Galatians Bible Study Discussion Notes

Free at Last!
September 3, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie
Free at Last!
Galatians 1:1-5 No one holds freedom so dear as the slave. Henry Bibb was a slave on a Kentucky plantation bordered by the Ohio River. To him the river was an impossible gulf. He wrote: I had no rod wherewith to smite the stream, and thereby divide the waters. I had no Moses to go before me and lead the way from bondage to a promised land. Yet I was in a far worse state than Egyptian bondage; for they had houses and land, I had none; they had oxen and sheep, I had none; they had a wise counsel to tell them what to do, and where to go, and even to go with them, I had none. Sometimes standing on the Ohio River bluff, looking over a free state, and as far north as my eyes could see, I have eagerly gazed upon the blue sky of the free North, which at times constrained me to cry out from the depth of my soul Oh that I had the wings of a dove, that I might soar away to where there is no slavery, no clanking of chains, no captives, no lacerating backs, no parting of husbands and wives, and where man ceases to be the property of his fellow man. These thoughts have revolved in my mind a thousand times. I have stood upon the lofty banks of the river Ohio, gazing upon the splendid steamboats and I thought of the fishes of the water, the fowls of the air, the wild beasts of the forests, all appeared to be free, to go just where they pleased, and I was an unhappy slave!" Slaves passionately sang of their yearning to be free in their spirituals "I Am Bound for the Promised Land," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "I Know When I Gwine Home," and "Do Lord Remember Me." Slavery was the "snake coiled beneath the table of the continental congress." Because the founding fathers failed to deal with the deadly curse in the 1770s, their grandchildren shed their blood on hundreds of battlefields to remove its stain in the 1860s. On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln declared all the slaves free in his famous Emancipation Proclamation. It was hoped that by freeing the slaves that they would leave their plantations and aid the North. The plan didnt work at all. No one had any idea what to do with the slaves once they were free. By the time the war was over, most of them were destined to lives of poverty as sharecroppers. In 1876, Fredrick Douglas wrote, "You say you have emancipated us. You have; and I thank you for it. But what is emancipation? When the Israelites were emancipated they were told to go and borrow of their neighbors borrow their coin, borrow their jewels, load themselves down with the means of their subsistence; after, they should go free in the land which the Lord God gave them But when you turned us loose, you gave us no acres. You turned us loose to the sky, to the storm, to the whirlwind and, worst of all, you turned us loose to the wrath of our infuriated masters." They exchanged one kind of slavery for another.
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Free at Last!
Even though the war was won. Even though the slaves were set free from their chains, the struggle was not over. Martin Luther King, Jr. the great Civil Rights leader gave a prophetic speech on the Mall in Washington D.C. in 1963. His words are etched in our memories as well as on his gravestone. He spoke the words of an old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, I am free at last!" We are not here for a history lesson but to delve into the great NT book of Galatians. The theme of this 18-20 week study is freedom, freedom from the law, freedom from sin. Jesus said in John 8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." As believers in Jesus Christ we are free at last and free indeed! Galatians has been called "The Magna Carta of Spiritual Liberty," "The Battle cry of the Reformation" and "The Christians Declaration of Independence." Martin Luther, the German reformer (for whom the civil rights leader was named) wrote, "The epistle to Galatians is my epistle. To it I am, as it were in wedlock. Galatians is my Katherine [his wifes name]." Galatians is spiritual dynamite. It is a powerful statement of the central truths of Christianity. Someone said, "You cant read Galatians and think, Well this is an interesting piece of religious reflection any more than you can examine a live coal with your bare hands." We will begin this new study by examining the framework the historical background of the book and reaffirming in our hearts two foundations of our spiritual freedom.
I. Laying the Framework of our Freedom.

A. The Author Who it is from. When I receive a letter, I first look at the return address. I want to know who this letter is from. If there is no return address, I open the letter and look quickly to the bottom to see who wrote it. In the NT era, letters always had the authors name first so you didnt have to unroll the whole scroll to the end to find out who wrote it. Here we see that the author is "Paul." We know from Acts that Paul was once called Saul. He was raised in a strict Jewish family and steeped in Jewish traditionalism. He was educated in the "ivy league" school of Gamaliel. He was probably part of the ruling class of Israel, the San Hedrin court. He was a zealous Pharisee.
Free at Last!
He rose in respect among his peers viciously persecuting the early church. Acts 7:58 says he stood by as the first martyr, Stephen was stoned. The witnesses "laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul." Acts 8:3 says, "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." Acts 9 finds Saul was on his way to Damascus "still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (v.1). On the road a brilliant light shone from heaven and he heard the voice of the Lord Jesus. Saul was blinded by the light and called Jesus "Lord." He went into Damascus and was received by a believer named Ananias. The Lord said about Saul to Ananias, "He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My names sake" (vv.15-16). Saul later became Paul. The persecutor became the persecuted. He went on at least three missionary journeys winning converts and establishing churches. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul penned 13 books of the NT. B. The Recipients Who it is to. The second thing I want to know when I get a letter is whom it is to. Any mail for "occupant" goes in "File 13." If they dont know my name, or cant spell my name, I dont care to read it. V.2 of our text tells us this letter was written "to the churches of Galatia." This wasnt a letter to a specific person or even a specific church, but to several churches in the region of "Galatia." Though there may have been more, Acts 13-14 records how Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey established churches in Antioch Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in the midst of great persecution from the Jews. C. The Date When it was written. I also want to know when my mail was written and sent. This NT letter was probably written sometime between a.d. 48-50, about 15 years after Jesus death, burial and resurrection.
Free at Last!
D. The Point What it is about. When I open a piece of mail, I want to know why I received it. I receive personal mail that catches me up on friends or encourages me. I receive some mail that tells me I owe money. I receive some mail that asks me to give money to various causes. I always want to know what is the point. Pauls point in writing to the Galatians is to show them their freedom in Christ. Perhaps the theme of the whole letter is best summarized in 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." After Paul established these new churches and appointed elders to lead them, false teaching had crept in. The Jews who had so persecuted Paul during his ministry in that region had invaded the churches. They were called Judaizers. They taught the people that to truly be saved they must also be circumcised. To maintain their salvation they had to keep the OT law. This was heresy! My experience is that new churches often attract people with agendas. They have a hard time influencing well established churches because of the plurality and maturity of the leadership. In a new church, however one person or a small group of people can often sway where there are many new and immature believers. The Judaizers were saying that Paul was not really an apostle and that his message was "cheap grace" or "easy believeism." They said a person was saved by faith plus rituals, laws and good work. Paul wrote Galatians to say that salvation is by grace through faith PLUS NOTHING not circumcision, not baptism, not membership, not good works, not communions, not keeping the law. The theme of Galatians is to not exchange one form of slavery for another. After the civil war the slaves were set free to live a life of bondage in abject poverty. Communism promised freedom from the oppression of exploitation by the rich but it brought on worse economic slavery.
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People still exchange one form of slavery for another. A teenager seeks freedom in partying with friends. Yet alcohol, drugs and sexual activity are only a temporary liberty but bind him in chains he cannot break. A middle-aged man finds himself depressed and longing for the freedom of youth. He seeks such fulfillment in an adulterous relationship. Soon he realizes he has exchanged one form of slavery for much more painful form. Some feel bound by the traditions of their church and they seek freedom in the intoxicating, ecstatic style of the new church down the street or the empty promises of the TV evangelist or worse the lies of a cult. Before long he has stopped thinking for himself and hangs on every word his new leader says. Thats slavery. Jesus said in Jn.8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." Thats the point. We are not to exchange one form of slavery for another but to learn to be "free indeed" in the liberty of the Lord.
II. Establishing the Foundations of our Freedom.

These first 5 verses are a greeting or introduction. Paul doesnt begin by praising them as he does in other NT letters but gets to the business at hand. There are two primary foundations here: A. Paul had Apostolic Authority (vv.1-2). First, Paul Was An Apostle. He describes himself as "Paul, an apostle." The word means "one who is sent." An apostle went in the name and authority of his master. Though the word "apostle" is sometimes used in a general sense, its primarily refers to a select group of men commissioned by the Lord Jesus to lay the foundation for the church. Eph.2:20 says the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." An apostle was one who had seen the risen Christ, had been taught by Him and commissioned by Him. There were no successors to the apostles, just their inspired words. He asks in 1 Cor.9:1, "Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?" He testifies in 1 Cor 15:8-9, "Then last of
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all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." He says in Gal.2:8, "For He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised [the Jews] also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles." Second, Pauls Authority Did Not Come From Men Or Through Men. Have you noticed on our local newscasts that before the meteorologist gives his weather report, he is always introduced as having the seal of approval from the American Meteorology Society? Why do they do that? They want us to know that our weather dudes have been certified, approved and authorized. They want us to listen to them and believe their predictions. Paul states succinctly that His apostleship is "not from men nor through man." He didnt become an apostle by the endorsement of some church or by the laying on of hands by some council. The false teachers in Galatia where saying, "Who is this Paul? Hes just some self-appointed apostle. Dont believe him." Their strategy was if the people doubted Pauls authority, they would doubt his message and be easily swayed. Paul writes this defense not to defend himself but the message he proclaimed. The gospel was at stake. Third, Pauls Authority Came Through Jesus Christ And God The Father. Paul was an apostle by divine appointment. He was Gods "chosen vessel." The Lord Jesus had appeared to him on the Damascus Road. Jesus taught him and commissioned him. Note vv.16-17. Paul did not "immediately confer with flesh and blood" nor did he "go up to Jerusalem" to get the counsel of the other apostles. His authority came directly from God. Fourth, Pauls Authority Was Validated By His Brethren. As he sends his greeting, he reminds the Galatians of "all the brethren who are with me." Paul did not get his authority from his "brethren" but they validated or confirmed his apostleship. You say, "Pastor, I know Paul was an apostle. So what? Why is this such a big deal?" Pauls apostolic authority was a "big
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deal" because to hear an apostle was to hear Jesus. Jesus said of the original 12 in Mat.10:40, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." To hear Paul is to hear Christ. He writes not with His own authority but with the authority of heaven! When you read Galatians, you are reading the Word of the Lord! Liberal theologians say that their experience is just as valid as Pauls therefore their opinion carries just as great a weight as Pauls. Thus, they are free to disagree with Scripture. Roman Catholic dogma contends that their church wrote the Bible, therefore the church has greater authority than the Bible and can add revelation to it. Paul was not an apostle of the church but of the Lord! Today so many people are crying out to God for some revelation. They want an overwhelming experience, a dream, a vision or a voice or tongue. Yet they make no effort to understand the very words of the Lord already revealed in their Bibles! There is little submission to the Word of God through His apostles in most churches today. People go to pastors or counselors for help when the truth is in the Scriptures. Many people uphold the inerrancy of the Scripture but fail to apply the Scripture in their lives. Many preachers say the Bible is authoritative but never apply its truth giving only vague, imprecise generalizations. When churches fail to seek to know and apply Scripture, they become enslaved to their traditions. Genuine revival and renewal are then impossible. The Reformers Creed was sola scriptura, "Scripture alone." All the great revivals of history came about when Christians began to wrestle with the biblical texts and apply specific principles to their behavior. In this church we uphold the authority of the Word of God. We teach it diligently both in the classroom and from the pulpit. Authority is not in question, application is. We can nod our respect to the Word without living it. It is only when individual believers, the people in the pews begin to study for themselves, ingesting, analyzing, defining, and meditating in the Word that
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true change comes. When we do that, we exchange our thoughts for His thoughts and gain the mind of Christ! B. Paul Preached Gods Grace (vv.3-5). If the first key word is "apostle," then the second must be "grace." "Apostle" was Pauls position, but "grace" was his message. First, Jesus Gave Himself In Grace For Our Peace. Paul opens each of his NT letters with greetings of "grace" and "peace." This was a distinctly Christian greeting stemming from both Gentile and Jewish cultures. However, it is much more than just a quaint expression. "Grace" is the SOURCE of our salvation. Eph.2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith" We in no way earned or deserved Gods favor. "Peace" is the RESULT of our salvation. Because of Gods grace we now have both "peace with God" (Rom.5:1) and the "peace of God" (Phil.4:6-7). Peace is wonderful, but it flows out of Gods grace. Interesting Paul begins this thought with "Grace to you" and concludes in v.5 with "glory" to God the Father. Thats the heart and soul of the gospel. It brings grace to man and glory to God! Second, Jesus Graciously Gave Himself For Our Sins. How is grace to man and glory to God possible? It is possible only because of "our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins." Paul wanted to remind these Galatians who were turning to a life of rules and rituals that the only way salvation was possible was through the sacrificial death of Jesus. No one is saved by his own ability to overcome sin but by Gods promise to forgive sin through Jesus death on the cross. Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both pastored large churches in London in the late 19th century. Once Parker made a negative comment about the condition of the children in Spurgeon's churchs orphanage. Someone told Spurgeon that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself. The next week he pounded Parker from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the newspapers and became the talk of the town. People flocked to
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Parker's church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal. "I understand this is the Sunday Spurgeons church takes an offering for the orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here as well." The crowd was delighted. The ushers emptied the plates 3 times. Later that week there was a knock at Parker's study. It was Spurgeon. He said, "Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved, you have given me what I needed." Jesus didnt give us what we deserve but what we needed! Third, Jesus Graciously Gave Himself To Deliver Us. Paul says that Jesus died not only to forgive our sin but also "that He might deliver us from this present evil age." The word "deliver" means "to pluck out or rescue." It is used to describe Israels deliverance from Egypt, Peters angelic rescue from prison and Pauls rescue from the mob in Jerusalem. "This present evil age" does not refer to a period in time but the satanic world system that will dominate until Jesus returns. Some of us remember the old serials on TV and in the movies in which the ruthless villain ties the "damsel in distress" to the train track. She cannot save herself and she cries out in terror. Her only hope is to be rescued by the hero. We were once bound by this world. Satan had us tied to the tracks of destruction. Our only hope was in our hero, Jesus. Now that we have been saved, God does not remove us from "this present evil age" until we die or are raptured but he has already delivered or rescued us from its power. We are IN the world but not OF the world. The only hold Satan has on believers is what we give him. Jesus prayed for us in Jn.17:15, "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." If you know Jesus, that deliverance is not something to long for but something that has already taken place. I love Col.1:13, it says, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." Not He will but He has! Eph.5:8 is similar, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." Note we were darkness but now we are light!
Free at Last!
Because we are graciously already "delivered from this present evil age" we are no longer slaves to it. We no longer have to live in selfishness, guilt, bitterness, greed and pride. Heb.6:5 says that we have "tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come." Deliverance means we are changed. I am a "new creation" in Christ! (2 Cor.5:17). Because we are changed, we are no longer enslaved to the world. Therefore we should no longer look to the world for satisfaction. With tears Paul wrote in 2 Tim.4:10 of Demas who had "forsaken me, having loved this present world" Rom.12:2 says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." God did not free us from this "evil age" to do as we please but to please Him. Peter Marshall was one of the preeminent preachers of the last century. While serving as chaplain of the U.S. Senate, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right." Fourth, Jesus Graciously Gave Himself By The Will Of God. He gave Himself "according to the will of our God and Father." In the garden Jesus prayed, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done" (Lk.22:42). It was the Fathers will for Jesus to take upon Himself our sins and die in our place. We are delivered by the will of God. Salvation has little to do with my will and everything to do with Gods will. Jn.1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Fifth, Jesus Graciously Gave Himself For Gods Glory. In speaking of the Father, Paul adds one final note of praise "to whom be glory forever and ever." The gospel, Jesus death, burial and resurrection results in grace to us and glory to God. To this Paul adds his "amen" or "so be it." We can add no better
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word to the work of Christ than to say "amen" to His grace and Gods glory. Through Him we are free at last. Let me close with a few lines from one of the spiritual songs composed by slaves during our nations darkest days. Somewhere in the South, a group of slaves sang these simple but glorious words of freedom, not just from physical chains but to be free indeed: Oh de Lamb done been down here an died, De Lamb done been down here an died, Oh de Lamb done been down here an died, Sinner wont die no more!
Copyright 1998 - 2003 Coy M. Wylie. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in part (except for small quotations used with citation of source), edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Coy M. Wylie, Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, P.O. Box 7403, Amarillo, TX 79114-7403.
Spiritual Treason
Coy Wylie
Spiritual Treason
Galatians 1:6-10 Benedict Arnold was a bold, creative and courageous man but his legacy will ever be that of a traitor. In a diabolical act of treason, he sold out his country. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Arnold was an apothecary and merchant in Connecticut. He quickly volunteered for service and organized a large group of militia. Over five years he fought in numerous battles, was severely wounded twice and promoted to the rank of Major General. Along the way, he made numerous political enemies, fell into deep debt and married into a loyalist family from Philadelphia. Congress recommended a court-martial but George Washington gave him command of the fort at West Point, N.Y. There Benedict Arnold turned traitor. He schemed to give the plans to the fort to the British in exchange for a large sum of money and safe passage out of the country. His British contact, Major John Andre was caught with incriminating documents and hung as a spy. Arnold barely escaped with his life. He lived the rest of his life ostracized in England and died there as he lived, a traitor, a turncoat, a man without a country. Treason is a serious crime punishable by death. Much more serious is spiritual treason. The Apostle Paul wrote in v.6 that the Galatians were "turning away" from the gospel, from God and from His grace. Paul is astonished that they are so easily led astray. In all Pauls other letters to churches, he begins with words of commendation and gratitude. He says things like "I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you" (1 Cor.1:4) , "after I heard of your faith [I] do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers" (Eph.1:15-16) and "We give thanks to God always for you remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope" (1 Thess.1:2-3). To the Galatians Paul offers no words of praise or thanksgiving. Rather, after defending his authority as an apostle and presenting the short message of Gods grace in vv.1-4, he comes out with his spiritual guns blazing. He takes them to task. Almost in a state of disbelief he says, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon" Suppose one of my daughters was about to step in front of a speeding car. This would be no time for polite instruction and diplomacy. I would yell and scream. I would drag them back by their hair if necessary. Paul uses strong language because the gospel is at stake, the eternal destiny of many hang in the balance. The Galatians were in danger of becoming spiritual Benedict Arnolds. Pauls severe words should cause us to carefully consider the danger of
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spiritual treason. Lets consider four words that help us understand spiritual treason: DESERTION, DISTORTION, DESTRUCTION and DETERMINATION.
I. DESERTION: Turning Away from the Gospel (v.6).

A. Pauls Astonishment. Again, Paul begins by saying, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon." "Turning away" comes from an interesting Greek word that means "to transfer ones allegiance" or change sides. It was used to describe soldiers who revolt or desert the army. The tense indicates that this is a voluntary act. They were not passively being removed from the gospel but were willingly removing themselves from the grace of God. Imagine if you were to pick up the morning paper and read where Bill Clinton had abandoned the Democratic Party and had become a Republican. You would be shocked to say the least! Thats the feeling Paul gives us here. He says, "I marvel" or "I am astonished, astounded, bewildered and dismayed. I am in a state of shock. I can hardly believe you would do this." Not only was Paul astonished that they were "turning away" but that they were "turning away so soon." "So soon" can mean either quickly or easily and sometimes both as seems to be the case here. When false teachers came in and perverted the gospel message, they quickly, easily and willingly adopted the false teaching. It is always astonishing when people desert the Lord. It is heartbreaking. Many times throughout my ministry I have known people who seemed to readily accept Gods salvation. Yet like the seed that is planted on stony ground "they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away" (Mt.13:6-7). Desertion, spiritual treason can happen anywhere. The Apostle Paul, the greatest Christian teacher other than Jesus had taught the Galatians, yet "so soon," so quickly they were rejecting the
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truths they learned from him. If spiritual desertion happened in Galatia, it can happen anywhere. It can happen here. Thats why we continually state and restate the central truths of the gospel. If we ever lose the heart of the gospel, we are adrift on a sea of error. B. Pauls Assertion. To Desert the Gospel is to Desert God! Who were they "turning away from?" Paul says they were turning "from Him who called you" You cannot have a right relationship with God with out a right belief in the Gospel. Over the years Ive changed my positions on several doctrinal issues. Through my study of the Scriptures, Ive changed some of my views on eschatology, the church, election, spiritual gifts and other issues. There is room in the body for a difference of opinion on many issues. We can tolerate different viewpoints. However, we can never tolerate a different view of the gospel because to desert the gospel is to desert God! Paul was upset because the Galatians were not just changing their minds about some controversial doctrinal position, they were turning their backs on God! To Desert the Gospel is to Desert Grace! Circle two words in v.6. Circle "Him" because when we turn away from the gospel we desert God. Also circle "grace" because to desert the gospel is to desert "the grace of Christ." We are saved purely by Gods grace, His undeserved favor. Eph.2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." We now stand or live in grace. Rom.5:2 says "we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand." If Gods grace to us ever stopped we would lose our salvation and perish in sin. Following their false teachers, the Galatian believers were trying to add to Gods grace. They were adding circumcision and keeping the law to their faith in order to maintain salvation. If you have to add anything to grace then it is no longer grace!
Spiritual Treason
They were trampling on and insulting Gods grace! In Gal.5:4, Paul says, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." He says in 3:1, "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?" As Paul hears the reports of the spiritual treason in Galatia, I imagine him putting his head in his hands. He wonders if his work among them was in vain. He cant believe that they would turn so easily from the good news "to a different gospel." It was astonishing then and it is astonishing now when anyone turns from Gods full and free forgiveness and turns to "a different gospel."
II. DISTORTION: Adding to the Gospel (v.7).

A. There is no other Gospel. Paul says at the end of v.6 that they are turning away "to a different gospel." Now in v.7 he clarifies his meaning by adding "which is not another." It was not really a "different gospel" for there is "not another" gospel. Acts 4:12 says, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Jesus said in Jn.14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." The main value of this post-Christian culture is tolerance. No other value, not justice, equality or even freedom is so highly valued. This is why true biblical Christianity which proclaims that Jesus is the "the way, the truth and the life" is so hotly criticized. Recently at the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit, a gathering of more than 1000 religious leaders from around the world, media mogul Ted Turner stated, "I was born in a Christian family [he once said Christianity was for losers"]. He told of how he dreamed of becoming "a man of the cloth" but was bothered that his religious group taught that only Christians were going to heaven. "I thought heaven was going to be a mighty empty place," he said. "Now I believe there
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may be one God who manifests himself in different ways to different people." No matter what you believe Ted, God says Jesus is the only way. Our culture doesnt mind us being religious. They think it is nice when we help the less fortunate and pray for people in need. You can talk about God all you want but dont speak about Jesus. I always enjoy reading the opinion page of the newspaper. My favorite section is the editorials. This week I read a column by Chris Matthews in which he described the difference in freedom of religion and freedom from religion. Describing the medias treatment of political candidates he wrote, "When George W. Bush says that Jesus is his most valued political philosopher, he is taken as a fool. When Joe Lieberman quotes scripture and demands we bring our faith into political debate, he is seen as a prophet." What is the difference? Religion in general offends no one. Jesus offends many. Paul said to the Galatians and I say it to you. There is no other gospel. There is no other good news. Jesus is the only way to forgiveness, a right relationship with God and eternity in heaven. If you disagree, you dont have a problem with me, you have a problem with Gods Word. B. False Teachers had Troubled the Churches. Paul says "but there are some who trouble you." The word "trouble" comes from a Greek word that means "to shake back and forth, to agitate, to stir up." It refers to a troubled or unsettled mind. Sometimes menus "trouble" me. I cant decide if I want the enchiladas or the chili relano. I go back and forth, back and forth vacillating between the choices. When the waiter finally comes I usually get the carne guisada! We learned last week about a group of false teachers known as the Judaizers who infiltrated the Galatian churches. They added to the grace of God in salvation. They said you must believe in Jesus but then be circumcised and keep the OT law.
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The Galatians were vacillating. They were going back and forth between what Paul had taught them about grace and what the Judaizers were now teaching them. They were dangerously leaning toward the heresy because Paul said they were in the process of "turning away." This is why not everyone gets to teach in our church. We dont just fill a position with a warm body. You cant show up here one month and be given a teaching assignment the next. We want to know that you are gifted by the Spirit and grounded in the faith. We dont want anyone to agitate our people with false teaching. C. False Teachers had Perverted the Gospel. Paul says not only do they "trouble" you but they "want to pervert the gospel of Christ." The word "pervert" is a strong term. It means "to distort, deform, twist or bend." It carries the idea of turning something upside down or reversing it. The Judaizers claimed to be Christians. They recognized Jesus as the Messiah. They acknowledged His sacrificial death. They claimed to believe what other Christians believed. They did not deny the gospel but added to it the requirements, rituals and rules of Judaism. They said you must believe in Jesus but then be circumcised and keep the law and traditions of Israel. To add anything to the gospel is a perversion and people are still doing it today. You can find churches in this city that teach that you must believe in Jesus and then be baptized or you cannot be saved. Others will teach that you must believe in Jesus and then receive a second blessing baptism of the Spirit. Others will say you must believe in Jesus and then do good works or believe in Jesus then join their church. It is always the same old heresy, faith in Jesus plus something else. Just this week, the Vatican released a 36-page document entitled Dominus Jesus that has the full endorsement of Pope John Paul. The document states that while Jesus opened the path to salvation for all mankind, the fullness of means to salvation can be found only in the Catholic Church. According to Religion Today, the Vatican document also declares that other Christian
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churches have "defects" in part because they do not recognize the authority of the Pope. The gospel of grace is that man is saved by believing not achieving. Faith plus anything else is a perversion of the gospel and spiritual treason.
III. DESTRUCTION: Warning All False Teachers (vv.8-9).

A. Defining the Warning: Let Him be Accursed. Up until this point, Paul has been addressing those who were toying with accepting "a different gospel." He was writing to the Galatian believers who were in danger of spiritual treason. Now he turns his pen on the false teachers who would "trouble" them and "pervert" the gospel. Twice, both in v.8 and in v.9, Paul says if anyone preaches any other gospel "let him be accursed." Accursed is a terribly strong term. The Greek word is anathema. It was used in the Septuagint, the Greek OT for the divine ban, anyone or anything devoted to destruction. A classic illustration of the meaning of anathema is found in the story of Achan in Joshua 7. God said that all the spoils of Jericho were "accursed." They were to take nothing after their victory. Achan disobeyed and hid the spoils in his tent. He was stoned to death for his sin. When Paul says "If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received let him be accursed," he is stating his desire that such a person fall under Gods judgment, that he be devoted to destruction. A loose paraphrase of Pauls thought is, "If anyone tries to distort or add anything to the gospel you have believed, let him burn in hell!" 2 Thess.1:8-9 says, "those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."
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Pauls desire is that the Galatians will take his words seriously and reject the false teachers. If they are devoted to destruction by God, if they are "accursed," then the Galatians should refuse to have anything to do with them. The Apostle John warns, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (2 John 10-11). I have many friends in many different churches in this city and around the world. I dont agree with them all on every issue of doctrine. I do agree with them that we are saved by Gods grace, that faith in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Christ is the only way to be saved. I agree that salvation is by grace plus nothing. I can have fellowship with Christians who hold differing doctrinal beliefs on some issues, but I can never have fellowship with those who are anathema! John Piper writes, "Paul does not have a cotton candy concern for the gospel. He does not offer sugary smiles in controversy and say, "To each his own." For Paul the gospel of Christ is the point at which the awesome life of God touches the life of this foul world of sin. And when that offer of eternal grace to utterly unworthy creatures like us is rejected or perverted to satisfy our pride somewhere someone must rage at the heinousness of the crime. O, how we need to meditate on the horror of rejecting the gospel. Satan does his best with television and radio to create in us a mind that is so trivial and banal and petty and earthly that we find ourselves incapable of feeling what terrifying truth is in this word anathema. O, how we need to guard ourselves from the barrage of eternity-denying entertainment. We need to cultivate a pure and childlike imagination that hears a word like anathema the way a child hears his first peal of thunder, or feels his first earthquake, or suffers his first storm at sea. The Bible does not reveal to us the eternal curse of God that we may yawn and turn the page. The wrath of God is revealed to shake unbelievers out of their stupor and to take the swagger out of the Christian's walk and the cocky twang out of his voice. Don't skim over verses 8 and 9 quickly. There is much humbling and sobering and sanctifying to be had here. Ponder these things in quietness" (www. soundofgrace.com/piper83/020683.htm).
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That reminds me of the old spiritual, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes it makes me tremble, tremble, tremble" B. The Universal Application of the Warning: Apostles, Angels, Anyone. Paul says in v.9, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." The apostles could not change the gospel. He said "even if we" It as though Paul is saying, "Even I who brought you the gospel have no right to change it. It is not my property but Gods. Even the angels cant change it." We are to accept no distortion of the message even if it comes from "an angel from heaven." Many of you know that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism stated that an angel named Moroni enabled him to discover and read some golden tablets which without question promote a "different gospel" from what Paul preached. Today a stature of Moroni stands atop the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City. How awful that such distortion of the gospel can grow and grow when the Bible so clearly warns of its dangers! C. The Intense Repetition of the Warning: Now I Say Again. In v.9, Paul says, "As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." While none of the apostles or any of the angels of heaven would ever preach "any other gospel" certainly there are men who would and still do. The Bible often repeats key words and phrases for emphasis. This should cause us to pay close attention. If an apostle or angel distorts the gospel in any way, he should be "accursed," devoted to destruction. He should burn in hell. If anyone perverts the clear message of Gods amazing grace, Paul says may God pour out all his righteous wrath on him.
IV. DETERMINATION: Pleasing God is Priority One (v.10).
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Paul says in v.10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." Eugene Peterson has captured the idea in his translation The Message, "Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate the crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or to get popular applause? If my goal was popularity I wouldnt bother being Christs slave." If you are trying to win friends and influence people you dont go around saying that their teachers can just go to hell. Pauls priority was not in pleasing men but pleasing God. Just after I took my first full-time ministry position many years ago, my former instructor and mentor James Kirkland invited me to preach a series of services in his church. I was scared spitless. How could I preach in front of him and a congregation so used to great expository preaching. When I got up to preach in that first service, Jim was on the front row. I kept my eyes on him as I began the introduction and he nodded his approval. Scanning the crowd only occasionally, he was my primary focus as I moved through the main points. He smiled and occasionally threw in an "amen." By the conclusion, I was assured and comfortable. It didnt matter to me if everyone else went to sleep or left. If my mentor gave me his approval, I knew I had done well. Pauls desire was to keep his eyes on Jesus. He said in 2 Cor.5:9, "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him." Heb.12:2 compels us to keep "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" When I was a youth pastor, I led my youth group in games of "Flashlight Wars." Today our youth play paintball. We used to give everyone a flashlight and then go out into the country at night. We divided into two teams and put up two flags. You were knocked out of the game if anyone shined his flashlight in your face and called out your name. There were two strategies. One was to guard your flag and try to pick off your opponents as they attacked. The other was to attack the other flag position in force and hope that someone survived to capture the other teams flag.
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As believers we are often called on to hold the fort, to fight for the rights of the unborn, to clear our streets of pornography, to maintain freedom of religion in our public schools. However there are times we must attack, we must capture the flag. When there is spiritual treason, when the gospel is being deserted and distorted, like Paul we must attack. If anyone preaches any other gospel, let him be accursed.
Radical Transformation
Coy Wylie
Galatians 1:11-24 We live in an age in which "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" is being dumbed-down and perverted (Jude 3). There are multitudes of people who refer to themselves as Christians who do not understand the most basic elements of the faith they profess to believe. We live in a time in which vast numbers of people who claim to believe the Bible are biblically illiterate. According to pollster George Gallup Jr., "Only four in 10 Americans know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. A majority of citizens cannot name the four Gospels of the New Testament. Only three in 10 teenagers know why Easter is celebrated. Two-thirds of Americans believe there are few, if any, absolute principles to direct human behavior." A new poll by the Barna Research Group suggests that religious illiteracy has increased. For example, three out of four Americans (and nearly half of "born-again" Christians) believe the Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves." A similar number of those who claim to be born-again Christians deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and Satan. One in five denies Jesus' physical resurrection and believes he was a sinner. While nearly three-fourths of all Americans believe in hell, hardly any believe it to be their likely destination in eternity. University of Wisconsin historian Thomas Reeves indicts popular religious belief and service. He says, "Christianity in modern America is, in large part, innocuous. It tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain." Former Secretary of Education William Bennett concludes "we have become the kind of society that civilized countries used to send missionaries to."1 Because of biblical illiteracy, the message of Galatians is as needed today as much as when the Apostle Paul first penned it around 48 a.d. Paul had established at least four churches in the region of Greece known as Galatia. After he left them false teachers invaded and began to distort and pervert the gospel Paul had preached. They were known as Judaizers because they
wanted to add Jewish circumcision, the Jewish law and ceremonies to the message of the cross. They agreed with the Judean teachers who taught in Acts 15:1, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." The Galatians now had to choose between two messages. The question is still before us. Are we saved by believing or achieving? Are we saved by trusting in our good works or trusting in Christ? The Judaizers knew that if they were to win the argument, they had to discredit Paul for to discredit the messenger is to discredit the message. It wasnt hard to raise doubts about Pauls credentials as an apostle. For example, everyone knew he wasnt one of the original twelve that were called out by Jesus. He never met Jesus during His earthly ministry. Paul didnt even become a Christian until long after Jesus had died, been resurrected and ascended back into heaven. The false teachers also insinuated that they personally knew the twelve original apostles in Jerusalem and that they disagreed with Paul about how to be saved. Last weeks text, vv.6-10 was a hard-hitting, absolutely intolerant warning for those who are committing spiritual treason by "turning away" from the gospel. It also spoke harsh words of judgment for teachers who willingly add to or take away from Gods message of grace. The Apostle Paul says, "Let them be accursed" or devoted to destruction. In this passage, Paul defends his gospel by declaring its source to be Jesus Christ. In effect Paul is saying, "If you disagree with me about the gospel, you disagree with Jesus Christ because I got it from Him." He then offers us his personal testimony of the transforming power of this gospel in His own life.
I. The Transforming Source of the Gospel (vv.11-12).

One of the greatest theologians and preachers of our day, John Stott says, "We think of the Epistle to the Romans, the Corinthian Epistles and those mighty prison Epistles like Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. We are impressed by their majestic sweep, their profundity, their consistency, as Paul outlines the purpose of God from eternity to eternity. But where did Paul get it all from? Was it the product of his own fertile brain? Did he make it up? Or was it stale second-hand stuff with no original authority? Did he crib it from the other apostles in Jerusalem, which the Judaizers maintained as they tried to subordinate his authority to theirs?"2 Those are good questions and Paul answers them directly in these first two verses. A. The Gospel is not According to Man (v.11). Paul says, "I make known you" meaning, "let me make this perfectly clear." Note he calls them "brethren" here as he does
10 other times throughout the letter. The Galatians were brothers in the Lord but dangerously close to deserting the faith. Paul continues, "The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man." The gospel didnt come out of mans head but Gods heart. Man could never conceive such a message. The Gospel of grace is contrary to man. Mans pride is offended by the idea that he is a sinner and incapable of doing anything to save himself. He insists that he must earn his own salvation. B. The Gospel was not Received from Man (v.12a). Further, says Paul, "I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it." Paul didnt receive his message from pouring over the OT rabbinical writings. He didnt even go down and sit at the feet of the twelve apostles in Jerusalem to get this message. C. The Gospel was Revealed through Jesus Christ (v.12b). Rather, Paul says, "It came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." Just as Paul was an apostle "through Jesus Christ." His message came to him "through the revelation of Jesus Christ." "Revelation" means "the unveiling of something previously secret." By the grace of God Jesus had been revealed to Paul. It was not just the message of Christ that had been revealed to Paul, but the person of Christ, Jesus Himself. Paul knew the message of Christ long before he became a Christian. He knew the Christians he persecuted believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that He rose from the dead. Before his conversion, Paul could have led a seminar to summarize Christian beliefs. However, on the Damascus road, God revealed or unveiled the person of Jesus Christ to Paul and he believed. Jesus radically transformed Paul! There are a lot of people who claim God speaks to them, but then again there are a lot of people who believe Elvis is alive. It is one thing to claim "revelation" from God. It is quite another thing to prove it. However, thats exactly what Paul does next. He gives us the startling testimony of how meeting Jesus transformed him from a violent persecutor to an apostle of grace.
II. The Transforming Power of the Gospel (vv.13-24).

A. Paul before He met Jesus (vv.13-14). Before Paul met Jesus He Persecuted the Church (v.13). He says, "For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism" In other words, "You know my story. You know the kind of man I used to be. You can check this out for yourself." He says further, "You have heard how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it." Paul, then called Saul hated Christianity. The Apostles were his archenemies. He did everything he could and then some, he went "beyond measure" to "destroy," stamp out and eradicate Jesus followers. Acts 8:3 says, "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." In Acts 9 while on his way to Damascus he was "still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord." V.2 says, he "asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." He wanted indictments against anyone who claimed to be a Christian. In His testimony before King Agrippa in Acts 26:9-11, he affirmed, "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." When he says he "persecuted the church of God beyond measure," he means he imprisoned Christians, beat them in their houses, tortured them to get them to blaspheme Christ and voted for their executions. When they fled, he pursued them on foreign soil seeking their extradition. He saw Christianity as the disease and himself as the cure.
Interestingly, here in v.12, he says he "persecuted THE CHURCH OF GOD." Now looking back he had a strong sense of the enormity of his crime. He thought he was serving God but he was really fighting against God. Before Paul met Jesus He Advanced in Judaism (v.14). He says, "I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers." He was riding a religious skyrocket to significance! He was the "Mr. Whos Who" among Jewish leaders. He zealously studied the rabbinical writings. He had all the religious trappings yet he was far from God. Whats the point? It is as though Paul is saying, "You want to add keeping the law to Gods grace? I know all about the law. I was a master student of the law. I not only followed it, I enforced it. I persecuted Christians left and right. I once tried to earn Gods approval through keeping those rules and regulations. Been there, done that. I dont ever want to go back because I now know Gods amazing grace!" There are people like Paul in the church today. They trust in the fact that they go to church, walked an aisle or have been baptized or are good people instead of trusting solely in Jesus. At one time I tried to convince myself that I was saved because I was baptized. Folks, stop trying to be religious. Stop trying to please God by keeping your list of dos and donts. God is not impressed. Rather, throw yourself on His grace. B. Paul when He met Jesus (vv.15-16a). Vv.15-16 contains three fascinating statements that describe Pauls conversion; in fact they describe the salvation experience of anyone who has truly come to Christ. Paul says that God "separated" or set him apart at birth, He called him by grace, and revealed His Son in him. God set Paul apart from Birth (v.15a). Paul did not initiate or cause his own salvation. Neither did you or I. Our salvation didnt begin the moment we asked Jesus to forgive and be the
Lord of our lives. Our salvation began in eternity past. Paul said God "separated [lit. set apart or consecrated] me from my mothers womb." Paul had been set apart by God to salvation and apostleship long before he spoke his first words. In fact, it was longer than that. Eph.1:4 says "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." God chose us long before we chose Him. I know this is a theological dilemma for some because it seems to diminish mans responsibility in salvation. However, THATS EXACTLY WHAT PAUL WAS TRYING TO DO! Salvation does not come from our parents, our culture or our environment, it comes by the grace of God. God called Paul by Grace (v.15b). Next Paul says God "called me through His grace." Even if God set Paul apart from birth, he was not saved until he was confronted with the gospel. Thats why we continually share the gospel, we dont know who God will call. Peter said the promise of salvation was to "as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39). Paul was called by grace on the Damascus road. He saw a blinding light and heard the voice of Jesus. God called me "through His grace" too. Although less dramatic, it was no less real. I grew up in a Christian home and went to church from the time I was a few days old. When I was seven I walked an aisle and was baptized. For a long time I trusted in the fact that I was baptized that I was a church member and a good boy for salvation. However, Jesus truly "called me" when I was fourteen. I sat down on a log in the woods and placed all my trust in Jesus, not in the church, baptism or a little prayer. I trusted in Him and His grace alone saved me. God calls us "through His grace." He doesnt look ahead into the future in omniscience to spot those who may have a predisposition to believe and then call them. On the contrary, there was nothing good in me. The only reason I am a child of God is by "His grace" His unearned love, His unmerited favor in calling me to salvation. Eph.1:5 says God "predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."
God revealed His Son in Paul (v.16a). Though Paul tells us in several passages that he saw the risen Christ with His eyes more importantly He saw him with his heart. God did a work of grace in Pauls life. He broke down the pride and prejudices in his heart and enabled him to see Jesus as he really is, Gods Son our Savior. C. Paul after He met Jesus (vv.16b-24). What an incredible story! Saul became Paul. The persecutor became a preacher! He was transformed from one who was willing to kill Christians to one who was ready to be killed as a Christian. He was transformed from one who saw the gospel as a threat to one who saw the gospel as the hope of the world! Such a radical transformation is impossible apart from the work of God. The false teachers in Galatia said Paul had made up the gospel of Gods grace. Pauls personal testimony proves that the gospel "came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." What Paul didnt do (vv.16b-17a). First Paul "did not immediately confer with flesh and blood." He didnt check with the rabbi or make an appointment with his therapist. He didnt meet with a support group for people with near-deathexperiences to talk about the shining light. He knew exactly what had happened. He had met Christ on the Damascus road! Second, Paul did not immediately "go up to Jerusalem to those who where apostles before me." This was very important because the Judaizers said Paul had simply heard the gospel from the other apostles and distorted it. Although it would have been wonderful for any new convert to sit at the feet of Peter, James, John and the others, God didnt allow that to happen and now Paul was glad for it provided a great alibi in this debate. What Paul did do (vv.17b-24). Paul did go to "Arabia." For "three years" he spent time in the desert. We have no biblical record of what happened in those three years. However we can be certain during this sustained period of study, prayer and meditation that the Lord who appeared to Paul on the Damascus road unveiled to him many of the truths of our faith. Much of what Paul wrote in his NT letters he learned alone with Jesus in Arabia. Some refer to this period as Pauls "seminary career."
Chuck Colson is one of the most brilliant Christian thinkers of our time. He came to Christ in prison after his crime in the Watergate scandal. He laughingly says today he did his seminary work in a "gated community." Next, Paul says he "returned again to Damascus." After learning of his return, the Jews in Damascus had set up a stakeout for Paul. They had "watched the gates day and night to kill him." However "the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket." When these "three years" had passed (probably three years since his conversion), Paul "went up to Jerusalem to see Peter" (v.18). He stayed with Peter for only "fifteen days." What a grand time that must have been. When I go to pastors conferences, have pastor friends stay in my home or visit in their homes we sleep very little. We stay up half the night discussing the work of the Lord and what God is teaching us in the Scripture. I imagine Paul and Peter doing that. Paul told Peter all about the blinding light from heaven and the three years in Arabia. Peter told Paul what it was like to walk personally with Jesus and answered many questions. Obviously there was no disagreement between them concerning the nature of the gospel. During this time, he "saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lords brother." In fact, Acts 9:26 says, "And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple." Because of his past, they understandably feared Paul was hatching an undercover plot. However, when Barnabas vouched for him. V.27 says, "But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." So there he stayed for over two weeks with Peter and James "coming in and going out." In Texas we would say they were fellowshipping both coming and going! Paul adds, in parentheses, "Indeed, before God I do not lie." He had received the gospel directly from the Lord. After three years in which he preached, prayed and studied he only spent two weeks with Peter. James "the Lords brother" was not one
of the twelve but considered an apostle only in a general sense. This proved that the Judaizers claim that he had received the gospel second-hand was false. Acts 9:29 tells us that because Paul "spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him." So he left Jerusalem and "went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia" (v.21). Pauls hometown of Tarsus was in "Cilicia." He preached there until Barnabas persuaded him to come to Antioch. In chapter 2, verse 1 we learn that it was "fourteen years" later before Paul returned to Jerusalem. There is no logical way he could have studied and distorted the gospel proclaimed by the original twelve apostles. In fact, Pauls gospel did not conflict with their teaching but complimented it.
III. Three Transforming Truths of the Gospel.

