Lenten MIdweek

Galatians 1:1-17

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we begin our midweek Lenten Series as we move through the book fo Galatians. A book of great importance and value as it focuses in on the Gospel of Jesus CHrist for the Forgiveness of our sins, and that there is no other Gospel that saves us. So let us examine our passage for tonight and see what Paul has to say to this congregation.

Paul begins by introducing himself, and remind us who it is that called him to preach the Gospel. He was not called from men, or through men to preach this Gospel, but on the Road to Damascus Christ appeared to Him and called him personally to speak the good news of salvation that God the Father had worked through Jesus Christ for their salvation.

This may seem an odd place to start, but in the Congregation people had shown up who claimed to be better apostles and were sent by those who were in Jerusalem and knew the truth. They claimed to be from Peter and others, and thus were superior to Paul. To this Paul says, No, I was called through Jesus Christ and by God the Father.

It may seem that he is boasting a bit, but it is to remind them why he preaches and who he represents. When you go to the doctor, you want to be sure that your doctor is knowledgeable and capable, and you see their degrees on the wall, and you can determine from their degrees by what authority they are permitted to tend to our physical needs.

Even in the church we do not just let anyone get up and preach for that would introduce chaos, but the Church calls men who have been trained and are equipped to teach the Word of God to God’s people. For just as we do not want an inexperienced or untrained doctor tending to our bodies, we do not want someone who is unqualified tending to spiritual matters. This is important especially when there is only one Gospel that saves and we do not want to be removed from that Gospel at all, which Paul proclaims to them in v3-5. That we have received grace and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father.

But here is the problem, they are quickly abandoning Christ, and are turning to a different Gospel, but there is no other gospel, and so they are forsaking the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making a mockery of Jesus. Now look here at what he says in v8, this part is important. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. Which is to say if anyone comes and tries to persuade you let them be condemned to Hell. Let them receive no grace, no mercy, no blessing for what they do is the make a mockery of the one who saved you.

This message is never meant to change, and if any tries to reshape it, they have no place in the church of God, for they do not belong to Christ nor care about his victory for He alone is the savior of the world. These people have snuck in and are trying to move the foundation of the church away from the works of Jesus Christ and instead to focus on the works of men.

This religion is common in the world for it is the one that makes sense to us. It is the religion of the Law, which Paul understood well, for he was zealous in his pursuit of Judaism even putting to death these Christians whose hopes rested solely upon Christ. For the religion of the Law says, that if you do good things, then God will reward you.

You will find this thinking in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism all the religions of the world adhere to this basic principle, that good people go to paradise and to be a good person you have to do good things. This seems good at first, until you begin to realize what it is demands. For as long as you aren’t serious or overly thoughtful you can think you are doing well.

When you start to reflect or try to put this into practice it starts falling apart. For instance, we know the hurt that is caused when people gossip, slander, insult or mock us. We say sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt. They don’t hurt our flesh, but a damage reputation is hard to repair. Knowing that hurt and how that makes you feel, why do you that to others?

We look at politicians, or authority figures and we say but they really deserve it. Have people been wrong when they called you names even though they thought you were deserving? So why are you doing it? Why do you defend it? Here is where sin dwells in the heart, and here is the problem because for all our external works the heart of man remains corrupt.

If we have to weigh the good of our hands vs the evil in our hearts, and our thoughts, what hope do we have? For while we might be able to stop our hearts from various sins, taming the tongue, curing the heart, is beyond the power of men.

The men who came to Galatia, and were seeking to discredit Paul, wanted these gentiles to adhere to the Jewish laws thinking that would make them good Christians, but Paul says no. It was not the Ceremonial Law that saved the Jews, it was the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. For the Good News is that Jesus gave Himself for our sins and delivered us from the present evil age, according to the Will of God our Father. It had nothing to do with us, it was an act of grace by a loving God to save those whose hands were unclean, whose tongues were wild, and whose hearts were corrupt. But that didn’t stop Jesus from coming into the world to save you. In fact that is why Jesus entered into the world.

The only one who could save sinful mankind and do actual good works is one who did not need them. For as long as you need good works to be saved, they are never done for your neighbor but are done always for your self, that is why there is no other gospel. They are all shams, and lies because they are always self-serving, but Jesus being GOd in the flesh did not need to save himself, He could actually do the good works that we could not for our sake. That’s Good News, that’s what the word Gospel means, and so let anyone who tries to teach you to rely on yourself, your merits, your works, be cursed for that is what they are trying to do, curse you. Let the curse fall on their heads, but not on yours cling to Jesus.

So my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is where Paul begins and he knows this temptation to rely on your own works, but he also understands that to do so will condemn you. So do not listen to any other Gospel there is no room on that Cross for anyone other than Jesus. So let him remain on that Cross as He pays for your sins that He might deliver you from this present evil age and bring you to paradise. In Jesus name. Amen.