Look at the Book
Episodes
Practicing Sin Destroys the Soul: Galatians 5:19–21, Part 1
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you live in sin, practice sin, and die in sin, you won’t go to heaven. You won’t be happy with God forever.
The War in the Christian Soul: Galatians 5:16–18, Part 4
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does God give us victory over the desires of the flesh? He reshapes and reorients our desires by his Spirit.
How Do We Love in the Power of Another? Galatians 5:16–18, Part 3
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Competing desires war within every Christian — desires of the flesh and of the Spirit. How can we refuse to gratify what our flesh wants?
Does the Spirit Make Me a Robot? Galatians 5:16–18, Part 2
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If Christians are indwelt by the Spirit of God, and if he guides and controls us, are we simply spiritual robots?
How Do I Receive the Spirit? Galatians 5:16–18, Part 1
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
All Christians should walk by the Spirit. But how? How do we experience the powerful, omnipotent, merciful, all-wise leading of the Spirit of God?
How Does Love Fulfill the Law? Galatians 5:13–15, Part 4
16 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul says that the law is fulfilled in the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But how does such love fulfill the whole law?
Love Your Neighbor as You Love Yourself: Galatians 5:13–15, Part 3
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to love your neighbors as yourself? It means you seek their good with the same passion with which you seek your own, and you find yo...
Freed from Flesh to Love: Galatians 5:13–15, Part 2
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What prevents us from using our freedom in Christ as an opportunity to indulge the flesh? A life of faith is the opposite of a life in the flesh.
How Were We Called to Freedom? Galatians 5:13–15, Part 1
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When God sovereignly calls us, he opens our eyes to see and embrace the beauty of Jesus. And that call grants freedom from obeying the law as a means ...
Let Them Emasculate Themselves! Galatians 5:11–12, Part 2
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why does Paul use such shocking language against the false teachers in Galatia — and how should his rebuke inform the way we speak?
What Is the Offense of the Cross? Galatians 5:11–12, Part 1
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is the cross so offensive to fallen man? Because the cross declares that no amount of human effort or law-keeping can make us right with God.
Why Such Confidence for the Galatians? Galatians 5:7–10, Part 2
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More than once, how Paul feels toward certain Christians increases his confidence in their salvation. How does that kind of confidence work?
A Little Leaven Is Devastating: Galatians 5:7–10, Part 1
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A little leaven, even just a little, leavens the whole lump. Mix a little law with the gospel, and you surrender the ground of grace.
The Faith That Counts Produces Fruit: Galatians 5:1–6, Part 8
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What kind of faith unites us to Christ so that we are counted righteous before God? The faith that bears the fruit of love.
Waiting for the Hope of Righteousness: Galatians 5:1–6, Part 7
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The church may be mocked, accused, and slandered now. But a day is coming when God will silence any doubt about his people’s righteousness.
Can You Lose Your Salvation? Galatians 5:1–6, Part 6
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Paul talks about being severed from Christ, does he imply that true Christians can lose their salvation?
Severed from Christ: Galatians 5:1–6, Part 5
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Those who seek to be justified by the law sever themselves from Christ, fall away from grace, and commit eternal suicide.
Justification by Law Requires Perfection: Galatians 5:1–6, Part 4
19 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The law cannot be divided — break but the smallest commandment, and you are guilty of all. We cannot be right with God through the law.
How to Cancel Every Blessing of Christ: Galatians 5:1–6, Part 3
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you claim works as part of the basis of being right with God, you trade grace for law, and you cancel every blessing of Christ from your life.
What Is Christian Freedom? Galatians 5:1–6, Part 2
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you try to be justified under the law, you will remain under the curse. But if you stand firm in the grace of the gospel, you will enjoy true freed...
Don’t Turn Back to Slavery: Galatians 5:1–6, Part 1
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through the gospel of grace, Jesus Christ sets Christians free in order that they may remain free. Don’t turn back to slavery.
You Are a Child of the Free Woman: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 8
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christians are not slaves, but free. We are right with God not by works of the law, but by faith. We are born not of the flesh, but of the Spirit.
Persecuted for Being a Child of Promise: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 7
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Children of promise are children born as the answer to a promise. Every Christian is a child spoken of beforehand, a fulfillment of God’s promise.
Rejoice, O Barren One! Galatians 4:21–31, Part 6
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Abraham’s wife, Sarah, spent her childbearing years barren — but God fulfilled his promise to her. What can this experience teach us about Jesus’...
