The Hope of Righteousness

Galatians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  41:59
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Intro

Vanessa and I both attended California Baptist University in Riverside, California.
Every year at CBU, the first Saturday of May is when they hold their spring commencement ceremony. The hold another one in December. And yet not every student finishes their degree program in May, or in December. Some of them finish in August. However, the college doesn’t want to have a separate graduation for students in August. I was an example of this. I had a major in Business Administration and a minor in Christian studies. I took summer classes all throughout undergrad so that I could finish in four years. Because of this I finished my final class at the end of August… four months after I walked across a stage and participated in a ceremony to honor my coming graduation. So I had graduated but I had not yet actually posted my degree. So I graduated with the hope of posting my degree. However, there are many students who do the same thing I do - they participate in the Graduation Ceremony, they walk the stage with the plan to finish their final two classes - and then they do not actually finish their course work. They feel graduated but they have not actually put in the appropriate work.
Graduating with the hope of a degree. This is somewhat similar to Paul’s statement that we see in verse 5 - the hope of righteousness.
This graduation ceremony is done with expectation that you will finish the requirements of this program. If you walk across the stage but do not actually finish the course work then that ceremony doesn’t really mean anything.
This ties to another aspect of our text today. Paul shows them the logical conclusions, or the consequence of their theology. If they accept this false teaching, if they accept works as salvific then Christ doesn’t really mean anything to them.
Paul dismantles what they are believing and advocating for and shows the consequence , and logical conclusion of what they are believing.
Here in this text Paul finally really gets into the heart of the issue that is going on in the churches in Galatia. As I have mentioned in previous weeks the reason for which Paul is writing this letter is that the churches in Galatia have begun to accept the idea that one had to fulfill aspects of the jewish law in order to truly be saved - the specific issue here that Paul is addressing is the belief that Gentile men who converted to Christianity had to become circumcised in order to become Christians. This is why much of Paul’s discussion thus far has been centered on salvation coming by faith alone in Christ alone, and not through works.
Though Paul has hinted, and even pointed to this issue here he finally makes it the focus of his discussion.
This change of tone comes alongside Paul’s change in the focus of his letter. It’s all connected to this false teaching that has infected the churches in Galatia - but Paul addresses it in three different aspects.
Galatians is made up of 3 sections of roughly two chapters each - history, theology, ethics.
History, theology, ethics. For chapters one and two Paul describes the history - he explains his conversion, he defends his apostleship, and describes his experience with these Judaizers elsewhere. In chapters 3-4, Paul gives them the theology to explain how they are saved.
Then here in chapters 5-6 he gets to ethics. Or Theology applied - or even differently practical theology. And this might seem like this isn’t applicable - especially since no one today is saying that you must be circumcised to be saved. And yet from this text today Paul isn’t saying go do *this* - in fact he’s saying the opposite. He’s saying DO not do this. But he’s also following up to say “If you’re going to add works to the gospel then this is also true.” He is showing the logical and spiritual consequences of those who argue that you need Jesus and…
Circumcision, or Jesus and obedience the law, or Jesus and *insert niche personal preference here*.
Paul is arguing that faith in Jesus is enough for salvation from our sins.
The Judaizers in Galatia are telling the churches in Galatia no he isn’t - you must be circumcised also. You must keep the law also.
The question is ultimately: Is belief in Jesus enough to be justified?
The answer of the Bible is a resounding yes.
Acts 4:12 ESV
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The Purpose of Freedom

Galatians 5:1 ESV
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Paul leading right out from this discussion concerning the covenants and the free and enslaved tells the reader - you are free.
For freedom they were set free. The emphasis on this is freedom. What Christ has done has set you free. Thus do not seek to go to be enslaved again…
To reuse my illustration from a few weeks ago - they are not being set free from slavery to the law only for them to decide that freedom isn’t for them and to return to slavery once again. They are being set free so that they might be free.
And as the gospel of John tells us…
John 8:36 ESV
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
True freedom is found in Christ - not in Christ + something else. There is nothing else.
Freedom here means freedom from sin, freedom from the law. While we will still sin until we day or the Lord returns, and while we still have laws to follow - and biblical laws to keep - we are freedom from the sting of the law.
So Paul thus from this encourages them further because you have been set free - do not give up that freedom - rather stand firm - and resist those who seek to enslave you again.
Now that’s pretty similar to what Paul has said previously, and from here Paul explains the consequences.
Paul lays it out for them… if you continue on this path and accept the teachings of those who have come to deceive you then Christ is of no value to you.
If they accept circumcision then Christ means nothing to them.
Now lets apply that for a second - we seldom have an issue with forcing people to uphold circumcision to complete their salvation. But we still have plenty of preferences that we will force on people.
Now, there certainly are marks of discipleship that show us if someone is following Christ - someone who is in open unrepentant sin and disregard for the things of the Lord should give us concern - however, when we begin to say:
You have to dress a certain way to be a Christian.
You have to look a certain way to be a Christian.
You have to read a certain Bible translation to be a Christian.
You have to go to my church and only my church to be a Christian.
You have to listen to certain music to be a Christian.
Your church can only sing hymns.
You have to vote a certain way to be a Christian… and I’ve heard this one a lot in recent years. (And I get it -I do - but what happens when you slip? What happens when neither option is truly God glorifying? What happens when you accidentally mark the wrong bubble? Do not create an impossible standard for salvation that is even you cannot keep.)
And while some aspects of the Christian faith ought to guide how we dress, how we vote, what we listen to, and we should do so wisely.
We must be on guard for legalism - none of us are qualified to add anything to the gospel.
And I know it probably sounds a lot like a sermon I have preached before. But we are all very prone to do this.
One Example of this:
I was at a church a few years ago where one Sunday school teacher - who shouldn’t have been - said during her Sunday School class, “If your lips have ever touched alcohol. You will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
And I understand the dangers of alcohol and the concerns that many have but…
What a small gospel you have - if you think that beer is thicker than the blood of Jesus.

