Galatians 4:1-20: Paul’s concern that the Galatians are deserting the one true gospel for an entirely different, and false, gospel continues to animate his prose with passion and conviction. What are the characteristics of the true gospel? First, you are no longer a slave but God’s child. The gospel…
Read MoreGalatians 3:15-29: Christ!
2 Samuel 14-15, Psalm 113, Mark 14:66-72, Galatians 3:15-29 Galatians 3:15-29: Paul is making the case that the way we are saved and grow as a Christian is through the power of Christ by his Spirit—the gospel at work in us as received through faith. This is a critically important lesson for us to understand: it is the preventative…
Read MoreGalatians 3:1-14: The Power of God
2 Samuel 13, Psalm 112, Mark 14:53-65, Galatians 3:1-14 Galatians 3:1-14: Where does the power come to live for God? Is it through true grit, personal determination, clever human tactics—or is it the power of the Spirit received and accessed through faith? According to Paul, there is only one answer to that question! Here are five key principles…
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