Persuaded by the Gospel Truth

Main Passage

Ga 5:7–9.

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Outline:

Introduction

Paul "compares the Galatians' past progress with their present confusion. We notice through out Paul’s letters that he was fond of athletic metaphors, you read statements about running and wrestling and boxing. He mentions these kinds of athletic sports to bring out the fact that the Christian life is an active life. And there is no room for distraction absolute focus and discipline is needed to be succesful. But unlike athletes compteting for a perisable crown, we compete for an unperisble crown. Athletes has to depend on their own strength and might. We live this life in the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Galatians were not running in the truth. They were listening to the message of bondage. In verses 2–12 Paul confronts false teachers. He sustains his argument until verse 12 Again, a big problem is the belief in the necessity of circumcision and keeping the law. For Paul, circumcision symbolized the religion of human achievement instead of the religion of divine grace. Human achievement religion was slavery

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

You were running

verb, imperfect, active, indicative, second person, plural | finite verb

We have all seen it, while waiting for the gun to go off at a marathon. There is always someone that sprints for the first 100 meters. For that 13 seconds of the race this person is infront. Yet there is still 90km’s to go.

I have seen this at primary school inter house the small kids, when they run the 1200 meters for the first time. You can clearly identify the sprinters. They run as fast as they can. Stop rest and then sprint again. And so the will go on and on till they finish the race.

Paul is using running as a figure of speech in describing the Christian life. Paul frequently compared our Christian life to an athletic race ( Gal 2:2 ; Romans 9:16 1 Cor 9:24 Php 3:14). What Paul is saying is that at the outset of their "race," the Galatians were living their Christian life by grace through faith and were doing fine.

Php 2:16.

16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

2 Ti 4:7.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

Heb 12:1.

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

who has hindered you?

verb, aorist, active, indicative, third person, singular | finite verb

This is a rhetorical question, for Paul has already alluded to their spiritual adversary. They ran well for a time and were making good progress until legalism hindered them. Legalism is always a hindrance, never a blessing.

For the Galatians this is happening right now - there is someone, a group of Judiazing missionaries that is hindering them while they were progressing with the gospel of Grace and they are now hindering them with false teachings.

There are many believers who ran well when they first came to Christ. But somewhere along their Christian journey, legalism began to sneak in and instead of running they began limping, because they no longer were partaking of the grace that saved them the in the first place (cf Gal 3:2-3+). They have fallen into the trap of trying to live the Christian life on their own (by keeping rules, by trying to be good enough, by trying to do enough good works to make sure they pleased God, etc, etc) instead of relying wholly on the Holy Spirit for the supernatural power to live this supernatural life in Christ and for the glory of God!

Hindered (thwarted) (1465)(egkopto/enkopto from en = in + kópto = cut down, strike) strictly means to knock or cut into, to impede one's course by cutting off his way; and hence to hinder, impede, thwart or interrupt. All 5 uses are in a spiritual context (Acts 24:4; Rom. 15:22; Gal. 5:7; 1 Thess. 2:18; 1 Pet. 3:7) - Paul's course hindered (1 Th 2:18, Ro 15:22), the progress of the Gospel hindered (1 Cor 9:22), the prayers by a husband who mistreats his wife (1 Peter 3:7). In sum, egkopto means to interfere with the activity or progress of something, the word hindered stressing harmful and/or annoying delay or interference. Most of you reading probably cannot identify with this illustration but this word reminds me of cutting in old days when telephone lines had to be shared, and someone cut in on you while you were talking on the telephone.

Who is the one who hindered your growth in Christ? In your faith walk and in growing in grace?

Paul has already identified this person or group to us in the previously mentioned verses. Lets see the characteristics of them.

They are hindering them by distorting the gospel Gal 1:7

They are hindering them by sneaking into the fellowship and spying out their liberty with the intention capture them in legalism Gal 2:4

They are hindering them by bewitching them Gal 3:1

They are hindering them by living this Christian life in the power of the flesh and persecuting the ones who walk in the Spirit Gal 4:29

They are hindering them by persuading them to be circumcised and obey the law Gal 5:3

They are hindering them by trying to be justified by the law Gal 5:4

Obeying the truth

verb, present, passive, infinitive | substantival infinitive

While this phrase can refer to the initial "obedience" to the Gospel (1 Pet 1:22, Acts 6:7) in context it would seem to be better interpreted as continuing to live in conformity with the truth of the Gospel, living by grace through faith (the same way we were initially saved is the same way we should continue to live the Christian life).

Peter uses a similar phrase in 1 Pe 1:22 "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart."

In Ro 2:8 Paul writes that "those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation."

"Obeying the truth could refer to the true Gospel, that is, the way by which men are saved (cf. Acts 6:7; Ro 2:8; Ro 6:17; 2 Th 1:8). Or the phrase (obeying the truth) could refer to the true way in which the saved live out their redeemed lives in obedience to God’s Word and Spirit (cf. Ro 6:17; 1 Pe 1:22). Paul seems to be using the phrase in both senses, because the legalism of the Judaizers was preventing the unsaved from coming to Christ in faith and the saved from following Him in faith.

