Grace in Galatians (Part 79): What Christians Need To Learn From Jews
Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.
Key scriptures for this year:
(2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT)
"Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do."
(Galatians 5:4 TPT)
"If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!"
(Romans 6:14 ERV)
"Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God's grace."
(1 Corinthians 15:10 CEV)
"But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's grace at work and not me."
Scripture we will study today:
(Romans 11:17-18 NIV)
“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
(Romans 12:2 NIV)
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NIV)
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
(Proverbs 22:6 NIV)
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Setting the Stage:
So far this week, we’ve exposed the orphan identity crisis, broken the doctrine of escapism, and demolished the poverty-equals-holiness deception. Now it’s time to learn something profound from one of today’s most insightful Jewish teachers.
The Holy Spirit led me to teach something different this week. While watching football last Sunday, the Lord began dealing with me about truths I’ve known but never taught from the pulpit. He said, “Build this case this week in preparation for Sunday.” Listen, this isn’t my normal teaching style—I normally just give you a scripture and break it down—but when the Holy Spirit speaks, I obey!
Rabbi Daniel Lapin has spent decades teaching ancient Jewish wisdom to both Jews and Christians, revealing principles that have enabled the Jewish community to thrive for 4,000 years.
Now let me be crystal clear: This is NOT about becoming Jewish or copying Jewish culture. This is about learning from those who have maintained covenant consciousness for millennia. We’re not trying to convert anyone to Judaism—we’re learning from those who’ve never forgotten they’re Abraham’s seed!
Rabbi Lapin teaches that there are three pillars in Jewish thinking:
Wealth equals covenant responsibility
Education equals duty to God
Generosity equals worship
These aren’t just cultural preferences; they’re covenant principles that produce measurable results.
As Rabbi Lapin often says, “Jews expect to win.” They expect to prosper. They expect to succeed. Why? Because they’ve never forgotten they’re Abraham’s seed, chosen to be a blessing to the nations. Listen to this—we Christians have the same covenant through Christ, but we need to learn how to THINK like the heirs we are!
The difference isn’t in the covenant—we’re grafted into the same root! The difference is in the mindset. Oh my God! It’s time we learned from Abraham’s natural seed how to think and live like Abraham’s spiritual seed.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Jewish Parents Raise Children with Expectation of Excellence and Impact.
Rabbi Lapin teaches that Jewish parents instill in their children from birth that they’re destined for significance. This isn’t arrogance; it’s alignment with God’s promise to Abraham that his seed would be a blessing to all nations. Christian parents can learn from this model of raising children with divine purpose.
How this applies to you:
— Jewish children are told “You’re chosen to lead, build, and bless the world!” As Rabbi Lapin explains, this creates an expectation of excellence that becomes self-fulfilling prophecy. We should tell our children the same—they’re world-changers, not world-watchers!
— At age 13, Jewish children have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, declaring them responsible adults in the community! Rabbi Lapin notes this transition teaches ownership of faith and the future. Listen, my son is 12, and I’m thinking about this—what can we learn from this mindset? What does it do when, at 13 years old, their mind is being rewired for responsibility?
— Jewish families discuss business at the dinner table as naturally as anything else! According to Rabbi Lapin, they analyze deals, discuss investments, and teach financial literacy from childhood. I try to do this with our kids now; we talk about revenue, gross profit, and expenses. But honestly, we only started a few years ago. For years, money was almost taboo to discuss with children!
— Rabbi Lapin teaches about Gematria, how every Hebrew letter has a numerical value! This ancient practice connects literacy with numeracy, showing that words and numbers are both part of God’s design. God is found in language AND mathematics, sacred AND secular!
— Jewish parents teach the Shema comprehensively! Rabbi Lapin emphasizes they teach children to love God with all their heart, soul, AND STRENGTH (resources)! Spiritual devotion includes material dedication—they’re not separate!
— They celebrate success as a family victory! When one member prospers, Rabbi Lapin says the whole family celebrates because they understand collective blessing. This wasn’t how I was raised. In my family, if someone had success, they often hid it. Why? “Those people gonna ask me for money!” Instead of a collective celebration, there was hidden success.
— Jewish children often learn multiple languages as standard preparation for global impact! Rabbi Lapin notes: Hebrew for heritage, English for business, often another for advantage. They prepare for international influence, not
just local impact!
Say amen to that!
2. The Jewish Community Practices Intentional Success Networking.
Rabbi Lapin reveals that what some mistake for “clannishness” is actually covenant community in action. The Jewish understanding is that relationships are the true currency of success, and they’ve built systematic networks that create opportunities for everyone.
How this applies to you:
— Jewish business owners prioritize community support! Rabbi Lapin explains this isn’t prejudice but principle—they understand that “All Israel are responsible for one another.” When the community succeeds, everyone succeeds!
— They have formal and informal mentorship systems! Rabbi Lapin describes how successful Jewish business leaders actively mentor younger community members. Wisdom transfer is considered a sacred obligation!
