Set Free by Christ

One of the blessings of being a Community Church is that our family is made up of people from several faith traditions. While this diversity is beautiful, it also can be a point of misunderstanding. Others within Christendom may hold beliefs quite different than yours.

One of these differences is the role of sacraments in bestowing grace. Those holding to a high view of sacraments believe that “if you do xxx, then the Church will grant you Heaven.” Others emphasize personal repentance & belief as the basis for God granting adoption.

‌There are also many who claim salvation is by faith alone, but if pushed, communion, baptism, church attendance, moral lifestyle or saying a prayer become essential to having faith that results in heaven .

Transition: The Apostle writes for us today that Christ intends that we live free, meaning we must stand firm against adding any enslaving requirements to salvation. Let us consider 3...

Failures of Faith+ righteousness (1-4)

Faith+ renders Christ insufficient

If you allow others to impose other requirements, then you are saying that Christ is insufficient.

A quite popular evangelistic strategy of a previous generation was created by Dr. James Kennedy. He was a presbyterian in Florida who trained thousands to ask the question, “If you were to appear before God and He were to ask you, ‘why should I let you into my Heaven?’ What would you say?”

This is a VERY good way of revealing what people think is the entry requirement for eternal life.

A preacher from the other side of the Atlantic who now pastors in Ohio puts it this way...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk9wgJBoEd8

5. The shift from 3rd person to 1st person requires that we have added something to Christ’s finished work, making His death of no advantage to you.

I have done several funerals for people whom I never met. The things that the family shares with me when I ask about their faith story also reveals the things that people think hold merit with God. “I remember when momma taught Sunday School, or Daddy always took some meat to the preacher whenever he butchered, or there was rarely a Christmas or Easter that the folks didn’t drag the family to church.”

Several times when I have presented the Gospel and I come to a point of decision and ask, “Has there ever been a time when you admitted your sin and asked for Christ’s forgiveness?” You would be surprised to know the number of times I’ve been told, “Oh, yeah, I’ve done that many times!” or “Oh yeah, I ask God’s forgiveness almost every night.” The problem with this answer is that the transfer of guilt is not based upon how well or how often we ask, it is based upon the faith that God will remain faithful to His promise!!”

Mike Andrus Sermons - Galatians Mike Andrus Sermons - Galatians

Every addition to faith is tantamount to denying the sufficiency of the Cross

Faith+ invokes an impossible Burden

I testify again is a reference back to what He wrote in 3:10 which links to Deuteronomy 27:26.

We like to pick and choose, obedience is not a buffet! There are many commands that Jesus gave that we fail to keep completely. The proposal put forth by the Judaizers picked circumcision, but ignored many other commands.

But if one’s salvation actually depends upon obedience to Christ's command to be baptized, why stop there? Christ gave a lot of other commands, too.

He commanded us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not swear at all . . . Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ “no’.”

Does that mean that we are saved by loving God and never swearing? If the legalist who teaches salvation by baptism is going to be consistent, he would have to answer, “yes,” because the same Lord who told us to be baptized also told us to love God with all our hearts and not to swear.

Faith+ incises from Grace.

1. I want to caution against thinking this phrase “you have fallen away from grace” means that salvation has been revoked.

A few weeks ago I spoke about cattle who get outside the fence. When head get through the fence gap they don’t cease to be the property of the rancher, they are simply outside the bounds of what he has prepared as a safe and healthy place to graze and grow.

2. To emphasize human works as part of salvation moves beyond the bounds of the life God intends: a life of freedom within His abundant grace.

Transition: Following 3 failures of Faith+ Paul reminds of true faith.

Faith+0 is hopeful and loving (vv.5-6)

Love is not something we add to Faith (v.6)

Inquiring minds who have heard what I just preached may be asking, “If you are proposing Faith+0, why are you adding love as a requirement.

Faith+O is “in Christ” and “through the Spirit”

Compared to any sacrament (circumcision, baptism, or any other) that is done through human effort, working through love is a passive permitting the Spirit of God to work in us to inspire hope and through us to demonstrate His love.

To lean into the video clip of Alistair Begg earlier, the thief believed in the promise of that man on the middle cross and loved him for it!

Transition: The reformers of the 1500s had a phrase to describe the importance of adding NOTHING to saving faith: sola fide. The final 6 verses today caution against moving away from this idea that would be named after the institutional church had migrated.

Paul intensely warns of movement toward Faith+ salvation. (vv.7-12)

Gospel Mutilators (v.12)

Paul concludes this section by breaking all sense of decorum and letting the reader know just how offensive it is when we entertain faith+ thinking.

Better to offend the sensibilities of his audience than to allow them to follow these heretics into a Christ-less eternity!

I wonder whether Paul might say it a little differently if he were speaking today, perhaps something like this: “Would that those who are always preaching salvation by baptism might drown themselves in their beloved baptismal pools!”

Don’t get misdirected (vv.7-8)

These 2 verses describe believers who were running will in the direction God’s Spirit had called, but got derailed.

Palestine, OH is just one example of the devastation that can result from getting derailed.

2. If we are going to stay on the rails, we must know what direction they run.

3. Jesus Himself summarized the call to faith at the beginning of His public ministry in Mark 1:15

Mark 1:15 ESV:2016

15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

4. After Pentecost Peter used 2 different calls in Act 2 & 3.

Acts 2:38 ESV:2016

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 ESV:2016

19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

5. So is it repent, believe, be baptized or turn back?

6. Baptism

a. Besides the thief on the cross, there is no record of an unbaptized believer in the NT. It was generally accepted that believers would profess faith publicly under water.

b. In both places that belief and baptism are both mentioned, belief always comes first. This is why we practice believers baptism rather than including water as part of our child dedications.

7. Repent

a. Throughout the NT the word used by the authors literally means “change of thinking”

This is more than just a change of mind like when you order the french fries, then decide to get the cole slaw. It is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior.

b. Walking, repent (I’m headed in the wrong direction), belief (Jesus is worthy of my devotion), AFTER the conversion decision, the new disciple turns, and takes a first step = baptism.

8. Paul says NOT to let doubt enter you mind! The awareness and decision to turn is the key event.

Nip it in the bud (vv.9-10)

Have you ever taken a wrong turn? often (especially in the country) the only way to get back on the right road is to travel all the way back to the error, then correct it. Paul wants to prevent readers from going too far down the faith+ path.

The sooner you turn back, the fewer steps you will need to retrace. In the words of the great theologian Barney Fife...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSyueBoC9mE

Don’t even entertain a little yeast, because it will spread!

Rule Following was Paul’s message BEFORE conversion (v.11)

V.11 seems to imply that the Judaizers were accusing Paul of preaching the need for circumcision.

The only time he spoke of the need was before his conversion.

He did suggest Timothy do this after conversion, but it was so that he would be more effective with a Jewish audience, NOT in order to be saved!

Conclusion:

I love that we regularly gather around the Lord’s table here at Flint Hills Community Church. We don’t do this in order to in ANY way imply that faith+ communion = salvation. We do this to intentionally remind ourselves that it is ONLY the body that was broken and the blood that was spilled that appeases the righteous demands of a holy God.

Would our Elders join me at the table?