The church has always faced the danger of legalism, because the inclination of the flesh is always to live for its own purposes and in its own power. But “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,” Paul warns, “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (2 Co 10:4). The false teachers who were leading the Galatians astray were far from well-intentioned. Their purpose was to gain a following for themselves (Ga 4:17) and “to make a good showing in the flesh” (Gal 6:12). They were forerunners of all the self-promoting false teachers who have plagued the church throughout its history and will continue to do so until the Lord returns.

8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

Amplified - This [evil] persuasion is not from Him Who called you [Who invited you to freedom in Christ].

Calls

verb, present, active, participle, singular, genitive, masculine | attributive participle

Persuasion

The act of persuading, or trying to do so; the addressing of arguments to someone with the intention of changing their mind or convincing them of a certain point of view, course of action etc. [from 14th c.]

An argument or other statement intended to influence one's opinions or beliefs; a way of persuading someone. [from 14th c.]

A strongly held conviction, opinion or belief. [from 16th c.]

One's ability or power to influence someone's opinions or feelings; persuasiveness. [from 16th c.]

A specified religious adherence, a creed; any school of thought or ideology. [from 17th c.]

(humorous) Any group having a specified characteristic or attribute in common. [from 19th c.]

This persuasion did not come from Him Who calls you - In the present context what was "this persuasion?" This is a description of the false teaching regarding circumcision (aka "legalism") that had hindered the Galatian believers from obeying the truth. It wasn't a violent pushing them aside out of their proper running lane as might happen in a crowded race. No, this hindrance came very persuasively, but it not come from God not from His Spirit not from HIS Word.

The Galatians were tricked and persuaded by false messengers (missionaries)

False Messengers

- The characteristics of the false messengers in Galatia.

They seem to be typical of all false teachers:

First, false messengers hinder obedience to the truth (v. 7). This was true in Galatia, and false teachers certainly hinder people from obeying the truth today.

Second, false messengers are not from God. Paul says, “This persuasion did not come from the One who called you” (v. 8). We know God did not send them because they were teaching a false gospel of circumcision. Regardless of whether someone tells you that God “called” them or “sent” them, do not believe them if they are not teaching the true gospel. Paul says let them be eternally condemned, not embraced (Gal 1:7–9)!

Third, false messengers contaminate others. Paul says, “A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough” (5:9). False teachers are like yeast that permeates all the bread dough and makes it rise. In the New Testament, yeast is often a symbol of permeating sin and false doctrine. Jesus said, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt 16:6). False teachers are so problematic because they affect so many people. This is why Paul is so intense in this letter.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

leavens

verb, present, active, indicative, third person, singular | finite verb

Paul now proceeds to use a common saying to illustrate the destructive influence these persuasive but false teachings had caused in the Body of Christ in Galatia

What was the False Message in Galatia?

First, if you accept this false message, then you view Christ as insufficient (v. 2)

Second, if you accept this message, you must obey all of the law (v. 3)

Third, if you accept this message, then you are turning away from the doctrine of grace (v. 4)

Fourth, if you accept this message, you lose the hope of future glory (v. 5)

A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough - Paul's point is that even a little error introduced by a persuasive person could spread throughout the body -- permeating, corrupting, affecting everyone it "touches." It would be subtle and imperceptible at the outset, but eventually it would spread throughout and effect all the believers. Doctrinal error spreads just like yeast spreading in a lump of dough.

THOUGHT - Think about the effect of a "little yeast" and a "little error." There is no such thing as a little error. Have you ever been around someone who expressed just a "little" heresy. And others said, don't worry it's such a little issue! How foolish people can be, for all it takes to cause a massive forest fire is one little spark! So think of the Body of Christ you belong to as a "lump of dough," a whole with individual parts. And it is everyone's obligation to be on guard constantly for "little" heretical errors! And learn from Paul's description that this heresy may be very persuasive to some and it must be removed. Small persuasive errors can produce big catastrophic consequences!

Definition of Heresy:

Any teaching rejected by the Christian community as contrary to Scripture and hence to orthodox doctrine. Most of the teachings that have been declared heretical have to do with either the nature of God or the person of Jesus Christ

Heresy is not the same as error.

Heresy is the choice to abandon the widely accepted teaching on an essential doctrine and embrace one’s own view.

Heresy is to “preach another gospel”, as Paul stated in Galatians 1:9: "As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."

Technically speaking something is not a heresy just because the church deemed it so. It is heretical because it is a teaching which has abandoned the “pattern of sound teaching”

1. The Heresy of Judaizers: "Good deeds or efforts contribute to salvation."

2. Christ only appeared to be in human form - Gnosticism

3. Prosperity Gospel - Living your best life now.

False teachers with a false message that gives the hearers false hope!

Conclusion

Here is a most valuable test, which can be applied to all or any teaching. Any belief or 'persuasion' which does not testify to 'the grace of Christ', is not from God. Here are twin pillars of the truth, namely the person and work of Christ, and the grace of God in Christ. They support and underpin all truly Christian teaching. No matter how attractive or pious a doctrine may appear, it is not to be received as coming from God unless it passes this double test, namely:

Does it make Christ central, and glorify him?

Does it exalt the grace of God, over against the activity of man?