Paul says the gospel he preached came directly from Jesus. As evidence, he testifies of its transforming power in his own life. He further proves that he had spent little time with the original apostles but in the little time he had with Peter he found their teaching didnt challenge him but confirmed what he was already preaching. Now I want to answer the question burning in your mind: "So what? What does this mean to me." A. The Gospel still carries Gods Authority. We do not have the right to alter the gospel. We cant add to it or take away from it. We cant say, "This is new millennium, things are different now." In this age of the dumbing-down of the gospel people want to adjust Gods truth to fit their circumstances. Jude 3 says, "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." The faith, our common salvation was once delivered. We are to contend for it not change it! Mike Andrus, a pastor friend from St. Louis wrote a letter to a professor at Eden Theological Seminary asking him why he and his denomination felt free to ordain homosexuals. His reply reads: "I do see Scripture as holy, trustworthy, and
absolutely authoritative; and precisely because I do, I cannot consider the Bible to be inerrant. (Mike adds: Now I have to tell you, I fail to see the logic in that, but he tries to explain it as he continues). The divine word is dynamic rather than static. In short, it has changed (he underlines those words); and I conclude, must continue to change in order to remain faithful. We anticipate that the Holy Spirit will enable us to interpret faithfully Gods Word for our place and time (again he underlines) If there is anything unchanging about God and Gods Word, it is that God never fails to be loving (Implication: youre failing to be loving when you tell a practicing homosexual he cant be a pastor). Finally the flawed professor adds, "My model for disobeying certain things in the Bible is Jesus himself, whom I also take as the embodiment of Gods determination to love the whole world graciously. For me, that is absolutely authoritative, and the Bible tells me so."3 When we fail to uphold the authority of Scripture, we can throw the gospel out the window. Right is wrong and wrong is right and the gospel can be anything we want it to be. B. The Gospel still Radically Transforms Sinners. Pauls transformation by the gospel was indeed radical. In fact it was so radical that v.23 says the Judean believers heard about it and said, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy." These people had suffered under Pauls vicious attacks. They had seen many brothers and sisters in Christ imprisoned and even killed under Pauls hand. Yet, they admitted that the gospel was powerful enough to change Paul. There are people throughout this congregation who have been radically transformed by the gospel. If I asked you to testify to what you were and what God has done in your lives, it would take hours for everyone to share their testimony! To my unconverted friends here today I say the same gospel that radically transformed Paul, me and all these people can radically transform you. God wants to make you into a new person. 2 Cor 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." You can be made new today! C. The Gospel still brings Glory to God. In v.24, Paul says that the believers in Judea "glorified God in me." Are people glorifying God because of what they see in your life or are they saying, "If he is what being a Christian is all about, leave me out." You are the light of the world, how are you shining?
1 2
Cited from an article by David Yount, Scripps Howard News Service, September 14, 2000. John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians (Madison, WI: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968), pp.29-30. 3 www.efree.org/sermons/galatians/dont_mess_with_the_messenger.htm (used with permission).
No Cracks in Our Foundation
Coy Wylie

Galatians 2:1-10 Before my family moved to Amarillo almost nine years ago, we lived in the heart of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. Dallas County is located in the middle of a geographical region known as "The Blackland Prairie." The soil there is dark fertile clay that grows bountiful crops but plays havoc on the foundations of buildings. In wet seasons it becomes a gooey, sticky mire. In dry seasons it becomes as hard as cement and cracks wide enough to swallow golf balls. These extremes of the soil contracting and expanding often cause concrete foundations of homes to crack. When the foundation cracks, the walls crack. If corrective measures are not taken, the whole house can become unstable. As a result, homeowners carefully monitor their foundations, using soaker hoses to keep a consistent moisture level. When Jesus said to Peter in Mat.16:18, "Upon this rock I will build My church," I believe he was speaking of the gospel, Peters confession of Him as the Messiah. Similarly, the Bible says in Eph.2:20 that the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." Who we are and what we believe as a church today is built upon the "rock" of the gospel, the teaching of the apostles. If there are cracks in the apostles doctrine, then the church is unstable. In our study of Galatians, weve learned that the Apostle Paul founded at least four churches in the region of Galatia. After he left them, false teaches crept in and began to teach "a different gospel" (1:6). They taught the Galatians that a person is saved by believing in Jesus PLUS circumcision, plus all the rules, regulations and rituals of the OT. The false teaches, called Judaizers were in essence teaching that men are saved by achieving. Paul argues that we are saved only by believing. Whats more, the Judaizers told the Galatian Christians that the original twelve apostles in Jerusalem agreed with them, that Paul was a johnny-comelately, an interloper who had perverted the teaching of the original twelve. Put yourself in the place of the Galatians. Paul has made a powerful case of his apostleship and the truth of the gospel he preaches. But the question inevitably arises: is there a contradiction among the apostles? Are they divided, preaching two different messages? If one apostle preaches one gospel and another preaches a different gospel then the foundation of the church is cracked and the whole structure will collapse. Though this is a difficult passage (Lightfoot called it "this shipwreck of grammar"), as we explore it we will learn that the apostles did not disagree about the gospel, that the churchs
foundation is not cracked and that by Gods grace hell will never prevail against us.
I. The Test of Titus: Accepted (vv.1-5).

A. Paul Traveled to Jerusalem (v.1). Paul told us in 1:18 that it was "three years" after he became a Christian that he "went up to Jerusalem to see Peter." He stayed with Peter for "fifteen" days. He also met "James, the Lords brother." Now Paul tells us that "fourteen years" passed before he "went up again to Jerusalem." In a seventeen-year period Paul had almost no contact with the other apostles. Acts 11:27-30 reports that Paul and Barnabas had made a quick trip to Jerusalem earlier to deliver a gift of financial support to the believers there because of a great famine. Even then there is no mention of him meeting with the other apostles. During this seventeen-year period, Paul had traveled all over preaching the gospel, performing signs and building churches. The point is Paul had preached the gospel all this time without the approval or scrutiny of the original twelve apostles in Jerusalem. He says in 1:12, "For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." The Judaizers were absolutely wrong to say Paul had gotten his version of the gospel second-hand from the other apostles because he had spent almost no time at all with them in seventeen years. Though there is some difference of opinion among Bible teachers, it seems clear that the event Paul describes here in Gal.2 directly parallels the Jerusalem counsel as described in Acts 15. In fact, lets turn there and read Acts 15:1-5. Back in our text in Gal.2:1, Paul tells us that when he "went up again to Jerusalem," he took "Barnabas and also Titus." Barnabas, the "son of encouragement" was Pauls special friend and helper in spreading the gospel. He accompanied Paul on the first missionary journey and helped him establish the Galatian churches.
"Titus" also went with Paul. Paul called him "my partner and fellow worker" in 2 Cor.8:23. In his letter to Titus, he called him "a true son in our common faith" (Tit.1:4). Unlike many of the early Christians, Titus had no background in Judaism. Because he was not Jewish, he had never been circumcised. According to Acts 15:2, the false teachers said, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." Therefore Titus would be the test case before the Jerusalem apostles. He had come to Christ by believing not by achieving. B. Paul met with the Other Apostles (v.2). Paul says he "went up by revelation." He wasnt going to the other apostles because he had anything to prove but because God led him to do so. I believe that as Paul and Barnabas prayed with the leaders of the Antioch church about this problem, the Holy Spirit revealed this plan to them just as He had their first missionary journey (Acts 15:2; 13:2). Thats a great example of how the church should function. As we pray together, the Holy Spirit affirms in our hearts collectively what we are to do. Paul says that when he got to Jerusalem, he "communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles." "Communicated" means "set forth, laid before." J.B. Phillips translates this phrase "I gave a full exposition of the gospel which I preach among the gentiles." In other words, Paul gave a complete treatise of what God had revealed to him about salvation, that men are saved by grace through faith without adding any human works, including being circumcised. Paul tells us that before there was a public hearing in the church on this matter he spoke "privately to those who were of reputation." That is, he spoke first with the leaders of the church, the apostles and elders in a private meeting. His reason was to be certain that "lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain." Paul was not in any way unsure of the gospel he preached. He did not "receive it from man," no one "taught" it to him. Rather, it came to him directly "through the revelation of Jesus Christ." He didnt meet with the apostles to validate his preaching but theirs. He wanted to make
sure that the false teachers had not corrupted them. He wanted to be certain that he and they agreed on the same gospel. If they were in fellowship with the Judaizers, he feared that many of his converts would easily be swayed away from the true gospel. Using the analogy of a runner, he feared his work with them would have been "in vain." C. Paul Defended Titus before the False Teachers (vv.3-4). Again, this is difficult language to translate and interpret. Perhaps in writing Paul became so emotional that he used complex grammar and uncharacteristically wrote incomplete sentences. Despite the language, Pauls meaning is clear. In this meeting, Paul presented Titus as his test case. He set him before the apostles and elders as an example of the fruit of his ministry. Titus was a true Christian who had never been circumcised. He was living proof that a person could be saved by faith in Christ apart from the OT rituals, rules and regulations. During this meeting with the apostles and leaders, Paul says "not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised." Not one of them insisted that Titus needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul says next in v.4 "And this occurred because of false brethren" "False brethren" comes from a phrase also translated "false believers," "sham Christians" and "pseudo Christians." I like Phillips version, "But no one insisted that my companion Titus, though he was a Greek, should be circumcised. In fact, the suggestion would never have arisen but for the presence of some pseudo-Christians, who wormed their way into our meeting to spy on the liberty we enjoy in Christ Jesus, and then attempted to tie us up with rules and regulations." Luke records this interruption in Acts 15:5, "But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses." Paul says they were "secretly brought in." Some scholars
believe the Pharisees had secret agents, plants in the early churches to corrupt them and turn them back to Judaism. Paul says they "came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage." "Bondage" is a strong term that refers to slavery. In "Christ Jesus" believers have "liberty." We are set free from keeping the OT law, from man-made traditions, from rituals and regulations. Our only law is the law of the Spirit. Rom.8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Rom.7:6 says, "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." 2 Cor.3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." John 8:36 says, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." As much as any soldier on any battlefield, Paul fought for freedom. He would not let go of liberty. He says to the Galatians in v.5 of our text, "We did not yield submission even for an hour." There seems to have been a long, protracted argument. Not even for one moment did Paul give in to the legalistic demands of the Judaizers. Why not? Why not have Titus circumcised? Wasnt Timothy circumcised later? Yes, but that was an entirely different situation. Paul would not yield so that "the truth of the gospel might continue [be preserved] with you." He might yield on minor issues and ministry methods but never on the gospel.
II. The Preaching of Paul: Approved (vv.6-10).

A. The Jerusalem Apostles Added Nothing to Pauls Message (v.6). In v.2 Paul refers to the original apostles as "those who were of reputation." Here in v.6, he calls them "those who seemed to be something." At first glance it seems as though Paul is depreciating them, putting them down. On the contrary, Paul respected these men and their office or he would not have come to them to settle this question.
Although these twelve men were personally set apart by Jesus to be apostles, Paul had also been chosen by Christ for the same office. He did not need their approval or confirmation and in that sense "whatever they were" made "no difference" to him. The Judaizers, the false teachers were constantly putting Paul down because he was not one of the original twelve. Paul says, "God shows personal favoritism to no man." Just because they walked with Jesus did not make them greater than Paul. Paul was not being arrogant but truthful, humble. He said in 1 Tim.1:15, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." He said in 1 Cor.15:9, "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." Paul states categorically that these original apostles who were so exalted in the eyes of the Judaizers, these "who seemed to be something," they "added nothing" to Pauls message. They didnt add anything to Pauls knowledge of the gospel or his authority to preach. He had preached the same gospel for seventeen years without them. When he finally "communicated" what he preached to them, there was no addition or correction. To paraphrase, Paul is saying, "The gospel I preached to you has not changed. I didnt get it from any man but directly from Jesus Christ. After seventeen years, when I shared my beliefs with the original apostles, they didnt see any need to add or change anything. They agreed with me that salvation is not by achieving but by believing." B. The Jerusalem Apostles Recognized Pauls Apostleship (vv.7-8). Paul says "On the contrary" instead of adding to or correcting his teaching, not only did they "add nothing" to him, they recognized his authority as an apostle. He tells us that they "saw" or recognized "that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter." In the same way that Peter
was Gods special messenger to spread the gospel among the Jews, they recognized Paul was Gods special messenger to spread the gospel among the Gentiles. Lets turn back to the parallel account in Acts 15:6-29. Peter first stood before "the apostles and elders" and delivers a powerful message in agreement with Paul. Read v.12 again, "Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles." No one sided with the false teachers! James, the lead pastor of the Jerusalem church then spoke up quoting an OT prophecy. His summation is seen in v.19, "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God." V.22 says, "Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church" Everyone was in agreement. Whats more, a letter was written to the churches were the Judaizers were spreading their false teaching. Note again vv.2426, "Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying You must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment it seemed good to us, being assembled in one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of Jesus Christ." The apostles and all the church of Jerusalem agreed with Paul. Salvation is by believing not achieving. Paul and his ministry were "beloved" by them. They agreed and settled once and for all that they preached the same message and that there were no cracks in the churchs foundation. C. The Jerusalem Apostles Gave Paul the Right Hand of Fellowship (v.9). Back to our text, in v.9, Paul says, "when James, Cephas [Peter] and John who seemed to be pillars [a Jewish phrase meaning "great teachers"] perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised [the Jews]."
When I was growing up, our church offered "the right hand of fellowship" to every new member. When someone joined the church, the whole congregation would file one by one out of their pews to the altar to shake hands with the newcomer and welcome him or her into the fellowship of the church. There is a greater meaning here. Paul was not only in doctrinal harmony but also personal harmony with the original twelve, especially with James, Peter and John. Between Paul, Peter, James and John, they were used of God to write 21 of the 27 books of the NT! They were not using a traditional western handshake, but clasping hands in the eastern fashion symbolizing friendship, partnership and trust. The false teaching Judaizers did not have a leg to stand on. Paul was at one, in fellowship with the apostles in Jerusalem. United they proclaimed the same gospel that we are saved not by works but by faith, not by achieving but by believing. We can add nothing to Gods grace. D. The Jerusalem Apostles Offered Paul no Correction but a Request (v.10). Instead of correcting Pauls preaching, they made one simple request of him. Paul says, "They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I was also eager to do." Note three implications about this request. First, the request was practical, not doctrinal. Second, the request was not a command. Third, their request was not something new. They "added nothing" doctrinally or practically. Paul had already made one trip to Jerusalem to aid the poor Christians there (Acts 11:27-30). As a sidebar it is important to note that we are still to "be eager" to "remember the poor," especially our fellow Christians. We all have a responsibility to work hard. 2 Thess.3:10 says, "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." However, there are some that work hard or are unable to work who truly need our support. 1 John 3:17 says, "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
III. Three Timeless Truths for Preserving a Firm Foundation.

You might be thinking, "Pastor this is all well and good, but why go into such a history lesson? What effect does Pauls visit to Jerusalem 1900 years ago have on my life today? What does this mean to me practically?" Im glad you asked. We should always ask those questions when we study the Scripture. Let note three timeless truths from the passage. A. First, There is Only One Gospel and It is Unchanging. All the apostles, all the NT agree on one gospel. Paul teaches in 1:6-10 that there is "not another" gospel but perversions of the true gospel. Perhaps the most succinct statement of the good news is Eph.2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." We are saved by grace, not works. We are saved by believing not achieving. We are saved by grace plus nothing, not circumcision, not keeping the law, not by being baptized, not by being a church member, not by receiving some second blessing or spiritual gift. Salvation is solely about Gods grace. There are no cracks in the foundation of the church. Each apostle had his own style and personality. Each had his own emphasis because they dealt with different spheres and different types of people. Yet there is only one gospel, one faith "which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3), one recognizable body of doctrine. Paul says in 1 Cor.15:11, "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed." Different men. One gospel. The same result. That gospel is the same today as then. John R.W. Stott writes, "If there is only one gospel in the New Testament, there is only one gospel for the church. The gospel has not changed with the changing centuries. Whether it is preached to young or old, to east or west, to Jews or Gentiles, to cultured or uncultured, to scientists or non scientists, although its presentation may vary, its substance is the same."1 B. Second, We have a Responsibility to Preserve the Gospel. Not only do we have the same gospel; we have the same challenge. The Judaizers have long since passed from the scene
but there are still those who pervert the gospel message. Remember Pauls strong rebuke in 1:8, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." All around us are people who continue in the Judaizers error. They continue to add to Gods grace. They want to add baptism, membership in their church or group (I even know of some Baptist who believe you cannot receive the Holy Spirit until you are immersed in one of their churches!) or keeping legalistic rules and regulations to maintain salvation. We have a duty not only to those who have gone on before but also to those who will follow behind. We know truth today because of men like Paul and Peter, but also because of men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards and others who would not stand idly by and let the gospel be diluted of its power. 1 Tim.3:15 says "the church of the living God" is "the pillar and ground of the truth." We are the repository, the guardians of doctrinal truth. In this age of relativism, we must diligently preserve the light of the gospel for future generations. C. Third, Unity is a Matter of Truth not Tradition. The Judaizers rejected Paul because he didnt follow their traditions. The apostles accepted him because He stood for the truth of the gospel. It is always difficult for Christians to accept other Christians who come out of different traditions. We wonder about someones salvation if we had no part in it. The apostles were bigger men who believed in a bigger God. They realized that it is He who seeks and saves the lost. They were willing to accept others (like Titus) whom God brought to himself without their help. Their common ground with Paul was not tradition but the truth of the gospel. Several times over the last few months I have been asked about my support of the Franklin Graham Festival. Some have said, "But what about the churches that were there who believe a
different gospel? How could we fellowship with them." My answer is that our fellowship was not with everyone who was present but with the message of the gospel. Franklin Graham simply and clearly proclaimed the same gospel we proclaim, the same gospel Paul proclaimed. Frankly, I am happy those people were present. I wish more of them had been there to hear the truth of salvation by grace through faith. Heres a news flash: not everyone in heaven will be a Baptist. Heres another: not every Baptist will be in heaven. Our fellowship with other believers should not be based upon traditions and denominational handles but on the vital message of the gospel. Our foundation is not laid on religious traditions or denominationalism, but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. There are no cracks in that foundation. The old hymn says it well: How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
1 John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians (Madison, WI: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968), p.47.
Liberty or Legalism?
October 1, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie
Galatians 2:11-14 Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a young man who once served in a strict church with Scandinavian roots. Being a rather forward-looking and creative young leader, he showed his youth group a missionary film. Were talking simple, safe, black-and-white-religiousoriented movie. The film projector hadnt been off an hour before a group of leaders in the church called him in and asked about what he had done. They asked, "Did you show the young people a film?" In all honesty he responded, "Well, yeah, I did." "We dont like that," they replied. Without trying to be argumentative, the youth worker reasoned, "Well, I remember that at the last missionary conference, our church showed slides." One of the church officers put up his hand signaling him to be quiet. Then with these words he emphatically explained the conflict, "If its still, fine. If it moves, sin!" Folks, you can show slides but when they start moving you are getting into sin!1 Many non-Christians see Christians as a bunch of narrow-minded do-gooders with long lists of dos and donts. Unfortunately, they have an accurate impression of many who claim to love Christ. There are some that feel it is their job to prescribe their list of rules to the rest of us. They want to tell us how to dress, how to wear our hair, what to watch, what to read, what music to listen to and how to live. The problem is they are promoting their list, not Gods. The Apostle Paul addresses this problem again and again in Galatians. False teachers were teaching the Galatian believers that in order to please God they had to be circumcised and keep all their interpretations of the rituals, rules and regulations of the OT. Paul teaches us that we are saved by Gods grace, not our works, by believing, not achieving. Religion gives us LEGALISM. It says, "Keep my rules. Follow my directions and just maybe if you are good enough, God will accept you." God gives us LIBERTY. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (Jn.8:36). It is easy to jettison our spiritual freedom and be caught up in legalistic religion. It happens all the time. It even happened to the Apostle Peter, one of the "pillars" of the church (2:9). Lets examine three truths about our spiritual freedom.
I. Spiritual Freedom is Exhilarating.
A. Peter Visited Antioch. Paul begins saying "Peter had come to Antioch." Paul and Peter became partners in the gospel. Much of the foundational teaching of the church came from these two men. The book of Acts is divided in half by them, the first half is primarily about Peter and the second half is about Paul. According to Gal.1:18, Paul first met Peter "three years" after he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. After "three years" of study in Arabia and preaching in Damascus, Paul "went up to Jerusalem to see Peter." They hung out together for "fifteen days." When Paul left Jerusalem, he didnt see Peter or any of the other apostles again for "fourteen years" (2:1). At that time, he "went up again to Jerusalem" to meet with the other apostles to put to rest finally the false teaching of the Judaizers. At Jerusalem, Peter and the other apostles "saw" or confirmed that God had "worked effectively" in Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles as He had "worked effectively" in Peter as an apostle to the Jews (vv.7-8). Then James, Peter and John who were "pillars" (great teachers) in the church of Jerusalem gave Paul and Barnabas "the right hand of fellowship." They were confirming their partnership in spreading the gospel. In fact, James in a letter to Gentile Christians wrote of them as "our beloved Barnabas and Paul." Acts 15:30 relates that after the Jerusalem council, Paul and Barnabas "came to Antioch" and "delivered the letter." V.35 says, "Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also." Some time passed and our primary text says, "Peter had come to Antioch." He wanted to see Paul and Barnabas. He wanted to check out the churchs franchise in that city. He came to join in the preaching and teaching and see the good work of the Lord. B. Peter Ate with the Gentile Believers. V. 12 says that when Peter first came to Antioch "he would eat with the Gentiles." That simple statement may sound like no
big deal to you, but to Peter it was a huge step in spiritual freedom. Peter was a Jew. He had been born and raised in Israel under the strict dietary laws and traditions of the Jews. All his life he had observed those customs. In fact he says in Acts 10:14, "I have never eaten anything common or unclean." Even after Peter was saved and followed Jesus he still followed Jewish customs and was careful not to eat anything considered unclean. Jesus abolished the dietary laws. He said to Peter and the other disciples in Mark 7:18-23, "Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods? What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." Peter knew that Jesus had set him free from the OT ceremonial laws and the dietary laws. In fact, God had made that perfectly clear to him. Lets turn back to Acts 10. A Roman centurion named Cornelius from Caesarea was directed by an angel to send for Peter. Peter was in Joppa, staying at a tanners house. He was up on the rooftop praying just before noon and fell into a trance. In vv.11-12 we read he "saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air." V.13 tells us he heard a voice say "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." Peter was horrified. He said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." God spoke to him again and said, "What God has cleansed you must not call common [or unclean]." In fact, this scene was repeated "three times" for emphasis. If you continue to read the rest of the chapter, you will learn that this vision was to prepare Peter to preach the gospel to Cornelius Gentile household. At this point, Peter thought the gospel was just for the Jews, but God was showing him that whoever and whatever He made clean was clean. Later in v.34, we see Peter learned the lesson. He said, "In truth I perceive God shows no partiality."
Still, even though Peter knew he had spiritual liberty and could eat anything, he never did until he came to Antioch. There in a Gentile church with no other nosey Jews around, Peter began to sample Gentile food and found out it was good! Ill bet ol Pete enjoyed bacon and sausage for breakfast. He probably put away a nice pork roast for lunch. You know he devoured some good pork ribs for dinner. He had his face on barbecue! Ill bet he even fried up some pork rinds for a midnight snack! Actually, the Gentile families would invite Peter to come to their homes and eat with them. They sat around the table then as we do now, talking of the blessings of the Lord and enjoying His bounty on the table. The early churches also had "love feasts" much like modern-day "pot-luck" dinners or fellowship meals. Although Peter took ordinary meals with the Gentiles, he also certainly took the Lords Supper with them too. What a joy it must have been to Peter to lay aside his old prejudices and enjoy the food and fellowship of other believers, even though they were Gentiles. C. In Christ, Believers have great Spiritual Freedom. Early in my walk with the Lord, I perceived Christianity as a list of dos and donts. Real Christians to this and real Christians dont do that. I thought Christian men all had to have short hair, no facial hair and had to wear ties and suits when they came to church. Christian women had to have long hair and wear dresses (below the knee) and never wear shorts. You could read from other Bible versions but had to carry a KJV. Appropriate church music was accompanied by a piano and an organ and sung from hymnals. Guitars were for honkytonks and nightclubs, not worship. The funny thing is, none of that is in the Scripture! Its strange but true that Gods people often hold more strongly to their traditions than the Scripture. Donald Barnhouse wrote about a Bible Conference held in 1928 in Pennsylvania. Of the 200 people present, most of them were
young with a few old heads in the crowd. One day two older ladies approached him complaining that the younger girls were not wearing stockings. Looking them straight in the eye he said, "The Virgin Mary never wore stockings." They gasped, "She didnt?" He continued, "In Marys time, stocking were unknown. So far as we know, they were first worn by prostitutes in Italy in the fifteenth century Later a lady of nobility scandalized the people by wearing stockings to a court ball. Before long everyone in the upper class was wearing stockings and by Queen Victorias time stockings had become the badge of the prude." He adds, "These ladies, who were hold overs from the Victorian epoch, had no more to say. I did not rebuke the girls for not wearing stockings. A year or two afterward, most girls in the United States were going without stockings in the summer and nobody thought anything about it."2 It was not until I had entered full-time ministry that I began to grasp that my relationship with Christ was not about lists of dos and donts. It was not until I was an adult that I began to understand my spiritual freedom. Christs righteousness is applied to my life. God will not love me or bless me any more or any less if I have long hair or short hair, if I sing hymns or choruses, if I preach in a tie or a T-shirt or if I sing with a guitar or an organ! Jesus has made us free from the law, free indeed. Our only law is the "law of the Spirit." Rom.8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Peter found exercising his spiritual freedom exhilarating! So does every Christian who walks "in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter" (Rom 7:6).
II. Spiritual Freedom is Frightening.

A. Some Jews Came Up from Jerusalem. Paul tells us in v.12 that "certain men came from James." James was "the Lords brother" and now the leading pastor of the Jerusalem church. Paul met him personally when he first
went to Jerusalem (1:19). At the Jerusalem council, James said "I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God" (Acts 15:19) He helped author the letter that described Paul as "beloved" (v.25) and gave Paul "the right hand of fellowship" (Gal.2:9). They were Jewish Christians who came up from the Jerusalem church. If you were to travel to another part of the country and visited another church pastored by one of my friends, you might say, "I come from Coys church and he said to tell you hello." I think that is what Paul means when he says they "came from James." B. Peter Separated Himself from the Gentiles. When these Jewish visitors arrived. Something happened in Peter. Paul says in v.12, "he withdrew and separated himself" from the Gentile Christians. When he heard the Jews had come, Peter carefully washed all the barbecue sauce out of his beard. He obviously did not want them to know that he had been eating with the Gentiles. He did not want them to know that he had exercised his spiritual freedom and bypassed the Jewish dietary laws. "Withdrew" is from a Greek term used for strategic military disengagement, drawing back from the enemy to shelter and safety. Just like the Marines were forced to make a long cold retreat from the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea in the winter of 1950, Peter retreated from the tables of the Gentiles. He slowly, cautiously, deviously stopped fellowshipping with the Gentile brothers. The imperfect tense suggests it was gradual, an intentional, sneaky retreat. When the Jews showed up, Peter avoided the Gentiles. A Gentile brother says, "Hey Peter, come by the house tomorrow at seven, Ill put some more of those ribs you love so much on the grill." Cant you see Peter? Hes looking around hoping no one heard. He whispers, "Thanks but Ive already got an invitation." At a love feast, Peter puts only kosher food on his plate. A Gentile sister says, "Peter, come on over here and sit with us. Youve got to try some of this fresh crab salad." Peter pretends like he didnt hear and sits with the boys from Jerusalem. During the Lords Supper, he sits in the Jewish
section and wont even look at the Greeks. C. Peter Feared for His Reputation. Paul says at the end of v.12 that Peter was "fearing those who were of the circumcision." This is the old Peter who said that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" but then "rebuked the Lord" for predicting His death, burial and resurrection. This is the old Peter who said he would never forsake the Lord but denied Him three times. This is the old Peter who saw the risen Christ but returned to fishing. Peter was more concerned about his reputation among the Jewish Christians than he was for the spiritual health of the Gentile Christians. He was afraid of losing popularity and prestige back in Jerusalem should they ever find out he had been living like a Gentile. D. Peter Caused Others to Stumble. In attempt to please "those who were of the circumcision," the Jews, Peter set off a chain-reaction of hypocrisy. When he rejected the Gentiles, so did others. Paul says in v.13, "And the rest of the Jews played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy." The other Jews who were resident members of the Antioch church began to follow Peters lead. They slowly separated themselves from their Gentile friends. Before long, there was a divide right in the middle of the church. Jews were on one side and Gentiles were on the other. Paul said "even Barnabas" was caught up in Peters "hypocrisy." Etu Barnabas? Pauls constant companion, the other emissary from the Jerusalem council capitulated to the Jews. Paul alone stood in the middle of the divided church. Imagine how the poor Gentile Christians felt. Peter was like a celebrity. They were thrilled that he would eat in their homes and enjoy their fellowship. Now, he ignored and avoided them.
Other friends with Jewish backgrounds began to act the same way. These poor Gentile Christians were no doubt hurt and confused. Some were probably angry and left the church. Some thought they should start keeping the OT laws and be circumcised so they would be acceptable to the Jewish Christians. What a sad state when a church is divided by rituals, race, class or cliques! What a horrible spiritual climate when one Christian rejects or avoids another Christian because he is not in his group! Oh how this grieves the Spirit of God! There is no spiritual power in such a church. Revival is hopeless! Evangelism is nil! Discipleship is unattainable. Paul wrote in Eph.4:3 that we are to be "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Before salvation we were all sinners. After salvation we are all saints. In the eyes of God we are the same. There is one body and one Lord. 3:26 says, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." V.28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ONE IN CHRIST JESUS!" E. Exercising Your Spiritual Freedom is Risky. Where once Peter found his spiritual freedom exhilarating, now he found it frightening. No doubt he was thinking, "If they found out in Jerusalem I am addicted to pork skins, Id be ruined!" "Fearing those who were of the circumcision" he "withdrew" from the Gentile tables. Peter let other men set limits on his spiritual freedom. It is frightening and risky to take those first steps toward spiritual freedom. What will people think if I raise my hands in worship to God? What will they say if I shout "Hallelujah?" How would they feel about me if I bought a motorcycle and grew my hair out long? In what way are you allowing others to limit the liberty you have in Christ? To be bound to man-made rules and tradition is called legalism. I like what Max Lucado once said, "Legalism has no pity on people. Legalism makes my opinion your burden, makes my
opinion your boundary, makes my opinion your obligation."3
III. Spiritual Freedom is Precious.

A. Paul Withstood Peter Face to Face. Go back to v.11 and see where Paul says of Peter "I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed." He opposed him. He rebuked him. He got in his face because he was "clearly in the wrong" (NIV). Even though Peter was an apostle, he was not perfect. He was not beyond a reprimand when he was wrong. Even though Peter was a "pillar" of the church, he wasnt above seeking his own selfish interests and falling into sin. Whats worse, he drug others with him. There are those who teach that after a person has a "spiritual baptism" or a "second blessing" he is above sin. In doing so, they forget about Peter. Peter had the ultimate spiritual baptism on Pentecost. He witnessed in tongues hed never learned. When he preached, 3000 people were saved and baptized. Yet here he was, dividing a church and perverting the gospel of grace because of his concern for his own reputation. B. Paul Fought for the Truth of the Gospel. In v.14, Paul says, "When I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all" This was not some private meeting but a public dressing down. It was "before them all" and "to his face" (v.11). Paul had refused to be "compelled" to circumcise Titus "that the truth of the gospel might continue with you" (v.3,5). Now because "they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel" and because of their actions "compel[led]" the Gentiles to "live as the Jews" or keep dietary laws (v.14), Paul rebuked Peter. Not for one moment would Paul capitulate to legalism. He would not for one moment allow the Gentile believers to think
that they needed to add something to their faith in Christ. Salvation was then and is now not by achieving but by believing, Gods grace plus nothing! If Titus had to be circumcised in Jerusalem, if Gentile Christians in Antioch had to keep the Jewish dietary laws to enjoy full fellowship in the body of Christ, then the grace of God is nullified and Christ died in vain. We will explore v.21 in detail next week but read it with me today, "I do not set aside [nullify] the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." C. Three Predators on Your Spiritual Freedom. Predator #1: FEAR. Peters fear of what the Jewish Christians might think, say or do kept him from fully exercising his spiritual freedom and caused him to lead others astray. Fear is out of sync with the gospel. 2 Tim.1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Prov.29:25 says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." If you came here today with fear, anxiety and depression in your heart, you need to take another look at the gospel. Rom.8:31-34 says, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." Predator #2: HYPOCRISY. The words "hypocrite" and "hypocrisy" in v.13 refer to an actor who wears a mask. He pretends to be someone or something he is not. Peter pretended to believe in the Jewish dietary laws when in his heart he did not. Hypocrisy is always based in insecurity. Insecurity causes us to fail to stand for what we believe is right. When you feel insecure and are tempted to put up a front and void taking a stand for what you believe, you are fighting a battle to believe the gospel. The gospel assures us of Gods love and acceptance. Jesus intentionally suffered for us. He could have put up a front and saved His skin but He didnt. Psa.56:11 says, "In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to
me?" Predator #3: LEGALISM. In a manner of speaking, Paul said to Peter, "Actions speak louder than words. When you as an apostle stopped fellowshipping with the Gentile believers because of dietary laws, you took Barnabas and the other Jews with you. Now the Gentiles think they are not real Christians unless they become Jews." Legalism is requiring something of people God does not require. If you came here trying to please God by keeping some list of dos and dont, you are out of touch with the gospel. God accepts us by grace not works, by believing, not achieving. Legalism doesnt work anyway. Most of the people who want to enforce their list of rules on others often dont even keep their own rules. There is an old story about a black church in which a woman in the balcony got her dress tangled in the railing, and when she pulled, she lost her balance and fell, losing her skirt in the process. The preacher, seeing her predicament, screamed out, "Listen, you men, dont you look at her! IF ANY ONE OF YOU LOOKS, YOULL GO BLIND!" One of the men in the congregation punched his friend and said, "I dont know about you, but I think Ill take a chance with my left eye!"
1
2
Charles R. Swindoll, The Grace Awakening, Word Publishing, 1990, pp.160-161. Taken from Let Me Illustrate. 3 Max Lucado, UpWords Radio Broadcast, May 1993.
Copyright 1998 - 2003 Coy M. Wylie. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in part (except for small quotations used with citation of source), edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Coy M. Wylie, Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, P.O. Box 7403, Amarillo, TX
79114-7403.
The Gist of Justification
Coy Wylie

Galatians 2:15-21 Three-year-old Katie was taken to her pediatrician during a recent bout with the flu. As the doctor examined her ears, he asked, "Will I find Big Bird in here?" Apprehensively, Katie replied, "No." Then, before examining her throat, he asked, "Will I find the Cookie Monster in here?" Again, "No." Finally, listening to her heart, he asked, "Will I find Barney in here?" With innocent conviction, she looked him directly in the eye and said, "No, Jesus is in my heart. Barney is on my underwear." I dont want to know what is on your underwear, but I hope Jesus is in your heart! Having Jesus in your heart, being right with God, is the most important issue of life. The Bible calls this JUSTIFICATION. Well deal with the theological more in a minute. The truth is if I am right with God, I can be right with my wife and children. If I am right with God, I can be right with the people on my job and in my church. If I am right with God, I can be right with my finances and my possessions. If I am right with God, I can handle anything life throws at me. Being right with God comes down to having a right relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. The book of Galatians is about JUSTIFICATION, the right way to be right with God. The Apostle Paul had helped establish at least four churches in the region of Galatia. After he left them, false teachers crept in and began to subvert the gospel. They taught that to be right with God, you not only had to trust in Christ but you must also be circumcised and keep the Jewish laws of the OT. Paul has already explained how he took Titus, an uncircumcised Christian to Jerusalem and counseled with the other apostles and from them he "was not compelled to be circumcised" (v.3). In other words, all the apostles agreed that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. Last week we learned that Peter had "come to Antioch" where Paul and Barnabas were teaching. At first he would "eat with the Gentiles," that is he did not follow the Jewish dietary laws of the OT. However, when some "men came from James," some Jewish Christians, Peter hypocritically "withdrew" from the Gentile believers and practiced again the OT dietary laws. Paul was furious at Peter. He says in v.11, "I withstood him to his face because he was to
be blamed." Why was Paul so ticked off? Because Peters hypocrisy caused the Gentile Christians to think that in order to be right with God, they needed something other than simple faith in Jesus. Peter caused them to think that they should add keeping the law to their faith in order to be saved. Paul didnt confront Peter privately. When he saw that Peter was not being "straightforward about the truth of the gospel" he spoke to him "before them all" (v.14). He stood toe to toe, eyeball to eyeball with Peter and let him have it! Last week we saw the wrong that Peter did. This week we will learn why Peter was so wrong. While Peter believed the gospel in principle, he had violated it in practice. Paul told Peter and later wrote to the Galatians that we are JUSTIFIED by faith in Jesus, not by keeping the law.
I. Our Greatest NEED is to be Right with God (vv.15-16).