The Consequence of the Cut

Now much of that has been a repeat of things I’ve said before -however from verse 2 on Paul draws out the theological implications and consequences of errant theology… It’s not just you cannot insist upon tradition as a requirement for salvation - Paul doesn’t stop there - but RATHER when do you this you are making Christ of no value. Those are Paul’s words:
Galatians 5:2 ESV
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
Paul continues in verse 3 to say that if you’re going to go this direction then there are logical conclusions… if you’re going to insist that people keep the Torah then don’t just cut the flesh… keep the whole law.
Galatians 5:3 ESV
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
This Galatian theology has consequences and the consequences of the theology that they are adopting here are bigger than they can handle.
In other words - their theology is writing checks that their actions cannot cash.
You want to insist that others keep the law by maintaining circumcision - you cannot stop there. Keep the whole law.
Galatians 5:4 ESV
4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
In their insistence upon maintaining the practice of circumcision as a necessary religious rite they were not merely cutting off a piece of flesh, but rather they were cutting themselves off from Christ.
They were hoping to earn grace - but what Paul instead shows them in verse 4 is that in their goal to earn this justification they instead are falling away from that grace they hope to earn.
What Paul is arguing here is “If you get circumcised, and you trust in that circumcision, you have lost the faith.”
And this is true for anyone who trusts in anything in addition to Jesus for their salvation.
In Mormon theology, 2 Nephi 23:25 says “It is by grace we have been saved, after all that we can do.” Joseph Smith, if he ever read Galatians missed the point. If it is after all that we can do then we are not trust in Christ for salvation.
Trust in Jesus for salvation. Not in your flesh. Not in your good works. not in your church attendance. Not in your obedience to the law.
It’s like when you hear someone tell you that they have that deal with God that they will do their best and he will let them in. In a sense Paul is telling someone like that “Even if you were able to make that deal, you’re not going to make it like that.” You have set up an impossible standard that you don’t keep.
Which is very much the same for us when we add additional steps to the gospel - whether for ourselves, or for others.

The Hope of Righteousness

In the final two verses that we will look at today, Paul uses two remarkable phrases that we ought to pay close attention to:
The Hope of Righteousness
and
Faith Working Through Love
Galatians 5:5 ESV
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
In verse 5, Paul packs a lot in “through the Spirit, by faith” faith is a gift that is given by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God awakens believes and brings them to new life granting them faith and justifying them. We do not believe on our own - but the Spirit enables us to believe. (Eph. 2:8-10, 1 Peter 1:3)
And yet it is through the Spirit and by faith - not by works of the law or good deeds - that we await the hope of righteousness. In Christ we have the hope of righteousness. Christians, by believing in Jesus you have been declared righteous - you are forgiven of your sins and you have the hope of righteousness. It is the hope of righteousness because while the follower of Jesus is declared righteous when they are born again - yet we still have hope because we look forward to a day when our righteousness will be complete. When sin will be put to death and we will forever be righteous in the presence of God.
Luther: Simul justus et peccator - Simultaneously just while yet still a sinner…
Already/Not Yet
Galatians 5:6 ESV
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
It’s important to understand that Paul is not actually arguing against the practice of circumcision. He’s not making any sort of argument against a hygienic or cultural practice. If he were alive today he wouldn’t be protesting outside of Pediatric Offices where they practice circumcision for infant boys. That’s ultimately a different conversation.
He’s arguing against the practice as a requirement for justification. And in verse 6 he shows this clearly - and he states that neither circumcision or uncircumcision count for anything. He’s not at all concerned with the physical but rather the spiritual, and theological. He says that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matter - and imagine how shocking that would be to any 1st century jew, or Judaizer reading this.
But that’s not Paul’s concern. He doesn’t care about a piece of skin. And ultimately, that isn’t what Galatians is about.
Paul’s concern is about works being added to the gospel. And that should be our take away. Jesus is enough. Our works are not salvific.
He then completes the sentence to show that what matters is not what you do or do not do with your flesh but rather faith working through love.
It is faith that is elevated here, not works. But it isn’t a stagnant faith - it is a working faith - but a faith that is working through love.

2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

We are saved by faith. But our faith will demonstrate itself by love. Love for God and love for neighbor.
And as we will see in a few weeks - we can turn this the other way - if we do not love - we ought to ask if our faith is working in us. If it’s not we are right to wonder if we have any faith at all.
I started this morning by stating that Paul is showing the Galatians the logical conclusions, or the consequences of their belief.
What you believe requires something of you.
Love is a consequence of faith
The Hope of Righteousness is a consequence of faith.
These are positive consequences.
If you’re not trusting in Christ fully for your salvation then you are not trusting in Christ at all. If you are seeking to be saved because of your good deeds and Jesus - or your church membership and your salvation.
If you are hoping that something else will save you in addition to Jesus - then you’re looking for something else to complete your salvation - and all of those things are never enough. You can NEVER do enough.
What is enough is the blood of Jesus. We just sang this “Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Naught of good that I have done. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” And while Paul never said that song he would respond with a loud and bold amen.
There’s a final consequence - or response from this text today. If you are saved by grace through faith in Christ - then the response today should be to marvel at your wonderful savior. Because Christ the mighty maker died for man, his creature’s sin.
Jesus has set you free - don’t let anything else force you back into slavery and cut you off from Christ.
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