The Jerusalem Above Is Free: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 5
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
According to Paul, the Christian’s true home is the Jerusalem above — a heavenly city whose citizens are born of God and utterly free.
Hagar, the Mother of Slavery: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 4
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hagar represents the effort to be right with God by keeping the law. But human effort can never bring forth the children of God. Hagar only begets sla...
Born by Flesh, Born by Promise: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 3
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The children of God are not the product of human effort. Like Isaac, they are brought forth by divine promise based on divine prerogative.
A Tale of Two Mothers: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 2
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Paul read his Old Testament, what implicit meaning did he see in the characters of Hagar and Sarah?
The Purpose of Allegory: Galatians 4:21–31, Part 1
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is Paul’s main point in the allegory of Sarah and Hagar? What truth does he want his readers to see from this Old Testament story?
Paul the Matchmaker and the Mother: Galatians 4:17–20
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Children of God come into being when Christ is formed in them through faith. Paul compares his whole ministry to a matchmaker and a mother.
Why Would They Gouge Out Their Eyes? Galatians 4:12–16
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you leave the gospel for the law, you are under an enchantment. To break the spell, remember the blessings that the gospel brings.
What Does It Mean to Be Known by God? Galatians 4:8–11, Part 3
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If God knows everything and everyone, what does Paul mean when he describes Christians as those who are known by God?
Do Unbelievers Know God? Galatians 4:8–11, Part 2
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though people can know about God through creation, hard hearts suppress that knowledge. Thus, sinners do not know God.
The Incomprehensibility of Turning to Law: Galatians 4:8–11, Part 1
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For Paul, pagan idolatry and reliance on the law to get right with God amount to the same thing. Neither can offer any help to save our souls.
The Spirit in Us Cries ‘Abba Father’: Galatians 4:1–7, Part 5
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Paul describes the Spirit’s witness in the heart of believers, he says the Spirit cries, “Abba!” Why is that name so significant?
Christ Redeems Sinners for Adoption: Galatians 4:1–7, Part 4
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why did Jesus need to be born of a woman as a human being in order to redeem those under the curse of the law?
Does God Have a Son? Galatians 4:1–7, Part 3
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
God sent his Son into the world, born of a woman and under the law. Few statements hold more import, wonder, and mystery.
What Is the Fullness of Time? Galatians 4:1–7, Part 2
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul says that the law was given by God to act as a guardian until “the fullness of time” had come to pass. When is the fullness of time?
Slavery to Law Is Like Pagan Religion: Galatians 4:1–7, Part 1
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
God intended the law to act as a guardian, pointing us to our need for a redeemer. However, when we put our faith in the law, it’s no better than th...
You Are All Sons of God Through Faith: Galatians 3:23–29, Part 3
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do people become sons of God and heirs to his promises? They must put on Jesus Christ, God’s true Son, by faith and not by law-keeping.
The Law as a Guardian unto Christ: Galatians 3:23–29, Part 2
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul calls the law “a guardian” meant to lead us to Christ. What does that mean? How does the law guard us and guide us to Jesus?
Centuries of Prison Before Christ: Galatians 3:23–29, Part 1
24 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul reveals that God gave the law to pave the way to faith in Jesus, who fulfills the law completely.
The Law Came Through Angels: Galatians 3:19–22, Part 2
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The New Testament authors insist that the law was given to Moses by angels. Why would they repeat that?
The Law Imprisoned People Under Sin: Galatians 3:19–22, Part 1
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If God made the promise of life to Abraham based on faith, then does the law contradict that grace? Does the law present a different way of life?
Not Seeds, but Seed, Namely, Christ: Galatians 3:15–18, Part 2
17 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why does Paul insist that the promises made to Abraham were made to his singular seed? That nuance is vital to our salvation.
The Law Did Not Teach Life Comes Through Law: Galatians 3:15–18, Part 1
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does the law given through Moses somehow contradict the covenant of faith made with Abraham? Why does that matter to us?
Christ Became a Curse for Us: Galatians 3:10–14, Part 3
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The only result of attempting to be justified by works will be curse, but Christ took our curse on the cross. How does that exchange work?
The Law Is Not of Faith? Galatians 3:10–14, Part 2
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Obedience to the law can never make a person right before God, but the faith that saves produces works that conform to the law.
The Law-Path to God Is Cursed: Galatians 3:10–14, Part 1
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to be right with God through works is an all-or-nothing enterprise. If you do not keep the whole law, you have violated the whole law.