A. We are all Sinners. There are two basic facts that we need to understand. The first is God is righteous or holy. The second is we are not. If God is righteous and we are not then we are not right with God, on the contrary there is something wrong between us. The Bible asks, "For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?" (2 Cor.6:14). Job 25:4 asks, "How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?" Paul says to Peter in v.15, "We who are Jews by nature" are not "sinners" like the Gentiles. He didnt mean that Jews dont sin. He meant they knew and kept the ceremonial laws of the OT and the Gentiles didnt. In v.17 he says, "We ourselves are also found sinners." In other words, just because the Jews kept the dietary laws and ate only kosher foods did not mean that they were not sinners. Keeping those laws did not make them right with God. In Eph.2:1-3 describes the natural state of everyone, both Jew and Gentile. Paul writes, "And you [you Gentiles] He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now
works in the sons of disobedience" Now note v.3, "among whom also we [we Jews] all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others [just like you Gentiles]." Rom.3:10 says, "There is none righteous, no, not one." Whether you are a law-keeping, kosher Jew or a pagan barhopping Gentile, not one of us is right with God. In fact, Rom.3:23 says, "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." "All" means all! Jews, Gentiles, men, women, boys, girls, Baptist, Presbyterians, Catholics, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, etc ALL, everyone who lives or has ever lived is a sinner and is not right with God. This was true when Paul wrote this letter almost 2000 years ago and it is equally true today. It is true about you and me! B. We all need to be Justified. Glance down at v.16. Do you see that there is one word that is repeated three times in this one verse? What is it? The word is "justified." I know it sounds like a technical, theological, churchy word and it is. However, it is one of the most important words we could ever know and thus it is a word we need to understand. "Justified" is a legal term that is borrowed from the court of law. It is the opposite of "condemned." To be condemned is to be declared guilty. To be "justified" is to be declared not guilty. The Bible uses this word to describe what God has done to make things right between him and us. To be "justified" before God means God has not only pardoned or acquitted us, but accepted us as righteous just like He is righteous. Billy Graham says it so simply, "To be justified means to be just as if I had never sinned." C. We cannot be Justified by the Law. Paul says in v.16 that both he and Peter know or are "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law." He adds at the end of the verse that "by the works of the law no flesh [nobody] shall be justified." In others words, if you think that
God will accept you because youve read the OT and try to keep all those laws, youre wrong. Granted, few people try to live by the OT anymore. However, many people think that God accepts them because they are "good people." Just this week I read a quote from the famous actress Sophia Loren. "I'm not a practicant," she says, not a part of organized religion, "but I pray. I read the Bible. It's the most beautiful book ever written. I should go to heaven; otherwise it's not nice. I haven't done anything wrong. My conscience is very clean. My soul is as white as those orchids over there, and I should go straight, straight to heaven."1 In other words, she thinks God will accept her because she is basically a good person. She says she has read the Bible but she hasnt read Galatians 2 if she believes she has done nothing wrong. She is either ignorant of or consciously ignoring the fact that God says over and over in the Bible that she, like everyone else, is a sinner and that she cannot be good enough or clean enough to please God. If we try to come to God in our own goodness we are CONDEMNED not "justified." John Stott writing of man trying to justify himself states, "It has been the religion of the ordinary man both before and since. It is the religion of the man-in-the-street today. Indeed, it is the fundamental principle of every religious and moral system in the world except New Testament Christianity. It is popular because it is flattering. It tells a man that if he will only pull his socks up a bit higher and try a bit harder, he will succeed in winning his own salvation. But it is a fearful delusion. It is the biggest lie of the biggest liar the world has ever known, the devil, whom Jesus called the father of lies. Nobody has ever been justified by the works of the law, for the simple reason that nobody has ever perfectly kept the law."2 I like the story of a dad who was reading a Bible story to his 5year-old son about Moses and the Ten Commandments. He asked, "Now son, how many commandments did God give Moses?" The little boy quickly replied, "Too many!" He was right. The 10 great commandments are too many and too hard for any of us to keep. We are not justified by keeping the law
because we cant keep it. D. We can only be Justified by Faith. Look again at the first word in v.16, "knowing." This is something Paul and Peter knew. This is something we need to know. We need to know that "a man [any man] is not justified by the works of the law [or being a good person] but BY FAITH in Jesus Christ." We cant live perfectly before God but Jesus could. He was Gods virgin-born Son. He kept the law that we could not keep. He was not only good; He was perfect. He lived a perfect life and then He died a sacrificial death. He took all our failures, all our faults, all our guilt and all our sin upon Himself on the cross. The Bible says in Rom.5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Paul says of himself and Peter, "even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ." This was not something for other people or just for Gentiles. Paul and Peter and the other Jews had "believed" on Jesus. They put their trust in Him, not religion to make them right with God. What was true of Paul, Peter, the Jews and the Gentiles of that time is true of you and me today. If we are to be right with God, if we are to be declared not guilty or "justified," then we must come to God in faith. Kevin Miller tells the story of a 16-year-old girl from the Chicago suburbs who had been driving at night with friends, and she had backed into a light pole. The pole had broken off and then falling forward, crashing down onto the car. A 12-year-old friend in the car had been severely injured; in fact, she was brain dead when she arrived at the hospital. A young pastor named Michael walked with the 12-year-old's family as they went through the wrenching process of realizing the truth and allowing the life support to be removed. The following morning, Michael visited the hospital room of the 16-year-old driver. Physically, she was recovering well, but emotionally, she was distraught knowing that her actions had killed her friend. "I'm
going to be like a daughter to her parents," she told Michael. "I'm going to go over to their house every day and baby-sit for them. I'll wash dishes for them every night. I'll go over there every week and mow their lawn." Michael gradually helped her realize the truth that no matter what she did, she could never replace their daughter. She could never do enough to make up for her actions. All she could do was ask for forgiveness and hope that the parents would find it in their hearts to forgive her. The parents who lost their daughter, amazingly, did forgive this girl. She was set free from trying to pay back a debt she could never repay no matter what she did. We owe a debt we cannot pay. No matter how many good things we do, we can never make up for our sin. Only when we come to God in faith, asking forgiveness for our sins and trusting in the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross can we ever be right with God.
II. Our Constant BARRIER is the Law (vv.17-18).

Note the word "But" at the beginning of v.17. When you argue with someone, you but in. You say "But what about" Paul is anticipating the argument of the Jews concerning the law. This is a difficult verse so allow me to paraphrase it, "If God justifies bad people, what is the point of being good? Cant we just do as we like and live as we please?" Said a different way, "If we are justified or made right with God apart from keeping the law or being good people then we can just sin all we want to. If we dont have to do good works to please God then Jesus Himself is encouraging our sin." Paul says emphatically "Certainly not!" or "God forbid" (KJV), absolutely not! Jesus is not "a minister of sin." He does not cause us to sin but forgives our sin. If I trust in Jesus but go back to my old life and commit all the old sins I used to commit it is not His fault but mine. I can only blame myself. Paul says in v.17, "I make myself a transgressor." Think of the law as being a set of train tracks that led Gods people where they were supposed to go. The engine is Gods grace by His Spirit. The couplings are faith. What the Jews had done was dismantle Gods train tracks (the law). They took the rails, spikes and cross-ties and used them to try to build a ladder that reached to heaven. It didnt work.
The law was never meant to save anyone. Well cover this in detail in a few weeks but notice 3:24, "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." In other words when you try to keep the Ten Commandments and realize you cant keep them you turn to Jesus in faith. One pastor tells about traveling in his car with his family on a warm summer night. His 3-year-old son, sat in his car seat in the back. After many miles of driving in the darkness, they came to a stoplight in a remote area. The brightness of the traffic light revealed all of the dirt, dead bugs, and insects on their windshield. The little boy said, "Look, how dirty!" The pastor didnt think much of his comment until a moment later when we drove onaway from the light and back into the darkness. Upon reentering the darkness, he could no longer see the mess on our windshield and his son quickly piped up and said, "Now the glass is clean!" Before the law came, the dirt within us hid under the darkness. But when God gave the law, its light shined on the windshield of our hearts and revealed the filth of sin we'd collected on our journey. The law, then, is a light that shows us how sinful we really are. It cannot cleanse us or make us whole. But it does starkly highlight the true situation of our souls and thus can lead us to Christ.
III. Our Only HOPE is in the Cross (vv.19-21).

A. We must Die to Ourselves. Paul makes a strange statement in v.19. He says, "For I through the law died to the law" A cartoon shows two couples sitting in a living room engaged in Bible study. One of the women says, "Well I havent actually died to sin but I did feel kind of faint once." When the apostles says that he "through the law died to the law," he means that in trying to keep the law he realized that the law was hopeless. Try as he might, he just couldnt do it. He could keep some of the law but never all the law. For everything he did right he did three things wrong. He wrote of his own struggle in Rom 7:19, "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." Sound familiar? He gathered up all his religious accomplishments, his theological degrees, his ministerial awards, all his good deeds
and considered them a pile of manure (Phil.3:8). He "died" to them. It as if he is saying, "For a long time I wore a mask, I held on to my accomplishments and tried to impress God by what I had achieved and how good I was. Down deep I knew I was a sinner. Finally, I took off the mask and was honest with myself and God. It was only at that moment, when I died to myself that I really began to live to God." The great reformer, Martin Luther had the same experience. He once wrote, "If ever a monk got to heaven by monkery, I would have got there too; all my brothers will testify to that. For if it had gone on much longer, I would simply have martyred myself to death with vigils, prayers, reading and other work." Thankfully he discovered that his hope was in Jesus. B. We must Die with Jesus. V.20 is perhaps the best known verse in Galatians. It is the crown jewel of the book. It states succinctly what it means to have hope in Jesus Christ. Weve already learned that we cannot impress God by being good, doing good, keeping the law or being religious. All of us fall short of that mark. That leaves us with two options. First, we can GIVE UP. Many people do that. They figure if Gods standards are so high, whats the point? If we cant please God no matter what we do then why try? We might as well do whatever we want, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Sadly, many people live this way. Option number two is that we can HOPE IN CHRIST. Let me explain. Paul "died to the law" but he also died with Jesus. He says in v.20, "I have been crucified with Christ." Woah! Say what? Paul was not physically "crucified." He had not physically "died." Jesus crucifixion had taken place long before Paul became a Christian. What he means is by faith he accepted Jesus death on the cross for his sins. When he stopped trusting in himself and started trusting in Jesus, he died to his old life. Notice the second statement in v.20, "It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me." Paul had "died" to his old life and now
was living a new life. When a person comes to Christ in faith, everything changes. 2 Cor.5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." What a wonderful, mysterious statement! I am no longer who I was before I met Jesus. The old me is D-E-A-D DEAD! The new me is completely different. I didnt just turn over a new leaf or exercise the will power to change. No, the difference is "Christ lives in me." Jesus is alive today seated at the right hand of the Father but He is also alive in me. To be "in Christ" means that Jesus is living out His agenda, His priorities, and His love through my life. The old me died and Jesus took over! C. We must Live in Faith. Because "Christ lives in me" Paul says, "the life which I now live in the flesh [this life I am living right now] I live by FATIH." Do you get it? We are saved by faith not works. We live by faith, not works. Even now that I am saved, the only way I can please God is by faith. Listen to Stott again, "In one sense, we live this new life through faith in Christ. In another sense, it is not we who live it at all, but Christ who lives in us. And, living in us, He gives us new desires for holiness, for God, for heaven. It is not that we cannot sin again; we can. But we do not want to. The whole tenor of our life has changed. Everything is different now, because we ourselves are different."3 Living by faith means trusting Jesus moment by moment, being in constant communication. Because "Christ lives in me" I am never alone. Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, He is always with me. He will never leave me nor forsake me. When I sin, He convicts me. When I am discouraged, He comforts me. When I am confused, He teaches me. When I am in need, He provides for me. When I am weak, He strengthens me. When I am proud, He humbles me. When I am in doubt, He assures me. He is EVERYTHING to me! How? Why is this true? Because, as Paul says, "the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me." If He only loved
me but couldnt help me, Id be hopeless. If He could help me but didnt love me Id still be hopeless. But because He both loves me and was willing to give Himself for me, I can live my life in complete and absolute confidence in Him. I love how that truth is expressed in Rom.8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" D. We must go Forward not Backward. In v.21, Paul says to now after trusting in Christ, not the law or our own good works, to go back again and try to impress God by our ability to keep the law or be good would be to "set aside [nullify or make void] the grace of God." He says, "For if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain." In other words, if I could please God by being good, then Jesus death is pointless. The Jewish Christians had trusted in Christ but now wanted to go back to their legalistic keeping of the law not realizing that Christ had already kept the law for them. Today many people trust in Christ for salvation, but rather than enjoy their wonderful relationship with Christ, they turn to religion. They try to keep man-made rules, rituals and regulations. These things rob them of their joy and bring grief to Jesus. If I couldnt impress God with my good works before I was saved, I will never impress Him with good works after I am saved. I dont need to impress Him. I just need His grace. Nothing I can do will make Him love me more and nothing I can do will make Him love me less. I was saved in the past by His grace, I stand today in His grace and my hope for the future is in His grace. A duck hunter was with a friend in the wide-open land of southeastern Georgia. Far away on the horizon he noticed a cloud of smoke. Soon he could hear crackling as the wind shifted. He realized the terrible truth: a brushfire was advancing, so fast they couldn't outrun it. Rifling through his pockets, he soon found what he was looking for-a book of matches. He lit a small fire around the two of them. Soon they were standing in a circle of blackened earth, waiting for the fire to come. They
didn't have to wait long. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and braced themselves. The fire came near and swept over them. But they were completely unhurt, untouched. Fire would not pass where fire had already passed. The law is like a brushfire. I cannot escape it. But if I stand in the burned over place, not a hair of my head will be singed. Christ's death is the burned-over place. There I huddle, hardly believing yet relieved. The law is powerful, yet powerless: Christ's death has disarmed it.4
1
2
Sophia Loren, USA Today (2-4-99). John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, (Madison, WI: Intervarsity Press, 1968), p. 62. 3 Ibid, pp.65-66. 4 Adapted from Who Will Deliver Us?, by Paul F.M. Zahl. Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 4.
Legalism & Spiritual Growth
Coy Wylie

Galatians 3:1-5 David Letterman has his Top Ten List every night. Recently a pastor friend sent me the Top Seven Signs Your Pastor Needs a Vacation: 7. His first words to the congregation are "Alright, listen up you heathens..." 6. He falls asleep during his own sermon. 5. He shows up for Sunday service wearing Bermuda shorts and a tank top. 4. Every time his pager goes off, he shouts, "Why can't they just leave me alone?" 3. Announces baptismal services will be at the Grand Canyon. 2. You go to his office for counseling and pour your heart out to him and he says, "Sounds like a personal problem to me." AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOUR PASTOR NEEDS A VACATION: For the past six weeks he has preached the same sermon every Sunday! I have no doubt I could use a vacation, but it only seems like Ive been preaching the same message for the last six weeks! That is because in this section of Galatians, Paul has consistently rung one bell. He has beat one drum. He has one constant theme: We are saved by grace not by works. We are justified, made right with God by believing not achieving. When Paul established the churches of Galatia, he taught them of Gods grace, His unmerited favor, His undeserved, unconditional love for them. He taught them that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8). However later some Jewish false teachers called Judaizers came into the churches and taught these baby Christians that they needed to add circumcision and the OT law to their faith in Jesus. That teaching is called legalism, trying to please God by keeping rules and regulations. Dont misunderstand. We need rules. Without rules, society would be chaotic. We even need rules in the church or else we would be like Israel where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Our rule in this church is to be obedient as possible to the Bible, Gods revealed Word. Legalism is not keeping rules; rather legalism is a wrong attitude about keeping rules.
Legalism exalts self, judges others and bases everything on performance. Legalism exalts the rules rather than wisdom and discernment. Let me give you some silly examples of some legalistic laws in our country. "Young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it's in a church. In Blackwater, Kentucky, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather duster while she's in church service carries a penalty of $10.00 and one day in jail. No one can eat unshelled, roasted peanuts while attending church in Idanha, Oregon. In Honey Creek, Iowa, no one is permitted to carry a slingshot to church except a policeman. No citizen in Leecreek, Arkansas, is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment. Swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited in Studley, Virginia. Turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at any time in Slaughter, Louisiana."1 Repeatedly the Apostle has taught us that we cannot be right with God by keeping the rules. We cannot be saved by being good because none of us are good, no not one. The Bible clearly states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph.2:8-9). We cannot be saved by legalism. I think most of the Galatians knew they had been saved by grace not legalism. However, they seem to have been buying into the false teaching that said in order to maintain their salvation and reach a new level with God they had to keep all the rules and regulations. They didnt buy SALVATION by legalism but they were neck-deep in SANCTIFICATION by legalism. V.3 is the theme of this passage, "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" Sanctification is a churchy, theological word with a very simple meaning. It refers to what God is now doing in your life after salvation. From the moment you were born again, God has been at work in your life growing you up spiritually, conforming you to the image of Christ. Sanctification is the process of spiritual maturity. I sincerely doubt if any of you believe you can be saved by works or by legalism. However, I suspect a great many of us are trying to be sanctified or attain spiritual growth by keeping rules. Sanctification-by-legalism wont keep you out of heaven but it will surely rob you of joy, peace and the blessing God has in store for you. Believers often easily fall prey to the trap of legalism. Today well begin by determining five reasons why many Christians live in legalism, then from our text well discover five reasons why we should not live in legalism and finally well learn how to get out of the legalistic trap.
I. Why Christians Live in Legalism.

A. REASON #1: They have a Distorted View of God. The God of Scripture is a gracious and loving Father. He is slow to anger, quick to forgive and abounds in mercy for His children. He looks beyond our failures, faults and sin and willfully accepts us as His own. He views us as slaves set free, adoptive children and branches of His vine. By grace He robes us in the righteousness of His Son and has dealt with our sin once for all on the Cross of Calvary. He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west and buries them in the depths of the sea. He remembers them no more. God always deals with us in grace. While most of us would absolutely agree with these statements, we tend to apply them to SALVATION not SANCTIFICATION. We agree that positionally God views us in these ways but practically we must constantly work to please Him. That is legalism. Some of us view God like a TRAFFIC COP. He is always watching us with His holy radar gun. As long as we obey all the rules, He pays little attention to us. However, try to slip through a yellow light, go 70 in a 60 miles per hour zone or park in a handicap space and He will nail you every time. Christians with this view of God live in fear. Other believers see God as a DOMINEERING PARENT. Hes always watching over our shoulders, controlling every aspect of our lives. He doesnt trust us to make our own decisions or to exercise discernment and wisdom. Hes got a rule for every situation. Still others see God as the RECORD KEEPER. Hes taking notes on everything. One day He will display all our sins and shortcomings on a giant screen for all to see. He keeps detail records on every mistake, foul-up and blunder. This view of God can easily be seen in lyrics from a childrens song, "O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little ears what you hear, O be careful little feet where you go, For
the Father up above is looking down in love, O be careful little" I doubt many children have learned about the love of God in this little ditty but they have certainly learned that He is a great record keeper. If we distort the biblical view of God into that of a traffic cop, domineering parent or record keeper it is no wonder we live in legalistic fear that we will violate one of His rules and bring down on ourselves swift and immediate judgment. Yet, this is a false view of God. B. REASON #2: They see Grace as a Pry-Bar for Obedience. Have you ever used a pry-bar? Some believers see Gods grace as nothing but a tool God uses us to pry us into obedience. They see grace not as Gods unchanging character but something He uses to manipulate us. They see God as saying, "Look at all Ive done for you. I saved you. I forgave you. I died on a cross for your many sins. What are you doing for me? You are a disgrace. Arent you grateful? You should be ashamed of yourself. Now get up and get with it!" Though thinking of God this way may motivate us to do what is right, it removes true grace from our lives and reduces us to legalistic rule-keepers. C. REASON #3: They Believe God accepts us on the Basis of Performance. Many have been raised by parents who even unintentionally programmed their children to believe that acceptance is based on performance, even perfection. Theyve been conditioned to think that if they have good grades, a strong batting average or make first chair in band that mom and dad will accept them and love them. Their self-worth is tied to their performance. Unfortunately they see God the same way. They strive to do things well not so much to please God but in fear that if they do not do well God will not accept them. They always feel God is displeased with their lack of perfection so they keep trying to do more. Thats the heart of legalism. D. REASON #4: They have had Legalism Ground Into Them.
I grew up in a fairly legalistic church. I was taught that salvation is by grace, but as soon as a person is saved he must get to work for God. In essence I was taught salvation by grace but sanctification (spiritual maturity) by works. I was an adult before I realized that God accepts me by grace period. Salvation, sanctification, glorification all by grace not of my works. I was in full-time ministry before I came to understand that God loves me and accepts me completely. He will never love me any more and will never love me any less. Nothing I do or do not do will change our relationship because it is completely based on His grace not my performance. I have to be honest. Legalism has been so ground into me that I still struggle with striving to please God while intellectually I know He is already pleased with me because I am robed in the righteousness of His Son. E. REASON #5: Legalism can seem so Spiritual. Legalistic Christians so often seem to have it altogether. They are disciplined and uncompromising. They are consistent in church attendance, take their Bibles to work and/or school. They dont smoke, drink, curse and a zillion other donts. The question is why dont they do these things? Motivation is the bottom line. Do you avoid certain behaviors because of what others think or because of your passion for God? Some Christians may not smoke or drink but they are inwardly covetous and greedy? Which sin is worse? The legalist may look like Mr. Maturity on the outside but inwardly he may be far from God. Legalism is deceptive because people use it to mask who they really are. Maybe one or more of these examples fits you. I am certain many of us are still struggling with these issues when we should relax in Gods grace. Lets examine our passage and see why legalism is a pointless, futile struggle.
II. Why Christians Should Not Live in Legalism.
A. REASON #1: Living in Legalism is Idiotic (v.1a). Paul begins this section by exclaiming "Oh foolish Galatians." "Foolish" comes from a word that means "out of your mind." J. B. Phillips picks up on that definition in his translation, "O you dear idiots of Galatia surely you cant be so idiotic." The Greek word does not speak of someone who was truly halfwitted but someone who ignores truth. We most often use the word "idiot" not to speak of someone with a learning disability but someone who is obviously not an idiot but acts like one anyway. Why did Paul say they were acting like idiots? Because others had "bewitched" them. They had allowed false teachers to "cast a spell" on them. Greek Christians came from a background of spiritual paganism. They were familiar with sorcerers who could put an evil eye or a hex on someone. They were acting like mindless zombies, spiritual robots with the Judaizers at the controls. Paul tells them theyve allowed the false teachers to put a spell on them so they now reject what they know to be true about Gods grace. When a Christian trusts in his own legalistic good works to please God instead of Gods grace he is playing the fool and acting, to use the Apostles words, like an idiot. B. REASON #2: Living in Legalism Ignores the Cross (v.1b). Paul says they have "not obeyed the truth" and reminded them that before their very eyes he "Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." "Portrayed" is from prographo, a term used to describe the posting of important public notices on a placard. Paul is saying, "I told you in vivid detail about how Jesus died an agonizing death on the cross to pay for your sins. I might as well have put it up on giant billboards all over your cities." The crucifixion was Pauls primary message. He said in 1 Cor.2:2, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." In other words, you dont have to vainly try to be good to make up for your sins, Jesus has already paid for them, past, present and future. You must simply
believe. Remember 2:21, "If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." Stott has written, "The force of the perfect tense of the participle [grammatical construction of the sentence] is that Christs work was completed on the cross, and that the benefits of His crucifixion are for ever fresh, valid and available. Sinners may be justified before God and by God, not because of any works of their own, but because of the atoning work of Christ; not because of anything that they have done or could do, but because of what Christ did once, when He died. The gospel is not good advice to men, but good news about Christ; not an invitation for us to do anything, but a declaration of what God has done; not a demand, but an offer."2 C. REASON #3: Living in Legalism Contradicts the Holy Spirit (vv.2-3). The Apostle says, "This only I want to learn from you," or "I only have one question." He asks, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?" When a person is saved, born again, they experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If you did not "receive the Spirit" then you were not saved. Rom 8:9 says, "Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Paul knows they have been saved. He mentions in v.5 how the Spirit had worked "miracles" among them. His question is did they receive the Spirit through Gods grace or did they earn His presence by their works? Of course the answer is by grace, by "the hearing of faith." In v.3, he moves from salvation to sanctification. He asks, "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh." In other words, "If you could not be saved by good works and did not receive the Spirit by good works how can you now believe that you will be made perfect or become mature by relying on your own ability to be good?" We do not attain spiritual maturity by keeping lists of dos and donts. We gain spiritual maturity by surrendering to the Spirit of God. Its grace! Gal.5:16 says,
"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." For example, I know I need to read the Scripture everyday. Sometimes I read the Bible hurriedly, quickly trying to get through so I can go on to something else. When thats my attitude, I am a legalist. God is not impressed. I learn nothing. I waste my time. However, when I say, "Holy Spirit open my eyes to Your truth, teach me," when I read carefully, I always find some nugget of truth that I can apply to my life. Thats the difference between legalism and walking in the Spirit. D. REASON #4: Living in Legalism makes Persecution Pointless (v.4). Paul says in v.4, "Have you suffered so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain?" These early Christians suffered for their faith. They were persecuted on all sides. However the worst persecution came from the Jews who saw Christianity as a threat to their ancient religion. Paul is saying that if they try now to live like Jews (circumcision, the law, rituals) then what was the point of standing up to persecution, it was "in vain." Have you ever been persecuted as a Christian? Do people at school or work mock you because of your faith? If you are living in legalism then you are not growing spiritually and what you suffer from them is also "in vain." E. REASON #5: Living in Legalism Stifles Spiritual Growth (v.5). In v.5, Paul points out two blessings from the Lord. God "supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you." V.2 says they "receive[d] the Spirit," past tense. V.5 says God "supplies [empowers, ministers] the Spirit to you," present tense. Paul has moved from talking about the once-for-all indwelling of the Spirit, to the day-to-day ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If you are a genuine believer, you sense the work subjective work of the Holy Spirit. He guides you, teaches you, comforts you, etc There are times in our lives where the Spirit moves with unmistakable power. He speaks to our hearts. He enables us
to do something we could have never done on our own. Paul wants to know, did the Spirit work in your life because you do "the works of the law" or because of the "hearing of faith?" God also "works miracles." Some say there no miracles today. I dont buy that. We dont have miraculous sign gifts today but I believe it is an affront to God to say He doesnt work miracles. The greatest miracle that ever takes place is when someone is saved, a sinner becomes a saint. I think of times in our church when people have been desperately ill. Weve prayed for them, asked God to work His will in their lives. Weve asked for miraculous healing. Some were not healed. Some were. Were they healed because of believing or achieving? Some of you have seen God answer prayers in an amazing way. You seen God radically change everything. Did this happen by grace or because you kept a list of dos and donts? When we "walk in the Spirit" we trust God and give glory to God when He moves mightily in our lives. When we walk in legalism, we see Gods blessings as a result of our faithfulness and misfortune as a result of our faithlessness. In legalism, everything depends on me. In walking in the Spirit, everything depends on God.
III. How Christians Can Overcome Legalism.

A. We need a Right Image of God. God is a gracious God. His grace to us is not just at past salvation or future glorification but right now in present sanctification. He will always deal with His children in grace. His wrath is reserved only for those who reject His Son. He accepts us when we do what is right and when we do what is wrong. He doesnt throw His grace in our faces or try to shame us into obedience. He loves us. He absolutely loves us. I am not saying that God tolerates sin. God hates sin in the unbeliever and in the believer. I like the way Elisa Morgan said it, "God, who sees us in our worst moments, does not
measure us by them."3 His grace is sufficient for our sin. While He hates the sin in our lives, He loves us. B. We need an Accurate Understanding of Grace. I am quite certain that there is no more beautiful word in any language than "grace." God loves us and blesses us even though we dont deserve His love or blessings. He chose us from the foundation of the world. He called us to Himself. He justified us, declared us right. He is at work sanctifying us, making us holy. He will glorify us fully one day soon. All that is about grace. We didnt earn any of it. The legalist follows his list of dos and dont in order to win Gods acceptance and avoid His judgment. The spiritual believer who understands grace does or does not do because He loves Christ and is concerned for his own testimony. He understands that even when He falls, God always catches him in the net of grace. This week, the Lord showed me a beautiful passage that expresses this very truth. 1 Thess.5:23-24 says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." I dont have to sanctify myself, my faithful Father in Heaven is doing it already! A ship was wrecked, and the only survivor washed up on a small uninhabited island. He was exhausted. He cried out to God to save him. Every day he scanned the horizon, searching for help. Finally, he managed to build a rough hut and put his few articles in that hut. One day, coming home from hunting for food, he was stung with grief to see his little hut in flames and a cloud of smoke. The worst had happened. But early the next day, a ship crew came in and rescued him. He asked the crew, "How did you know I was here?" They replied, "We saw your smoke signal." Lets ask God to burn our legalistic huts so we can be rescued by His grace.4
1 2
Robert W. Pelton, The Door. Christian Reader, Vol. 33, no. 5 Stott, p.70. 3 Elisa Morgan, founder of MOPS International, Marriage Partnership, Vol.13, No.1.

4
John Yates, "An Attitude of Gratitude," Preaching Today, Tape No. 110.
Like Father, Like Son
Coy Wylie

Galatians 3:6-14 Long, long ago in a far away place, God spoke to a man named Abram. Abram lived in a city called Ur of the Chaldees near modern-day Bagdad. He wasnt a young man. In fact, he was 75 years old. We dont know if God spoke to him in a dream by night or a vision by day. God simply spoke. He said, "Get out of your country, From your family and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.12:1-3). Abram believed God. Immediately he left everything behind, the life he had built for 75 years to follow God. Whats more, he didnt even know where he was going. As Abram traveled across the wilderness following the voice of God, the Lord continued to talk to him about how his descendants would inherit all this land. There was one problem. Abram didnt have any children. Finally, Abram asked God how he could have any descendants when he was an old man without any children. God "brought him outside" his tent and told him to look up at the star-studded midnight sky. He said, "Now look toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." God promised, "So shall your descendants be" (Gen.15:5). Later God reaffirmed the promise. He said, "Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.22:17-18). The Bible says "Abraham believed in the Lord and He accounted it to him for righteousness." As we fast forward in our Bible to the NT to Luke 3, some 2,000 years later, we find John the Baptist speaking to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel. They came to John wanting to be baptized. John rebuked them saying, "Bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones." Children from stones, a mighty nation from the seed of an old man, our God is a mighty miracle-working, promise-keeping God. In fact, God is still keeping those promises. He is still building a great nation from Abrahams lineage and is still raising up sons of Abraham from stony hearts.
When I went to church camp as a boy, we sang a silly wake-up song called "Father Abraham." It said, "Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. And I am one of them and so are you, so lets just praise the Lord." It had all sorts of silly motions that were designed to wake us up and get us ready for the day. Yet it told a great spiritual truth, by faith in Jesus Christ, we are the sons of Abraham, we are true Jews. My ancestors were Scottish Presbyterians and English Baptists. To my knowledge, I dont have a trace of Jewish blood. Still, I am a Jew, a child of Abraham not by blood but by faith. In our text, the Apostle Paul continues to teach that salvation is by Gods grace, not works. In fact, salvation has always been by grace through faith and never by works. Even Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation was saved by grace through faith. We become the spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham, true Jews by faith. Lets examine three truths from the passage.
I. Faith Brings Righteousness (vv.6-9).

A. Abrahams Faith was Accounted to Him for Righteousness (v.6). The Galatian churches were made up primarily of Gentiles who had believed on Jesus under Pauls ministry. After Paul left them, some false Jewish teachers known as Judaizers had crept in. They taught these Gentile Christians that in order to truly be saved, they had to keep the law of Moses and be circumcised. In this passage, Paul seems to be saying, "So you want to talk about salvation? You want to talk about the law? Lets not stop with Moses, lets go all the way back to the first Jew. Lets talk about Abraham, the father of the Jews." The Judaizers knew the promise, the covenant, God had made with Abraham. They knew that in him "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." However, they reasoned that if the Gentile nations were to be blessed in Abraham, they would have to become like Abraham and be circumcised. In our day, almost all baby boys are circumcised for health reasons. It wasnt so in biblical times. God commanded Abraham to be circumcised and to circumcise his children. He said in Gen.17:10 "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised." Circumcision,
the cutting away of the foreskin was a symbol of the need to cut away sin from the heart. As part of the reproductive organ it also symbolized that our sin nature is inherited. Paul points out that what these false teachers were omitting is that Abraham had been saved long before God commanded him to be circumcised. Quoting Gen.15:6, Paul reminds them that the Scripture says, "Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness." God told Abraham to follow Him to believe His unbelievable promise. Abraham did and God "accounted" or considered him righteous. Abraham was saved simply by believing not achieving. Abraham was saved at least 14 years before he was commanded to be circumcised. He lived hundreds of years before God gave Moses the law. Circumcision was a mark, not the means of salvation. In the same way, baptism is a symbol, not the substance of salvation. There has always been only one way to be saved, to be right with God and that is faith. B. We become Abrahams Sons and Daughters by Faith (vv.7-9). Next, Paul says, "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham." A major question among Jewish people today is who is a true Jew? Generally, a Jew is defined as a person who has a Jewish mother. This had important ramifications in Israel as it pertains to immigration laws and who can hold public office. In this verse, Paul is stating two important implications. First, some who are born Jews are not really Jews. Second, some who are not born Jews are really Jews? Confused? Hang on! First, some who are born Jews are not really Jews. There are people who have Jewish blood but are not part of Gods family. Paul says "only those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham." A person can be born Jewish, be circumcised and keep all the rules, rituals and regulations of Judaism and still have no legitimate claim to Abraham. Why? Because kinship to
Abraham comes through faith, not heredity or the law. In a similar sense, I have known people who believe they are Christians simply because their parents were Christians or because they were raised in church and in a Christian home. Your parents cant save you. Your church cant save you. The only way anyone has ever been saved, even old Abraham is through faith! Second, Paul infers that some who are not born Jew are really Jews. Again in v.7, we read that it is "those who are of faith" that are the sons of Abraham. You dont have to be born Jewish to be a son of Abraham but you do have to be born again! We dont have to become Jewish. We dont have to become proselytes. We dont have to be circumcised. We dont have to keep the OT laws and rituals. We have to come in "faith." Long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, long before He died on a Roman cross and rose from the borrowed tomb, God was "preaching the gospel [the good news] to Abraham" that in him "all the families of the earth shall be blessed." We are "blessed" through Abraham. Through Abrahams family came our Savior, Jesus Christ. In Abraham we have the example of faith that we might believe in Jesus. Paul says, "So then those who are of faith [whether they are Jew or Gentile, male or female, black or white] are sons of Abraham." All believers are sons of Abraham by faith not by blood. Abraham knew little of the Lord but when he heard His voice, he obeyed. We know so much more about the Lord. We know the full gospel that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again. When we exercise faith in that good news, we too are saved, our faith is "accounted for righteousness."
II. The Law Brings a Curse (vv.10-12).

The false teachers were saying that it is not enough for a person to believe in Jesus, he must also be circumcised. Further, they added that he must also keep the OT laws and traditions. Paul has already pointed out that Abraham was saved by faith long before the law was given.
Now he shows the futility of trying to keep the law. Everyone who tries to keep the law is "under the curse." A. What the Law Demands. First, the law demands performance. Paul quotes Deut.27:26 saying, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." This was probably a favorite verse of the Judaizers. Circle the word "do." It is not enough merely to know the law or agree with the law, a person must "do" the law. Do you always "do" mans law, much less Gods law? Second, the law demands complete performance. Circle the words "all things." If you are going to keep the law, you must keep "all things" in the law. It is either all or nothing. You dont get to pick and choose. When the Rich Young Ruler was asked about keeping the law, he said, "Which ones?" All of them! James 2:10 says, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." God judges by different standards. In Words We Live By, Brian Burrell tells of an armed robber named Dennis Lee Curtis who was arrested in 1992 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Curtis apparently had scruples about his thievery. In his wallet the police found a sheet of paper on which was written the following code: "1. I will not kill anyone unless I have to. 2. I will take cash and food stampsno checks. 3. I will rob only at night. 4. I will not wear a mask. 5. I will not rob mini-marts or 7Eleven stores. 6. If I get chased by cops on foot, I will get away. If chased by vehicle, I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line. 7. I will rob only seven months out of the year. 8. I will enjoy robbing from the rich to give to the poor." This thief had a sense of morality, but it was flawed. When he stood before the court, he was not judged by the standards he had set for himself but by the higher law of the state. Likewise when we stand before God, we will not be judged by the code of morality we have written for ourselves but by God's perfect law.1 Third, the law demands continual complete performance. Circle the word "continue." You have to do the law. You have to do all
the law. You have to keep on doing all the law every day of your life. If you could do all the law and you did it every day of your life until the day you died and you broke one, just one little law that would be it. You would be forever damned. B. What the Law Cannot Do. It should be obvious that no one can ever keep the law. In fact, "as many as are under the law are under the curse." Why are those who try to keep the law "cursed?" Because as v.11 says, "that no one is justified [made right with God] in the sight of God is evident." No one can meet the law's requirements and therefore anyone who tries is cursed. It doesnt matter who you are, whether you are a Jew or Gentile, whether you have been in church all your life or today is your first day. If you are trying to please God by how good you can be you will never ever measure up. You are "cursed". The law cannot save, it can only bring a curse. However, the good news is we can be saved by faith. Paul adds at the end of v.11, "for the just shall live by faith." He adds in v.12, "Yet the law is not of faith."
III. Jesus Brings Blessings (vv.13-14).

The law puts us "under the curse" but Jesus has transferred our curse upon Himself. In this way He "redeemed us from the curse of the law." "Redeemed" means Jesus paid the price for our sins, for our failure to keep Gods law. He did for us what we couldnt do. Actor Kevin Bacon recounted when his 6-year-old son saw Footloose for the first time. He said, "Hey, Dad, you know that thing in the movie where you swing from the rafters of that building? That's really cool, how did you do that?" Bacon said, "Well, I didn't do that part--it was a stunt man." "What's a stunt man?" the boy asked. "That's someone who dresses like me and does things I can't do." "Oh," he replied and walked out of the room looking a little confused. A little later he said, "Hey, Dad, you know that thing in the movie where you spin around on that gym bar and land on your feet? How did you do that?" Bacon replied, "Well, I didn't do that. It was a gymnastics double." "What's a gymnastics double?" he asked. "That's a guy who dresses in my clothes and does things I can't do." There was silence from my son, then he asked in a concerned voice, "Dad, what did you do?" "I got all the glory," he sheepishly replied. That's the grace of God in our lives. Jesus took our sin upon Himself and did what we
couldn't do. We stand forgiven and bask sheepishly triumphant in Jesus' glory.2 How did Jesus "redeem us from the curse of the law?" He became "a curse for us." Paul then quotes from Deut.21:23, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." In Israel only the very worst of criminals were hung or crucified. It was the worst possible way to die. It is no wonder Jesus cried out in the words of Psalm 22, "My God, my God why have you forsaken Me?" The very fact that Jesus died in such a horrible way was an insurmountable obstacle to so many Jews. If Jesus truly was the Son of God, why would God allow His one and only Son, the only truly righteous man to die such a horrible cursed death on the cross? God is holy. He cannot simply excuse or forget about our sin. We are cursed by our inability to keep the law and that curse must be paid in full. Jesus willingly transferred our guilt upon Himself. He took our curse on His body and died on the cross in our place. Imagine a condemned murderer on death row. His appeals have all been denied. His time has come. His death sentence is to be carried out. Just as they are about to strap him to the gurney and inject him with chemicals that will end his life, a man in the observation room cries out, "Stop! He doesnt have to die! I will take his place. Strap me in the gurney. Inject me with those drugs. I will take his place." While that could probably never happen in our legal system, it did happen for each of us. Jesus took our place. While Jesus death is sufficient to pay for the sin of every man it does not automatically pay for the sin of every man. Each person must exercise faith in Jesus just as Abraham believed God. Paul says the result was that "the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." In 1961 after the iron curtain had divided Berlin and Germany between East and West, President John F. Kennedy traveled to Berlin and delivered a famous speech to over a million German people. He said, "Ich bin ein Berliner," [I am a Berliner]. Kennedy didnt have one corpuscle of German blood. He was Irish through and through. Yet when he made that statement the gigantic crowd thundered its approval. Why? Because Kennedy demonstrated a spiritual unity with the German people who were dedicated to rise above Communism. I am a son of Abraham. I dont have one drop of Jewish blood. I do not keep the Jewish laws or customs. Yet I am more Jewish than most who worshiped in the Temples yesterday. I am a descendent of Abraham and share in Abrahams blessing by faith. This week I was reading in the Scripture when the Holy Spirit illuminated a beautiful passage
in Psalm 87:1-6. Let me read it from the NIV, "He has set his foundation on the holy mountain; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me-- Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush -- and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.' Indeed, of Zion it will be said, This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her. The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: This one was born in Zion. Indeed, though I was born in Texas, I was truly "born in Zion" I am a part of the eternal people of God, the company of the redeemed by faith in Jesus! This week someone sent me a clipping from the Daily Bread devotional guide. It asked the reader to imagine traveling to Paris and standing before Leonardo da Vincis most famous painting The Mona Lisa. "Would you think about taking a palate and brushes and touching up the painting? Maybe put some color in her cheeks? Perhaps change her nose a little?" "Thats ridiculous!" you say. "For nearly 500 years the Mona Lisa has been considered one of the greatest artistic works of all time. How absurd to think we could add anything to this masterpiece." Yet thats what we do when we try to add to Gods masterpiece, salvation by the cross of Christ. They think they must improve on it with some brushstroke of their own. You cant earn it. You cant add to it. You simply must accept it.
1 Craig Brian Larson, Choice Contemporary Stories and Illustrations (Baker, 1998), p.181; Brian Burrell, Words We Live By, (S&S Trade, 1997). 2
Joel Sarrault in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker).
The Promise and the Law
Coy Wylie

Galatians 3:15-22 Have you ever had a moody employer? When I was in school I worked for a gentleman who constantly changed moods. You never knew what frame of mind he would be in. One minute he would walk by and tell you a joke, slap you on the back and walk off laughing. A few minutes later he might walk back by and chew you out in front of the other employees. Needless to say, his moodiness made for a stressful workplace. Some people view God in the same way I viewed my former boss. On one hand they know that He is a loving and gracious God, that we as His children are the apple of His eye. They understand that He is the giver of every good gift and the source of all our blessings. On the other hand, they know that God is an exacting god. He has many laws, many rules for our behavior. His is a strict judge that brings condemnation, discipline and chastisement on disobedience. The Bible gives us both perspectives on the nature of God. His is gracious and at the same time He is exacting. We see both aspects of Gods character through two OT personalities, Abraham and Moses. Abraham received Gods promise of grace. To this childless old man, God said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them So shall your descendants be." The next verse reveals "And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." (Gen.15:5-6). Through Moses, God gave Israel the law. He came to Mount Sinai in "thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled." They were told, "Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death" (Ex.19:18, 12). Through Moses, God gave 600+ laws to His people. The God who gave the promise to Abraham is the same God who gave the law to Moses. The God who spoke personally with Abraham is the same God who gave the law by thundering and lightnings on Mt. Sinai. Gods promise and Gods law go together. God is not moody. He has not changed His mind. In todays study of Galatians we will see The Power of Gods Promise to Abraham and The Purpose of Gods Law through Moses. Finally, well consider some Points to Ponder.
I. The Power of Gods Promise to Abraham (vv.15-18).