— Jewish professionals create referral networks! As Rabbi Lapin teaches, the Jewish lawyer refers to the Jewish accountant who refers to the Jewish realtor. They understand collaboration beats competition!
— They see family business succession as building generational wealth! Rabbi Lapin points out that while some view nepotism negatively, Jews see training the next generation as a covenant responsibility. Listen to this: legacy building isn’t favoritism; it’s faithfulness! Wow!
— Jewish communities have interest-free loan societies called Gemach! Rabbi Lapin explains that these help members start businesses without usury. Actually, as Dominicans, we had something similar called a ‘san.’ We’d pool money weekly, and whoever needed it most got an interest-free loan first. Though when I explained it to my wife, she said, “That’s not gonna work in my family!” Different cultures, different dynamics!
— Every celebration becomes a networking opportunity! Rabbi Lapin notes that weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and holidays naturally build relationships. They don’t separate sacred gatherings from success connections!
— The Talmudic principle drives community success! As Rabbi Lapin teaches, they believe one person’s success elevates everyone. Individual achievement is community advancement! While I’d like to say my Dominican culture
aligns with this, I’d have to admit it’s “loosely” aligned at best.
Glory to God! We’re engrafted into this bloodline and we can learn from this!
3. Education Is Viewed as a Sacred Duty, Not a Secular Option.
Rabbi Lapin frequently emphasizes that the Jewish commitment to education isn’t just a cultural preference—it’s a theological conviction. They view learning as a form of worship and ignorance as missing God’s full revelation.
How this applies to you:
— Jews are less than 0.2% of the world, but have won 22% of Nobel Prizes! Listen to what I’m saying here! Rabbi Lapin attributes this to viewing education as a sacred responsibility. When you honor learning, achievement follows!
— The Talmud teaches, “An ignorant person cannot be righteous.” Rabbi Lapin explains that they believe you can’t properly serve God from ignorance. Knowledge enhances worship rather than competing with it!
— Jewish families sacrifice for education! Rabbi Lapin describes how they see education as investing in a covenant future, not just career advancement. Every generation should exceed the last in learning!
— They teach children to question and debate! Rabbi Lapin notes that the Jewish learning style encourages critical thinking through questioning. I teach my children this too—sometimes it gets on my nerves when they argue about everything, but I want them to think critically!
— Every Jewish home values books! Rabbi Lapin teaches that being “People of the Book” means more than just Torah—it means being lifelong learners. A home library is considered essential, not optional!
— Jewish culture celebrates intellectual achievement! As Rabbi Lapin observes, the smartest student gets the same honor as the best athlete. They’ve made intelligence aspirational! That’s definitely not the case in all our communities.
— Education breaks limitations! Rabbi Lapin emphasizes that knowledge isn’t just power—it’s prosperity, influence, and generational advancement. Learning is the pathway to leadership! I say AMEN to that!
4. They See Money as a Tool for Mitzvah (Good Deeds), Not the Root of Evil.
Rabbi Lapin has written extensively about what he calls “the Jewish view of money”—seeing it as morally neutral but spiritually powerful when used correctly. This healthy relationship with resources produces both prosperity and generosity.
How this applies to you:
— The Hebrew word “Tzedakah” means both righteousness AND charity! Rabbi Lapin explains that this linguistic connection shows giving isn’t just good; it’s godly. Generosity and righteousness are inseparable in Hebrew thought!
— “The giver receives more than the receiver!” Rabbi Lapin teaches this Jewish principle that generosity creates a cycle of blessing. Giving isn’t loss; it’s an investment in divine economy! Jesus said this too: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
— Wealth tests character rather than corrupting it! As Rabbi Lapin says, money doesn’t make you good or bad—it reveals what you already are. Prosperity is a revealer, not a corruptor!
— Tithing (Maaser) is seen as ensuring blessing on the remaining 90%! Rabbi Lapin explains Jews don’t see tithing as losing 10% but as protecting and multiplying the rest. It’s blessing insurance, not religious tax!
— Jewish philanthropy is community expectation! Rabbi Lapin notes that successful Jews are expected to fund community needs. Prosperity automatically includes responsibility!
— “If you’re too poor to give money, give time; if not time, give prayer!” Rabbi Lapin teaches this Talmudic principle that everyone has something to contribute. There’s no excuse for not being generous in some way!
— “Who is wealthy? One who is happy with their lot AND continues to increase it!” Rabbi Lapin loves this teaching that shows contentment doesn’t mean complacency. Gratitude and growth go together!
That's enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me that I am Abraham’s seed!
I AM an heir according to the promise!
I think and live like an heir!
I will build generationally, not just temporarily!
I embrace wealth as a covenant responsibility!
Education is my duty! Generosity is my worship!
I will raise my children to expect excellence and impact!
I see money as a tool for Kingdom advancement, not the root of evil!
I refuse to let religious tradition rob me of covenant thinking!
I will prosper like Abraham’s seed because I AM Abraham’s seed!
I am Living #TheGraceLife and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
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