How Do Gentiles Become Sons of Abraham? Galatians 3:6–9, Part 3
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do Gentiles become sons of Abraham? And what is the blessing promised to all of Abraham’s true heirs?
How Is Faith Counted as Righteousness? Galatians 3:6–9, Part 2
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Galatians says that Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness. What did that mean for him, and what does it mean for us?
The Law Refutes Justification by Law: Galatians 3:6–9, Part 1
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We know that the New Testament teaches justification by faith alone, but what about the Old Testament? Does it teach salvation by faith or by works?
The Spirit Moves Through Hearing with Faith: Galatians 3:1–5, Part 4
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Spirit is both the gift of faith and the agent of faith. We receive him by faith, and he grants the very faith by which we receive him.
God Works Wonders Through Faith: Galatians 3:1–5, Part 3
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Neither the beginning, nor the middle, nor the end of the Christian life is left untouched by the saving might of the Spirit.
Begin and End by the Spirit: Galatians 3:1–5, Part 2
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Christian life both begins and continues by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Shifting from Legal to Experiential Salvation: Galatians 3:1–5, Part 1
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Christian life consists of more than a right legal standing before God. By the Holy Spirit, we can experience actual fellowship with God.
I Do Not Nullify the Grace of God: Galatians 2:17–21, Part 4
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christ gave himself for our sins. He was punished for our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins. And, therefore, his death was not in vain.
I Have Been Crucified with Christ: Galatians 2:17–21, Part 3
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? What does it mean to have him live in us? These are two crucial questions for every soul.
Justification by Law-Keeping Breaks the Law: Galatians 2:17–21, Part 2
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To depend on your works to earn a right standing with God is not only to reject grace but to break the law itself.
Did the Gospel Make Paul a Sinner? Galatians 2:17–21, Part 1
11 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what words like “sinners,” “righteous,” and “grace” actually mean? A key to studying Scripture is to not let key words remain ...
What Is Justifying Faith? Galatians 2:15–16, Part 5
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is saving faith? Historically, the answer has included three basic elements: knowing, assenting, and trusting.
What Are ‘Works of the Law’? Galatians 2:15–16, Part 4
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we choose to get right with God by our works, we continue under a curse. Only through faith in Jesus can we be justified.
How Could God Acquit the Guilty? Galatians 2:15–16, Part 3
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One reason we don’t enjoy salvation as we should is that we don’t feel the weight of what it means for a holy God to forgive sin.
What Does Justification Mean? Galatians 2:15–16, Part 2
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Justification is at the heart of the Christian faith. Yet since the days of Jesus, people have repeatedly gotten it wrong.
Are Jews at an Advantage for Justification? Galatians 2:15–16, Part 1
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though Jews had unique blessings from God, when it comes to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith alone.
An Apostle’s Failure to Live the Gospel: Galatians 2:11–14
28 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Paul’s confrontation of Peter demonstrates, fear of man leads to walking out of step with the gospel and denying the freedom of grace.
The Most Important Handshake in the World: Galatians 2:6–10
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The most important handshake in history happened when the apostles extended the right hand of fellowship to Paul in Jerusalem.
The Gospel of Freedom Imperiled: Galatians 2:3–5
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The gospel of grace justifies by faith alone. To add any amount of good works or law-keeping to the gospel creates slavery instead of freedom.
Was Paul at Odds with the Apostles? Galatians 2:1–2
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Galatians, Paul unpacks his encounters with the other apostles. Were they really at odds with one another?
Let All Apologetics Aim at Worship: Galatians 1:21–24
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through rational, logical arguments, all Christian apologetics should aim to cultivate heartfelt, affectionate worship.
Paul Has Won My Trust: Galatians 1:18–20
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you read the letters of Paul, hear him argue, witness how he deals with controversy, and witness his character, he will win your trust.
Why Did God Let Paul Persecute Christians? Galatians 1:11–17, Part 4
14 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though God chose Paul for salvation, he permitted him to become a persecutor of the church and a zealot for false teaching. Why?
The Sovereign Roots of Paul’s Apostleship: Galatians 1:11–17, Part 3
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Election, calling, grace — how do these elements of God’s plan come together in Paul’s conversion? How do they come together in ours?
Paul’s Argument for His Authority: Galatians 1:11–17, Part 2
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul’s conversion from being anti-gospel, anti-church, and anti-Christ can only be explained by a genuine revelation of Jesus Christ.