A. Gods Promise is Unchangeable (v.15). First of all, Paul calls the Galatians "brethren." Even though they were listening to false teachers, they were still part of the family of God. The principle for us is even when we disagree with other Christians, they are still our brothers and sisters and we are to love them. Paul says next "I speak in the manner of men" or in "human terms" (NCV). In other words, he begins this section with a practical example from everyday life, a common illustration. He introduces the concept of "a mans covenant." The word "covenant" means "a promise or binding agreement." It comes from a common Greek word that is often translated "will" as in "last will and testament." Paul is saying, "Suppose you draw up a will and confirm it or sign it, then no one can annul it or change it." Today wills are disputed in probate court. This week I read that the family of Houston oil millionaire J. Howard Marshall II is contesting his will in which he cut out his children and left his vast estate to his starlet wife Anna Nicole Smith. Though wills are often contested today, a signed, ratified or "confirmed" will in the first century was an unchangeable document. It was a settled issue. "No one annuls or adds to it." The point of Pauls illustration is simple. If something as simple as a mans will cannot be altered how much more is Gods promise secure? The false teachers in Galatia, the Judaizers were saying, "Paul we understand that Abraham received and believed Gods promise. Yet, later through Moses God gave us a new game plan, the law. Abraham may have been made right with God by faith but when the law came all that changed. Now we are right with God by keeping His laws and being good people." Paul is saying "No way! If you cant change a mans promise, you cant change Gods! He is the Great Promise-Keeper!" Lets note again Gods promise to Abraham from Gen.12:2-3, "I
will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." That promise is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Through Jesus God would cause "all the families of the earth" to be "blessed." No one would be automatically exempt from Gods blessings. We as Gentiles inherit this blessing by faith in Jesus. Paul said in v.7, "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham." He said in v.9, "So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham." Compare Gods promise to Abraham with Gods law through Moses. In the promise, God said, "I will I will I will I will" Four times! In the law God says, "Thou shalt." The law is dependent upon our performance. The promise is dependent on the unchangeable, inalterable, immutable promise of God! God promised it and He will complete it. B. Gods Promise is Fulfilled in Christ (v.16). Next Paul says, "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made." "Seed" comes from sperma referring to offspring. God made these promises both to Abraham and those who would come from Abraham. Next the Apostle says, "He does not say, And to seeds [plural], as of many, but of one, And to your Seed [singular], who is Christ." Paul is giving us a Spirit-inspired, apostolic exegesis of Gen.22:18. He is explaining and applying the OT text. The word "Seed" in both Greek and Hebrew can take either a plural or singular form. Our English word "fish" can mean either one fish or many fish. By the inspiring work of the Holy Spirit, Paul points out something that Abraham didnt even understand when he received this promise. The ultimate fulfillment was not in "seeds" or "many" referring to national Israel, but to "Seed" "of one who is Christ." Gods ultimate fulfillment of His promise to Abraham was not just to make a great nation in Palestine but to provide a Savior for the world in Christ!
Paul looked even farther back in biblical history to the Fall, the original sin in the Garden of Eden. In His curse God said to the serpent, Satan, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed [Jesus]; He shall bruise [lit. crush] your head And you shall bruise His heel." All of Gods promises are fulfilled in Jesus. The only way any of us can inherit Gods promises are if we are "in Christ." OT saints obeyed God and looked forward in faith to the coming of "the Seed of the woman," the Christ, the Messiah. They looked forward to the Cross. We as NT saints look backward in faith to the Cross and know Jesus paid for our sins once for all. C. Gods Promise Predates the Law (v.17). Paul next reminds us that "the law" came "four hundred and thirty years later" (actually it was even longer because this refers to the period of Egyptian slavery, cf. Ex.12:40; Gen.15:13; Acts 7:6. It was more like 645 years). The law came much, much later than the promise. The law, which came later, could never "annul the covenant" or promise that God "confirmed in Christ." Just because centuries later God gave His people His divine law through Moses it certainly could never "make the promise of no effect." Our human laws change with culture and technology. We create thousands of new laws every year and alter or strike down thousands of old ones. Many things that were illegal a generation ago are legal today. Many things that were legal a few years back have been restricted today. However, God is timeless. He never changes. Therefore no amount of time could change the promise of God. God is unchangeable and His promises are unretractable. D. Gods Promise Rests on His Character (v.18). The Apostle concludes this thought by saying, "For if the inheritance [our salvation] is of the law, it is no longer of promise." If keeping the law could save us, what was the point of Gods promise?
Imagine you own a large cattle ranch that has been in your family for six generations. It has been lovingly cared for and handed down from your father and his fathers before him. Imagine now you have a son. One day you take him aside and say, "Son you know that this ranch has been handed down across six generations of our family. It is our inheritance." Would you say, "Son, if you work hard and make me proud and dont screw up, one day all this will be yours" or would you say, "Because you are the heir, one day this will all be yours." Whats the point? You dont EARN an "inheritance," you RECEIVE it. If you had to work for your "inheritance" it wouldnt really be an "inheritance" it would be a wage. My children are mine by blood. I am their father. Nothing can ever change that relationship. Now that they are growing older, they have more responsibilities. They have more rules to follow more chores to do. They are learning to live with the law. Yet, when they are rebellious and disobedient, they dont stop being my children. Our relationship is based on blood not obedience. The law depends on mans performance; the promise depends on Gods faithfulness. Paul says, "But God gave [strong term gave graciously] it to Abraham by promise." We are saved by BELIEVING Gods promise, not OBEYING Gods law. Imagine God has invited us to fly first class on a jet He is piloting for the rest of our lives. Being saved is like accepting a free ticket on this luxurious airliner. We show up at the airport with two oversized suitcases, a garment bag, a briefcase and a carry-on all bulging at the seams with all this stuff we think is so important. We struggle up to the gate weighed down by all this baggage and God says, "Why dont you let me check that stuff for you. There is no baggage limit you know." We say, "No thanks God, Ill carry my own stuff. Youve done enough just inviting me on your plane." We struggle onto the jet trying our best to handle our baggage and be good passengers when God simply wants us to sit back and enjoy the ride. I know so many Christians who are trying to accomplish, with the law, what God has already accomplished with the promise. Folks, we are not merely saved by grace, but we are being sanctified by
grace too! We dont need to carry our own bags; we just need to get on the plane!
II. The Purpose of Gods Law through Moses (vv.19-22).

I know what you are thinking, "If we are saved by the promise of God, then what is the point of the law? Why did God give the law?" Paul anticipates that question next. A. Gods Law Reveals Our Sin (v.19a). In v.19, Paul asks the first of two questions, "What purpose then does the law serve?" the Judaizers accused Paul of rejecting the law, of tearing those pages out of His Bible. They said in Acts 21:28, "This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the law." On the contrary, Paul says, "It was added because of transgressions." "Transgressions" means "stepping over the boundaries." Growing up in East Texas, hunting was part of my lifestyle. Because all the land there is privately owned and much of it posted, I had to be careful not to trespass or hunt on someone elses posted property. I did my best not to step over the boundaries. Rom.3:20 says, "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom.4:15 says, "Where there is no law there is no transgression." Rom.7:7 says, "I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, You shall not covet." Chuck Swindoll used to tell about when he was pastoring in Southern California. He would drive through orange groves on his way to the church. During the harvest season there would be huge piles of oranges around the fields. One day he heard an announcement on the radio. There was a bumper crop of fruit that year, more oranges than the farmers could harvest. However under no circumstances were people allowed to go into the fields and take the extra oranges. They were not to trespass. He said, "I never once thought of taking any of those oranges before, but my awareness of the law gave birth to an irresistible desire to take those oranges!"
The law reveals our sinfulness. The law was not given to bestow salvation but to point out our need of it. The law was never intended to point out who is holy, but who is a sinner. B. Gods Law Came Indirectly (vv.19b-20). In the second half of v.19, the apostle explains that the law was "added till [until] the Seed [Jesus] should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator." God gave the law to Israel "by the hand of a mediator," Moses, but also "through angels." It seems that when God was on Mt. Sinai with thunderings and lightnings with Him in giving the law were innumerable angelic beings. Deut.33:2 says, "The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand came a fiery law for them." Stephen mentioned this in his sermon in Acts 7:53, "who have received the law by the direction of angels" Heb.2:2 says, "the word spoken through angels proved steadfast" The law came to Israel indirectly. It went from the mouth of God "through angels" then to Moses the "mediator" and finally to the people. When God gave His promise of salvation to Abraham he did it directly. V.20 says, "Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one." I hate to get information second hand, much less third hand. I have a pastor friend who calls me from time to time well, he doesnt call me, he has his secretary call me. She says, "Will you please hold for" Every time he does that I ask him if he has forgotten how to dial a phone! The law was indirect. It was never a vehicle for salvation but to create in us an awareness of sin and a longing for the salvation contained in the personal promise of God. C. Gods Law Imprisons Us (vv.21-22).
Now Paul asks the second obvious question in v.21, "Is the law then against [contrary to or in opposition against] the promises of God?" He answers his own question passionately, "Certainly not!" He then says, "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness [salvation] would have been by the law." If the law could have saved us, we would be saved by the law. But no such law was given. John R.W. Stott writes, "the fact is nobody has ever kept the law of God. Instead we sinners break it every day. Therefore the law cannot justify us. How, then, is it possible to create a harmony between the law and the promise? Only by seeing that men inherit the promise because they cannot keep the law, and that their inability to keep the law makes the promise all the more desirable, indeed indispensable."1 Look closely at v.22 and circle the word "confined." It says, "But the Scripture has confined us all under sin." The word "confined" means "to lock up securely, to enclose on all sides." I have with me a set of handcuffs. I am going to pick the biggest meanest guy in our congregation and lock him up in these cuffs. He will be "confined," locked up securely. That is the job of "the Scripture," the law to confine or imprison us. The law is like a set of handcuffs, a prison cell. No matter how hard you try, you cant break out. You cant get free. All you can do is ask for help. My friend here cant get free until he comes to me and asks for the key. THE PROMISE OF GOD IS THE KEY!!! The purpose of the law is to confine us and bind us so that we might cry out to God for help! When we cry out to God, Jesus, the Seed, the Promise sets us free. God gave the promise to Abraham and then the law to Moses. Why? God had to make things worse before He could make them better. The purpose of the law was to reveal just how sinful and how helpless we really are so we could long of the promise of Gods grace and forgiveness!
III. Two Points to Ponder.
A. Gods Promise has never and will never Change. God promised Abraham that in His Seed, in Jesus everyone in the world could be blessed. Time didnt change that promise. The law didnt change that promise. Culture and society cant change that promise. All your faults, failure and sinfulness wont change it. You simply must cry out for the key. Jn.1:12-13 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood [not because they are Jewish], nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man [not because they kept any law or were good people], but of God." B. A Sinner must be Repulsed By His Sin before He can be Saved. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German pastor who spoke against the Nazis in WWII wrote, "It is only when one submits to the law that one can speak of grace I dont think it is Christian to want to get to the New Testament too soon and too directly." Stott adds, "We must never bypass the law and come straight to the gospel. To do so is to contradict the plan of God in biblical history."2 Perhaps people dont appreciate the gospel because they dont appreciate the law. We often cast our pearl before swine (Mt.7:6). They cant see the beauty of the pearl of the gospel because the law of God has not revealed to them the filth of the pigsty. Stott adds, "Not until the law has bruised and smitten us will we admit our need of the gospel to bind up our wounds. Not until the law has arrested and imprisoned us will we pine for Christ to set us free. Not until the law has condemned and killed us will we call upon Christ for justification and life. Not until the law has driven us to despair of ourselves will we ever believe in Jesus. Not until the law has humbled us even to hell will we turn to the gospel to raise us to heaven."3
1
John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, p.91. 2 Ibid., p.93 3 Ibid.
The Road to Faith
November 5, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie
The Road to Faith

Galatians 3:23-29 Roads crisscross the landscape of our lives. They provide pathways for business, pleasure and the way home. The road I love most is the last few miles home after a long trip. The Romans coined the axiom "All roads lead to Rome." In their empirical days that was absolutely true. Did you know that the total length of all U.S. Interstate Highways is 44,328? Compare that to the 49,000 miles of roads built by the Roman Empire. The Bible is littered with roads. There was the roadway in the wilderness down which God led Israel to the Promised Land. There was the road to Jericho down which the disciples walked. There was the road to Damascus where Saul encountered the Lord. Of course there was the via dolarosa the "road of sufferings" down which Jesus walked carrying His cross. We walk down many roads in our lives as well, the road of education, the road of career, the road of marriage, the road of parenthood and the road of retirement to name a few. However, the most important road that any of us will ever travel is the ROAD OF FAITH, for it is the road of faith that leads us home to eternity. The Road of Faith begins in the OT and leads us through the NT. It leads us through the law to the promise of faith. Some still live in the OT, under the law of God. The feel condemned and bound up. Others try to skip over the OT and come to Christ. In this passage of Scripture, we see both phases of the Road of Faith. We see who we were then under the law and who we are now in Christ.
I. Who We Were Then Under the Law (vv.23-24).

A. We were Prisoners (v.23). The Apostle Paul tells us that "before faith came" before we were saved by believing on Jesus, "we were kept under guard by the law." This is very similar to what we saw last week in v.22, "the Scripture has CONFINDED us all under sin." "Kept under guard" means "protected by military guards." The
The Road to Faith
second "kept" in this verse means to be confined, encircled on all sides like a fish in a net. Therefore the purpose of Gods OT law was to imprison us. Last week as we examined the word "confined" in v.22, I locked up one of our young men in a set of handcuffs. He tried and tried to get free on his own but could not. When I asked him if he wanted me to use the key to free him, he eagerly said, "Yes!" Imagine literally being "kept under guard" and "confined." Imagine being literally imprisoned. Imagine living year after year of your life in a small cell under lock and key. If I had to live like that my every waking thought would be the desire to be set free. Every night I would dream of what I would do if I was set free. One pastor tells this story, "Eating lunch at a small cafe, I saw a sparrow hop through the open door and peck at the crumbs near my table. When the crumbs were gone, the sparrow hopped to the window ledge, spread its wings, and took flight. Brief flight. It crashed against the windowpane and fell to the floor. The bird quickly recovered and tried again. Crash. And again. Crash. I got up and attempted to shoo the sparrow out the door, but the closer I got the harder it threw itself against the pane. I nudged it with my hand. That sent the sparrow fluttering along the ledge, hammering its beak at the glass. Finally, I reached out and gently caught the bird, folding my fingers around its wings and body. It weighed almost nothing. I thought of how powerless and vulnerable the sparrow must have felt. At the door I released it, and the sparrow sailed away. As I did with the sparrow, God takes us captive only to set us free."1 "Before faith came" before I was saved by grace through faith, I struggled under Gods law. I tried to be a good person. I went to church every Sunday. I tried to pray and read the Bible. No matter how hard I tried, I couldnt be good. I couldnt pray or understand the Bible. I failed to do the good things I meant to do and always seemed to do the bad things I didnt mean to do! I longed to be free. I finally realized I could never measure up to Gods standards on my own. I could never achieve a right relationship with God I had to believe in order to be right with Him.
The Road to Faith
I was a prisoner longing to be free. Maybe you feel like a prisoner today. Maybe you realize that the more you try to please God the more you fail. You dont like the way you live. You dont like the person youve become. God understands that. His law has made you a prisoner and He has put that longing in your heart to be free, free indeed. There is good news. Jesus said in Jn.8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." Note the timeline here. It was "before faith came" that we were prisoners. But we were "kept for the faith which would AFTERWARD be revealed." If you have been saved, faith has already been revealed in you! B. We were Children (vv.24-25). In v.24, Paul gives us a second metaphor He says that the law was also our "tutor" or "custodian." The KJV uses the word "schoolmaster" which is a bit misleading. The Greek word here refers to "a guardian of young boys." In the Greek culture of the Galatians, most young boys were not disciplined by their fathers but by tutors or guardians. This person was usually an educated slave. He was the disciplinarian. He was an overseer who went to school with the boy and watched over his conduct. When the boy was disobedient, the "tutor" would beat him, often severely. Boys often despised their tutors but some came to love them. Paul uses this analogy with the immature Corinthians in 1 Cor.4:15, "For though you might have ten thousand instructors [tutors] in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers." In other words, "You have plenty of people to discipline you, but I like a father love you." Later in v.21, he asks, "What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?" If in vv.22-23, the law is represented by a set of handcuffs that confine us, the law is represented in v.24 as a whip to beat us when we are disobedient.
The Road to Faith
In what way is the law like a jailer or a childs disciplinary tutor? The law expresses Gods will. It tells us what to do and what not to do. It warns us of the penalties of disobedience. It points out clearly that we have all disobeyed. The law has made us all "under sin" (v.22). We are all "under guard by the law" (v.23). By our very nature and our practice we were all "under the curse" (v.10) because we could never keep the law. We couldnt get away from it. It confined us and beat us. Why? V.24 says the answer is "to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." I have seen so many people struggle with God. They try to please Him. They try to be good. Yet they always fail. After a while some give up and do whatever they want. They realize they can never live up to Gods standard, it is impossible so they just stop trying. Finally when they understand the fact that Jesus died for all their sins, that God wants to forgive them and cleanse them, that they dont have to do anything but believe, the "good news" seems almost too good to be true! Maybe thats you. Youve tried to please God but you always fail. Youve tried to be religious but in your heart you knew you were a hypocrite, a faker. Gods word for you today is to stop trying and start trusting. 2:16 says that we know that "a man is not justified [made right with God] by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ." I like the way Catherine Booth explained it, "What the law tried to do by a restraining power from without, the gospel does by an inspiring power from within." 2
II. Who We Are Now in Christ (vv.25-29).

Who we were then is much different from who we are now. We were prisoners in the shackles of the law. We were children under the stern discipline of the "tutor" of the law. Now all that has changed. Circle an important word at the beginning of v.25, circle the word "after." Some versions say "But now." "After faith has come" Paul says. Now that weve been saved by faith, after weve been born again, "we are no longer under a tutor." We are no longer "under the law" but we are "in Christ Jesus."
The Road to Faith
These last four verses of chapter three are so rich! They are filled with Jesus Christ and His love for us. Lets note three truths about all believers in these verses. A. In Christ we are Sons of God (vv.26-27). Paul says to the Galatians and to us, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." God is no longer our judge; He is our father. We are no longer prisoners waiting the final execution of our sentence nor children under the harsh punishment of a guardian. We are the grown-up sons and daughters of God, heirs of His grace with all the privileges of royalty. "All" refers to every believer regardless of race, sex, age or class. We become Gods sons and daughters, not through our achievements, but in spite of them. We are born into, adopted into Gods family only "through faith in Christ Jesus." Jesus Himself said in Jn.14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Last week one of the elements in our oven went out. I went to the appliance store and purchased a new element. Because I didnt want to be shocked, I went to the circuit panel and turned off the power. When our house was built, the electrician didnt take the time to label the circuits. The only way I could be sure the power was off to our electric oven was to turn all the breakers off. You know what happened, every clock and appliance in the house was shut down. Later, I put some coffee and water in the coffee maker and turned it on. 15 minutes later there was no coffee. I realized that I had failed to turn one of the breakers back on. It was only when there was power to the coffee maker did it work. It was useless without electricity. In the same way, the person who is not connected to Gods Son is not connected to the Father. There is no spiritual power in his life. God has no sons or daughters who are not identified "through faith" in His Son "Christ Jesus." Paul says in v.27, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on [clothes yourselves with] Christ." Lets first learn what this does not mean. It does not mean that a person has to be baptized in water in order to be saved.
The Road to Faith
John MacArthur writes, "Though water baptism is the outward act of public confession of one's faith in Jesus Christ, Paul is not here speaking of that baptism. The Bible nowhere teaches salvation by physical baptism, especially not in Galatians, where the central message is salvation by faith alone, plus absolutely nothing else."3 The word "baptism" means "to dip or immerse." When we are saved, we are spiritually immersed into Jesus. We are placed "in Christ." We are forever linked to Him. 1 Cor.12:13 says, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one bodywhether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or freeand have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (cf. Rom.6:3-5). 1 Cor.6:17 carries the same thought, "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." MacArthur adds, "That is a great mystery that the human mind cannot fathom. But in some spiritually supernatural way that transcends time and space, the person who places his trust in Jesus Christ is crucified, buried and resurrected with his Savior, baptized into Christ."4 Water baptism is the first step in the life of a new believer. All believers should be obedient to the Lord in publicly professing their faith in Christ by believers baptism. However, baptism in water is merely the symbol of the substance of true spiritual baptism. It is an outward picture of what has taken place on the inside. Not only have we been "baptized into Christ" but also we have "put on Christ." Literally this reads, "clothed with Christ." When a Roman boy was 14-17 years old, he "came of age." When he was old enough to leave the discipline of his "tutor," he went through a ceremony called toga virilis. He became a full Roman citizen with all its rights and privileges. He was given a new tunic or toga that symbolized his manhood. When we were saved, we went through a "spiritual toga virilis." We left behind the OT law, our shackles of sin and our harsh guardian. We became heavenly citizens and put on the new robe of Christs righteousness. We have "put on Christ." We are
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clothed with Him. Col.3:9-10 says, "you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him." B. In Christ we are All One (v.28). This is the second truth about all believers. At the end of verse 28, Paul says, "For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Literally it reads "You are all one person in Christ Jesus" (NEB). We belong not only to God as sons and daughters but also to each other as brothers and sisters. We are all one in Christ. That is a constant theme throughout the NT. It is the central teaching of the book of Ephesians. Eph.4:46 says, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." 1 Cor.12:12 says, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." First, Paul tells us there are NO RACIAL DISTINCTIONS. He says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek" God chose Abraham and his descendants the Jews to be His chosen people. However, in Christ God fulfilled His promise to Abraham that "in you all the nations shall be blessed" (v.8). This includes "all nations," people of every race, color and language. God has sons and daughter by faith in Christ in every people group in the world. One of the most moving scenes to me in all of the Bible is the picture of worship around Gods throne in the book of Revelation. "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Rev.7:9-10). "For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and
The Road to Faith
priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth" (Rev.5:910). White supremacists and others who believe that God loves or will save only certain races of people have never seriously studied the Scripture. Second, Paul tells us there are NO CLASS DISTINCTIONS. "There is neither slave nor free." Imagine living in a culture of slavery. Some of the masters and some of the slaves were both Christians and both in the same congregation. When it came to Christ, they were equals. In every human society circumstances of birth, wealth, privilege and education have divided men. It is not so in Christ. Someone has well said, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross." Church, all people are welcome here. There are enough churches that cater only to the wealthy or elite. James 2:1-9 speaks of bringing dishonor on a poor brother. He asks in v.5, "Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" He adds in v.9, "If you show partiality you commit sin." Third, Paul tells us there are NO SEXUAL DISTINCTIONS. He says, "There is neither male nor female." The concept of the equality of the sexes did not begin in the 20th Century. Womens rights were not first championed by liberals but by God. In biblical times, women were often seen as little more than possessions. They were often exploited and abused by their husbands. Christianity elevated women not only to a new level of respect but to the place of equality with men in the body of Christ. Women and men share the same rights, the same access and the same fellowship among the people of God. Peter reminds us men, "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as BEING HEIRS TOGETHER OF THE GRACE OF LIFE" (1 Pet.3:7). We need a word of caution here. This does not mean racial, social and sexual distinctions have been obliterated. Christians are not "color blind." They are aware of a persons cultural and
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educational background. They do not treat men as women and women as men. In fact, God has set men and women in very distinct roles in both the home and the church. John Stott says, "When we say that Christ has abolished these distinctions, we mean not that they do not exist, but that they do not matter. They are still there, but they no longer create any barriers to fellowship."5 G.K. Chesterson said, "In Christianity all are equal, as all pennies are equal, because the only value in any of them is that they bear the image of the king."6 We are truly "all one in Christ Jesus." C. In Christ we are Abrahams Seed (v.29). Last Paul says, "And if you are Christs" if you have been born again by faith in Jesus, "you are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise." By faith in Christ we belong to God. By faith in Christ we also inherit the promise to Abraham. We take our place in the long line of men and women of faith. We stand in line alongside the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11. Like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and all the prophets we stand apart from the world as people who by faith are Gods "heirs." There is a great sense of meaninglessness in todays generation. Many today believe life has no meaning, that we are a random mass of cells and tissue. With that philosophy, so many today feel they do not belong anywhere. They are unattached. They are lost The good news of the gospel is that in Christ we find ourselves. The unattached become attached. We find our place in ETERNITY as the sons and daughters of God. We find our place in SOCIETY as brothers and sisters in the family of God. We find our place in HISTORY as part of the succession of Gods people down through the ages. We have a three-dimensional attachment in Christ - height,
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breadth and length. We are attached in HEIGHT through Christ by entering into an eternal bond with God Almighty. We are attached in BREADTH through Christ by being united to all believers in Christs body. We are attached in LENGTH as part of the long line of believers through the course of time. When someone asks, "Who are you?" You could accurately answer, "I am in Christ. I am a child of Almighty God, an heir of all His promises. I am united with the redeemed people of God of all the ages, past, present and future." In Christ we find ourselves. In Christ we have an eternal identity. In Christ we find the road of faith that will ultimately lead us home. There are many roadways through life. The most important road anyone can take is the road of faith. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "If you are uncertain of which of the two paths to take, choose the one on which the shadow of the cross falls."
1Mark 2
Reed, Camarillo, California. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 1. Catherine Booth, "William and Catherine Booth," Christian History, no. 26. 3 John MacArthur, Galatians, p.98. 4 Ibid., pp.98-99. 5 John Stott, The Message of Galatians, p.100. 6 G.K. Chesterton in Charles Dickens, quoted in As I Was Saying. Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 2.
Living like a Son
Coy Wylie
Living like a Son

Galatians 4:1-11 Children yearn for freedom. When I was an adolescent, I could barely wait to be grown up. I wanted my own car, a good job making plenty of money, my own house and the freedom to do what I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it. I didnt want anyone to tell me when to go to bed, when to get up, what to eat, what to wear and what to do. I longed for freedom. During my teenage years, my parents wisely played out my leash slowly. They didnt just turn me loose but gave me more freedom in small doses. When I turned 18 and graduated from high school, our relationship changed. Instead of telling me what time to be home, they asked me what time I planned to come home. Instead of telling me what to do, they told me what would be the wise thing to do. When I grew to adulthood, my parents stopped treating me like a child. Now that I am an adult with all the freedom and responsibilities of an adult, now that I have my own family, how silly it would be for me to go back to living as a child. There is a series of commercials on TV for Holiday Inn in which an immature young man who still lives with his parents keeps asking them for luxuries. They always laugh and say, "What do you think this is, Holiday Inn?" Imagine moving back to my parents house, asking their permission for everything, and expecting them to provide for me. A full-grown adult who wants to live like a child is a shame to his parents. Spiritually speaking, thats exactly what the Galatian believers were doing. Paul says in v.11, "I am afraid for you, lest I have labored in vain." He was ashamed of how they were acting. They were full-grown sons and daughters of God but they were living like spiritual children by trying to keep rules and regulations, "days and months and seasons and years" (v.10). Spiritually speaking, there are many Christians today who want to live like children. Rather than enjoying their status as Gods full-grown "sons," rather than enjoying their spiritual wealth as Gods "heirs," rather than pursuing the intimacy with God that is available because of the gift of "the Spirit" in their hearts, they are content with religious legalism, keeping certain rules, rituals and regulations. Sadly they exchange the Spirit-filled life for lifeless religion. In this passage, we might summarize Pauls teaching in this way, "We were once children, no better than slaves. Now we are full-grown sons and heirs of God. How then can we
Living like a Son
turn back to living like children?" Lets note two truths about who we were and who we now are in Christ and then consider an apostolic admonition.
I. OUR PAST: We Were Children and Slaves (vv.1-3).

A. Children are in Bondage like Slaves (vv.1-2). Paul begins chapter 4 by saying, "Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ from a slave, though he is the master of all." The apostle is giving an illustration, painting a metaphorical picture the Galatian believers could easily envision. Imagine a young boy who is the heir to a vast estate of enormous wealth. In theory everything that belongs to his father belongs to him. In practice, he is still a "child" and is not that different "from a slave." He is told when to go to bed, when to get up, what to eat and what to do. Even though "he is master of all" he is still treated like a slave. He is only an heir de jure, not an heir defacto. He is heir by legal right but not an heir in fact. Paul further states that the heir is "under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father." As we learned in chapter 3, wealthy families often entrusted the training and discipline of their children to educated slaves who were known as "guardians and stewards. The child was completely under their authority and could do nothing without their permission and could go no where without their accompaniment. In a very real sense, the "heir as long as he is a child" was not different from a "slave." In fact, he lived under the authority of a slave. However, at "the time appointed by the father" the childs status completely changed. He was no longer an heir de jure, an heir in theory, but an heir de facto, an heir in reality. He graduated from childhood to adulthood. Jewish boys were considered men on the first Sabbath after their twelfth birthday. This is the bar mitzvah. Greeks celebrated manhood at age eighteen. The Romans realized that not all children mature at the same level so the father could set the date of the passage of
Living like a Son
manhood between fourteen and seventeen years. The Greeks would cut off the long hair grown during childhood. The Romans would burn the toys of childhood. Paul refers to this in 1 Cor.13:11, "when I became a man, I put away childish things." The Romans also gave the young man a new white gown. The ceremony was called toga virilis. Therefore as a child, the "heir does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all." However, at "the time appointed by the father" he took his place as the rightful heir of his fathers fortune and lived the rest of his life in glorious freedom and a grown-up son. B. As Unbelievers We Were in Bondage to the Elements of the World (v.3). Now the apostle makes the application of his illustration. He says, "Even so" or in the same way, "we were children in bondage under the elements of the world." By Gods foreknowledge, we were once His "heirs" even when we were lost children and slaves to sin. We have learned that the law and our desire to be good were like "guardians and stewards." We were bound by the "elements [elemental things] of the world." This comes from a Greek term that refers to rows or ranks with the implied meaning of foundational or rudimentary orderliness. It was used to describe the letters of the alphabet, the ABCs, the rudiments of written language. Paul doesnt tell us exactly what the "elements of the world" are. Some Bible teachers say this refers to demon spirits. Others say it is the pagan system of astrology. However, I agree with those who say it refers to the "elements" of human religion, the rudimentary education of Gods people. J.B. Phillips translates it as "basic moral principles." Paul warned the Colossians believers, "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" (Col.2:8). Before I was saved, I was "in bondage under the elements of
Living like a Son
the world." I tried to be good. I even tried to be religious. But no matter how hard I tried, I never measured up. Religion, rituals, and good deeds are elemental in that they are human, they never rise to the level of God. The story of John Wesley has often been told. He was a graduate of Oxford and a minister of the Church of England. He gave his life to serving God and man. He worked with prisoners and the poor. He helped feed and clothe hungry children. He studied the Bible and attended the services of many churches. He gave generously, prayed and fasted and lived an exemplary life. Nothing satisfied him. Finally he came to America and worked among the Indians who lived then in what is now the state of Georgia. He confessed in his journal, "I who went to America to convert others was never myself converted." Finally he encountered a group of genuine believers who led him to trust wholly in Jesus alone for salvation. He became a reformer and one of historys greatest evangelists. Writing of this early time in his life, he said, "I had even the faith of a servant, though not that of a son."
II. OUR PRESENT: We Are Sons and Heirs (vv.4-7).

A. God Sent His Son to make us Sons (vv.4-5). First, note WHEN Gods sent His Son. Paul says, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son." Some 2,000 years had passed since God gave His promise to Abraham. For some 1,300 years, Israel had struggled under Gods law. Finally "the fullness of time" or just the right time came for God to be revealed to the world bodily, through His Son, Jesus Christ. There are several factors that mark the "fullness" of Gods timing of sending Jesus into the world. First, Rome had conquered the known inhabited earth and offered its pax Romana, the Roman peace which provided societal stability. The Romans also built an elaborate system of roads that would enable the gospel to be easily spread. Second, because of Alexander the Great, the Greek culture and language unified the world. The gospel could be spread and the NT written in primarily one language. Third, through their Babylonian exile,
Living like a Son
the Jews had once and for all forsaken idolatry. The law had prepared many of them for their Messiah. They had established a synagogue system that would serve as a foundational model for churches and springboards for evangelism. Gods timing was perfect! Second, note HOW God sent His Son. Jesus was "sent forth born of a woman." He was Gods Son but also the son of His mother. He was human as well as divine. He was the God-Man. Jesus was not only "born of a woman" but He was "born under the law." He was born to a Jewish mother under the Jewish law. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon mused on the significance of the incarnation of Jesus: Infinite, and yet an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman's breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother's arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter's despised son.1 All His life He perfectly kept the Law of Moses. He said in Mt.5:17, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." Jesus was the fully divine Son of God, the fully human Son of man, and the completely righteous keeper of Gods law. Rom.8:3-4 says, "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Third, note WHY God sent His Son. Paul says in v.5, that Jesus came "to redeem those who were under the law." "Redeem" simply means "to buy out" or "to buy back." It was used of slaves whose freedom had been purchased. Jesus paid the awful price of our sin by His blood sacrifice on the cross. Not only was
Living like a Son
Gods purpose to "redeem" us but that we might "receive the adoption as sons." "Adoption" of course means giving sonship to someone who is not ones natural son. In Pauls day, often a wealthy man with no natural children would set free a young slave and then adopt him as his son. Thats what God did through Christ. We were slaves to sin and to the law. God paid the price for our freedom through Jesus shed blood and then adopted us into His family. He had transformed us from slaves into sons. John Stott writes, "So the divinity of Christ, the humanity of Christ and the righteousness of Christ uniquely qualified Him to be mans redeemer. If He had not been man, He could not have redeemed men. If He had not been a righteous man, He could not have redeemed unrighteous men. And if He had not been Gods Son, He could not have redeemed men for God or made them the sons of God."2 B. God Sent His Spirit because We are Sons (vv.6-7). Notice the double sending. First, God sent His Son into the world. Second, He sent "the Spirit of His Son" into our hearts. Jesus has made us the sons and daughter of God. The Holy Spirit confirms to us that we are indeed the sons and daughters of God. Paul says it is "because you are sons" that "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts." We have the knowledge of sonship through the Word of God, acceptance of sonship through the Son of God and the confirmation of sonship through the Spirit of God. Many in our congregation have adoptive children. You brought those precious little ones into your lives and gave them a love, acceptance, a home, a family and a future. You gave them everything you could. The one thing you could not give them is a new nature. When God adopted us into His family, He not only provided for our every need but He gave us a new nature by sending His Spirit to live within us! As the Spirit comes into our lives, He cries out "Abba Father!" Rom.8:14-16 says almost the same thing, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you
Living like a Son
received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." "Abba" is an Aramaic diminutive for "Father." It is a term of intimacy. It reflects the wording of a small child who snuggles in is fathers lap. It means "papa" or "daddy." J.B. Phillips translates it "Father, dear Father." We are Gods family. By faith we are the sons and daughters of God. Turn a couple of pages to the right to Eph.1:3-7. That is who we are, the blessed, chosen, holy, predestined, accepted, redeemed, forgiven children of Almighty God. The problem is that sometimes we tend to forget who we are. Thats why God sent the Spirit. Drop down to vv.13-14. God secured our sonship by sending His Son. God assures our sonship by sending His Spirit. His son conveys the status of our sonship. His Spirit gives us the experience of sonship. In v.7, Paul reminds us, "Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son." In v.6 he says, "Because you are sons God has sent for the Spirit" Let me make one truth absolutely clear: WE HAVE THE SPIRIT OF GOD BECAUSE WE ARE THE SONS OF GOD. We dont receive the Spirit by reciting some formula, fulfilling some extra condition or longing for some extra experience. God has no children who do not have His Spirit. God assures us of our relationship with Him not by some spectacular emotional experience but by the quiet inward witness of the Spirit as we seek His face in prayer and worship. In v.7, Paul further says, "and if [you are] a son, then [you are] an heir of God through Christ." Because we have been adopted, we are joint-heirs or co-heirs with Jesus. Rom.8:17 says, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Before we move on, underline one key phrase in v.7, "through Christ." We are adopted sons and daughters of God, we are joint
Living like a Son
heirs of the unlimited wealth of our Father not because we are good, not because of any merit on our part, not through any achievement on our part but "through Christ." It is by Gods grace, His unmerited favor that He sent His Son to die for us and His Spirit to live in us.
III. OUR PRINCIPLE: Remember Who We Are (vv.8-11).

A. We Used to Serve Idols (v.8). Next, the apostle says, "But then, indeed when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods." The NCV says, "You were slaves to gods that were not real." The "gods that were not real" are idols. The Gentiles had once worshipped images of stone and wood. The Jews had worshipped their own traditions. You and I worshipped at the altar of self. Before we were saved we were "dead in trespasses and sins" and lived only to satisfy ourselves (Eph.2:1). B. We must never Turn Again to a Life of Slavery (vv.9-11). Paul says in v.9, "But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God," now that we are no longer slaves but sons "how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements?" Remember "elements" refers to the foundational, rudimentary ABCs of religion. The Galatians had experienced spiritual freedom in Christ but were being influenced by some Jewish teachers that they need to keep the rules, regulations and rituals of Judaism. Paul notes that in v.10, "You observe days and months and seasons and years." It as though the apostle is saying, "Your faith has degenerated into a dead dry legalism. Where is the freedom and joy of the intimacy of children with their father? Youve reduced your relationship with God to keeping a bunch of rules." This week, my wife was out-of-town for a couple of days. I decided to set aside some of the normal rules in our household and just have some fun with my girls. I took them to school and picked them up in the afternoon. We went out to eat, stacked
Living like a Son
dishes in the sink and stayed up past our bedtime. We even got rescued from a dead car battery by a helpful deacon! We had fun. We had intimacy. We enjoyed some special time together. We were glad when mom came home (and the rules went back in force) but we enjoyed the special daddy/daughter time. Thats the way God wants us to relate to Him. With the help of the Spirit we are to pray "Abba, Father." We are to pray to Him always, knowing He hears us and cares for our every need. God expects us to ENJOY our relationship with Him, not ENDURE it! One reason so many Christians seem so drained and so many churches seem so dead is that weve taken the life out of our faith. Weve been so busy keeping "days and months and seasons and years," keeping our tradition and keeping up appearances, weve forgotten the joy of the journey with Jesus. A little girl got home from Sunday school, where she had been taught the verse, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven." She asked her mother, when she repeated the verse, what it meant. Her mom said, "Well, it means that when you are good and kind and thoughtful and obedient, you are letting Christ's light shine in your life before all who know you." The very next Sunday in Sunday school, the little girl got in a bit of a fracas with another student and created somewhat of an uproar. The teacher had to go and find her mother. Her mother was concerned when she got to the classroom and said, "Sweetie, don't you remember about letting your light shine for the Lord before men?" The girl blurted out, "Mom, I have blowed myself out." Many of us have done just that. In our relationship to Christ, our light has gone out. Last, Paul says to the Galatians, "I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." What a sad commentary. As a pastor, I understand Pauls feelings. He had prayed for them, preached to them and loved them with his life but he feared they had missed the point entirely. Remember The Prodigal Son in Luke 15? When he came to his senses, he returned to his father and said, "I am no longer
Living like a Son
worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants" or slaves. How can anyone be so foolish as to say to God, "Even though youve made me your son, Id rather live like your slave." It is one thing to say you dont deserve to be Gods son or daughter but quite another to say you do not desire it. Let me give you three simple keys to keep you from returning to slavery:
q
First, spend time in the Word every day. I know that sounds simple, but it is vital. The word is a compass that will remind you daily who you are in Christ. The Spirit of God will use the Word of God to confirm to you your place as a Child of God. Second, pray constantly. 1 Thess.5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." Take everything to God in prayer. Talk with Him continually about everything in your life. Third, seek Him in worship. Worship is simply valuing God. Music is a great enhancement to worship, but music is not worship. Worship is meditating on who God is and what He has done. It is marveling in the riches of His grace. It is remembering what we used to be and praising God for what He is making of us.
John Newton was an only child who lost his mother when he was seven. He went to sea at age eleven and soon became involved in "the unspeakable atrocities of the African slave trade." By early manhood he became a vile, despicable person. At age twenty-three, on March 10, 1748, the ship he was captaining was in danger of foundering in a terrible storm. He cried out to God for mercy and received it. He was truly converted. He went home and spent the rest of his life praising God for changing him. He never forgot what he had been. He had a sign made that stood above the mantle of his home from Deut.15:15, "Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman [a slave] in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee." Perhaps John Newton is best known for these words which have been sung by millions of believers over the last 300 years: Amazing grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now Im found, Was blind, but now I see.
Living like a Son

1C. 2
H. Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, (Vol. 4, 1858). Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 18. John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, p.106.
Of Pastor and People
Coy Wylie

Galatians 4:12-20 Up until this point in the letter of Galatians, weve seen the Apostle Paul as the theologian, the debater and the apologist, the defender of the faith. In todays passage, we see him not as a preacher proclaiming eternal truths, but a pastor tenderly caring for his people. In v.11, he has worried and fretted over the Galatians believers "lest I have labored for you in vain." In v.12, he calls them "brethren." In v.19, he calls them "my little children." He struggles for them like a mother in "labor." The role of a pastor is unique. He must be strong and courageous, defending the flock from ravenous wolves and the terrible price of unchallenged sin. Yet at the same time he must be tender and gentle, binding up wounds and offering the comfort of Christ. Paul balanced those extremes well. I once read where someone described him as having "a hand of steel in a glove of velvet." Someone once said a pastor must have "the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros." Because of the intimate personal nature of this passage, there is much we can learn about the relationship between any pastor and the people God has given him to shepherd. After examining three crucial elements of the text, we will make two very practical applications to the relationship between pastor and people.
I. Pauls Challenging APPEAL to the People (v.12a).

