Liberty in Christ
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Galatians 2:1-10
Galatians 2:1-10
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"Liberty in Christ"
The Word: Galatians 2:1-10
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
A Defense of the Gospel
In this account, Paul defended the attacks against the Gospel and his ministry.
As we’ve just read, Paul described his journey to protect the Gospel from distortion and to reject the false teachings that had been introduced. Despite the efforts of the Judaizers—false teachers who were obstructing his message—Paul remained steadfast. He would not let their interference hinder the Gospel’s progress. For Paul, the Gospel message was of utmost importance—it was vital that people hear it and live it out.
Paul’s love for God and his commitment to preaching the truth of the Gospel are clear in this part of the letter.
Though he faced opposition, Paul was determined not to be thwarted.
So, how does this relate to us today? How do issues like circumcision, false teachers, and a trip to Jerusalem apply in the 21st century?
In every way! Paul’s defense of the Gospel provides us with a framework for understanding our liberty in Christ. It teaches us to be bold in standing firm on the truth of the Gospel and to guard against any attempts by Satan to infiltrate our church or distort its teachings.
Paul never wasted a moment in his deliverance of the Gospel. From the time the scales fell from his eyes, he proclaimed the Good News.
And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
Paul spent 17 years preaching the Gospel before he traveled to Jerusalem to present his teachings to Peter, James, and John. During this time, he embarked on his First Missionary Journey.
Throughout this journey, Paul preached the Gospel, evangelized, helped the poor, and established churches across the southern regions of Asia Minor and Syria. While scholars aren't entirely certain about all the churches Paul founded during this period, it's highly probable that some of the churches in Galatia began during his mission there.
Paul returned to the region where he was originally from, a place where people knew him as a former persecutor of the church, and boldly proclaimed the Gospel.
Paul faced significant opposition and continued to preach the Gospel with courage and determination.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, he wrote:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
Paul lived by faith and used every moment of his time to preach the Gospel, love God, and love others.
I can scarcely imagine all that Paul endured during his lifetime. He lived through immense persecution from Jewish rulers, local authorities, and ultimately under the reign of Emperor Nero, who martyred Paul for his faith.
Before Nero's time, Roman emperors generally had little animosity toward Christianity. Paul did not choose the era in which he lived, and neither did we.
Consider Frodo from "The Lord of the Rings." He was tasked with carrying the ring to the deepest, darkest, most evil place in existence, a burden he didn’t fully grasp when he accepted it. As adversity struck and the enemy relentlessly pursued him.
What to do with the Time that is Given us:
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - J.R.R. Tolkien
Frodo had Gandalf and his friends. Similarly, Paul had Barnabas, Titus, and the support of the apostles. Yet, he still faced the most harrowing circumstances of his time under the evil rule of Nero.
When you have been called by God, how will you live? How will you use your liberty in Christ during the time given to you?
It was revealed to Paul that he was to go to Jerusalem. We do not know in what manner Paul received this.
Since Paul received the Gospel directly from Jesus, it is quite agreeable that he received a revelation to go to Jerusalem.
There are two primary types of Revelation man has received in time.
Special revelation is the teaching about God and his works that he has given to us through the prophets and apostles and which is now contained primarily or exclusively in the Bible.
It includes His Miracles and appearances. Including the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
General revelation is God’s testimony to his character and works given to all human beings indiscriminately through the created order.
For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.
We see this in God’s creation, in the birth of a child, in the intelligent design of an eyeball, in the rising and setting of the sun, etc.
A third term, which I have coined is called Theophanic Revelation. This revelation is the visual appearance, divine manifestation, or audible voice of the Lord when commanding.
Paul received a theophanic revelation from God to go to Jerusalem. Why? It wasn't to confirm the truth of the Gospel, which came directly from Jesus Christ.
As Moises Silva puts it, "The purpose was to inform the leaders about his ministry and ensure that his great apostolic efforts were not in vain."