This Gospel Did Not Come from Man: Galatians 1:11–17, Part 1
07 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Where did the apostle Paul learn the gospel? What does he mean when he says that his message is “not man’s gospel”?
A Man Who Refused to Please Men: Galatians 1:10
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this verse, the apostle Paul utterly rejects man-pleasing, but elsewhere he says he seeks to please everyone in everything. How can he say both?
Authority Above Angels and Popes: Galatians 1:6–9, Part 2
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Reformation leaned on the power of Galatians because this letter champions the supreme authority of Scripture over all other authorities.
How to Lose the God of Grace: Galatians 1:6–9, Part 1
31 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paul was astonished because the Galatian church had abandoned God and the gospel. How were they leaving the truth, and why?
How Ultimate Is the Glory of God? Galatians 1:3–5, Part 4
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
God expresses his grace to sinners in the giving of his Son, which results in the deliverance of God’s people for the glory of his name.
Delivered from the Present Evil Age: Galatians 1:3–5, Part 3
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why do many people today fail to see the beauty of God in Christ? Because this present age is evil, characterized by darkness and death.
He Gave Himself for Our Sins: Galatians 1:3–5, Part 2
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fact that Christ laid down his life for Paul captivated the apostle. Do you marvel at the cross and the love of Christ for you?
The Glory of Grace and Peace: Galatians 1:3–5, Part 1
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is the grace of God? Grace is God’s disposition to treat people better than they deserve — to save us despite our sin.
Unusual First Words for Paul: Galatians 1:1–2, Part 4
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does Paul’s greeting to the Galatians convey the seriousness of the letter that follows? What makes the greeting unique?
Authorized by God, Father and Son: Galatians 1:1–2, Part 3
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paul opens his letter to the Galatians with an incredible statement of his authority. Why does he do that?
How Do We Know Paul’s Words Are God’s Words? Galatians 1:1–2, Part 2
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is an apostle, and how does the authority of an apostle change the way we should read the letters of Paul?
Paul’s Background Is a Mercy to Us: Galatians 1:1–2, Part 1
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who was Paul before God made him an apostle? What can we learn from his life, conversion, and death?
Summary of Colossians: Colossians 1–4
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In his glorious letter to the Colossians, what was the most foundational truth Paul wanted to communicate?
My Signature. My Chains. My Blessing. Colossians 4:15–18
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do Paul’s final words in the letter to the Colossians reveal about his priorities and about his deep affection for the saints in that city?
Agonizing in Prayer to the Point of Pain: Colossians 4:10–14, Part 2
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christians should labor in prayer. They should be like athletes in prayer who struggle for the glory of God and the good of others.
Cultivating Christian Connectedness: Colossians 4:10–14, Part 1
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do the greetings in Paul’s letters serve the connectedness of the church? And how might Christians better greet one another in Christ today?
How Could Bad News Encourage Anyone? Colossians 4:7–9
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the providence of God, even the events that we view as obstacles work to advance the gospel. God turns barriers into blessings.
Grace and Salt for Each Outsider: Colossians 4:5–6
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to have your speech seasoned with salt? Salt-seasoned words reveal the gospel of grace to those who have not yet tasted it.
Your Prayers Help the Word Run: Colossians 4:2–4, Part 2
26 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How should Christians pray for preachers of the gospel? Pray that God would open doors for his word to be proclaimed boldly and fruitfully.
Faithful, Watchful, Thankful in Prayer: Colossians 4:2–4, Part 1
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What should characterize the Christian prayer life? Steadfastness, watchfulness, and thanksgiving.
When Masters Are Also Slaves: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 6
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paul leaves the shell of slavery in place, but guts it from the inside. How then should Christians today orient to slavery?
Slaves of Christ and Not Man: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 5
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All Christian work is done for the Lord. No matter where you work or what you do for work, “Christ is your Lord, not any man.”
Should Fear of God Motivate Us? Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 4
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If perfect love casts out fear, what does it mean to fear the Lord, and how does that motivate sincere obedience?
Is People-Pleasing Ever Right? Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 3
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
People-pleasing is evil because it’s born of a duplicitous heart. But is there such a thing as good people-pleasing?
God and Limited Authorities in Christ: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 2
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wives, children, citizens, church members, and slaves first submit to God, and then for his sake, submit to human authorities.
How Paul Gutted Slavery: Colossians 3:22–4:1, Part 1
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christians should aim to think about everything in light of Scripture. How then should Christians think about slavery?