A. Be Like ME. First, the apostle says, "Brethren I urge you to become like me, for I became like you." "Brethren" denotes Pauls intimacy but "urge" denotes his intensity. "Urge" means to "beg, plead or beseech." He is pleading with them to turn away from lifeless religious legalism and enjoy the freedom, power and joy he has found in Christ. In Acts 26, Paul gave a brilliant defense of Christianity before Romes King Agrippa. After Paul finished speaking, Agrippa
said, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (v.28). Paul responded, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains" (v.29). In other words, he was saying, "I do not want you to become bound in chains like me but I want you to know the freedom I have in Christ that is beyond chains." Can we say to other people, especially non-believers, "I urge you to become a Christian like me?" Can we say, "I have found such grace, such joy, such salvation, such satisfaction in Christ that I want you to be just like me?" Or do we whine and complain about what we dont have? Do we say with King David, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Ps.23:1) or do we say, "I want, I want, I want?" Paul said in Phil.4:11, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." He found ultimate satisfaction in Jesus. If we are absolutely content in Jesus we can say to anyone, be like me! B. I Became Like YOU. Paul urged them to become like him for he says, "I became like you." When he came to Christ he threw off every shred of legalism. He stopped trying to please the Jews with rules, rituals and regulations and lived his life only to know Christ. Because he was no longer bound by man-made traditions, he could easily adapt himself to whatever group he was with. He wrote in 1 Cor.9:20-22, "To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." When Paul first came to Galatia, although he was a Jew, he determined to live like a Gentile. He set aside his traditions and identified with them. This is a great principle for ministry in any context. In order to make people like us we must become like them. If the desired end
is to see them become like us, fully committed believers, the means to that end is to make ourselves like them. Jesus did that. He left the glory of heaven to become like us that He might take us to heaven with him. When missionaries travel to foreign cultures like Russia, Africa or Japan, they must adapt to their surrounding culture. They must learn to live like the people they are trying to reach. Church, we live in a rapidly changing culture. People today are vastly different than they were 50 years ago or even 10 years ago. They dress differently, listen to different music, speak differently and have different values from people a generation ago. If we want them to become like us, we must be willing to become like them at least to an extent. We cant do church the way it was done 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago and expect to be effective, let alone successful. As long as we dont violate concrete biblical principles, we must become like the people we want to reach in order for them to become like us!
II. The Peoples Changing ATTITUDE about Paul (vv.12b-16).

A. At First, They Treated Paul like an ANGEL (vv.12b-15). First, Paul says at the end of v.12, "You have not injured me at all" or "You have done me no wrong." When Paul first came to Galatia, they did not hurt him but lovingly received him. They accepted him as one of their own. Second, he tells us in v.13 that it was "because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first." On his first missionary journey, Paul either became seriously ill while in Galatia or went there to recover from serious illness. Many scholars have suggested that he contracted malaria in the swampy regions of Pamphylia and traveled to the higher mountain plateau of Galatia to recover. At any rate, while in Galatia, Paul suffered with a "physical infirmity" that did not limit his ability to preach and teach the people. It is evident that Pauls illness was bad enough to give a repulsive appearance. In v.14, he says, "And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject." Many Bible
versions offer an alternative reading as seen in the NIV, "my illness was a trial to you." The idea being that Pauls illness gave him a hideous appearance and that it was a "trial" for the Galatians to look at him. Even still, they did not "despise or reject" him. "Despise" means "to count as nothing or worthless." "Reject" means "to loathe" or literally "to spit as in contempt." Imagine living in a time with little medical knowledge, few good medicines and no sterile bandages. Diseases disfigured people. Inflamed areas ran with puss and the stench was often unbearable. It would seem from v.15 that Pauls "physical infirmity" had something to do with his eyes and thus his face. Even though his appearance was repulsive, they did not "despise or reject" him but carefully listened to everything he taught them. He says "you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus." "Angel" is another word for "messenger." Instead of despising him, they recognized him as an apostle, a messenger of the Lord. They received him with the same reception they would have given "Christ Jesus." The Galatians did not question how Paul looked or what he said. They accepted him as the apostolic messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ and were grateful for the blessings of spiritual life and liberty they had received from his teaching. In v.15, Paul now asks them, "What then was the blessing [satisfaction, goodwill lit. beauty] you enjoyed?" The NCV phrases the question like this, "You were very happy then, but where is that joy now?" Imagine those good times in Galatia. Imagine the months that Paul spent with them. There was joy unspeakable and glory falling around them. The Spirit of God was at work among them crying out "Abba Father!" Their worship spontaneous and heart-felt. Prayer services lasted for hours and left them in tears of joy. The teaching, ah the teaching they sat on the edges of their seats and soaked up every word Paul spoke, despite his hideous appearance. All around them lives were being changed. Friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers were being radically
saved. Jews, Gentiles, slaves and free, men and women were all trusting Christ and were "one body" in Him. Lives were changed. Addictions were broken. Sin was renounced. Deep spiritual bonds developed. Marriage relationships were restored. Wayward children came home again. God had done a mighty work in Galatia. Above all, there was a tremendous sense of "blessing" or satisfaction. During that era of blessing, they had loved Paul so much that he says, "I bear you witness that you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me." It seems evident that at least part of Pauls "physical infirmity" had to do with his eyes. Perhaps this was the "thorn in the flesh" he wrote of in 2 Cor.12:7-9. Some have suggested that "malaria sometimes attacks the optic nerve causing loss of color recognition, atrophy, and even blindness."1 Whatever the cause, we can be almost certain that Paul suffered from terrible eyesight. In 6:11, he says "See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand." Paul usually dictated his letters and added a few personal words at the end in his own handwriting. He speaks here of "large letters" indicating that he had to write unusually large letters in order to be able to see them. Imagine having terrible eyesight in a time when there were no ophthalmologists, optometrists, laser surgeries or corrective lenses. Paul lived out part of his life in a blur. Nonetheless, the Galatians loved him so much they would have "plucked out" their "own eyes" and exchanged them with Paul if such a transplant had been possible. They loved him so much they would have made any sacrifice for him. B. Later, They Treated Paul like an ENEMY (v.16). Note v.16. It is as if Paul is saying, "You used to love me so much you would sacrifice anything for me. You treated me like an angel in spite of my gross appearance." Now he says, "Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" What happened to their "blessing" or satisfaction? Why were
they treating the one they loved so much as though he were their "enemy?" The Galatians had made a complete about-face. Why? Paul answers his own question, "because I TELL YOU THE TRUTH!" I have deferred much to John Stott in this Galatian series but listen to what he says, "There is an important lesson here. When the Galatians recognized Pauls apostolic authority, they treated him as an angel, as Christ Jesus. But when they did not like his message, he became their enemy. How fickle they were, and foolish! An apostles authority does not cease when he begins to teach unpopular truths. We cannot be selective in our reading of the apostolic doctrine of the NT. We cannot, when we like what an apostle teacher, defer to him as an angel, and when we do not like what he teaches, hate him and reject him as an enemy. No, the apostles of Jesus Christ have authority in everything they teach, whether we happen to like it or not."2 For our purposes, there is a critical difference between Paul and your pastor. Paul was an apostle, I am not. Paul spoke with direct authority from Christ. The church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph.2:20). Jesus said to the apostles in Jn.20:21, "as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." I do not speak directly for Christ as did the apostles. However, when I or any pastor or teacher rightly divides the Word, the apostolic doctrine, we speak with the authority of the apostles and thus with the authority of Christ. Some people love their pastors as long as they agree with them but treat them as an enemy when they disagree. How sad! How chaotic! How divisive! Much harm has been done to the kingdom work of God by petty people who refuse to be under the authority of the Word! What caused this changed attitude in the Galatians? Two things: First, they did not continue in the apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42). Second, they put the focus on tradition, not Jesus. Church, anytime our focus is on "how we do things" or our programs or our agenda we will lose sight of Jesus. When we lose sight of Him we lose that sense of "blessing" or satisfaction that comes with His presence.
III. Pauls Constant AFFECTION for the People (vv.17-20).

A. Pauls Affection was GENUINE (vv.17-18). Paul tells the Galatians that the false teachers, the Judaizers "zealously court you." They insincerely flattered them. They made a fuss over the Galatian believers. This phrase was used to describe a man courting a woman. He tells her how beautiful she is, how good she smells and what a pleasant personality she possesses. The Judaizers were insincere in their flattery. They did it "for no good" because they want to "exclude you that you may be zealous for them." They wanted to shut the Galatians out or "exclude" them from the freedom of Gods grace that they might manipulate them. Paul says in v.18, "But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always." In other words, zeal or enthusiasms are good provided ones beliefs are true. However, there are always manipulative teachers and pastors who have great charisma but use it to build their kingdoms, not Gods Paul said to Timothy, 2 Tim.4:2-4, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." Paul on the other hand was genuinely zealous for them. He wanted them to grow up and be conformed to Jesus, not to some particular set of teachings. Part of the role God has given to pastors and teachers is watch over souls of the congregation. Heb.13:17 says, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."
On a warm autumn afternoon in October 1999, 36-year-old Anna Flores was walking with her three-year-old daughter in downtown Chicago. Without warning a window from the 29th floor of the CNA building fell toward the ground and struck Flores in the head, killing her instantly. The tragedy was heightened a week later when CNA officials admitted they had known the window had been broken since June. They said they had not replaced the broken window because of other building projects considered more of a priority. In a public building, negligence has serious consequences. Spiritual negligence also has great consequences. In various ways, we are responsible spiritually for the welfare of others. B. Pauls Affection was TENDER (vV.19-20). He calls them his "little children." He was a spiritual parent nursing them along in their growth. Even now he says, "I labor in birth again." This is a difficult metaphor. He labored over them previously until they were born again into Gods family. Now he feels as though he has gone back to the labor room one more time. The heart of any good pastor is always pained for the development of his people. We suffer for you in prayer, lifting you to the Lord. We struggle with you when you backslide and wonder when you will grasp the lesson God is teaching you. What does Paul "labor" for? He says, "until Christ is formed in you." I love that phrase. Paul was not content that Christ dwelt in them. He longed for Christ to be formed in them. He wanted them to take the shape or form of Christ! He wanted to see them come to full-formed spiritual maturity! Gods ultimate purpose in our lives, His vision for us is that Christ be formed in us. He wants us to be just like Jesus. It was for this reason He chose us. Rom.8:29 says, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" In v.20, we see Pauls tender longing to be "present with you now." He said if he could come to them he would change his
"tone." He hardly knew what to say to them because he was perplexed and had "doubts" about them. He was at his wits end.
IV. Two Critical APPLICATIONS for Pastor and People.

A. The People must listen for Christ to be SPEAKING through the Pastor. No pastor today has the position of apostle. There is no apostolic succession. A pastor may not lay down the law like an apostle. The church should not defer to him as though his word is the Word of God. Still, every pastor is called to consistently preach the apostolic doctrine of the NT. As long as he is true to that Word, the people should give his teaching the same respect they would give to an apostle, even to Christ Himself. The church is not to be overly concerned about the outward appearance of the pastor. He may be ugly as sin or look like a leading man from Hollywood. He might be in good physical condition or very ill as was Paul in Galatia. He may be outgoing or something of an introvert. He may have many outstanding gifts or just be a faithful man with no obvious flamboyance. He may have many gilded diplomas or a self-studied teacher. You should not judge your pastor and make him your "enemy" based upon private theological beliefs. We must agree on the cardinal doctrines of the faith, but there are a great many issues over which we may disagree. Someone has well said, "The true function of a preacher is to disturb the comfortable and to comfort the disturbed." The only biblical criteria a church has in judging her pastor is his loyalty to the Scripture. If he is faithfully studying and teaching the Word as laid down by the apostles through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, do not "despise or reject" him but receive him as "an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus." Why? Because his message is not really HIS message but it is the message of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul wrote in 1 Tim.5:17, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
Have you ever had "fried preacher" for Sunday lunch? Have you ever criticized his mannerisms, his illustrations, his technique, his voice or the length of his message? The only cause any church has for any real criticism of her pastor is if he is unfaithful to the biblical message. I like the words of legendary biblical scholar Merrill Tenney when asked once about how a church might get a better pastor. He said, "If a church wants a better pastor, it can get one by praying for the one it has."3 B. The Pastor must look for Christ to be FORMED in the People. If the priority of the pastor is to speak the message of Christ, the priority of the people to have Christ formed in them to be conformed to Him. John Calvin wrote, "If ministers wish to do any good, let them labor to form Christ, not to form themselves, in their hearers."4 I want to grow a great and large church here, but that is not my ultimate priority. What I want to see most is you being "conformed to the image of Christ." What is foremost in my prayers is your spiritual progress. My goal is to free you in Christ, not enslave you to more programs. From time to time, we all go through times of great stress and difficulty. These times display our true colors. They show quite clearly where we are spiritually. I have watched some of you go through tough times and rejoice when I see how you respond. You surprise me with your spiritual attitude and I see Gods work of grace in your lives. I see others of you go through trials and am sometimes surprised by how unspiritual you can be. At those times I feel like Paul and wonder if I have "labored for you in vain." I could work through this congregation this morning and pick out many, many people that I have seen grow tremendously as believers. I am so proud of you. Christ is being formed in you. You are taking on the shape of Jesus. I could just as easily pick out a few who should be growing more. Let me close with something else from Stott, "The church
needs people who, in listening to their pastor, listen for the message of Christ, and pastors who, in laboring among the people, look for the image of Christ. Only when pastor and people thus keep their eyes on Christ will their mutual relations keep healthy, profitable and pleasing to Almighty God."5 May we together, both pastor and people, press on keeping our eyes on Jesus and seeking that wonderful sense of "blessing" or satisfaction that comes through Him instead of traditions and programs.
1
2
John MacArthur, p.117. John R.W. Stott, p.115. 3 Merrill C. Tenney, Leadership, Vol. 2, no. 3. 4 Stott, p.118. 5 Ibid., p.119.
Ishmael or Isaac?
December 2, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie
Ishmael or Isaac?
Galatians 4:21-31 This is one of the strangest passages in the NT and inarguably the most difficult in the book of Galatians. Ive had to put in some extra preparation time this week because of its difficulty. Because I am committed to teaching the whole Bible verse by verse and because I believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim.3:16), we will not just skip over it. It is often true that the deeper the well, the sweeter the water. Difficult passages like this one engage our minds, cause us to think and reason together. I hope that you wont be guilty of turning your brain off as we study together. On the contrary, I hope you will join me in digging deep. I want you to jot down your questions and ask them later. Never hesitate to ask questions. May the Spirit of God bring us the sweet water of the Word with an overwhelming awe for the marvelous grace of God. This section is addressed to believers who were bound up in legalism, to those who "desire to be under the law" (v.21). That was the Galatian error. They had been saved by Gods matchless grace, but instead of enjoying the freedom found in Christ, they were being persuaded to go back and keep the rituals, regulations and ceremonies of the OT law. Though there are few today that try to live by the mosaic code, legalism still abounds. There are many who believe the way to God is by being good, achieving salvation through good works. There are even many genuine Christians who turn the gospel into law. They believe that the only way to be right with God is be a member of their church and do things their way according to their legalistic traditions. Jesus said of the Pharisees, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mk.7:7). Of these who "desire to be under the law" the Apostle Paul asks, "Do you not hear the law?" or "Do you not know what the law teaches?" In v.22, he lays out exactly what the OT says. He begins with "For it is written." In other words, "If you dont know what the law teaches, let me tell you." He meets these legalists on their own turf and takes them head on. The passage can be divided into three sections. First there is the historical setting, referring back to Abraham, his wife Sarah, his slave Hagar, his sons Ishmael and Isaac. Second there is the spiritual symbolism, a Spirit-inspired NT allegory of OT events. Last there is the personal significance, how to apply this difficult passage to our lives today. The point of the
Ishmael or Isaac?
whole passage is that if we are authentic Christians we are not to live like Ishmael, like slaves, but like Isaac, as a free son. Therefore I ask the question, are you an Ishmael or an Isaac?
I. The Historical Setting (vv.21-23).

A. One Father, Two SONS (v.22a) Paul says, "for it is written" or "this is what the law says." It says "that Abraham had two sons." Though many of you are well versed in Hebrew history, I dont want to assume too much. Lets take a few moments to familiarize ourselves with Abrahams family. After the creation, the fall and the flood, it was centuries before God plainly revealed Himself to man. When He did so, it was to a man named Abraham or Abram. In Genesis, we learn that God spoke to Abraham and made a covenant with him, a promise. God promised to give him the land of Canaan in the Middle East and to produce from him a great nation as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Abraham was an old man when God made him this promise. He was 75 and his wife Sarah was around 65. These were astounding promises, yet the Bible says Abraham didnt stutter or doubt Gods promises. In fact, 3:6 says, "Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Sarah or Sarai, Abrahams wife was barren, incapable of having children. She believed Gods promise but decided to help Him along. There were no fertilization clinics or drugs for her to take. So she did the only thing she could think of. She brought Abraham her Egyptian servant girl named Hagar. Gen.16:2 says, "So Sarai said to Abram, See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her. And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai." Human nature never changes. Sure enough Hagar became pregnant by Abraham. She didnt let her mistress, Sarah forget it. The Bible says Sarah "became despised in her
Ishmael or Isaac?
eyes" (Gen.16:4). Hagar acted with contempt toward Sarah. When Sarah complained to Abraham, he told her, "Do to her as you please" (Gen.16:6). Sarah sent Hagar out of the camp. Alone in the wilderness, the "Angel of the Lord" came to Hagar. He told her that she would have a son who would become a great nation, that she would name him Ishmael meaning "God hears," and that she was to return to Sarah. She did all this and Ishmael was born to Hagar and Abraham when he was 86 years old. Abraham must have been very proud. He loved Ishmael and assumed he was the long awaited promised son. God had to set him straight. God spoke to him specifically of Sarah in Gen.17:16, "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her." Much time had gone by. Ishmael was now about 13. Abraham fell on his face laughing and "said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah who is ninety years old bear a child?" Abraham then prayed that Ishmael might be the promised one, but God said no. Ishmael would be the father of the Arab nations but the Lord added, "My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year." Indeed, at the appointed time, Sarah gave birth to a son they called Isaac or "laughter." Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah about 90 at the time. I love the way Heb.11:11-12 describes this miracle, "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude; innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore." Indeed "Abraham had two sons" but thats not nearly the entire story. B. Two Mothers, Two BIRTHS (vv.22b-23) Abrahams two sons had two different mothers. One was "by a bondwoman" and "the other by a freewoman." Ishmaels
Ishmael or Isaac?
mother was Hagar, a slave, Abrahams servant. Isaacs mother was Sarah, a freewoman, Abrahams wife. Ishmael was born to slavery; Isaac was born for freedom. These two sons from two different mothers had two different births. Ishmael who was "of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh." Isaac who was "of the freewoman" was born "through promise." Ishmaels birth was "according to the flesh," that is it was completely natural. Ishmael came into this world in exactly the same way you and I came. Though physically, Isaacs birth was natural, spiritually it was supernatural. The fact that a 100-year-old man and a 90-year old woman can have a child is nothing short of miraculous. Isaac was indeed born "through promise." He was not born "according to the flesh" but against the flesh, against all natural odds. My mother was 35 when I was born and my father was 40. My parents were always older than my friends parents. Imagine how Isaac must have felt!
II. The Spiritual Symbolism (vv.24-27).

A. A Biblical ALLEGORY (v.24a). The NKJV translates Pauls words in v.24 as "which things are symbolic." The NIV translates it, "These things may be taken figuratively." The Greek word is allegoreo and many versions translate the word correctly as "allegory." Allegoreo has a literal meaning of "to speak other than one seems to speak." It was used of a story that conveyed a meaning other than what was apparent in the literal sense of the words.1 Webster defines the word "allegory" as "a symbolic representation." In this passage we have spiritual truth illustrated by a historical story. There are some inherent dangers in using allegories. Many erroneous interpretations and false doctrines have come from
Ishmael or Isaac?
improper use of allegory. MacArthur notes, "The ancient rabbis regularly used an all allegorical approach to interpret Scripture, often claiming to discover amazing, hidden and extremely fanciful truths that supposedly lay behind the ordinary meaning of words of a text. Jewish scholars in Alexandria developed a system of scriptural allegory that strongly influenced not only Judaism but also Roman Catholicism until the time of the Protestant Reformation. For example, the Euphrates River was seen as the outflowing of good manners. The journey of Abraham from Ur to the Promised Land pictured a stoic philosopher who left his sensual understandings and came to his spiritual sense. The two coins given by the Good Samaritan to the innkeeper symbolized baptism and the Lords Supper. Pope Gregory the Great claimed that Jobs seven sons represented the twelve apostles, his friends represented heretics, his 7,000 sheep represented Gods faithful people, and his 3,000 camels represented depraved Gentiles! Allegory is a Pandoras box that ignores the literal, historical meaning of Scripture and opens biblical interpretation to every extreme."2 While one extreme of allegory is to read something into a text that is obviously not there, the other extreme is to read it too rigidly. For example, when Paul quotes Jesus words about the Lords supper in 1 Cor.11, he says of the bread, "This is my body which is broken for you" (1 Cor.11:24). Some have taken this to mean that the bread LITERALLY becomes the Lords body when obviously the Scripture means that the bread represents the Lords body sacrificed for us. Okay, if allegory is a dangerous method for biblical interpretation, why is it used here? It is simple. Paul was an apostle. He was inspired of the Holy Spirit as he wrote, thus this allegory is spirit-inspired, not man-inspired. The clear rule of interpretation for OT metaphors, types and allegories is if it is confirmed in the NT. B. Two Women are Symbolic of Two COVENANTS and Two CITIES (vv.24b-27). Paul says "For these [the two mothers] are the two covenants." In other words, Hagar represents the bondage of the Old
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Covenant, the Old Testament. Sarah represents the freedom of the New Covenant, the New Testament. "Covenant" simply means "promise." The Old Covenant was based on the law; but the New Covenant is based on Gods grace. Under the Old Covenant, God placed the burden of the law on men, "Thou shalt thou shalt thou shalt" Under the New Covenant, God keeps all the responsibility on Himself, "I will I will I will" Paul also mentions two cities. Hagar "corresponds to Jerusalem which now is" (v.25). In v.26 he writes of "the Jerusalem above." Jerusalem is of course the ancient capital city of Israel. Jerusalem stands for Israel and the Jews in the same way Moscow stands for Russia, Tokyo stands for Japan, London stands for Great Britain and Washington D.C. stands for the United States. The OT, law-keeping Jews are represented by the "Jerusalem which now is." Lets take these two women separately and consider both the covenants and the cities they symbolize. Hagar represents the law. She gave "birth to bondage." Paul says "Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia." "Mount Sinai" of course is where Moses received the law. Hagar represents the Old Covenant because being a slave she could only bear a slavechild. V.25 says she "is in bondage with her children." The law can only produce spiritual slaves. She "corresponds to Jerusalem which now is." However, Sarah is different. V.26 says, "But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all." If Hagar, Ishmaels mother the slave woman stands for the law and the earthly Jerusalem, then Sarah, Isaacs mother, the freewoman stands for grace, the New Covenant and the heavenly Jerusalem, the church, the company of all the redeemed. The NT makes several references to this "Jerusalem above." As believers, born again by the grace of God we are citizens of that heavenly city. Phil.3:20 says, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
Ishmael or Isaac?
In contrasting the law and grace, Mount Sinai with the heavenly Jerusalem, Heb.12:18-22 says, "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. (For they could not endure what was commanded: And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect." John the Revelator writes in Rev.21:2, "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." I dont think this refers so much to a place but to a people! Thus, Sarah is "symbolic" of Gods grace, how He gives us a miraculous spiritual birth into His forever family, makes us citizens of His city, part of His church of the firstborn, His bride adorned for her husband! Lets go back and read v.27. This is a quote from Is.54:1 that originally referred to the glory of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. God was saying to Israel through His prophet that the Jerusalem after the captivity would be even greater than the Jerusalem before the captivity. The greater fulfillment of that verse is seen here, that the glory of Jerusalem before Christ will be overshadowed by the glory of the church after Christs coming. In other words, the number of people who live in Gods grace and freedom will one day outnumber those who are in bondage to the law. This then is the symbolism, the allegory. Abraham had two sons, born of two women who represent two covenants and two cities. They represent two religions, one of bondage and the law and one of freedom and grace. Hagar and Ishmael represent all those who try to come to God on their own terms, who try to earn their salvation by works and religion. Sarah and Isaac represent those
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who come to God on His terms who receive their salvation by His grace through His Son.
III. The Personal Significance (vv.28-31).

In v.28, Paul makes this personally significant. He says, "Now we," we who are genuinely saved, we are "brethren, as Isaac was" are "children of promise." We are not under the Old Covenant; we are not under the law; we are not under bondage. We like Isaac are miraculously born into Gods family. We are the fulfillment of Gods promise to Abraham; we are the holy nation of God! Because we are "children of promise," because we are like Isaac, we should not live like Ishmael. We should not live under bondage to legalism or the law. In the remaining verses of this chapter, Paul teaches us two truths that pertain to us as brothers with Isaac, "children of promise." A. We will face PERSECUTION (v.29). Paul says, "But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now." Flashback with me to Gen.21. Gods promise has come true. Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 and Sarah about 90. Ishmael incidentally was about 14. The "miracle baby" was no doubt the highlight of the aged parents lives. I can relate to this because I was born to older parents. However, dont forget big half-brother. He knows that Isaac has the limelight. He knows Isaac is favored over him and he is intensely jealous. According to v.8, Isaac "grew and was weaned" at about three years of age. To celebrate this special time, "Abraham made a great feast." No doubt there was much food, music, dancing and joy in their camp. While all this was going on, Ishmael sulked. V.9 says, "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born to Abraham scoffing." That's it. Thats all we know for sure. The Hebrew word for "scoffing" means "to laugh outright, to scorn, mock, make sport." It is abundantly clear that the toddler Isaac was the object of Ishmaels derision. Back in Gal.4:29, Paul says, "even so it is now." It is so in a physical sense. The physical Arab descendants of Ishmael have
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always and continue to this moment to persecute the physical Jewish descendants of Isaac. What is true physically is even truer spiritually. The spiritual descendants of Ishmael, those who are under bondage to works and the law have always persecuted the spiritual descendants of Isaac, those under grace and freedom, the "children of promise." We must expect the same. We expect persecution from the world and we easily find it. However, we also find legalistic persecution from within Gods family by those who although are sons like Isaac prefer to live under the law. Jesus was rejected, bitterly opposed, sold-out, beaten and crucified by the Jews. Pauls fiercest enemies were the Jewish Christians called Judaizers who accepted Christ but would not leave the law. The worst persecution of believers down through the centuries has come from organized Christian religion. Isaac is always mocked and persecuted by Ishmael. Stott adds, "The greatest enemies of the evangelical faith today are not unbelievers, who when they hear the gospel often embrace it, but the church, the establishment, the hierarchy."3 The problem of denominationalism is that the establishment seeks to conform the local churches, the pastors and the individual believers to their version of Christianity rather than Gods. B. We will receive the INHERITANCE (vv.30-31). Paul echoes Sarahs words to Abraham because the Scripture says, "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." Even though Isaac had to endure the scorn of Ishmael, it was Isaac who received the inheritance. Once, Abraham had prayed that Ishmael might be the heir. He said to God in Gen.17:18, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" God said in v. 19, "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him." Though God allowed Ishmael to
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become a great nation to (the Arabs) he said to Abraham in Gen.21:12, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called." The true heirs of Gods promise to Abraham are not his physical children in the nation of Israel, but his spiritual children, bornagain believers whether Jews or Gentiles. Like Isaac, we have pain and persecution on one hand but inheritance and glory on the other. On one side we are despised and rejected by men, but on the other we are the children of God. Rom.8:17 says, "and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Paul sees this dichotomy in 2 Cor.6:8-10, We live "by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." As genuine Christians we are Abrahams seed and like Isaac "children of promise." We are citizens of the new and heavenly Jerusalem, "the Jerusalem above." Even though we may be persecuted, all the promises of God to His people are ours.
1
2
John MacArthur, p.125. Ibid., pp.122-123. 3 John R.W. Stott, p.127.
Copyright 1998 - 2003 Coy M. Wylie. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in part (except for small quotations used with citation of source), edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any
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commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Coy M. Wylie, Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, P.O. Box 7403, Amarillo, TX 79114-7403.
Set Free!
December 10, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie
Set Free!
Galatians 5:1 For 11 years a man by the name of Merhan Karimi Nasseri lived in a Paris airport. He was a man without a country. He had no passport. He had no citizenship. He had no papers that enabled him to leave the airport or fly to another country. He had been expelled from his native country of Iran. The French sent him to England but he was denied entry and sent back to Paris. When he was returned to the Paris airport in 1988, airport authorities allowed him to live in Terminal 1, and there he stayed for 11 years, writing in a diary, living off of handouts from airport employees, cleaning up in the airport bathroom. Then in September 1999 the French authorities presented Nasseri with an international travel card and a French residency permit. Suddenly he was free to go anywhere he wanted. When airport officials handed him his walking papers, to everyone's surprise, he simply smiled, tucked the documents in his folder, and resumed writing in his diary. He was afraid to leave the bench and table that had been his home for eleven years. As the days passed and Nasseri refused to leave, airport officials said they would not throw him out of the airport, but they would have to gently and patiently coax him to find a new home.1 Mr. Nasseri symbolizes many Christians. Our text says "Christ has made us free." Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (Jn.8:36). When we gave our lives to Christ He indeed set us free. Yet, like the man in the airport, we fear stepping out in that freedom. Many believers choose to settle down in legalism rather than experience the exhilarating freedom that is theirs in Christ. Galatians 5:1 is the central verse of the entire book. It is the apex, the very heart and soul of the letter. It succinctly states the message the Apostle Paul has consistently expounded. It says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." To be honest, I intended to cover vv.1-12 today. However, as I began to study the passage early this week, I never got beyond v.1. The more I examined this verse, the more truth I mined from it. I tried to move on to the next verses, but the Spirit kept me focused on this first verse. In these 24 words, the Holy Spirit gives us the keys to living in freedom. Unfortunately, both the NKJV and the KJV dont give the most literal interpretation of the Greek text in this verse. As the NKJV notes in margin reference, a more literal rendering would be "For freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast therefore." The NRSV reads,
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"For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore" The NEB says, "Christ set us free to be free men." The NCV renders it, "We have freedom now, because Christ made us free." Also in the Greek text, this verse is broken down into two distinct sentences. We will examine them separately. First there is the FOUNDATION of our freedom, "Christ has made us free." Next there is the DEFENSE of our freedom, "Stand fast" and "Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Finally, by way of personal application, we will examine the LIMITS of our liberty.
I. The Foundation of our Freedom.

A. What Are We Free From? What a magnificent statement, "Christ has made us free." You should underline or highlight that in your Bible and tattoo it on your heart. The whole book of Galatians is summed up in that statement. We are no longer slaves. We are no longer under "bondage." We are free, "free indeed." Just what does that mean? I began this series in Galatians by comparing our spiritual slavery with the slavery of Africans in American history. Abraham Lincoln is called the "Great Emancipator" because he devised the Emancipation Proclamation that led to the freeing of all slaves. In a much greater sense, Jesus is our Great Emancipator because He has given us true and lasting freedom. Jesus set us free to live in freedom. Lets consider what "Christ has made us free" from:
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We have been freed from the POWER OF SIN. As bornagain believers in Jesus Christ, we dont have to sin. The power of sin over us has been broken. Rom.6:6-7 says, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." We have been regenerated. We have a new nature. When we sin, we sin by choice. We have been freed from the PENALTY OF SIN. Jn.3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son has
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everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Jesus bore Gods "wrath" or fury for us. He paid the penalty for our sins so we do not have to. By faith in Him we have eternal life, not eternal death!
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We have been freed from THE SLAVERY OF THE LAW. This is Pauls primary point in our passage. As we have seen over and over again, the law, religion, enslaves. No matter how hard we try to be good, to follow the rules, to practice religion, we always fall short. We always fail. Even if we look like we are doing good to others, in our hearts we know we havent changed. Legalism enslaves people because people can never break loose from its chains. We have been freed from OUR OWN GUILT. All of us have guilt. We all have skeletons in our closet, shameful secrets we keep carefully hidden. Our enemy Satan loves to degrade us with this guilt. However, Jesus has freed us from it. The Bible says in Rom.8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." We dont have to condemn ourselves because Jesus doesnt condemn us. Hes knows all about us, but He forgives us anyway. Psa.103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." We have been freed from THE PERFORMANCE TRAP. If you have been saved, God loves you just the way you are. He wont ever love you any less and He will never love you any more. Keeping a bunch of self-imposed rules and restrictions will not enhance your favor with Him nor will your failures and shortcomings diminish His grace on your life. The unconditional love of God is so hard for us to grasp but it is true. You dont have to perform to be pleasing to God. We have been freed from THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS. Rom.14:4 says, "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." I dont mean to say that other people wont force their expectations on you and judge
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you; but they are not your ultimate judge. Jesus has freed us from the drudgery of constantly worrying over what everyone else may think of us.
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We have been freed from SATANS DOMINATION. Before you met Jesus, Satan had you in his grasp. He played you like a violin. Even though you didnt realize it, the evil one was calling the shots in your life. When you were born again, Jesus broke Satans hold on you. You no longer have to dance to his tune. 1 Jn.4:4 says, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
Jesus died to free us from these struggles. He wants us to live the life of the Spirit, which Paul introduces in this chapter. He wants to know true peace, joy and love, not slavery. "Christ set us free for freedom." He has given us something much better than dry, stale religion. If we put our minds to it, we could probably think of many other things Jesus has freed us from. However, lets look at the other side of the coin. What has Jesus freed us to? B. What Are We Free To?
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We are free to LIVE WITHOUT BONDAGE. You see the phrase "a yoke of bondage" at the end of our verse. Well cover that more in a moment. For now, realize that as a believer in Jesus Christ you dont have to be bound by anything. By His power we can have victory over any sin, habit, addiction that binds us. 1 Cor.15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Though we often choose it, we dont have to live in defeat. We are free to DEPEND ON THE HOLY SPIRIT. As believers we are not alone. The Holy Spirit of God permanently resides within us. We dont have to depend on our wisdom or our understanding for He will lead us in all truth (Jn.16:13). Not only does the Holy Spirit bring freedom, you cant have spiritual freedom without the presence of the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor.3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
Listen to what Oswald Chambers wrote, "The Spirit of God is always the spirit of liberty; the spirit that is not of God is the spirit of bondage, the
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spirit of oppression and depression. The Spirit of God convicts vividly and tensely, but He is always the Spirit of liberty. God who made the birds never made birdcages; it is men who make birdcages, and after a while we become cramped and can do nothing but chirp and stand on one leg. When we get out into God's great free life, we discover that that is the way God meant us to live the glorious liberty of the children of God."2
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We are free to have OPEN ACCESS TO GOD. In the OT era, no one could enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple except the High Priest, and he could do it only once a year. Jesus has freed us that we might come boldly to the Lord as children to their father. Heb.4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Heb.10:22 says, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" We are free to RELAX IN GODS GRACE. We dont always have to be striving. We dont always have to be slaving away trying to impress God. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt.11:28). We are free to BE WHO HE CREATED US TO BE. God created us as individuals. He made us unique and different. When we were saved He gave each of us a diverse blend of spiritual gifts. Legalism produces clones. Freedom produces creativity. Christians dont have to all look alike or have the same tastes. If they do, something is wrong!
C. How Did Christ Make Us Free? Though freedom is glorious, it is never cheap. The freedom we enjoy as Americans did not come cheap. From Bunker Hill to Gettysburg, from Omaha Beach to Chosin Reservoir, from Saigon to the Persian Gulf, we owe our freedom to brave men who gave their lives for our country. In a much greater sense, "Christ has made us free." His freedom supercedes any political freedom. His freedom was also very costly. He fought the battle of sin and death on the cross and rose from the grave in triumph. We are free because Jesus died for our sins on the cross! Understand that everyone doesnt have the freedom that Jesus gives. Unless you have been saved, born again, you are still held in sins power and you still face sins penalty. He offers you His
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freedom as a gift and all you must do is receive it. Jn.1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Christ makes us free by grace. We appropriate this freedom by faith.
II. The Defense of our Freedom.

Next Paul tells us we are to "stand fast" in this "liberty" or and "not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Lets take those two thoughts separately. A. We Defend Our Freedom by Standing Fast. "Stand fast" means just what it says, TAKE A STAND! Dont let anyone push you into legalism. The Greek tense indicates that we are to "keep on standing fast." 1 Cor.16:13 says, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." Phil.1:27 says, "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." Paul writes in Phil.4:1, "Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." "Stand fast" also has the meaning of hold a line as in battle. We are to be zealous for our spiritual liberty and carefully guard it. In his book, The Will to Live On, Hermon Wouk tells of a meeting he had with modern Israels first president, David BenGurion back in the 1950s. As they toured the fledgling nation, Ben-Gurion said to Wouk, "You must return here to live. This is the only place for Jews like you. Here you will be free." "Free?" asked Wouk. "Free? With enemy armies ringing you, with their leaders publicly threatening to wipe out the Zionist entity, with your roads impassable after sundown free?" Ben Gurion retorted, "I did not say safe, I said free." 3 So it is with our spiritual liberty. We are free but living in that freedom is not always easy. Eugene Peterson writes, "Freedom cannot be taken for granted; it must be vigorously guarded. It is not something that can be put in a bank vault and kept safe. It is not a
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privilege conferred, like an academic degree that certifies access to privileges and honors. Each day we must take up the stance of freedom again. If we fail to stand deliberately and consciously, the freedom will be lost."4 B. We Defend Our Freedom by Rejecting Bondage. Note Pauls word "entangled." It refers to being snared in a trap, to being caught up in something. My dad is a rodeo fan. When I was a little boy, we made all the area rodeos. One of the most skillful of rodeo competitors is the calf-roper. Riding a well-trained horse, he has to throw a loop around the calfs neck to catch him in the shortest amount of time. Occasionally, a smart calf would go left when the loop went right or visa versa. Paul is saying that legalism is like a loop that tries to catch us. We have to watch for it and duck it! What do Christians become "entangled" in? They get trapped "with a yoke of bondage." Before the mechanical age, oxen were used to pull wagons and plows. A pair of oxen were harnessed together by a heavy wooden yoke. Legalism, keeping man-made rules and traditions can be a heavy yoke. Jesus has freed us from all that. He says in Mat.11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." The basic command is since Christ set you free, stay free. Legalism is all around us. There is the legalism of adding to Gods grace in salvation. Some say you trust in Jesus plus baptism, church membership, good works etc There is the legalism of performance. Some believe that even after you are saved, you had better do good or God will zap you. There is the legalism of tradition. Many fall into the trap of serving under the "because weve always done it that way" mentality. They think they are teaching doctrine, but what they are really teaching is their extra-biblical traditions. Its amazing that when we really study the Bible for ourselves we find that a lot of things we thought were in the Bible are really not there. Then there is the legalism of the contemporary. Some younger believers look
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upon tradition as out of date and out of touch. They cling tenaciously to their generation. What they fail to realize is that they are just as legalistic as the traditionalists, they simply have a different form of legalism. Listen to what the great linguist Kenneth Wuest wrote: "The liberty spoken of here does not refer to the kind of life a person lives, neither does it have reference to his words and actions, but it has to do with the method by which he lives that life. The Judaizers lived their lives by dependence upon self-effort in an attempt to obey the law. The Galatian Christians had been living theirs in dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. Their hearts had been occupied with the Lord Jesus, the details of their lives being guided by the ethics that emerged from the teaching of the apostles, both doctrinal and practical. Now, in swinging over to the law, they were losing that freedom of action and that flexibility of self-determination which one exercises in doing of what is right, when one does right, not because the law forbids the wrong and commands the right, but because it is right, because it pleases the Lord Jesus, and because of love for Him. Paul exhorts them to keep on standing fast in that freedom" 5
III. The Limits of our Liberty.

When the Bible speaks of our spiritual freedom, it does not mean that we are free to do anything at all. Suppose we all decided to go skydiving. We get up in the plane at 10,000 feet and are about to jump out the door. I look at you and say, "You know, skydiving is a freeing experience. But I want more freedom. This time Im going to jump without a parachute." Freedom does not mean that there are no constraints. The constraint of the parachute enables the skydiver to enjoy the freedom of jumping out of a plane. Without restraint, it wouldnt be freedom. It would be suicide. In the same way, there are some restraints or limits to our liberty. A. Our Freedom is Limited by the Word of God. God has drawn a circle around us and said basically, "I have made you free. You can do anything or be anything you want as long as you stay inside this boundary." The boundary of course is His Word, the Bible.
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Many people want to put their own boundaries around us. They want to tell us what a real Christian does and does not do. They want to tell what we as a local church should or should not do. The problem is these are their boundaries, not Gods. This is why it is vital for a church to be centered on the Scripture. My goal, my desire for this church above all else is be as close as possible to the Bible. I want us to resemble the churches of the NT. I teach the Bible each week verse-by-verse in order for us to clearly understand what God expects of us. It matters little to me what denominations say a church should look like. It matters little what other pastors say. I dont want their boundaries. I want Gods. This is also why it is vital for each of us to be students of the Bible. This is why I constantly tell you that you need to be in the Word. If you dont know the Bible, you will allow other people to set your boundaries for you. I remember growing up that women were permitted to wear pants to church. Preachers railed on women who wore pants. I have yet to find a verse in Scripture that says women cant wear pants to church. There is the overarching principle of modesty, but nothing specific about pants. If you dont know the Word, someone else will put limits on your freedom. There are some who say we should only sing hymns. There is nothing wrong with singing hymns. I sometimes like to sing hymns. However, there is no passage in Scripture that says we must only sing hymns. Ironically, the Bible does say there are at least three categories of songs we should sing. Eph.5:19 and Col.3:16 both mention "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." Study the word for yourself. Let it be your boundary. You will be amazed at what you find in the Bible and amazed at what you do not find. You may discover that some of your sacred cows should be ground up into hamburger meat! B. Our Freedom is Limited by our Trust in God. Stepping out in spiritual freedom is often frightening. We fear
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what others may think or say about us. Many times we dont do what God is leading us to do because of fear. Prov.29:25 says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." Peter ran into that problem back in chapter 2. He was enjoying his spiritual liberty in eating with the Gentile believers until the legalistic Jews showed up. He feared what they might think of his freedom and ended up compromising the gospel. Paul had to publicly rebuke him. Even the great Apostle Peter feared man instead of trusting God. If you feel the Lord is leading you to do something, youve checked it out in the Word and you know you are within Gods boundaries, dont be afraid of what someone else thinks. C. Our Freedom is Limited by our Love for the People of God. There is only one condition in which we should allow others to limit our freedom, that is when we would cause a weaker brother to stumble. Some NT era Christians had a problem with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. The Apostle Paul knew the Word. He didnt fear man. He knew that there was nothing wrong with such meat and he had the spiritual freedom to eat it. However, he intentionally limited his liberty if he was with someone who might stumble because of it. He said in 1 Cor.8:13, "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." 1 Pet.2:16 says, "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God" (NIV). 1 Cor.8:9 says, "But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak." Later in Gal.5:13, Paul will say to us, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." We are not to go about flaunting our freedom but be sensitive to less mature believers. A few months ago, I took my 10-year-old daughter Ashlea on a
Set Free!
dove hunt. The doves didnt fly so well, so a friend suggested we go explore some old Indian flint quarries. Along the way, he pointed out some colorful pieces of flint that were once used for arrowheads. Ashlea began collecting them in her game pouch. By the time we had walked a mile or so, she was lagging behind our little group. Finally she sat down and began to cry. I went to her to give a pep talk about keeping up and being tough. Only then did I realize why she kept falling behind. She had about 30 pounds of flint in that old game bag! No wonder she was tired! We jettisoned the rock collection and she felt 100% better! Many of us have hiked through life picking up pieces of legalism, lists of dos and donts. Weve packed on our backs the weight of years of man-made traditions, fears and prejudices. Sometimes that heavy load causes us to want to give up. All the while Jesus wants us to "lay aside every weight" and run with joy in the freedom He has bought for us.
1 Adapted from: Ray Moseley, "At Last, Airport 'Prisoner' Gets His Walking Papers," Chicago Tribune (9-21-99); Suzanne Daley, "11 Years Caged in an Airport; Now He Fears to Fly," N.Y. Times , 9-27-99 2 Oswald Chambers in The Moral Foundations of Life. Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no. 13. 3 Gordon MacDonald, speaker and author; source: Herman Wouk, The Will to Live On, (Cliff Street Books, 2000 4 Eugene Peterson quoted in a sermon by Michael P. Andrus, www.efree.org/ssermons/galatians/only_thing_that_counts.htm.
5
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuests Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol.1, pp.136-137.
Staying Free
January 14, 2001 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie
Staying Free
Galatians 5:2-12 Paul introduces the last section of Galatians with a climactic statement in v.1. He says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." This is the apex, the summit, and the pinnacle of the epistle. Our verse by verse study of Galatians was preempted a few weeks ago by the Christmas season and of course the passing of my mother. Im so excited to get back to this study because we are about to enter my favorite part of the book, living the Spirit-filled life! Just before our break, we studied v.1 in detail. In fact, I spent a whole sermon teaching it. In order to understand vv.2-12, we need to refresh our understanding of v.1, so bear with me for a brief review. Serious teaching and understanding of the Bible is not something we can do without concentration, so plug your brain in and lets get into it! V.1 tells us that by faith in Christ, we are SET FREE. Vv.2-12 and the rest of the book tell us how to STAY FREE. V.1 can really be broken down into two statements. First, it says, "Christ has made us free." That needs to be underlined in our Bibles and tattooed on our hearts! When you were saved, Jesus set you free. He freed you from the power of sin, the penalty of sin, the slavery of the law, from guilt, the performance trap, the expectations of others and the domination of Satan. Jesus said it best in Jn.8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." The second statement in v.1 says, "Stand fast therefore in liberty, and do not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage." In other words, because "Christ has made us free" we are to now live like free men and women! We are not to return to the bondage of living under rules, ritualism, regulations and religion. We are to live above legalism. You may remember that we illustrated this command in this way. God has drawn a circle around us and said, "You are free. You can do anything or become anything as long as you stay within the boundaries of this circle." Of course the circle is the Word of God, the Bible.
Staying Free
So many people want to put their boundaries on us. They want to tell us how to live, how to dress, how to wear our hair, where to go and what to do. They want to motivate us with guilt and condemnation. The problem is, these are their boundaries not Gods. Their circle is much smaller than Gods. If you dont study the Bible, you will allow other people to limit your liberty! If you have been genuinely saved by Gods grace, you are free! "Stand fast" in your freedom! Dont let anyone strip it away. Dont return to the "bondage" of legalistic religion. In the next 11 verses, Paul gives us two criteria for staying free: avoid false teaching and abandon false teachers.
I. To Stay Free We Must Avoid False Teaching (vv.2-6).

As you read our text, you see the words "circumcised" or "circumcision" in four verses (2,3,6,11). Obviously, "circumcision" is a vital part of understanding this passage. "Circumcision," the removal of the male foreskin, was the chief symbol of Judaism. God commanded Abraham and all his descendants to be "circumcised." The cutting off of the foreskin was a symbol and a reminder that God wanted to cut away sin from their hearts by faith. The problem was that instead of a symbol and reminder of Gods grace and blessings on the Jews as a people, to them "circumcision" became a way of humanly making themselves right with God. They began to trust in the symbol rather than in God. It is important to understand that Paul did not object to circumcision in itself. He had been circumcised. Timothy was circumcised as a Jew in order to open more doors to the gospel. The problem was in trusting in circumcision for salvation rather than trusting Jesus. The false teachers in Galatia called Judaizers said, "Its great to believe in Jesus, but thats not enough to be saved. You also have to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses." Pauls point is that you cannot trust in both. You either trust in circumcision or you trust in Christ. Circumcision is not a major debate among Christians today. However, people continue to trust in symbols rather than in Jesus. Some people believe that because they have been baptized that they are saved. Baptism is a wonderful biblical symbol, but it saved no one. Others believe that because they take communion regularly, belong to a specific church or denomination, or confess their sins to a priest that they will be saved. The point of the NT is clear, ONLY JESUS SAVES!
Staying Free
In vv.2-6, Paul points out four consequences of trusting in a symbol rather than the Savior. A. False Teaching Separates People from Christ (v.2). Notice Paul uses a personal admonition. He says, "Indeed I Paul say to you" He is relying here on his apostolic authority. As an apostle, a direct emissary of the Lord Jesus Christ, he states, "If you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing." He was Jewish. He had been "circumcised." Why did he say this? Paul means that if anyone receives "circumcision" believing that "circumcision" will save him or add to his salvation, he has denied Jesus. Christ would be of no "profit" or benefit to him. Jesus offers complete and eternal salvation to all that believe on Him. However, that eternal salvation is not available to anyone who trusts in anything else, any symbol or any human act. For example, some people try to add baptism to trusting in Christ. They say, "Yes you must trust in Jesus but then you must be immersed in order to assure your salvation." The problem with teaching is that people trust in the fact that they have been baptized rather than trusting in the person of the Lord Jesus! What actually happens then is that baptism, like circumcision has caused Christ to "profit" them "nothing." Remember that this letter was written to "the churches of Galatia" (1:2). Most of the people to whom Paul wrote were genuine believers, but as in almost all churches today, there were some that had never truly been converted. To those who were unsaved, Paul was saying that they could receive no "profit" or benefit from Christ if they trusted in "circumcision." To those who were authentic believers, Paul was saying that there would be no "profit" or benefit, no spiritual growth in the Lord if they began to trust in "circumcision" in addition to Christ. I trusted in Christ alone for my salvation when I was 14. I had gone to church all my life, but trusting in church didnt
Staying Free
save me. I had been baptized at age 7, but baptism didnt save me. I was a member of a local church, but membership didnt save me. I was a good kid, but being good didnt save me. At age 14, the Spirit of God led me to understand that I had to trust in Jesus alone. I had to come to terms with the fact that nothing I could do, no human effort could save me. I realized and admitted that I was helpless, that I could not save myself and that only Jesus could save me. To trust in anything else in place of Christ or in addition to Christ is not to trust in Christ. I like the way John MacArthur puts it, "A supplemented Christ is a supplanted Christ."1 B. False Teaching Obligates People to the Whole Law (v.3). Paul says, "And I testify [urgently affirm] again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor [is obligated] to keep the whole law." In other words, if you add "circumcision" to salvation, you are now obligated to keep the whole law. Ja.2:10 says, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." God doesnt grade on the curve. If you are going to approach him in your own goodness, you have to be perfect, completely perfect. You cant have even one sin. Even if you could live perfectly all you life and had a one-minute failure the last moment of your life, you would be lost! C. False Teaching Causes People to be Fallen from Grace (v.4). Next the Apostle says, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by the law, you have fallen from grace." This verse has been the source of much misinformation and misunderstanding over the centuries. Many have used it to try to teach that a person who has been saved is capable of losing his salvation. Thats not the case at all. In fact, in context we see that Paul is not dealing with eternal security but the mixing of the law and grace.
Staying Free
"Estranged" means "separated or loosed." If a man is separated from his wife, she is referred to as his "estranged wife." Paul is writing to some people who were separated or "estranged from Christ." Who were they? Paul tells us. They are those who "attempt to be justified by law." The point is you can approach God from only one of two paths. You cant go down both. You must pick one. You cant have one foot on one path and the other foot on the other path. You have to choose. Will you approach God through the "law" or through "grace?" These two paths are absolutely incompatible and mutually exclusive. To choose one is to reject the other. In Galatia there were some people who were attempting to be "justified by the law." They were trying to earn their salvation by being "circumcised" and keeping the law. I think this statement was directed especially to the false teachers called Judaizers. Paul is saying if you follow that path, you are separated from the path of Jesus, you are "estranged from Christ." If you follow the path of the law, you are "fallen from grace." In the early church era, there were many people who were exposed to the truth of the gospel. They saw signs and wonders performed by the apostles. They were attracted to the message of Jesus. Yet, many people then, like many people today, turned their backs on the gospel. They went back to their own human religion. Such people are apostates. Heb.6:4-6 says, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." Once a person samples the pathway of grace but rejects it and falls away, returning to man-made religion, it is impossible for them to be saved.
Staying Free
This in no way means a person can be genuinely saved or justified and then lose his salvation. The Bible never speaks of being "unjustified." On the contrary, Rom.8:30 says, "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Sometimes genuine believers get caught up in legalism. They allow others to shrink the circle of Gods freedom for their lives. They exchange walking in grace for being shackled to the law, living by faith for living by works, living in the Spirit for living in the flesh. We have been SET FREE and we are to STAY FREE by rejecting false teaching and false teachers. D. False Teaching Denies People Faith (vv.5-6). Notice how Paul has shifted his personal pronouns from "you" to "we." He spoke in v.4 of "you who attempt to be justified by the law." In v.5, he speaks of "we" who "through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." The emphasis in vv.5-6 is faith, not works. Lets note two statements about faith that give us hope. First, we wait by faith. Paul says it is "by faith" that we "through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness." Though we have the imputed righteousness of Christ on our lives right now, we are waiting for complete righteousness, total sanctification and final glorification. We dont strive for it; we wait for it. We dont work for it; we wait for it. We dont earn it; we wait for it. It is the "hope" for which we wait. In this verse learn that we are to live in the power of "the Spirit" not the flesh, in "hope" not uncertainty, and in "faith" not works! Second, faith is what matters most. Look to v.6. the Apostle confirms, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." When you are "in Christ Jesus" nothing else is needed. Circumcision or uncircumcision will neither add nor take away from you.
Staying Free
Baptism, church membership nor anything else will add to or take away from your standing in Christ. All that matters is faith! The Christian life is a life of faith and that faith produces works of love. Paul says at the end of v.6 it is "faith working through love." The product of our faith, by the power of the indwelling Spirit is love. Our "working" for God is the product of our faith, the result of our love. We do not work in order to be righteous, we work because of the righteousness Christ has already placed in our lives.
II. To Stay Free We Must Abandon False Teachers (vv.7-12).

As we move into vv.7-12, the Apostle shifts his emphasis from the danger of false teaching to false teachers. This reminds me of the story of a man who had a fine canary whose song was unusually beautiful. During the summer, it seemed a shame to keep the bird inside the house all the time. So the owner placed the cage in a nearby tree for the bird to enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air. Many sparrows frequented the tree and were attracted to the cage. At first the canary was frightened, but soon enjoyed his companions. But gradually and almost imperceptibly he lost the sweetness of the song. By the end of the summer his singing was little more than the twitter of the sparrows. Spending his summer in the wrong environment caused the canary to lose his finest song.2 In the same way, false teachers lead us away from the song of freedom we have in Christ. Lets examine five characteristics of false teachers. A. False Teachers Hinder the Truth (v.7). Paul says, "You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" When Paul says, "You ran well," he compares the Christian life to running a marathon, a metaphor he used often throughout the NT. When we were saved, we began the race and we will keep running until we meet Jesus face to face. Near the end of his life, the Apostle would write, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim.4:7). I recently read about a NCAA cross-country championship held in Riverside, California. Of 128 runners, 123 of them missed a turn and were disqualified. One competitor, Mike
Staying Free
Delcavo, stayed on the 10,000-meter course and began waving for fellow runners to follow him. Delcavo was able to convince only four other runners to go with him. Asked what his competitors thought of his mid-race decision not to follow the crowd, Delcavo responded, "They thought it was funny that I went the right way." The Galatian believers had a good start on the race of faith. Paul says they "ran well" at first. They had been "obeying the truth." To run the race well is not just to believe the truth or have the right moral behavior. To run the race well is to "obey[ing] the truth," to apply what we believe to our behavior, to live out our faith. John Stott writes, "Only he who obeys the truth is an integrated Christian. What he believes and how he behaves are all of a piece. His creed is expressed in his conduct; his conduct is derived from his creed."3 Even though they "ran well" at first and were "obeying the truth," someone "hindered" them. "Hindered" literally means "beaten back." Paul asks rhetorically who it was who became the hindrance, the obstacle or stumbling block in their path. Of course both Paul and his readers knew it was the false teaching Judaizers who had contradicted apostolic teaching. There are no Judaizers left today, but false teaching still abound. Just because someone carries a Bible does not mean they speak truth. Just because a teacher is on TV or radio does not mean he has a right message. Just because a person has a ministry, a church or a Bible class does not guarantee that he is proclaiming the pure gospel. THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY IN THE WORD OF GOD THAT NO ONE LIMITS YOUR LIBERTY OR HINDERS YOUR RACE! 2 Pet.2:1 says, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction."
Staying Free
B. False Teachers are not from God (v.8). Paul tells us that "this persuasion did not come from Him who calls you." 1:6 says God "called you in the grace of Christ," yet they were turning away to a different "persuasion," a "different gospel" of ritual and rulekeeping rather than grace. Oh church, be careful. There are many different voices clamoring for your attention. There are many wolves among Gods sheep. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Mt.7:21). C. False Teachers Contaminate Others (v.9). Paul quotes a Jewish proverb in this verse, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." A little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough. "Leaven" or yeast in the Bible is symbolic of sin and error. Paul uses this same proverb in 1 Cor.5:6 to show how sin unconfronted can ruin the fellowship of a church family. Here in Galatians "leaven" represents how a little false teaching can spread to a large body of believers. This is one of the reasons we have to be vigilant, ever watching what we teach. Jesus said in Mt.7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Paul said to Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." D. False Teachers Persecute Others (vv.10-11). Next Paul says, "I have confidence in you, in the Lord that you will have no other mind" Paul knew in his heart that error would not triumph over truth. He was assured that the Galatians would come to their senses and see this false teaching for what it really was. His confidence was not just in them, but "in the Lord," for the
Staying Free
Lord would lead them in truth. As he said to the Philippians, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil.1:6). No matter how far a genuine believer may stray into error, his eternal destiny is set, upheld by God. Jesus said in Jn.10:28-29, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." The destiny of false teachers who lead others astray is judgment. In v.10, the Apostle adds, "but he who troubles [stirs up or agitates] you shall bear his judgment whoever he is." V.11 seems to suggest that the Judaizers, the false teachers had claimed that Paul agreed with their teaching. Paul asks, "If I still preach circumcision why do I still suffer persecution?" If he still preached that a person had to be circumcised, why were the Jews constantly persecuting him? If circumcision saved, then Christs death was needless and "the offense of the cross has ceased." Stott writes, "Paul sets himself and the false teachers in stark contrast. They were preaching circumcision; he was preaching Christ and the cross. To preach circumcision is to tell sinners that they can save themselves by their own good works; to preach Christ crucified is to tell them that they cannot and that only Christ can save them through the cross To preach circumcision is to avoid persecution; to preach Christ crucified is to invite it. People hate to be told that they can be saved only at the foot of the cross, and they oppose the preacher who tells them so."4 E. False Teachers Should be Cut Off (v.12). Finally, Paul says, "I could wish that those who trouble
Staying Free
you would even cut themselves off!" This is one of the harshest statements we have from the apostle. He was so passionate about the heresy being spread by the falseteaching Judaizers that he wished they would "cut" or mutilate themselves. The NEB translates this phrase "make eunuchs of themselves." Paul so deeply loved the people of God and the truth of God that he wished anyone who would disrupt the work of God be cut off. He said in 1:8, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Oh that this church, that we as individual believers would have such a passion, such a hunger for truth! Let me conclude with two final thoughts: We must either choose Christ or circumcision. Circumcision of course refers to any way of approaching God by our works, by trusting in something else other than Christ. Are you trusting in your baptism or in Jesus? Are you trusting in your church or in Jesus? Are you trusting in your family or in Jesus? We must either choose freedom or bondage. "Christ has made us free," therefore we must "stand fast" in our glorious liberty. We are not to be "entangled" ever again in any form of religious "bondage." We are to keep our circle, our boundaries solid but wide. Danny Cox, a former jet pilot turned business leader, tells his readers in Seize the Day that when jet fighters were first invented, they "flew much faster than their propeller predecessors. So pilot ejection became a more sophisticated process. Theoretically of course, all a pilot needed to do was push a button, clear the plane, then roll forward out of the seat so the parachute would open."
Staying Free
But there was a problem that popped up during testing. Some pilots, instead of letting go, would keep a grip on the seat. The parachute would remain trapped between the seat and the pilot's back. The engineers went back to the drawing board and came up with a solution. Cox writes: "The new design called for a two-inch webbed strap. One end attached to the front edge of the seat, under the pilot. The other end attached to an electronic take-up reel behind the headrest. Two seconds after ejection, the electronic take-up reel would immediately take up the slack, and force the pilot forward out of his seat, thus freeing the parachute."5 The bottom line is that jet fighter pilots needed that device to launch them out of their chairs. The question is what will it take to launch us out of ours?
John MacArthur, Galatians, p.134. Jerry Lock, Church Music World (Nov./Dec. 1985). Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 4. 3 John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, p.135. 4 Ibid., p.137. 5 Danny Cox, Seize the Day: Seven Steps to Achieving the Extraordinary in an Ordinary World (Career Press, 1994)
2
The Purpose of Our Freedom
Coy Wylie

Galatians 5:13-15 When I was a little boy, I was taught patriotism. At the beginning of every school day in Mrs. Langstons first grade class, we put our hands over our heart and verbally pledged our allegiance, our commitment to the Stars and Stripes. As I grew older, I learned that we Americans take our freedom seriously because it was hard won from England. In places like Bunker Hill, Brandywine and Valley Forge, patriots suffered unspeakable hardships and bled and died to secure our liberty. Our ancestors not only fought to win our freedom, but to keep our freedom. On battlefields near and far generation upon generation of American fighting men have given their lives to preserve our liberty. As a young man, I realized that this patriotism was deeply imbedded in my own family. My brother did his duty in Vietnam. My dad fought in Normandy during WWII. My papa toughed it out in the bloody trenches of France during WWI. I have forefathers who fought in the Civil War. The love of freedom runs deep in this country and should be passed along to our children and grandchildren. We should salute the flag. We should thank God each day for the privilege of living in this great nation. We are a free people today because our ancestors won our freedom. As we continue in Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul begins this section by saying, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty." Underline the word "called." You didnt WIN your spiritual freedom. You didnt INHERIT your spiritual freedom. You were "CALLED" to spiritual freedom. Our lives in Christ did not begin with our decision to follow Jesus but with His gracious calling in our lives. As Americans we look back with pride upon men like George Washington, Nathan Hale, Robert E. Lee, Sergeant Alvin York, Douglas MacArthur the list could go on and on. We take pride in the fact that we won our political and economic freedoms. However, we didnt win our spiritual freedom, Jesus did. He gives us freedom from guilt, freedom from the law, freedom from judgment, freedom from the power and penalty of sin. We didnt even choose this liberty until He chose us. Paul reminds us and the Galatians in 1:5 that God "called you in the grace of Christ." Paul came to understand that God had "called" him long before he heard the voice of the Lord in the shinning light on the Damascus Road. He said in 1:15-16a that "it pleased God who separated me from my mothers womb and CALLED ME through His grace, to reveal His Son in me." Because we have been "called to liberty," we are to "stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and not be entangled again with a yoke of
bondage" (5:1). Unfortunately, many people dont see Christianity as freedom at all; they see it as religious bondage to lists of dos and donts. The Lord has never intended for us to live in bondage. He has given us the call of grace. This is not just for some believers but for all. Thats why Paul reminds the Galatians that "You, brethren have been called to liberty." The Lord has graciously "called" each believing brother and sister to live in and "stand fast" in spiritual freedom. This raises an important question, why have we been "called to liberty?" What is the PURPOSE of our freedom? In vv.13-15, the Apostle answers that question. Both negatively and positively Paul tells us why God "called" us to spiritual freedom. Sometimes before we can understand what something is we must understand what it is not. Before we can understand the purpose of our liberty, lets understand what the purpose is not.
I. The Purpose of Our Freedom is not to Serve Ourselves (v.13a).

After reminding us that we have been "called to liberty," Paul commands us not to "use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh." In the Bible, particularly the NT, "flesh" doesnt so much refer to our muscles and skin as it does to our human nature, the selfish condition of our hearts. Each of us was born with an innate sense of selfishness that manifests itself in greed, envy, and indulgence in all manner of sin. We inherited this sinful nature from our parents who received it from their parents before them and so on all the way back to Adam and Eve and the Fall. Jesus has "made us free" but His purpose in making us free is not so that we may feed the self-seeking desires of our "flesh." Notice the phrase "an opportunity for the flesh." This comes from a Greek word that was used in a military context to describe a base of operation, a command post, a place from which to launch an attack. Eph.4:26-27 carries the same idea, "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." Believers are not to use their liberty as an excuse for sin. We are not to give the enemy a "place" or a door of "opportunity" in our lives. Up until this point in the book of Galatians, Paul has battled LEGALISM, the ritualistic religion of following rules and regulations. Now he addresses the other side of the coin, LICENSE. The dictionary defines license as "freedom that allows or is used with irresponsibility, disregard for rules of personal
conduct: licentiousness."1 Spiritual freedom can be dangerous when misapplied. Some people see their salvation as a sort of spiritual insurance policy. They think they can do whatever they want to do because they are "covered." They know Jesus has paid the price for their sins and that they will go to heaven when they die so they feel free to do whatever makes them happy right now. I had a gifted pastor friend who was blessed with a beautiful wife, great kids and a growing ministry. He seemed to have everything going his way. Yet, Gods abundant blessings were not enough for him. He wanted more. He was attracted to a much younger woman in his congregation and began to flirt with her. Sin came knocking when he found out her marriage wasnt all it appeared to be. Before long they were sneaking around to meet each other. It wasnt an affair; IT WAS ADULTERY! When they were inevitably caught, they ruined two marriages, the lives of his teenage children and brought a good church to its knees. The ripple effect of his sin, his refusal to control his "flesh" touched hundreds of lives. When I talked with him, he unremorsefully whined, "I know God loves me, dont you think God wants me to be happy?" Whats wrong with this picture? Here is a man who used the liberty of the Lord as "an opportunity for the flesh." He used his spiritual freedom to allow the devil to launch an attack in his life. Folks listen! Jesus suffered and died on the cross to set you free from sin not to give you freedom to sin! He gives you freedom to serve God and others not to wallow in your own selfishness! 1 Pet.2:16 says we are to live "as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God." A "cloak" is a covering, like an overcoat. I have a heavy wool overcoat I wear in extreme cold weather. It covers me from my neck to my knees. It covers everything else I wear. In the old mob movies, gangsters would carry their guns cloaked under an overcoat so that no one could see them. Peter tells us that we are not to cover our "vice" or sinfulness with our spiritual "liberty." We are not to cover up our sin and excuse it by saying that Christ has made us free. Some people claim to be Christians and believe they can get drunk, use drugs, wallow in smutty pornographic movies and magazines and live in complete self-centered, self-gratifying indulgence. All the while they will tell you that they are certain that they are saved and that Jesus has set them free. I have serious doubts that the person who persists in such a lifestyle has ever been
saved in the first place. Rom.6:18 says, "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Rom.13:14, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."Rom.15:3 says, "For even Christ did not please Himself" Liberty is not license. It is not a free pass to sin. It is not an excuse for the flesh. If we give in to our lusts we are bound by a more dreadful form of slavery. Jesus said in Jn.8:34, "I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."
II. The Purpose of Our Freedom is to Serve Others (vv.13b-15).

Now that we know that our freedom is not to serve ourselves, not to be used "as an opportunity for the flesh," what then is the purpose of our liberty? It is to serve others. Paul says that at the end of v.13. Negatively, we are not to use our freedom to serve the "flesh." Positively we are to use our freedom in order to "through love serve one another."
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Love Motivates Service Christian freedom is not the freedom to do whatever I want to do without regard for others. On the contrary we are to "love" them and "serve" them. So often we see people in terms of what they can do for us when we should see them in terms of what we can do for them. As a pastor I love to see new people come into our fellowship. Not only does our congregation grow in size; it grows in depth. Every believer that makes Cornerstone home has a unique mix of gifts and abilities. He or she should use those gifts and abilities to serve God here in our church. Its always exciting to learn what capabilities new people will bring to our ministry. However, I must be very careful that I do not view them as though they are here to serve me and our ministries. On the contrary, I should be looking for ways that we can serve them. The word "serve" in this verse comes from a Greek word that means, "to become a slave." Because of our "love" we are to humble ourselves to the point of serving others as a slave. I am not one master with many slaves but one lowly slave with many masters! What a radical concept! What if everyone in our congregation had that mindset? What if each of us went around looking for ways to serve everyone else? Everyones needs would be met. Everyone would be fulfilled. Everyone would be included. Everyone would know that they are dearly loved.
John Stott has written, "Christian liberty is service not selfishness. It is a remarkable paradox. For from one point of view Christian freedom is a form of slavery, -not slavery to our flesh, but to our neighbor. We are free in relation to God but slaves in relation to each other."2 In Lk.22, a "dispute" arises among Jesus disciples concerning "which of them should be considered the greatest." This seems so silly, so juvenile to our 21st century ears. Yet, do we not constantly measure ourselves against each other? Do we not continually analyze the pecking order? In vv.25-27 Jesus responds to their pettiness, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves." Jesus is greatest of all because He made himself servant of all! He said in Mk.10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Paul wrote in Phil.2:5-7, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." If we love one another we will serve one another; if we serve one another we love one another. Lets make this very practical. How do we offer loveinspired service? Turn to 1 Cor.13, the great "Love Chapter" of the Bible. Lets read this description of loving service in vv.4-8a, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." Honestly, does this sound like the attitude you have toward your brothers and sisters in Gods family. How do you respond when a worship service is too contemporary or too old fashioned for your tastes? Does love cause you to suffer long, to not seek your own and to bear all things? Or, do you complain loudly or sit disgustedly with your arms across your chest refusing to try to worship God? How about when you hear a juicy bit of gossip about another believer? Do you automatically believe the worst and quickly pass it along to others or do you
think no evil and refuse to rejoice in others sin? Do you dig for details or do you begin to pray for the other person? When you see someone who has more gifts and talents than you, are you jealous or do you refuse to engage in envy? Do you like to show off or do you refuse to parade your ability? Are you puffed up with what you know or are you a willing learner? Do you fellowship exclusively with just a few people or are you always looking for new relationships, new people to love and serve? Are you quick to forgive an offense or do you chew on a grudge for a long time? Are you eager to share your ministry with others or do you think you are the only one who can do anything right? Do you complain and gripe while never volunteering to do anything or do you willingly give of yourself to help out and offer words of encouragement to others? Oh man! This kind of brutal self-analysis is rough yet very necessary. Pray, allow the Holy Spirit to prick your heart and reveal any lack of love and service. Evidently, the Galatians were not lovingly serving one another. Drop down to v.15, "But if you bite and devour one another beware lest you be consumed by one another." This is a word picture that describes two wild dogs going at each other, locked in mortal combat. Ive seen some pretty bad dogfights in evangelical churches! What is the root of such bickering and fighting? Legalism. Think about it. Most church splits occur in legalistic churches. People are more often ostracized in legalistic churches. Pastors and staff are more often fired in legalistic churches. When we major on lists of dos and donts instead of love we have problems because everyone has a different list! Have you ever seen a spiritual cannibal take a chunk out of another brother or sister? Its a terrible tragedy. Selfishness rules. Jesus didnt save us for that! I have two young daughters at home. One is 8 and the other 10. Sometimes they drive their mother and I crazy with their bickering and fighting. One has the others Barbie clothes. One has the others hair clip. One dared to cross the border into the others room without permission. Every once in a while either their mother or I will just get sick of it. We will blow our cool and end up shouting louder then they do! Dont you think our Father in heaven gets sick of
our arguing, bickering and selfish attitudes? Arent you glad He never loses His cool? It is no wonder the Bible refers to us as the "children of God" because we sure act like children much of the time.
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The Law is Fulfilled in Love In v.14, the Apostle writes, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Throughout the entire letter Paul has adamantly argued against approaching God by keeping the law. Over and over again he has reiterated that we come to God by grace through faith. Now he seems to be speaking favorably of the law when he tells us that "all the law is fulfilled in one word." Before we go any farther, we need to understand an important truth. The relationship of believers to the Law was not dissolved when Jesus came; it was changed. Jesus fulfilled and completed the ceremonial aspects of the law but the overarching moral principles are still in effect. Gods desire for our holiness and His standards of right and wrong have never changed. "Christ has made us free" from the ritual and rules of the OT. We no longer follow commandments but principles that are illustrated in the OT and directly applied in the NT. Now Paul tells us that "all the law," all those principles are "fulfilled" or summed up in "one word" or statement, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (a quote of Lev.19:18). Paul got that from Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount in Mt.7:12 the Lord said, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." That is, the whole OT is summed up in that principle. On another occasion in Mt.22, a "lawyer asked Him a question, testing Him." He asked an often-debated question among Jewish theologians, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus responded in vv.37-40, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God has always called His people to love Him and to love and serve each other. As we turn to Rom.13:8-10 we find Paul elaborating on Jesus teaching, "Owe
no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." If we took the time to go verse by verse through Leviticus, we would find dozens and dozens of commandments as to how to treat our neighbors in a loving fashion. Now instead of giving us detailed commandments, God gives us a simple principle that supercedes the commandments: love others in the same way you love yourself. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Lets consider the topic of drinking alcohol. The Bible has a lot to say about being drunk with alcohol. For example, Eph.5:18 says, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit." Prov.20:1 says, "Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise." Though there are numerous prohibitions against drunkenness, no where does the Bible absolutely forbid us to drink. We have some liberty in this area. Still, there are many reasons why I choose not to drink alcohol. I dont want to take a chance on getting drunk or even worse becoming an alcoholic. Primarily I dont drink because of love for other people. How would you feel if you saw me at a ball game with a glass of beer in my hand? How would that effect you? What would your child think if they saw me sipping a margarita at my favorite Mexican restaurant? Even more personally, what would my children think? Would they want to follow my example? You bet. I dont drink at all, not because of a commandment, but because of a principle. Love constrains me. This verse brings us a full circle in the book of Galatians. We first tried to win Gods approval by keeping His law or being good. However we found it impossible to keep the law. Then we heard the gospel of Gods grace and trusted in Christ. We were approved by God by faith, not by keeping the law. In Christ we have been freed from trying to keep the law. Yet, Jesus purpose in our freedom is not that we might love one another and prove that love by serving one another. The paradox is that when we truly love one another as we love ourselves we end up fulfilling the heart and soul of the law from which Christ freed us. In speaking of spiritual freedom, Stott writes, "It is freedom not to indulge the flesh, but to control the flesh; freedom not to exploit our neighbor, but to serve our neighbor; freedom not to disregard the law, but to fulfill the
law. Everyone who has been truly set free by Jesus Christ expresses his liberty in these ways, first in self-control, next in loving service of his neighbor, and thirdly in obedience to the law of his God."3 Immediately after God gave Moses the Ten Commandments in Ex.20, he gave an ordinance in chapter 21 that serves as a beautiful illustration of what Paul has taught us in Galatians. Let me read vv.2-6, "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master I will not go out free,' then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever." Today people pierce various parts of their bodies out of a sense of style. In those days a man had his ear pierced as a symbol of love, love for his master. Thats what God is asking us to do. Even though He has set us free, He asks us to give up the freedom to serve ourselves in order to willingly serve Him. Rom.6:22 says, "But now having been set free from sin" we have "become slaves of God." Maybe today you would pray as I have prayed after studying this passage. Maybe you would pray something like this, "Lord, you have set me free but I have wasted that freedom by serving my own selfish desires. I realize today Lord from Your Word that the purpose for which you set me free was that I might serve You and others in love. Your Word and Your Spirit have pricked my heart, Oh Lord. As the Hebrew slave of old offered His ear to be pierced as a symbol of love and loyalty, Lord I offer you my heart. Pierce me, O Lord. Help me to fulfill the purpose of my freedom."
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2
Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, p.688. Stott, p.142. 3 Ibid. pp.143-144.
Copyright 1998 - 2003 Coy M. Wylie. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice.
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Walking in the Spirit
Coy Wylie

Galatians 5:16-18 Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ tells this story of a famous oil field called Yates Pool: "During the depression this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates wasn't able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on government subsidy. Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills. Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract. At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large. In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all. The day he purchased the land he had received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he'd been living on relief. A multimillionaire living in poverty. The problem? He didn't know the oil was there even though he owned it."1 I have no doubt that almost all of us have tried to live a good Christian life. Weve tried to overcome temptation. Weve tried to put away our sinful desires. Weve tried to love others. Weve tried to have a good attitude about serving others. Weve tried to be grateful. Weve tried to study the Bible. Weve tried to maintain a disciplined prayer life. Yet, to be honest, weve had more failures in these efforts than success. We give into temptation more often than overcome it. We end up being angry with others more often than forgiving them. We watch TV or read some other material rather than the Bible. We daydream more often than we pray. Why? We fail because we are living in our power, not the power of the Holy Spirit. Like Mr. Yates, we have an almost unbelievable amount of wealth and power just beneath the surface of our lives. As genuine believers, the Spirit of God indwells us. We simply need to tap into His resources in order to have victory. Lets go back to last weeks passage in vv.13-15. Here we learned that the PURPOSE of our freedom is to give us an "opportunity." We are not to use our freedom as "an opportunity for the flesh," that is we are not to use our freedom as an excuse for sin and selfish indulgence. Rather our spiritual freedom gives us an "opportunity" that we might "through love serve one another." This is not merely a suggestion for believers but a COMMAND. In
fact, it is the supreme, all-encompassing command of the law. "All the law is fulfilled" in this "one word," namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" and therefore never "bite and devour one another." That sounds good in a sermon on Sunday morning but it very difficult to put into practice on Monday morning. How many of you studied that passage with me last week and then found it easy to apply all this past week? To be honest with you, for me to go through the day without allowing "the flesh" to control me is exceedingly difficult; it seems impossible. For me to get up in the morning and begin my day feeling as much concern for your needs as my own is beyond my power. To care for you as much as I care for me seems unattainable. The more I try to live out these commands the more I become depressed at my own failures. If "Christ has made me free," why do I feel so enslaved? The answer is simple. I can never be who God wants me to be apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. I can never overcome "the flesh" without the Spirit. I can never have the same concern for others that I have for myself without the Holy Spirits power. I will always "bite and devour" others without the Spirit. I will never serve, study, pray or have any spiritual victory without the Holy Spirit. The command to love is not a new burden to be laid on our backs but rather the very first "fruit" of a life surrendered daily to the Spirit of God (v.22). Our freedom is tied to the Spirit. He is mentioned 8 times in this chapter. People who try to overcome temptation and sin without the Spirit always end up as failures at best and hypocrites at worst. People who try to love without relying on the Spirit end up trying to fill their own emptiness rather than sharing out of their fullness. Victory over sin and loving one another are not easy for us. However, as we will learn, they are primarily not our work but the Spirits work. We must simply learn to "walk in the Spirit" Therefore today I hope to ask and answer three questions from our text, what does it mean to walk in the Spirit, why is it vital to walk in the Spirit and how can we walk in the Spirit.
I. What Does It Mean to Walk in the Spirit? (v.16a).

A. To Walk in the Spirit is to be Led by the Spirit. Paul begins by giving us a COMMAND. He emphasizes this with the words, "I say then" In other words, "Because you are to overcome the flesh, because you are to serve one another in love and love one another as you love yourselves, because you are not to bite and devour one another, the only way you can accomplish this is to WALK IN THE SPIRIT." "Walk" here comes from a Greek word used in the present tense
referring to "a continuous, regular action a habitual way of life." It implies making progress, to go from where you are to where you should be. Our mission statement says that we exist as a church to "meet people as they are and help them become what God wants them to be." Therefore our primary goal as a church is to teach people to "walk in the Spirit." "Walking in the Spirit" sounds like so many Christian buzzwords. What does it mean? I think we get some help with this from v.18 which tells we are to be "led by the Spirit." Thus, to "walk in the Spirit" and to be "led by the Spirit" is the same thing. The Greek word behind "led" is used of a farmer herding cattle, a shepherd leading sheep, of soldiers escorting a prisoner to prison and of the wind driving a ship. We can understand being "led." When we walk into a restaurant, a hostess will lead us to our table. She leads; we follow. When a guest walks into our building, our greeters will lead him to a Bible class or to the worship center. The greeter leads; the guest follows. For you NASCAR fans, an auto race begins when the pace car leads the racers around the track. To be "led by the Spirit" is different. When a restaurant hostess leads me, I follow her under my power. When a guest follows a greeter, he follows in his own strength. When a racecar follows a pace car it follows by the raw power of its own finely tuned engine. However, when I am "led by the Spirit" I dont follow in my own power. The Holy Spirit is like a locomotive, a train engine. He leads us down the tracks of Gods intentions and we follow being pulled by His power, not our own. To "walk in the Spirit" then is to be "led by the Spirit" which means we are to be hooked up or coupled to the power of the Lord. B. To Walk in the Spirit is to Bear the Fruit of the Spirit. V.22 paints a different picture of walking by the Spirit. It says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace" If the Christian walk, the Christian life is to be marked by love, joy
and peace then to "walk in the Spirit" is the same as bearing the "fruit of the Spirit." I think Paul got his metaphor of the "fruit of the Spirit" from Jesus. The Lord said in Jn.15:4-5, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Therefore, to "walk in the Spirit" is to "abide" or stay connected to Jesus. If we stay connected to Jesus we will "bear much fruit," our lives will reflect His life. If we try to live the Christian life apart from walking in the Spirit, we will always fail. Jesus said, "For without Me you can do nothing." C. To Walk in the Spirit is to Choose the Spirit instead of the Flesh. "Walk" is an action word, a verb. It implies not only the leadership of the Holy Spirit but also the "followship" of believers. We are not passively drug by the Spirit but actively pursue Him. In this section we see the phrase "walk in the Spirit" both in v.16 and in v.25. The English words are the same in both verses but there are two distinct Greek terms. The word in v.25 means "to walk in line with" or "be in line with." The NIV says, "keep in step with the Spirit." The Spirit leads us by His power just as the locomotive leads the train by its power. However, the cars in the train have to cooperate with the engine. They have to be on the tracks and have their breaks released. The Holy Spirit cant lead us if we dig in our heels and refuse to follow. Some Bible teachers so emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit in the believers life that theyve denied any human responsibility. Weve all heard phrases like, "Let go and let God" or "All you need to do is surrender." In their thinking, the Christian life is nothing but passive submission and yieldedness to God. This teaching was promoted by the Quakers among others and is called quietism. Quietism teaches a passive surrender to God to almost total exclusion of human volition and action.2
The POWER for Christian living is entirely from the Spirit of God just as the POWER of salvation is entirely in the Son of God. Yet just as mans will is involved in salvation, mans will is involved in sanctification. We must choose to "walk in the Spirit" and we must make that choice daily. Lets say that you are watching TV. As you are surfing the channels with your remote, you find a program where a beautiful, scantily clad woman is seducing a man. I know I have just ALIENATED HALF THE CONGREGATION! Guys, you must make a choice. You can stop to lustfully leer, you can move on to a better program or you can turn off the tube. What will you do? A passive approach would be, "Well, if the Holy Spirit doesnt want me to see this, He will make the cable go out" or "Maybe the Spirit wants me to develop a strategy for witnessing to beach babes in bikinis." No way! The Spirit is leading you to exercise "self-control" (v.23) and turn the lustful program off! The question is not what is the Spirit leading you to do but are you walking with the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is not a passive excuse but an active choice. It involves both the POWER of God and the WILLINGNESS of the believer. Rom.6:11-13 says, "Likewise you also, reckon [consider] yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." Lets say that youve got a problem with another sister in the church. You think she gave you a dirty look or she said something about someone that you didnt like. You cant stand the way she dresses and parades herself. Shes mean and nasty. I heard one pastor say such women suffer from PMS PRETTY MEAN SISTER SYNDROME! What will you do about her? Will you have nothing to do with her and absolutely ignore her? Will you complain about her behind her back? Will you gossip about her? Will you turn others against her? A passive approach might be, "The Holy Spirit wont lead me to have anything to do with her until she changes" or "The Holy Spirit is leading me to lead others away from her so that they dont get hurt."
BALONY!!! The Spirit is leading you to "through love serve" that woman. 6:10 says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us DO GOOD TO ALL, especially those who are of the HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH." Dont use your freedom as an excuse for sin and then blame it on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. To "walk in the Spirit" is always a conscience choice.
II. Why Is It Vital to Walk in the Spirit? (vv.16b-18).

A. When We Walk in the Spirit We do not fulfill the Lust of the Flesh. Look again to v.16. We see both cause and result. When you "walk in the Spirit" the result is "you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." The two are incompatible and mutually exclusive. If you are engaged in fulfilling fleshly lusts you are not walking in the Spirit. If you are keeping in step with the Spirit, following His leadership in your life, you are not fulfilling the lust of your flesh. We cannot do both at the same time. Lets take a closer look at that phrase, "the lust of the flesh." Now I know what you are thinking. Because of our modern usage of the word "lust" and especially when it is coupled with "the flesh" we automatically think of sensual, sexual lusts. "The lust of the flesh" certainly includes looking upon another person with the thought of personal sexual gratification; however, it is much more encompassing than that. In the NT, "flesh" does not always refer to muscle, skin and tissue, the physical part of us, but rather the selfish, indulgent inner craving. As I said last week this is called Total Hereditary Depravity. We are all born with an intrinsic desire for self and sin. We inherited this from parents and it is part of all the sons and daughter of Adam. The "flesh" is the part of us that seeks pleasure and satisfaction apart from God. Its that empty part of you that craves fulfillment but is unsubmissive to God. When my daughter, Ashlea was a toddler her favorite words were, "I can do it myself." If we tried to tie her shoes, she said, "I can do it myself." If we tried to help her use a fork instead of her fingers, she said, "I can do it myself." If we tried to button her shirt, comb her hair or brush her teeth, she would reply, "I can do it myself."
The "flesh" says the same thing. God says, "I want to give you deep abiding joy regardless of your circumstances;" the flesh replies, "No thanks God, Ill find my own happiness." God says, "I want to lead you and guide you down the pathway of peace;" the flesh says, "No thanks God, Ill find my own way." God says, "I love you so much and I only want to bless you and give you everything you need for life;" the flesh responds, "Thanks God, but Ill take care of myself." Paul goes on to give us a list of the "works of the flesh" in vv.19-22, "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" We will cover them in more detail next week. Now look back to v.17. Here we see the great conflict in every genuine believer. Here we see the source of the war within, the great uncivil war, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another." The NCV translates it this way, "Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other." Write this down: ALL CHRISTIANS EXPERIENCE THIS INNER STRUGGLE! Just because you struggle with the old sinful flesh does not mean you are not a Christian. In fact, the presence of such conflict within you is credible evidence that you are a genuine believer! A Christian is not a person who has no lust; a Christian is a person who by the power of the Holy Spirit is at war with those lusts! Unbelievers may struggle with issues of morality and conscience, but there is a spiritual war going on within every authentic believer. Eph.2:1-3 describes our lives before we were saved, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
When you were saved, God gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit. He came to permanently live within you and He launched an all out attack on your flesh! If your soul feels like a battlefield, you can be encouraged. God is gaining ground on the front lines of your heart! He is digging in and will not give up until the war is won! We have assurance from the Bible that one day even our flesh will be glorified or made perfect! Until then, the war within will rage on. It is exactly because there is a battle within, because "the Spirit" and "the flesh" are "contrary to one another" that you often "do not do the things that you wish." In Rom.7, Paul explains the battle that was going on within him. He says in v.22-23, "For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Though he had the desire to do what was right, he didnt always do what was right. Sometimes he had the desire to do wrong but didnt do the wrong. Sometimes the Spirit overrides the flesh and sometimes the flesh overrides the Spirit. A little five-year-old girl had disobeyed her father and was sent to her room. After a few minutes, her dad went in to talk with her about what she had done. Teary-eyed, she asked, "Why do we do wrong things, Daddy?" "Sometimes the devil tells us to do something wrong," he replied, "and we listen to him. We need to listen to God instead." To which she sobbed, "I wish God would talk louder!" Remember now that v.13 says, "Do not use your liberty as an opportunity for the flesh." We are never to excuse our sin by saying, "Oh well, the flesh won that time." Though there is a climactic struggle, victory over the flesh is always possible. Rom.8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." We can have victory by relying on, keeping in step with and walking after the Spirit. Researchers have discovered certain people are genetically destined to excel in athletics. According to their studies, the A.C. E. gene is longer in athletes than in those who are not agile, fast,
or well coordinated in their movements. Researchers also observed that people who are born with a longer A.C.E. must work out to take advantage of their hereditary advantage. Similarly, those who receive Christ are capable of a life of spiritual victory. When we become a Christian and receive the Holy Spirit, we have the power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. But as with those genetically predisposed to athletic success, we must "work out."3 B. When We Walk in the Spirit We are not Under the Law. Now look to v.18, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Of course this does not mean that we dont have to fulfill Gods law. Vv.13-14 tell us that we are to "through love serve one another" and that "all the law is fulfilled in one word" which is "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Rom.8:3-4 says, "He [God] condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." There walking in the Spirit does not mean that we do not have to fulfill the law but that what the law requires, the Spirit produces, namely love. Remember the circular reasoning I described last week? The law couldnt save us because we couldnt keep it. Yet by faith in Christ we end up keeping it by the power of His Spirit. The very first "fruit of the Spirit" in v.22 is "love." V.14 says love fulfilled "all the law." At the end of the list of spiritual fruits, Paul says, "against such there is no law." Think of it this way, how can we be under the oppressive burden of the law when the very things the law requires are budding in our lives like newly formed fruit on the branches of a tree?
III. How Can We Walk in the Spirit?

A. We Walk in the Spirit when we Starve the Flesh. Rom.13:14 says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Let me make this very simple. Our desire as Spirit-filled believers
should be to ferociously fight against the flesh. Well talk more about this when we get to v.24. However, the point is we should "make no provision" nor give the flesh "opportunity." If we dont put ourselves in a position to be tempted, we will almost always win. Hate the flesh! Despise the flesh! Dont feed it and let it starve to death. B. We Walk in the Spirit when We Rejoice in the Lord. We all try to find happiness and fulfillment in hundreds of ways. On the positive side, I find happiness in my relationship with my wife, in watching my girls play basketball or enjoying a beautiful morning in a duck blind. These are all good things the Lord has given me. If I am not careful, I may also seek happiness in negative things like, arrogantly boasting of my accomplishments, taking pride in my possessions or my talents, watching things that indulge the flesh or being glad at the misfortune of others. There are hundreds of pieces of the world that we try to cram into the God-sized piece of the puzzle in our hearts. None of them fit. We only find lasting happiness and fulfillment when we rejoice in the Lord. The whole book of Philippians is about rejoicing in the Lord. Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Phil.4:4). Here in Galatians, the Apostle says something very similar in 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Paul is saying to us that everyday he found his joy in trusting the Lord. Day by day he cast his cares on Him. Day by day he freed himself from the restraints of guilt, fear and greed by walking in line with the Spirit, keeping in step with Him. We cannot rejoice in the Lord apart from knowing a meditating on His promises. Satan is the master deceiver, but Gods truth always sets us free. The most defeated and depressed Christians are those who will not meditate on the precious promises of God in the Scripture. People will do almost anything but meditate in the Word. This week I got an advertisement encouraging me to order The Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study! Im serious! If we would just submit to the Spirit and open the Word daily it will revitalize our lives!
George Muller once wrote, "I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul in a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished Now what is food for the inner-man? Not prayer but, the Word of God."4 Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission once received word of rioting near a mission station. George Nichol, one of his evangelists overheard Taylor whistling his favorite hymn, Jesus I am Resting in the Joy of That Thou Art. "Hudson Taylor had learned that for him, only one life was possible, the blessed life of resting and rejoicing the Lord under all circumstances, while he dealt with the difficulties inward and outward, great and small."5 Truly when we say yes to the walk of the Spirit we will trade our sorrows and shame for the joy of the Lord.
1 2
Bill Bright, How to Be Filled with the Spirit (Campus Crusade Publications). MacArthur, p.153. 3 WGN Radio News, 2-10-00 4 George Muller, Autobiography, pp.152-154.
5
From www.soundofgrace.com/piper83/061983m.htm
Walking in the Spirit - Part 2
February 4, 2001 Free Indeed Galatians
Coy Wylie

Galatians 5:19-25 I have intentionally hit my brakes and slowed our pace as we have come to chapter 5 of Galatians. This section of Scripture speaks so clearly to where many of us are in our walk with Christ. I want to squeeze each verse for all it is worth and absorb each application the Holy Spirit gives us. Because many couldnt be here last week due to inclement weather, please bear with me as I take a few moments to review what weve already covered. What we will learn in vv.19-26 is based on what we learned in vv.13-18. The theme of Galatians is liberty, spiritual freedom in Christ. Jesus said in Jn.8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." The Lord has set us free from religion, rules and ritualism. However, He has not set us free to do wrong but to do right. There is a purpose to our freedom. We are not to use our liberty "as an opportunity for the flesh," that is we are not to use our spiritual freedom as an excuse for our selfindulgent sins (v.13a); rather, the purpose of our freedom is that we might "through love serve one another" (v.13b). In fact, when you "love your neighbor as yourself" you fulfill "all the law," the entire OT (v.14). How do we do that? How can we wake up in the morning with the same concern for others as we have for ourselves? How can we always put the needs of others before our own needs? How can we overcome this innate sense of selfishness deep within each of us? One thing is certain, WE CANT DO IT ALONE. We need the abiding power of the Holy Spirit. Thats why the Apostle says in v.16, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." This is our COMMAND, to "walk in the Spirit." Last week we noted that to walk in the Spirit is the same as being "led by the Spirit" (v.18). We are "led by the Spirit" not as a pace car leads a racecar but as an engine leads a train. When we "walk in the Spirit" we live in HIS POWER not our own. To "walk in the Spirit" is to intentionally choose to obey God rather than your fleshly desires. When we "walk in the Spirit" we do not "fulfill the lust of the flesh" and visa verse. V.17 shows us the CONFLICT. "The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh." They are "contrary to one another." When you were saved, the Holy Spirit took of residence in your life and launched an all out attack on your flesh. Every day since then your soul has been a spiritual battlefield. Such inward struggle is a sign that proves you are a
believer. In todays passage in vv.19-26, we see the CONTRAST between the "works of the flesh" and the "fruit of the Spirit" as well as the CONQUEST, practical teaching on how we are to conquer the flesh by the power of the Spirit.
I. The Contrast of the Works of the Flesh with the Fruit of the Spirit (vv.19-23).
A. The Works of the Flesh (vv.18-21). Within each of us is that self-centered, self-indulgent, selfabsorbed desire to satisfy our inner hungers at all costs and rebel against God. The Bible calls this part of man "the flesh" and it refers to much more than just our bone, skin and muscle tissues. It is the core of our being. Though I can see your physical body, I cant see the part of you that Scripture calls "the flesh." What I can see is "the works of the flesh" because as Paul says, they are "evident" to everyone. The problem with man is not his environment, but his heart. The problem is not what is on the outside but what is on the inside. The world says that man is basically good. God says that man is intrinsically evil. This is why we need to be saved, we need a new heart! Turn to Mk.7:20-23. Jesus said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." In other words, man defiles his environment, the environment does not defile him. Government and society have bought into the falsehood that if we could just clean up the environment evil would be banished. The common philosophy of today is that if people had a better education, better jobs, better homes, better transportation, better healthcare, etc they would be better people. Thats a lie. All that only makes for more educated, wealthier, healthier sinners! You cant fix an internal problem with an external remedy. Thats why I am intrigued by our
Presidents agenda for "faith-based" social programs. He seems to understand that unless a person comes to faith, unless God cleans his heart, nothing else will permanently help him. Back to the text, Paul gives us a list, really three lists of "the works of the flesh." There are sexual sins, religious sins and societal sins. These are not exhaustive lists. In v.21 Paul adds an etcetera "and the like." There are normal typical behaviors in unbelievers, but they should be abnormal in believers because we are to "walk in the Spirit." Every person is not involved in all of these sins nor does every person manifest them to the same extent. However, every person is susceptible to them. Lets first examine the four SEXUAL SINS in v.19. "Adultery" is of course a sexual relationship that defies and breaks ones marriage vows. "Fornication," also translated "immorality" in many modern versions is from the Greek word porneia from which we get our English words "pornography" and "pornographic." This is a broad term in the NT referring to all manner of illicit sexual activity, everything from adultery to homosexuality to bestiality. "Uncleanness" means "impurity." It comes from a word that literally referred to oozing, pussy sores. It is the opposite of someone who is sexually clean and pure. "Lewdness" refers to lack of decency and restraint, zero modesty. All of these add up to sexual indulgence with any sense of shame or concern for anyone but self. Sex is not wrong, bad or dirty. In fact, God is the designer of human sexuality. Used as an expression of intimate love within a marriage relationship, sexuality is one of the most beautiful and pleasing of human activities. In fact, Heb.13:4 says, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled [pure, holy]; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Sex is such a powerful force in our society that the only way we will remain pure is to "walk in the Spirit." From pornography on the Internet to the filth that is piped into our homes via cable or satellite we are deluged with sexual images. My wife and I are trying to raise two little girls to become godly, modest young women. Do you know how difficult that is when a good little Baptist girl like Brittany Spears all but exposes herself at halftime during the Superbowl? We live in a time in which a President has no remorse over an extra-marital sexual dalliance
in the Oval Office and a "reverend" who is a self-appointed civil rights leader has children outside of marriage. Sexual sins are no longer common, they are expected. Allan Petersen, in The Myth of the Greener Grass, tells the story of a group of a dozen married women who were having lunch together. One woman asked, "How many of you have been faithful to your husbands throughout your marriage?" Only one woman out of the twelve raised her hand. At home that evening, one of the women who didn't raise her hand told her husband about the lunch, the question, and her reaction. "But," she quickly added, "I have been faithful." "Then why didn't you raise your hand?" he asked. Downcast she replied, "I was ashamed."1 We all know marriages, children and churches that have been rocked by sexual sin. In these times we must, we MUST "walk in the Spirit" or many of us will surely "fulfill the lust of the flesh." Next in v.20 we see RELIGIOUS SINS, "idolatry" and "sorcery." "Idolatry" is more than worshipping carved image. It is putting anything above God. "Sorcery" [witchcraft - KJV] comes from the Greek word pharmakeia from which we get "pharmacy" and "pharmaceutical." It was used of medicines but came to be used of mood-altering drugs associated with pagan religions. In vv.20b-21a we see a list of SOCIETAL SIN dealing with our relationships with other people. There is "hatred," an evil attitude that gives way to "contentions" or strife. "Jealousies" refer to coveting what belongs to someone else. "Outbursts of wrath" are vile, violent eruptions of the evil inside every man. Does that ever happen in your home or workplace? When it does you are not walking in the Spirit. Further there are "selfish ambitions" putting yourself and your wants before anyone else. There are "dissensions," agitating problems and causing friction between others. "Heresies" here in the NKJV might be better translated "factions," again referring to causing strife and division. Tit.3:10-11 says, "Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned." "Envy" in the
Garden of Eden led to the first of many "murders." Paul specifically mentions "drunkenness" and couples it with "revelries" or carousing which may have been a reference to the drunken sexual orgies that passed for worship of pagan deities in the region of Galatia. In a general sense this means to be "drunk and disorderly." Of course this list and three subcategories are not all-inclusive. Paul says, "and the like" or "likewise many other sins." These sins were all very real temptations to the Galatians. Paul had warned them "beforehand" when he was with them. He "told them in time past" and now he tells them again that "those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." "Wait a minute, pastor!" you may object, "Ive done some of those things. If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty, at least in my heart, Ive done all those things. Are you saying I am not saved?" No, I am not. All of us are sinners. All of us have fallen short of Gods standard. Circle the word "practice." This means a "continuous, ongoing action." Those who live a habitual lifestyle characteristic of such sins mark themselves as unsaved, unredeemed and exempt from "the kingdom of God." Christians sometimes fall into sin, but they do not remain in sin. 1 Cor.6:9-11 says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." Ben Patterson writes, "Sam Shoemaker told of a near-sighted professor who was an expert in entomology. His office walls were covered with pinned and framed insects. One day his students decided to play a practical joke. They took the body of one bug, the legs of another, and the head of yet another and glued them all together. The specimen was brought to the professor for identification. What kind of bug is this? they asked. The professor eyed the bug closely and finally
replied, Gentlemen, this is a humbug! Shoemaker drew the analogy to a person whose heart belongs to King Jesus, but whose head is run by the world and hands are run by the devil. That, too, is not something God created. Anyone watching someone like that would have to say, This is humbug!"2 B. The Fruit of the Spirit (vv.22-23). Notice the word "But" at the beginning of v.22. It marks the contrast between "the works of the flesh" and "the fruit of the Spirit." "Works" are something we do in our own effort. "Fruit" is something God produces in our lives as we submit to Him. The more you choose to keep in step with the Spirit, the more the Spirit will bear His fruit in your life. You may not even notice it at first, but Gods work in you will become "evident" to others. As you "walk in the Spirit," you wont be angered so easily, you will look for the best in others, you will become much more patient, you will do random acts of kindness, you will have a deep well of mercy and not so easily tempted. You will find deep happiness in doing what is good and overwhelming sadness when you fall into sin. People who "walk in the Spirit" are different! All believers "walk in the Spirit" sometimes. The key to maturity and joy in the Lord is walking in the Spirit more than you walk in the flesh. Think of a mature believer you admire. What is it about him or her that attracts you? Is it his home or car? No. Is it his money or job? No. What makes you admire a more mature believer is how he or she more consistently bears the "fruit of the Spirit," how his or her life is characterized by the work of God we see in vv.22-23. Lets dive in. The first fruit is "love." "Love" in this verse doesnt refer to some sloppy emotion or pleasant feeling but self-sacrificing service. This agape love, Gods love. It is love without limitations. Rom.5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 1 John 3:16 says, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:14 says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren." The flesh cannot produce such love. We cannot conjure it up from within. The Holy Spirit has to come to live within and give His love through us. Rom.5:5 says, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." How are you doing? Is limitless love budding in your life? Are you in step with the Spirit? The second fruit is "joy." In the Bible, "joy" is not a temporary happiness but a deep-seated confidence that all is well between you and God. You can be joyful even when you are not happy. As we surrender to the Spirit and obey the Word, God gives us such "joy." I love the testimony of Nehemiah, "For the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh.8:10). We only have this joy when we turn from the world to the Lord. Jesus said to His disciples in John 16:24, "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Paul told the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Phil.4:4). Joy is a fruit. We cant do it or make it, we have to bear it. God gives us joy when we walk with Him, praise Him and submit to Him. Rom.14:17 says it so well, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The third fruit is "peace." As we walk in the Spirit we know both peace with God and the peace of God. When we are saved, we surrender and our war with God ends. Rom.5:1, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We stop fighting against God and start walking with Him. As we learn to depend on His strength and not our own we gain "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Phil.4:7). The fourth fruit is "longsuffering" or patience. It refers to being patient and tolerant of others, of not being easily offended of developing tough skin. As we "walk in the Spirit" we learn to put up with the annoyances and inconveniences of others. Eph.4:2 tells us we are to be "longsuffering, bearing with one another in love." Immature believers have such a struggle in this area. If they dont like something they are quick to object and to do so loudly. Mature believers have such a sense of
calmness about them. They practice Rom.12:10, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another." The fifth fruit is "kindness." This means having a sweet, merciful spirit to others. I love the scene in Mat.19 when parents bring their little children to Jesus. The disciples "rebuked" both the children and the parents for bothering the Lord. However, Jesus spoke up and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (v.14). I can just see Him touching them, talking to them and blessing them. We are to have the same attitude toward everyone, to be quick with a smile and a word of encouragement. 2 Tim.2:24 says, "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all." The sixth fruit is "goodness." This is kindness in action, not just thinking what is right but doing it. 6:10 says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." I recently read about a group of men in a taxi on the way to a Promise Keeper Conference. One suggested that they hop out of the cab and walk through the traffic to the stadium. Another pointed out that this would cause the driver to lose part of his fair and also not be able to pick up another passenger quickly. He took the time necessary to drive to the stadium to share his faith with the driver and made a great impact. The seventh fruit is "faithfulness" which refers to loyalty and trustworthiness. Are you dependable? Do you do what you say you will do? Do people have to wonder if you will show up and do your job? God is always faithful. 2 Tim.2:13 says, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." When we put ourselves first we are disloyal to others. When we put others first we will always be faithful. Moving to v.23, the eighth fruit is "gentleness" or meekness. Meekness does not mean weakness but power under control. Like a mighty thoroughbred stallion is curbed by a bit, we are to be people of power reigned in by the Holy Spirit. The ninth and last fruit of the Spirit is "self-control." It means
the ability to restrain our passions and appetites, to say no to the flesh, to deny self. To take up the cross, to be led by the Spirit is to deny self. After the Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee was admired by both North and South as the complete gentleman. It is said that a lady once introduced her small boy to the aging general and asked, "General Lee, what is the most important lesson I can teach my son?" Without hesitating the god-fearing man responded, "Madam, teach him to deny himself." Looking back we can see that "love, joy, peace" relate to our relationship with God. "Longsuffering, kindness, goodness" relate to our relationships with others. "Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" relate to how we live with ourselves. Paul adds that "against such there is no law." The purpose of law is to restrain, curb or deter and no deterrent is needed, no law is needed when we are walking in the Spirit and the Spirit is producing in us such valuable fruit.
II. The Conquest of Lust of the Flesh by the Power of the Spirit (vv.24-25).
A. We Must Crucify the Flesh (v.24). The first step in conquering the "lust of the flesh" is found in v.24, "And those who are Christs have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Sometimes this verse is confused with Gal.2:20 which says, "I have been crucified with Christ" and with Rom.6:6 which says, "our old man was crucified with Him" Both of these verses relate to our unity with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. However, v.24 does not speak of something done to us but by us. Gal.5 is not about the death of the old life we experienced when we first trusted Christ, but the daily, deliberate denying of the flesh right now. In Mk.8:34, Jesus said, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." To "deny" yourself is synonymous with taking up your "cross." The cross was an instrument of execution much like a gas chamber, electric chair or injection needle in more modern times. Just as
Jesus carried His cross to Golgotha, every believer is to "take up his cross." We are to take our fleshly "passions and desires" to the place of execution, nail them up and leave them there to die. When I was saved, I decided to follow Jesus. I couldnt follow Jesus without repenting of sin and turning from it. When I chose Christ, I denied my fleshly desires, I "crucified the flesh" at that moment. Now it is my job to leave my selfish cravings on the cross to die. From that analogy of crucifixion, let me give three truths about conquering the flesh. First, our rejection of the flesh is to be MERCILESS. Crucifixion was a horrible form of capital punishment. It was violent and vulgar, reserved for the worst sort of criminals. Even the Bible says, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" (Gal.3:13). When we crucify our old "passions and desires" we are to have no mercy or pity. We are to ferociously fight against it. It is the source of evil within us and must be stamped out! Second, our rejection of the flesh will be AGONIZING. Crucifixion was a slow, extremely painful death in which one suffocated by the weight of his own body. Anyone who struggles to deny his own sinful "passions and desires" will find agony and pain. Paul said, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom.7:24). Third, our rejection of the flesh must be CONSISTENT. Crucifixion was a deliberate, gradual death. No one nailed to a cross survived. Once a person was nailed there, he was left to die. Soldiers guarded the condemned to prevent friends from taking him down before he died. When you were saved, you nailed your old nature to a cross. To daily crucify the flesh is refuse to take those "desires" and "passions" down again. John Brown wrote, "True Christians do not succeed in completely destroying it [the flesh] while here below; but they have fixed it to the cross, and they are determined to keep it there till it expires."3 If we crucified the flesh, we must leave it there to die. Each day we must deny ourselves and renew a ruthless and uncompromising view of personal sin. We must refuse to go back and caress the corpse of our old life.
Stott writes, "The first great secret of holiness lies in the degree and the decisiveness of our repentance It is as if, having nailed our old nature to the cross, we keep wistfully returning to the scene of its execution. We begin to fondle it, to caress it, to long for its release, even to try to take it down again from the cross. We need to learn to leave it there. When some jealous, or proud, or malicious, or impure thought invades our mind we must kick it out at once. It is fatal to begin to examine it and consider whether we are going to give in to it or not. We have declared war on it: we are not going to resume negotiations. We have settled the issued for good; we are not going to re-open it. We have crucified the flesh; we are never going to draw the nails."4 B. We Must Walk in the Spirit (v.25). In v.16 we see the phrase "walk in the Spirit." V.18 says we are to be "led by the Spirit." Here in v.25, Paul says, "If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit." "Walk" here means "be in line with." The NIV translates it "Keep in step with the Spirit." When I was a little boy, I would follow my dad around in his garden, trying to step in his footprints in the soft sand. The Spirit does the leading but we are to do the walking. As I discussed last week, this is not merely a passive submission to the Spirits control, but an active determination to follow the Spirits path. If we "live in the Spirit," that is if the Spirit is indeed living in us, if we are genuine believers then we must "walk in the Spirit" or follow after the Spirit in order to conquer the flesh. In salvation we see Gods sovereignty in election and mans free will in choosing Christ. In sanctification, we see Gods sovereignty in the mighty ministry of the Holy Spirit but mans will in our decision to keep crucifying the old flesh and to passionately pursue the path of the Spirit. By Gods grace, we will conquer the flesh, in fact we are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Lets conclude this morning by reading Rom.8:31-39.
1
Mark Buchanan, We're All Syncretists Now, Books & Culture (Jan./Feb. 2000), p.9

2 3
Kevin Miller, Wheaton, Illinois; source: "Noble Volunteer," Leadership (Summer 1982), p.29. Brown, p.309. 4 Stott, pp.151-152.
Bearing Burdens
Coy Wylie
Bearing Burdens
Galatians 5:26-6:5 The last two chapters of Galatians are dedicated to the subject of walking in or being led by the Spirit of God. Rom.8:14 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Eph.4:30 tells us not to "grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Weve learned that to walk in the Spirit means putting to death our "flesh" the selfishly sinful "passions and desires" within us and decisively following the Lords leadership by being obedient to the Word of God and the gentle call of the Spirit of God. Walking in the Spirit dramatically effects our relationships with others, especially our fellow believers in the church. We are called to "bear one anothers burdens" not to tear each other apart. That is why I think 5:26 fits better with the first few verses of chapter 6. Though every word of the Bible is inerrant, infallible and inspired by God, the chapter and verse divisions are not, they were added much later. Sometimes, the end of one chapter fits better with the beginning of the next chapter. Lets look first at v.26. The Apostle says, "Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." In other words, the Holy Spirit will never lead you to become "conceited." Your walk with Him will never lead you into "provoking" or "envying." On the contrary, the life of the Spirit is that "through love" we might "serve one another" (5:13) and "restore" with "gentleness" any brother who falls into sin (6:1). The word "conceited" here refers to someone who has a false opinion of himself. Hes living a life of illusion. In Pauls words from 6:3, he "thinks himself to be something when he is nothing" and "deceives himself." You see, our behavior toward others is determined by our opinion of ourselves. Whenever our relationships are strained, ego is almost always the root cause. Paul says that when we are "conceited" (and we all are from time to time) it is evidenced either by "provoking" or "envying" one another. "Provoking" literally means challenging someone as in a contest. Like the schoolyard bully who challenges another kid to step across a line or knock the chip off his shoulder, the "conceited" person is looking for a fight. He is so certain of his superiority, hes looking for some way to demonstrate it to everyone else. Such a "conceited" person reminds me of the two little boys who were arguing. One said,
Bearing Burdens
"My old man can beat up your old man." "That's nothing," said the other little boy. "My old lady can beat up my old man. What does that prove?" The truth is it proves nothing. We are called to "through love serve one another" (5:13). Weve had people in our church that thought they were spiritually superior to others. They questioned everything and challenged anyone who had a different opinion. They were anxious to show off their biblical knowledge. Yet, the Bible clearly says in 1 Cor.8:1, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." Our goal is not to show off how much we know but how we can build each other up in the love of the Lord. If "provoking" comes from a sense of superiority, "envying" stems from feelings of inferiority. It too is rooted in pride and conceit. Instead of rejoicing in the abilities and accomplishments of another believer, we are often quick to tear them down, dismiss them and point out their flaws. If we cant rise above them, we bring them down to our level. Both forms of conceit go back to the theme of Galatians, liberty over legalism. A legalist concentrates on his strengths and on others weaknesses. A Christian may be "conceited." He may enjoy "provoking" other believers or indulge in "envying" them but when he does so, he is certainly out of step with the Holy Spirit. As we move into chapter 6, we are going to learn how the Spirit-filled life manifests itself in relations to other believers, particularly in regard to bearing the burdens of life.
I. Some Burdens We Cannot Bear Alone (6:1-2).

The word "burdens" in v.2 refers to a heavy load, being weighed down to the point of not being able to walk. There are some burdens we can handle on our own but many require the help of others. I can lift a chair by myself but I cannot move a piano without help. When my wife, Deb comes home from the grocery store, the whole family goes into action unloading the bags from the car. Even our youngest carries in lightweight bags. So it should be in the family of God. Rom 12:15-16 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion." The particular burden Paul has in mind here is someone who is "overtaken in any trespass," someone who has unintentionally fallen into sin. Our goal should never be to judge him or belittle him but to "restore" him and help him return to walking in the Spirit. Lets note six observations about helping other believers with such "burdens." A. We Help with Burdens because We are Family (v.1a). Notice Paul begins v.1 with the salutation, "brethren." We are
Bearing Burdens
not only Gods sons and daughters, we are brothers and sisters. Paul begins the first verse in this chapter and the last verse in this chapter reminding us that we are "brethren," brothers and sisters in the Lord. Cain asked the Lord, "Am I my brothers keeper?" (Gen.4:9). This chapter is the NT answer and it is a resounding YES! I AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER! When a child in someone elses family goes astray or gets into trouble, we tend to shake our heads and feel sorry for them. Yet, let one of our kids make a mistake and suddenly our whole world is turned upside down. Why? Because its our family this time! It is someone we love who is in trouble! Guess what? If you are a believer, you are my family and I am yours. We are all part of Gods family and we are connected to each other. That is especially true in the local church. We must refuse to detach ourselves and take up our responsibility because we are eternally related! B. We Help with Burdens when a Brother is Overtaken by Sin (v.1b). Bud Sellick writes, "Three thousand frightening feet above the ground, Soviet sport parachutist Yuri Belenko realized he was in trouble. His main chute had malfunctioned, and his reserve chute "barber poled" around the main, rendering them both useless. Kicking his feet to slow the natural spiral caused by the noisy whipping canopies above, Belenko yelled down to fellow jumpers on the ground. His jump buddies sprang immediately into action, grabbed a packing mat, and sprinted toward the impact point. All the way down Belenko yelled and tugged furiously at the static lines in a vain attempt to clear the two tangled chutes. Below, his friends stretched the mat taughtand waited. Belenko plummeted into the canvas at bone-crushing speed, ripping the tarp from his rescuers' hands, and knocking them to the ground. When the dust cleared, Belenko lay gasping for breath and complaining of a sprained ankle. In addition to the injured leg, he suffered a few bruises. His jump buddies were there for Belenko at the moment he needed them most."1
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In much the same way, believers are often "overtaken" by sin and they plunge perilously on to defeat and devastation. Just as Belenko found his parachutes twisted together, our enemy is an expert in twisting our fleshly desires with temptation that rob us of spiritual altitude. This is why we need our brothers and sisters to hold out to us the net of Gods grace and forgiveness. "Overtaken" here carries the meaning of being caught up in a sin. The Greek term has the meaning of being surprised by sin. "Trespass" means stumbling or falling. The picture is not that of intentional premeditated sin, but a sin that is a result of letting ones guard down or failing to withstand temptation. Paul says to us, "Restore such a one." We are to stretch out the canopy of Gods grace and catch him when he falls. Interestingly, "restore" comes from a Greek word that described mending or repairing. The same word in used in Mk.1:19, "He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat MENDING their nets." It was also used to describe the setting of a broken bone or reconciling an argument. To "restore" something is to return it to its previous condition. There is no heavier burden than the guilt of sin. The biblical mandate, the apostolic command is that when we see a brother suffering under weight of sin, stumbling over a "trespass" we are to rush to his side to help him. When we see a brother engaged in such sin, we are not to sit idly by and do nothing. We are not to say, "It is none of my business" or "I dont want to get involved." We are not to condemn him with that attitude that says, "Serves him right." On the contrary, we are to "restore" him, set him on the right path and mend the broken bone. 2 Cor.2:7 says we are to "forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow." 2 Thess.3:15 says, "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." If you son fell off his bicycle and broke his leg, would you say, "Serves you right" and leave him on the sidewalk or would you rush him to the emergency room? If your sister drove her car over an embankment and was penned beneath the steering
Bearing Burdens
wheel, would you say, "You should have stayed on the straight and narrow path" or would you immediately call 911? If your father slipped in the bathtub and broke his hip, would you say, "Im busy now, Ill come and see about you when I get time?" or would you drop everything and speed to his house? How can we be so concerned about physical injuries but turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the debilitating effects of sins in the life of our spiritual family? The great reformer Martin Luther offers this admonition, "Run unto him, and reaching out your hand, raise him up again, comfort him with sweet words, and embrace him with motherly arms."2 C. We Help with Burdens if We are Spiritual (v.1c). Who is to "restore" a fallen brother? Paul says, "You who are spiritual." Who is "spiritual" and how do we know if we qualify? The Holy Spirit indwells all true Christians. However, the "spiritual" believer is one who is walking in the Spirit and led by the Spirit. Sure, most often "spiritual" Christians are those who have walked with the Lord a long time. They have attained a measure of spiritual maturity and exhibit the "fruit of the Spirit" in their lives. However, any Christian young or old can be a "spiritual" Christian. He simply must be walking in the Spirit. In fact, sometimes I am a "spiritual" Christian and sometimes I am not. Ive seen "spiritual" believers who have only known the Lord a few months and some who have been saved for decades who are not "spiritual." Dont be tempted to use the excuse, "That lets me off the hook, Im not very spiritual." The Scripture gives you the command "walk in the Spirit" in 5:16. Dont be satisfied being a baby believer. Grow up! Contribute to the body of Christ! The point is, when you see a brother or sister fallen in sin, dont pass by on the other side of the road as in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Help him. But first, check your own heart. Confess your sin. Be sure you are "spiritual," keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. If you are not able to "restore" a fallen
Bearing Burdens
brother it is because you yourself need to be restored! D. We Help with Burdens in a Gentle Spirit (v.1d). When we see a brother or sister stumbling in sin, we are to step in and "restore" him or her, but we must do so "in a spirit of gentleness." Paul has already said that "gentleness" is a "fruit of the Spirit" in 5:23. Thats why only "spiritual" believers are to attempt to "restore" a fallen brother. A "spiritual" believer exhibits the "fruit of the Spirit." "Gentleness" means TLC tender love and care. Some time ago, an elderly visitor to our church passed out on the parking lot after a Sunday morning service. A large crowd of our people gathered around. Someone called 911. One brother rolled up his jacket to make a pillow. Another bathed her forehead with a cool, wet cloth. Several others used their bodies and clothing to shield her from the sun. Before the ambulance arrived, she recovered conscienceless. She was GENTLELY helped to her car and GENTLY cared for until the EMTs arrived. If we would go to such lengths to treat a physical problem with such "gentleness" how much more should we GENTLY help a fellow believer caught in a web of sin? As a church, we are very quick to step in when someone has an illness or death in the family. We send flowers. We cover people in delicious food. Yet, how do we respond to the sickness of sin? E. We Help with Burdens Realizing that We too are Vulnerable (v.1e). "Gentleness" has another connotation. It also refers to HUMILITY. "Gentleness" is born of a sense of knowing very well our own weakness and proneness to sin. The reason you are to treat a fallen brother with "gentleness" is that you are "considering yourself lest you also be tempted." I must treat my fallen brother with TLC because I know that I am vulnerable to the same sins. It has often been said that the Christian army is the only army that shoots its wounded. How easily we judge and condemn one another. Paul said in 5:13, "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another."
Bearing Burdens
Someone once said we must be careful to never point our finger at others because there are three more fingers pointing back at us. Perhaps the best counsel we could grasp is from 1 Cor.10:12, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." Dont let this be an excuse not to get involved. Dont say, "Who am I to talk to someone else about their sin, Im not perfect either." This is not a warning not to get involved, but an admonition about allowing pride and arrogance to enter the process. F. We Help with Burdens to Fulfill Christs Law (v.2). Here we find the base principle of the whole passage, "Bear one anothers burdens." We all have the Great Burden-Bearer on our side, the Lord Jesus. We should all memorize Psa.55:22, "Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." 1 Pet.5:7 tells us to be "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." Yet one of the ways God cares for us is through the concern of our brothers and sisters in Christ. He sits people in our path "with skin on." "Bear" here is in the present tense meaning we are to CONTINUALLY "bear one anothers burdens." We never reach a place in our spiritual walk where we are exempt from this responsibility. "Bear" also suggests carrying something with endurance. Bearing the burdens of others is a difficult and wearisome task. Any pastor can tell you that counseling and helping others work through the difficulties of life is dreary and tiresome. The point is, this is not ONLY THE JOB OF A PASTOR! On the contrary this is a command FOR EVERY BELIEVER. You are your BROTHERS KEEPER. You have a RESPONSIBILITY to be involved in helping him "bear" his heavy load. Though this verse is often applied to any trial of life, it specifically refers one caught up in sin.
Bearing Burdens
When we "bear one anothers burdens" we "fulfill the law of Christ." Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The "law of Christ" is the "law of love," love enough to get involved. Even the great Apostle Paul needed a burden-bearing brother. At one point in his ministry, he was terribly burdened. His heart was breaking for the divisions and sins within the Corinthian church. He was facing great difficulties outwardly in his ministry and turmoil inwardly. He expressed this in 2 Cor.7:5, "For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears." Have you ever felt that way? Could your life ever be described as "outside were conflicts, inside were fears?" However, Paul didnt stay in that state. God sent a brother to stand beside him and lift him up. In the very next verse, the apostle says, "Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus" (2 Cor.7:6). Did you catch that? When Titus came to Paul, God was doing the comforting, but He was doing it through Titus. Titus was a channel of Gods blessing to Paul. If we will be open, God will pour His river of love through us too! Let the river flow! Guess what? When we take responsibilities for bearing one anothers burdens, not only are they helped, but we are encouraged! Karl Menninger, the late psychiatrist, was asked what someone should do who feels on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His advice was "Lock your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in need and do something for him."3 One day a student asked anthropologist Margaret Mead for the earliest sign of civilization in a given culture. He expected the answer to be a clay pot or perhaps a fishhook or grinding stone. Her answer was "a healed femur," a leg bone. Mead explained that no healed femurs are found where the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, reigns. A healed femur shows that someone cared. Someone had to do that injured person's hunting and gathering until the leg healed. The evidence of compassion is the first sign of civilization.4
Bearing Burdens
II. Some Burdens We Must Bear Alone (6:3-5).

At first, glance there seems to be a contradiction between v.2 and v.5. One tells us to "bear one anothers burdens" and the other says "each one shall bear his own load." What gives? Lets dig in and find out. A. Pride is Self-Deception (v.3). Paul says, "For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." I remember my mother saying about someone from time to time, "He really thinks hes something, doesnt he?" She of course was referring to someone with an air of pride and arrogance. Weve already been warned about becoming "conceited" in 5:26. Though you may think you are "something" apart from the grace of God, you are "nothing." To think you are "something" when in reality you are "nothing" is to "deceive" or mislead yourself. One of the traps the enemy lays for committed Christians is SPIRITUAL PRIDE. We cluck our tongues at the Pharisee who prayed "God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess" (Luke 18:11-12). Yet we exhibit the same characteristics. We either ignore our brother caught in sin or patronize him as though we could never be tempted in such a way. Jesus said in Mat.7:3-5, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." At a COMDEX computer exposition, Microsoft's Bill Gates compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles per gallon." General Motors responded to Gates by releasing the statement, "Yes, but would you want your car to
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crash twice a day?" The primary reason only "spiritual" or "Spirit-led" believers are to "restore" an erring brother is pride. B. Humility is Self-Examination (vv.4-5). Next Paul says, "But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another." "Examine" comes from a Greek word meaning "approve after testing". We are to test ourselves to be certain our motives and attitudes are pure and pleasing to the Lord. We are to be certain weve removed any planks from our own eyes! Only "then" can we rejoice. After humble self-examination, all that is left is to boast in the Lord and His great grace. As Paul would say in v.14, "God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Apart from Jesus I am nothing. Any good that is found in me comes from Him. A little boy once told his mother that he was six feet tall. When she doubted the statement, he assured her that he had just measured himself. His calculations were right but his ruler was not; it was only about six inches long. When we measure ourselves by the Word of God, we see just how weak we are and how great His grace is! In v.5, Paul adds, "For each one shall bear his own load." The word for "burdens" in v.2 is baros and refers to heavy weight, difficult to carry alone. The word "load" here is phortion, meaning anything that is carried. A "burden" in v.2 is like a piano. A "load" as in v.5 is like a mans backpack. Jesus said, "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Mat.11:30). The "load" we must bear alone is Gods responsibility for our lives. We are to "bear one anothers burdens" which are too heavy to bear alone, but there is a burden we cannot share and need not share for it is light enough to be born alone our individual accountability to God. One day we will stand before the great bema, the "judgment seat of Christ." 2 Cor.5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." On that day, I cant bear your load and you cannot bear mine.
Bearing Burdens
In closing, let me give you four practical words concerning burden bearing: The first is TIME. You cannot help another person bear his or her burden if you are too busy. You wont even notice and even if you do, your support will be superficial. The second word is PRAYER. Believers often say, "Ill be praying for you." Do you? Do you really pray for them? If someone says that to you, be grateful. The greatest act they can do on your part is to lift you to the Lord. I would rather you talk to God about me than talk to me about God. The third word is ACCOUNTABLITY. We all need at least one person to hold us accountable and ask us hard questions. If you dont have an accountability partner and you desire one, please tell me. I would gladly pair you with a Titus to help comfort you. The last word is LOVE. Thats the greatest word in church growth. People dont stay in a church because of great music, preaching or programs. They want warmth more than light. Lets commit to giving it to them!
1 2
Bud Sellick, The Wild, Wonderful World of Parachutes and Parachutists (Prentice-Hall, 1981), p.38. Luther, p.538. 3 Bruce Larson in A Call to Holy Living. Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 13. 4 Wayne Willis, Louisville, Kentucky. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4.
The Law of the Harvest
Coy Wylie

Galatians 6:6-10 At first glance, the statements in our text appear to be loose, unconnected ramblings that Paul has added to the end of the letter. Closer inspection will reveal that there is a common thread. Woven throughout todays passage is inviolable law of the harvest. The Apostle states this emphatically in v.7, "For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." After the flood, God promised Noah, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest [sowing and reaping] shall not cease" (Gen.8:22). As long as we live on this earth, the law of the harvest remains. What we plant with our lives will bear fruit in our lives. Write down three unchanging truths from the law of the harvest. First, WE REAP WHAT WE SOW. Lets say you bought a farm and went into agribusiness. You could plow your fields with the latest equipment and have beautiful long straight furrows. You could apply the most up to date and expensive fertilizers to your fields. You could irrigate and provide the perfect amount of moisture. However, unless you have sown seed, you would not get a harvest. Further, the kind of harvest you get will depend upon the kind of seed you planted. If you plant wheat seed, you will harvest wheat. If you plant corn seed, you will harvest corn. If you plant milo seeds, you will harvest milo. Further still, if you plant good seed, you can expect a good harvest and if you plant poor seed, you can expect a poor harvest. If you sow much seed, you can expect a large harvest. If you plant only a little seed, you expect only a small harvest. 2 Cor.9:6 says, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." Second, WE REAP WHERE WE SOW. Lets say your farm has two sections, two square miles divided into four half sections. Lets say in the first half section you plant wheat, in the second milo, in the third corn and in the last beans. You wouldnt expect to harvest corn in the wheat field or beans in the milo field. Why? Because God established in the law of the harvest that everything reproduces "after its kind" (cf.Gen.6:20; 7:14). Third, WE REAP AFTER WE SOW. Reaping always comes after sowing. Harvest always comes after planting. Generally, the farmer sows in the spring and reaps in the fall. The point is that it takes a long time to get to the harvest, but the harvest always come. Therefore, for a farmer to have a bumper crop of corn in a particular field, he must not only sow corn seed in that field, he must sow good seed. He must sow the seed plentifully and
then he must wait for the harvest to come. Again, Paul says, "For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." It is the sower who determines the crop, not the reaper. What is true on the farm is true in every facet of life. We reap what we sow; we reap where we sow and we reap after we sow. If we sow the seeds of faith, grace and love with our lives, we can expect a harvest of blessing. If we sow "wild oats," we can expect to harvest only brambles and stickers in our lives. Job 4:8 says, "Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same." Hosea 8:7 says, "They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind." In v.7, before the Apostle states the immutable law of the harvest, he says resolutely, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked." The Bible is replete with warnings against deception. Jesus tells us in Jn.8:44 that Satan is the source of all deception, "When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." Jesus says in Mk.13:5, "Take heed that no one deceives you." 2 Jn.7 says, "For many deceivers have gone out into the world" Paul warns us in Eph.5:6, "Let no one deceive you with empty words" Paul asked the Galatians who had "bewitched" them in 3:1. In 6:3 he writes about the man who "thinks himself to be something when he is nothing" and "deceives himself." Here in v.7, that is exactly what Paul has in mind, self-deception. People deceive themselves. They lead themselves astray. They fool or fake themselves out. People deceive themselves about the law of the harvest. Dont do that! Wake up! Realize! Whatever you are sowing today in your life you will reap tomorrow, whether bad or good! Not also in v.7, Paul says that we are not to be "deceived" because "God is not mocked." The Greek word for "mocked" is stunning. It means "to turn the nose up, to sneer or treat with contempt." We may succeed in deceiving ourselves, but we will never fool God. The law of the harvest, sowing and reaping is sure and certain. We will reap what we sow. From our passage, we will apply to law of the harvest to ministry in the church, to our personal holiness and to the doing of good works.
I. The Harvest of Ministry (v.6).

A. The People are to Support the Pastor. Paul says, "Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches." "Him who is taught the word" means "one who is under instruction in the faith." Luke used this same term to describe his relationship with Theophilus in Lk.1:4. Thus, the person who is being taught and trained in the Word of God should be supportive of those who teach him.
Sometimes we are instructed in the faith in one-on-one discipleship. If you are studying with a more mature believer in that way, "share" some "good things" with him or her. Show your love and appreciation. If you sit under the teaching of a diligent person in a Bible class or home Bible study, "share" some "good things" with that teacher. Show your thankfulness for his or her labor in the Lord. In the same way, congregations of believers in local churches are to "share in all good things" with pastors who give their lives to teaching and discipling people in the Word of God. It may seem a bit self-serving for me to teach this verse, but it is here in our text and I cannot ignore it. I am grateful to the Lord for the generosity He has put in your hearts to provide so well for me and my family that I might give myself fully to ministry. However, since we have broached this subject, lets take it a little farther. The people supporting the pastor, the disciple supporting the discipler is woven throughout the NT. When the Lord Jesus sent out the 70, He told them to "remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages" (Lk.10:7). The Apostle Paul used the metaphor of the harvest in this way in 1 Cor.9:11, "If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?" In v.14, He adds, "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel." Paul also used the biblical metaphor of an ox in a threshing mill eating the grain that fell from his work. Quoting both the Law and Jesus He reminded Timothy, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain, and, The laborer is worthy of his wages" (1 Tim.5:18; cf.1 Cor.9:9). B. The Pastor is not to Abuse the People. Any equitable system is prone to abuse and so it is in the church. Because some pastors and church leaders have taken advantage of their congregations, all pastors take a hit. Legally, pastors are "self-employed" for tax purposes. They are also "self-employed" in a practical sense. At least in most churches, no one makes out a schedule for the pastor; no one supervises his work. He sets his
own agenda and follows his plan. Some pastors abuse their people by laziness and poor planning. They pittle the week away and scramble on Saturday evening to copy down some semblance of a message for Sunday morning. I have known some to spend more time on the golf course or at the lake than in the study. The men in ministry I admire most are those who serve bivocationally. The great Apostle Paul refused to take payment for his ministry but earned his living as a tent-maker in order to preach the gospel without charge. Men who work 40-50 hours a week to feed their families and still give of themselves to teach and minister to Gods people are the real heroes of the faith! Yet, when a church can compensate a pastor, she should. Martin Luther wrote, "It is impossible for one man both to labor day and night to get a living, and at the same time to give himself to the study of sacred learning as the preaching office requires."1 1 Tim.5:17 says, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine." "Double honor" literally means "double pay." The word "labor" means he struggles hard with the Word. The good pastor works at learning and teaching the Word with the same determination as a bricklayer with his bricks or a carpenter with his hammer. The ministry of the Word done well is hard work and it is worthy of ample pay. C. The People are not to Abuse the Pastor. Though times have changed, many churches have historically underpaid their leaders. Ive heard that attitude expressed in this sentiment, "You keep him humble, Lord and well keep him poor." While many members enjoy the fruits of success and excess, many pastors families are forced to make do with little. One pastor had gone to interview with a new church and called his wife on the phone. He said, "I was real excited when they told me I'd make $500 a week. Then I found out that meant $5 an hour!" The finance committee of another church said to
its pastor, "We agree that you're worth your weight in gold, but we can afford your weight in aluminum." Churches may also abuse their pastors by manipulation. They use subtle blackmail to get him to preach what they want him to preach. They figure if they pay the fiddler they ought to call the tune. In order to pay his bills, a poor pastor will often give in to such pressures. In a healthy church, a pastor can rightly divide the Word and let the chips fall where they may. A spiritual congregation understands Heb.13:17, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." D. The People and the Pastor are to be in Partnership. The word "share" is the Greek word koinonia meaning "fellowship" or "partnership." The pastor shares spiritual things with the congregation and they share material things with him. The church does not PAY the pastor but they partner with him in the labor of the Lord. The pastor sows the Word of God and reaps the harvest of an income. The people sow good stewardship and reap the harvest of good teaching from the Word.
II. The Harvest of Holiness (v.8).

We have applied the law of the harvest in a very specific way, the partnership of a pastor and his people. We take and apply it in a much more general sense, our individual struggle for holiness. Paul says, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." The struggle between the "flesh" and the "Spirit" is nothing new to we who have studied this great epistle together. Earlier in chapter 5, Paul described the Christians life as a battlefield. Here we see the "flesh" and the "Spirit" as two farm fields in which we may plant the seeds of life. What we reap depends on which field we choose for planting. A. The Field of the Flesh. Paul says, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap
corruption." We know that in the Bible "flesh" refers to much more than our skin, bones and muscle tissue. It refers to the selfish, sinful core in all men. If we give into or sow to the flesh, we will harvest the "works of the flesh" as listed in 5:19-21, "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" I love how John Stott describes sowing to the flesh, "To sow to the flesh is to pander to it, to cosset, cuddle and stroke it, instead of crucifying it. The seeds we sow are largely thoughts and deeds. Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read pornographic literature, every time we take a risk which strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh. Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends on what and where we sow."2 "Corruption" refers to decay, degeneration, something going from better to worse. If you put leftovers from todays meal in your refrigerator, they will go from better to worse. The longer you leave them, the worse they will get! "Corruption" is also used in the NT to refer to a dead body (cf. 1 Cor.15:42,50). The best description I can think of for "corruption" is when you drive down a highway on a hot summer day and smell the aroma of rotting roadkill! When a believer "sows to his flesh" he will REAP ROADKILL! According to a radio report, a middle school in Oregon faced a unique problem. A number of girls began to use lipstick and put it on in the bathroom. After they put on their lipstick, they pressed their lips to the mirrors leaving dozens of little lip prints. Finally the principal decided something had to be done. She called the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the custodian. She explained lip prints caused a major problem for the custodian, who had to clean the mirrors every day. To demonstrate how difficult it was, she asked the custodian to
clean one of the mirrors. He took out a long-handled brush, dipped it into the toilet, and scrubbed the mirror. Since then there have been no lip prints on the mirrors. When tempted to sin, if we could only see the real filth we'd be kissing, we wouldn't be attracted to it. Earnest Hemingway is celebrated as one of Americas greatest authors. Yet, he was "deceived" and learned ultimately that "God is not mocked." He believed that the Bible and Christian morality were antiquated and outdated. He thought moral laws were religious superstitions that had no relevance to modern man. He even wrote a parody of the Lords Prayer, "Our nada [nothing] who art in nada." However, in his search for pleasure and fleshly fulfillment apart from God, he found nothing but despair and hopelessness. He put a bullet in his own brain. Other authors such as Sinclair Lewis and Oscar Wilde thumbed their noses at God and found similar ends. Lewis died a pathetic alcoholic in a third-rate clinic in Italy. Wilde found himself an imprisoned homosexual, in shame and disgrace. Near the end of his life, he wrote, "I forgot that somewhere along the line what you are in secret you will some day cry aloud from the housetop."3 My friends, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked." If anyone "sows to his flesh" he will reap the "corruption" of a life ruined. B. The Field of the Spirit. Next Paul says, "He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." To sow to the Spirit then is the same thing as to "walk in the Spirit" (5:16), be "led by the Spirit" (5:18), to "keep in step with the Spirit" (5:25 NIV) or to be "filled with the Spirit" (Eph.5:18). To sow to the Spirit is to seek after and pursue God. It is to "seek those things which are above" and to "set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col.3:1-2). Phil.4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and
if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things." How do we sow to the Spirit? We do so by what we put in our minds, by the books we read, the movies and TV shows we watch or do not watch. We sow to the Spirit by developing the determined spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, memorization and personal Bible study. Perhaps one of the greatest ways in which we can sow to the Spirit is in private worship, what better way to "set your mind on things above." When we worship in private, public worship is reflexive. If a Christian "sows to the Spirit" instead of the decay of "corruption" he will reap "everlasting life." This does not mean that only Spirit-filled believers go to heaven. Everyone who is born again will go to heaven. "Everlasting life" here refers more to quality of life than duration of life. That is, just as "corruption" means going from better to worse, "everlasting life" means getting better and better. Our spiritual and moral values will grow and get stronger and stronger. We will become more and more "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom.8:29). We will be more like Jesus! Our communion with God will increase until one day in eternity it is perfect. Dorothy Sayers wrote, "It is precisely because of the eternity outside time that everything in time becomes valuable and important and meaningful. Therefore, Christianity makes it of urgent importance that everything we do here should be rightly related to what we eternally are. Eternal life is the sole sanction for the values of this life."4 Lets get practical. Everyday we sow seeds. Some seeds we sow in the field of our "flesh." We sow selfishly and sinfully. Every one of those seeds will produce "corruption" in our lives. They will not help us, they will harm us. Every thought, word or deed not brought "into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor.10:5) will bring the decaying, putrid puss of "corruption" in our lives. We are "deceived" and we engage in mocking God if we think we can get away with sin. Write this down: you cant get away with sin. You cant get away with sin. YOU CANT GET AWAY WITH SIN! George Munzing says, "If you cheat in practice, you'll cheat in
the game. If you cheat in your head, you'll cheat on the test. You'll cheat on the girl. You'll cheat in business. You'll cheat on your mate. Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act; reap a habit. Sow a habit; reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny."5 Everyday we sow seeds. Lets do our best to sow them in the right field that we may reap the harvest of the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb.12:11).
III. The Harvest of Good Works (vv.9-10).

Weve examined sowing and reaping in the ministry of the local church, sowing and reaping in the application of holiness in our lives and now Paul speaks of "doing good." A. Dont Give Up (v.9). Lets read v.9 slowly and try to sense something beyond ink on paper, "And let us not GROW WEARY while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not LOSE HEART." "Doing good," serving others can be a weary, tiresome activity. Obviously the Galatians, and perhaps even Paul himself [note the personal pronouns] were very tired in their work for the Lord. Perhaps they were thinking, "Whats the use?" Maybe they were ready to give up. Farmers get tired too. What if a farmer sowed half his field and then grew "weary" and quit. The harvest would still come "in due season," but he would only "reap" half the field. We must be patient. We mustnt give up in serving each other in the Lord. Ja.5:7 says, "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain." Remember, we reap WHAT we sow; we reap WHERE we sow but we also reap AFTER we sow. 1 Cor.15:58 says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." B. Do Good to All (v.10).
Next Paul says, "as we have opportunity" we are to "do good to all." Folks, we abound in opportunity. All around us are occasions for us to "do good." My mother used to say to me, "What goes around comes around." She meant if I do something good for someone else, it will come back to me. We are to do good "to all," believers and unbelievers, young and old. However we are to do good "especially to those who are of the household of faith." Of course "the household of faith" is but another of the many biblical metaphors for the redeemed, the saved, the body of Christ, the church. If we cant love our family within, we certainly wont love strangers without. In June l955, Winston Churchill, who was then near the end of his life, was asked to give a commencement address at a British University. At this time he was physically infirm; he had to be helped to the podium. Then he held on to the podium for what seemed an interminable amount of time. He stood with his head down but then finally raised that great leonine head of his, and the voice that years before had called Britain back from the brink of destruction sounded publicly for the last time in history. "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." With that, Churchill turned and went back to his seat. I'm told there was silence, and then, as if one person, the whole audience rose to applaud him, because he was a man whose life and words were together. What a word for us today, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! Never give up doing good because we are sowing seeds that will one day provide a bumper crop. The promise of God in the law of the harvest is unchangeable.
1 2
Luther, p.552 Stott, p.170 3 Gleaned from MacArthur, pp.184-185 4 Dorothy L. Sayers, Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 11 5 George Munzing, "Living a Life of Integrity," Preaching Today, Tape No. 32
Copyright 1998 - 2003 Coy M. Wylie. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright
notice. This data file may not be copied in part (except for small quotations used with citation of source), edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Coy M. Wylie, Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, P.O. Box 7403, Amarillo, TX 79114-7403.
Parting Admonitions
Coy Wylie
Parting Admonitions
Galatians 6:11-18 When divers combed the wreckage of the Kursk, a destroyed Russian nuclear submarine on which 118 sailors perished, they found a letter written by Lt. Dmitri Kolesnikov. The handwritten note was addressed to his wife, Olga. It was penned after the explosion that sealed the sub's doom on August 12, 2000, in the Barents Sea and confirmed speculation that all the crew had not died instantly. A few hours after the submarine plunged to the bottom of the sea, Kolesnikov wrote, "All the crew from the sixth, seventh, and eighth compartments went over to the ninth. There are 23 people here... None of us can get to the surface." The note included a deeply personal expression of affection to his beloved Olga. Eerily, the last lines of the letter indicated that death was closing in. The auxiliary power had failed. Kolesnikov wrote unevenly in the pitch darkness: "I am writing blind." He wrote his final words without any sense of hope.1 As the Apostle Paul put the finishing touches on his letter to the Galatians, he too was probably writing blindly, with very dim eyesight. He knew that a martyrs death awaited him. However, unlike that Russian lieutenant, Paul wrote in hope. In the last passage of the great book of Galatians, we find a very personal parting from the Apostle Paul. Look closely at v.11, "See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!" We know that Paul dictated most of his writing through a scribe or secretary. Usually he would simply sign his name. However, as the apostle concludes this letter to the Galatian churches, he actually takes the pen in his "own hand" and with his own handwriting, he adds a postscript, a fitting conclusion to the epistle He mentions that as he writes he is using "large letters." There are several possible meanings for this statement. Professional scribes wrote neatly with small cursive letters that economically filled a page. Perhaps Paul meant that his own handwriting was large and sloppy in comparison. For several years now, almost all my writing has been done on a computer keyboard and I can tell you my handwriting has become very messy. When I do write a personal note, I often use capital block letters so someone else can understand it! We can be quite certain that Paul had very poor eyesight. Look back to 4:14-15, "And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them
Parting Admonitions
to me." His vision seems to have been a very real "trial" and perhaps he wrote with "large letters" because he could not read any finer print. Other Bible teachers have suggested that Paul used "large letters" for a point of emphasis, much as we might write or type in ALL CAPS or underline words today to heighten the importance of what we are writing. Whatever the meaning of the "large letters," we can be absolutely sure the apostle personally took the pen in hand in order to add as much emphasis or leverage to these last few statements of his letter. His point is clear: DONT MISS THIS! Paul is so adamant about these parting sentences because they represent for us the basic essence of Christianity. He reaffirms his teaching on legalism, the cross, the church as well as adding a few words of personal testimony and blessings. Lets dig in.
I. One Last Warning Against Legalism (vv.12-13).

If you studied with me through Galatians these last 21 Sunday mornings, you might think you have heard enough about legalism. Paul doesnt think so. Hes not about to end this letter without a final reminder against the man-made rule-keeping that constantly plagues the church. Legalism reminds me of dandelions in a nice yard of grass. Just as soon as you uproot them in one area they pop up in another. Once established the only way to kill them is a strong herbicide like Roundup. The trouble is that the chemical will kill the good grass too. Your best tactic against dandelions is to hit them with a pre-emergent herbicide before they have a chance to take root. Thats a great strategy for overcoming legalism too. We have a relatively young church. Cornerstone has not been around a long time. We have the opportunity to kill the legalistic weeds before they can take root in the soil of our ministry. Lets note four final characteristics of legalism. A. Legalism is SHOWY (v.12a). In v.12, Paul refers to those who "desire to make a good showing in the flesh" those who would "compel you to be circumcised." The legalists, the Judaizers in Galatia were more interested in externals than internal, more concerned with symbols than substance. They would not see that genuine Christianity is an inward transformation not an outward ceremony. Their war cry is found in Acts 15:1, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." Paul has dealt with this again and again throughout Galatians.
Parting Admonitions
It is true that God gave Abraham the rite of circumcision as a sign of His covenant or promise. Yet the legalists insisted that no one could be saved unless they had been circumcised. Pauls point is that no physical operation on the body can change the soul. The circumcision of the flesh was to be a symbol of the circumcision of the heart, the cutting away of sin and self and devotion to God. Deut.30:6 says, "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." Look ahead to what Paul says in v.15 of our text, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation." Circumcision is no longer a hot issue, but legalism still pokes up its blooms in the arena of baptism. Baptism is important today as circumcision was in the OT era. The Lord Jesus gave His church the command to baptize just as God gave the Jews the command to circumcise. Circumcision was a symbol of Gods covenant with Israel. Baptism is a symbol of Gods covenant promise to the church. However, like circumcision, baptism is merely an outward, physical symbol. It has no internal, spiritual power. Today some people teach baptismal regeneration, meaning that salvation comes not only through faith in Jesus but also through baptism. In their view, the blood of Christ is insufficient, there must also be the water of immersion. This is not only untrue; it is unbiblical heresy! Legalists who insist on external signs such as circumcision or baptism are trusting in themselves, not Jesus. They "make a good showing in the flesh" but the spirit is unchanged. B. Legalism is COWARDLY (v.12B). Further, the apostle adds those who would "make a good showing in the flesh" would also "compel you to be circumcised" at least in part "that they might not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." Traditional Jews considered Christianity to be a cult. They violently persecuted anyone, especially Jews who followed
Parting Admonitions
Jesus. Paul himself, before he was converted was a violent persecutor of believers. He testified in Acts 22:4, "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women." In the first century, anyone who preached that salvation was by grace through faith alone in the work of Christ on the cross was subject to persecution. In 5:11, Paul asks, "if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased." In a few moments, we will see from our passage in v.17 that Paul bore in his body "the marks of the Lord Jesus," physical scars representing his sufferings for his stand for Christ. The point is that these legalists emphasized circumcision because they were afraid of the "persecution" they would face from the Jews. They were cowards motivated by fear. My friends, cowardly legalism is alive and well today. Pastors and churches still cower under traditionalism and denominationalism for fear of what others may say or think. I determined some time ago, that I would preach what I believe based up on my own study of the Word not someone elses tradition. I determined that I would lead this church as long as God will let me to try to conform as closely to the NT as possible, not some denominational dogma. Just this week, a pastor friend in another state wrote me about this very issue. He said, "I am struggling with some issues. My goal is to determine what I truly believe about [some hot topic in his church] and then to teach the truth and practice it and everyone can just deal with it." What courage! I pray he does just that. I think the Apostle Paul would say, "Amen!" C. Legalism is HYPOCRITICAL (v.13a). Next Paul says, "For not even those who are circumcised keep the law." Legalists always have a set of rules and regulations that they want everyone else to follow, but they dont even keep their own rules. They try to intimidate and pressure others to conform to standards they dont hold to themselves.
Parting Admonitions
Jesus said to the Pharisees in Mt.23:23, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" (c.f. the entire chapter of Mt.23). In other words, they picked out rules to follow that made them seem very religious but ignored the "weightier" more important virtues like "justice and mercy and faith." Guess what? Legalists are still hypocritical. I like this definition of hypocrisy, "A hypocrite is someone who complains there is too much sex and violence on his VCR." Or how about this announcement in the bulletin of a church in Centralia, Washington, "The Sunday School teachers wish to continue Sunday School classes throughout the summer. We do not want anyone to think we can take a vacation from God's house. To carry out such a program, we will need many substitute teachers." D. Legalism is EGOTISTICAL (v.13B). Paul also adds, "They desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh." They wanted to brag and boast about how many Gentile converts had been "circumcised" by their ministries. They were "statistics-conscience." They were counting converts like notches on their guns. They measured each other by how successful they were and wallowed in their own egotism. Let me say a word here about statistics. They can often be more of a hindrance than a blessing to a church. You can get a horribly inaccurate picture of any local church merely by examining statistics. The size of the crowd, the number of baptisms, the magnitude of the budget tells very little about the work of the Spirit in a fellowship of believers. Dont get me wrong! We want more and more people to come to our church, not so we can count people but because people count! However, our motivation is not bragging rights but helping them become fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Parting Admonitions
II. One Last Affirmation of the Cross (vv.14-15).

The very essence of Christianity is "in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is the source of our glory, the sword of our persecution, the symbol of our victory and the sign of our hope. Lets note three truths the cross gives to us. A. Our Boast is not in the Flesh but in the Cross (v.14a). Paul says, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." The legalists wanted to "boast" in the number of circumcised converts they could win but Paul would only "boast" or glory "in the cross." Why does it mean that Paul would only "boast in the cross of Christ?" Jesus went to the cross because of our sin. He is holy; we are unholy. He is righteous; we are unrighteous. He could save us; we could never save ourselves. In a great demonstration of the love of God for mankind, Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Rom.5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Why is the cross so important? Why does persecution surround the cross? John Stott gives good answers to these questions: "Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to say to us, I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying. Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size" Stott continues, "And of course men do like it. They resent the humiliation of seeing themselves as God sees them and as they really are. They prefer their comfortable illusions. So they steer clear of the cross. They construct a Christianity without the cross, which relies for salvation on their works and not on Jesus Christs. They do not object to Christianity so long as it is not the faith of Christ crucified. But Christ crucified they detest. And if preachers preach Christ crucified, they are opposed, ridiculed, persecuted. Why?
Parting Admonitions
Because of the wounds which they inflict on mens pride."2 To glory only in the cross means we do not glory or "boast" in ourselves. Apart from the work of God in our lives there is nothing good, loving or worthwhile within us. We are selfish, egotistical, arrogant, hypocritical, indulgent, filthy, lewd, hateful, jealous, envious, heretical beings apart from His grace. Oh, but because He went to the cross, He can make us His saints or "holy ones." To look upon the cross is to remember my own unworthiness and His great grace! I love the praise songs being written and sung today, but when it comes to "teaching and admonishing one another" (i.e. Col.3:16) give me the great hymns of our faith. Sing the new songs, yes! But dont forget to teach the children the hymns of the cross! Listen to these powerful words: On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see; For twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died To pardon and sanctify me. So Ill cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown. How about this one: When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride Forbid it, Lord! That I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most,
Parting Admonitions
I sacrifice them to His blood. See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down: Did ere such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small: Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. Heres one more. When we get to the chorus, lets sing it together! Jesus, keep me near the cross There a precious fountain Free to all a healing stream, Flows from Calvarys mountain. Near the cross! O Lamb of God, Bring its scenes before me; Help me walk from day to day, With its shadows ore me. In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever, Till my raptured soul shall find Rest beyond the river. B. In the Cross We are Crucified to the World (v.14b). Next Paul says that it was in the cross that "the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Just as we cannot "boast" in ourselves and in the cross at same time, we cannot live for the cross and the world at the same time. Haddon Robinson tells a story about working on his garage door one day. Being a preacher, he is a pretty poor handy man. Everything was going pretty well until he tried to loosen one bolt. It seemed the more pressure he put on the wrench the tighter the bolt became. He was sweaty, red-faced and frustrated when a neighbor wandered over. "Whats wrong?" the neighbor
Parting Admonitions
asked. Robinson replied, "I cant get this blasted bolt loose." The newcomer examined the situation and said, "I think youve got yourself a left-hand threaded bolt. You have to tighten or loosen it going in the opposite direction." Robinson said, "It took me fifty years to find out how screws work and now they change the rules." Later he wrote, "There's a sense in which all the Bible is kind of a reverse screw. Everything in the culture that seems right, in the Bible comes out wrong. The way up is the way down. The way to spiritual wealth is to acknowledge your spiritual poverty. The way to live is to die. The way to rule is to serve. I mean the screw just doesn't work right. It's just incongruous." Because of the cross, we have parted company with the world. We are threaded in a different direction. We no longer march to the worlds drummer. Christianity is at heart denying the authority of the world. If we glory only in the cross, we do not care what the world thinks of us, says of us or does to us. We are "crucified" or dead to the world and the world is dead to us. The more pressure they apply to unscrew us from the cross, the more tightly we cling. C. What Matters Most is a New Creation (v.15). Next Paul says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation." Allow me to paraphrase, "Being circumcised wont get you into heaven and being uncircumcised wont keep you out. What matters is that you are a new creation because youve been born again!" Circumcision, baptism, keeping the law none of those things matter when it comes to your salvation. The only thing that matters is that you are a "new creation." 2 Cor.5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." What or whom are you trusting in. Lets make this more practical. All that matters is that you are a "new creation" that you have come to the "cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Parting Admonitions
Regular church attendance, tithing or filling a position doesnt matter, what matters is being a "new creation." A degree from a prestigious seminary, an ordination certificate or holding an important leadership role in the church doesnt matter, what matters is being a "new creation." Being a Baptist, a Presbyterian or a charismatic doesnt matter, what matters is being a "new creation." Having the sign of the fish on your car, wearing a WWJD arm band or carrying a big study Bible doesnt matter, what matters is being a "new creation." Singing just hymns, just praise songs or a mixture of both does not matter, what matters is being a "new creation." We get so worked up over so many things. We become prideful and arrogant about so many things. We fuss, fight and feud over so many things. But as Jesus said to Mary as she sat at His feet, "But one thing is needed" (cf. Lk.10:42), being a "new creation" is that one thing.
III. One Last Encouragement for the Church (v.16).

In v.16, Paul says, "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God." Lets grasp two truths here. A. The Church is the Israel of God. The phrase "Israel of God" is unique here in all the NT. It may have special reference to saved Jews but I believe it is synonymous with the company of all the redeemed, the "household of faith," the bride, the body, the "church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven" (Heb.12:23). Clearly "as many as walk according to this rule" and "the Israel of God" are not two groups but one. Remember "Israel" means "prince with God." By faith we are all His sons and daughters; we are princes of His kingdom! In that sense we see a direct continuity from Gods people of the OT era. We who belong to Christ today are the true "circumcision" (Phil.3:3) and "Abraham's seed heirs according to the promise" (Gal.3:29). B. The Church has a Measuring Stick.
Parting Admonitions
Look closely at the word "rule." It comes from kanon. No not "cannon" like a Howitzer, but the Greek word kanon, which means "a ruler, a measuring stick or rod." The word was also used to describe a carpenters rule or surveyors line. The church has a "rule" or measuring stick by which to measure itself. When I was a little boy, my mother would stand me up against the door facing in her bedroom and measure me with a yardstick. Those little pencil marks showed how quickly I was growing. God has given us a yardstick to use too. It is no coincidence that the books of our Bible are known as "the canon of Scripture." Our ruler as a church is not some ecclesiastical hierarchy or denominational tradition but it is the measuring stick of Scripture, the "foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph.2:20) and particularly in this passage the "cross of our Lord Jesus" and "a new creation." When we measure ourselves by the yardstick of the Bible and the gospel message we can be certain that "peace and mercy" will be upon us. Church, do we want Gods overflowing "mercy" and bountiful blessings upon us? Of course! Thats why we have such a tenacious grasp on the Word. On the other hand, we can lose His "peace and mercy" if we begin to measure ourselves by other standards. New theologies, traditions, denominationalism, rituals, all these and more can become more important to us than the Word of God. God forbid, but if that ever happens we will lose His "peace and mercy" over our lives and our ministry.
IV. One Last Testimony from the Apostle (v.17).

Paul says, "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Interestingly, the word for "marks" is stigmata. During the middle ages a doctrine arose that interpreted this passage to mean that Paul had found Jesus scars on his own hands, feet and side. It is said that others like Francis of Assisi physically experienced the wounds of Jesus on their own bodies as they contemplated His sufferings. This phenomenon is called "stigmatization." I dont know whether that really happened or not but I am quite sure thats not
Parting Admonitions
what Paul had in mind here. He is saying, "Get on up off my back! I have your sacred mark of circumcision on my body but Ive got some other marks that are much more valuable to me, I bear scars that were earned suffering for Jesus." 2 Cor.11:23-28 gives an account of his sufferings, "in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness; besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches." If anyone wanted to know Pauls commitment to Christ all they had to do was look at the "marks" on his body. If someone were to ask you, "How do you know your faith is real?" What would you say? that you are a Baptist? that youve been baptized? that you teach Sunday School or give your tithes? Seems somewhat petty, doesnt it. It is meaningful to say, "Ive buried two children, but Im still following Christ," "I used to try to drink myself to death, but Jesus set me free from alcohol," "I used to be addicted to pornography, but Jesus has set me free from guilt and shame" or "I was devastated by my divorce, but Jesus never left me. Hes met my every need." Those are the true "marks" of Christianity.
V. One Last Blessing for Believers (v.18).

Finally, Paul pens with his "large letters" these last few words, "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." Paul began this letter with a salutation of "grace" and he ends it in the same matter. He began chapter 6 with "brethren" and concludes in the same way. This is a word of blessing, not unlike how old Jacob put his hands on the heads of his children and blessed them in the closing chapters of Genesis. Paul as it were is reaching out to you and me across the centuries and laying his gnarled, scared hand on our shoulders and say, "Brother, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be with your spirit, so let it be." In the same way, we ought to bless one another. We ought to reach out a hand,
Parting Admonitions
look into some other brother or sisters life and say "May the Lord bless you" or "Grace to you." I have a pastor friend who loves to do that to other people. He will also ask mature believers to bless him. Let me close with one last story. Not long ago I read about a fellow who rode to work on the "elevated" train in Chicago. This mass transit train comes into downtown on a high track. This young man was riding that train day after day as a commuter. And as the train slowed up for the station where he got off, he could look through an open curtain into a room of a building and see a woman lying in a bed. She was there day after day, for a long time, obviously quite ill. He began to get interested in her since he saw her every day. Finally he determined to find out her name. He discovered her address, and he wrote her a card, assuring her that he was praying for her recovery. He signed it: "The young man on the elevated." A few weeks later, he pulled into the station, and he looked through that window and the bed was empty. Instead there was a great huge sign: GOD BLESS YOU, MY FRIEND ON THE ELEVATED!3 If Jesus can reach down from the cross to bless us, let us bless others.
1 2
Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois; adapted from (Chicago suburban) Daily Herald (10-27-00) Stott, p.179 3 William Hinson, "A Breath of Fresh Air," Preaching Today, Tape No. 114

Galatians Bible Study Discussion Notes

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Free at Last!

September 3, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians

I. Laying the Framework of our Freedom.

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II. Establishing the Foundations of our Freedom.

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September 10, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians

I. DESERTION: Turning Away from the Gospel (v.6).

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II. DISTORTION: Adding to the Gospel (v.7).

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III. DESTRUCTION: Warning All False Teachers (vv.8-9).

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IV. DETERMINATION: Pleasing God is Priority One (v.10).

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September 17, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians

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I. The Transforming Source of the Gospel (vv.11-12).

II. The Transforming Power of the Gospel (vv.13-24).

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III. Three Transforming Truths of the Gospel.

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

September 24, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians

No Cracks in Our Foundation

No Cracks in Our Foundation

I. The Test of Titus: Accepted (vv.1-5).

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

II. The Preaching of Paul: Approved (vv.6-10).

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

No Cracks in Our Foundation

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

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No Cracks in Our Foundation

III. Three Timeless Truths for Preserving a Firm Foundation.

No Cracks in Our Foundation

No Cracks in Our Foundation

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October 1, 2000 Free Indeed Galatians

I. Spiritual Freedom is Exhilarating.

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II. Spiritual Freedom is Frightening.

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opinion your boundary, makes my opinion your obligation."3

III. Spiritual Freedom is Precious.