Was preaching to the Gentiles futile? Absolutely not! The enemy was relentlessly trying to undermine Paul's work, and the church in Galatia was beginning to question the truth of the Gospel.
Notice that when Titus encountered this false gospel, he was not swayed. He chose not to be circumcised, not for the physical reason, but because he understood what it meant to have liberty in Christ.
Remember, the Gospel is simple, clear, and speaks directly to the heart of every sinner. There is nothing to add to it.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The Enemy:
But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.
The Super Sneaky Spies infiltrated the ranks of the leadership and insisted on Gentiles being circumcised and following the Law. This was to bring them under bondage, under slavery to the Law.
The enemy is relentless. He will do anything, use anyone, to hinder the Gospel message. To bring Christians under slavery to the Law.
He attacks from all sides and will do so until the Lord’s saints grow weary or quit.
But quitting, giving up is not an option for us. Christ has us in the palm of His hand.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will 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 the Father’s hand.
If they enemy has sneaked into your life and guided you away from the truth, know that Christ will not let you go. Christ fights for you.
Your foundation is Christ. Some of you have been given the Armor of God but you have yet to put it on. Put on the Full armor of God (Not part of it) and stop the flaming arrows of the evil one.
WWII and Korea War Marine hero, General Chesty Puller. Who went from Private to General. And was the most decorated Marine in Corps history. Said of the enemy:
“All right, they’re on our left, they’re on our right,
they’re in front of us, they’re behind us.
They can’t get away this time.”
General Chesty Puller - Most decorated Marine in Corps history
Liberty in Christ:
God’s liberty, grace, and forgiveness are offered through what Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Gospel message is not complicated. We often choose to ignore it because of our own sin and rejection of what is truly good for us. This is what sin does; it’s what Satan wants you to believe: that Jesus is not sufficient and that you must earn your way by doing good or following the Law. It leads you to think that you control your own righteousness before God. This is blasphemous and a false gospel.
Christ’s death brings us liberty—liberty and freedom from being bound to the Law.
People, kings, and nations cannot make promises that will last; their promises are illusory and temporary. True liberty, justice, and freedom come only through Christ.
When the Israelites asked for a king instead of recognizing God as their King, they were doomed. They wanted to be like other nations.
Eventually, over 1,000 years later, Israel would receive their King—the perfect King born in Bethlehem. Yet, they rejected Him.
No man or woman has ever been good enough to lead God’s people. Why? Because no man or woman can provide true freedom or liberty. We are called to follow Christ alone.
The men in the Bible who led well were those who pointed people to God, to Christ. Paul, for example, pointed to Christ first, not to himself. He understood the liberty he had in Christ.
God is at Work in You:
Paul, Barnabas, and Titus were not swayed, even for a moment. Paul knew the truth of the Gospel and was neither intimidated nor tempted by any other message. He understood the truth and refused to be a slave to sin or bound by the Law.
Regarding reputations, Paul recognized that they hold no real weight. God judges all equally. Those who have been saved are free in Christ, regardless of earthly status. To Paul, what mattered was the preaching of the Gospel.
Verse 9
James, Peter, and John recognized that Paul had been granted grace by Christ. Despite his background, sins, and his persecution of the church and its members, Christ worked in his life.
Do you recognize the grace granted to you?
Recently, my friend Ty and I were discussing callings. It's remarkable to realize that Christ calls each of us despite our flaws.
I mentioned to Ty, the Old Testament to illustrate the condition of mankind. Ty wisely pointed out that if I want to understand the condition of man, I only need to look inward. And he is absolutely right.
Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Paul would go on to say it is only because of the Spirit of Christ living in him.
Here is where we see a loving God who has given us free will to follow Him. And when you chose to follow Christ, believe in Him as Lord, and believe God raised Him from the dead, you are saved eternally. And His Spirit dwells in you always!
John, Peter, and James acknowledged that Paul had been entrusted with the Gospel by Christ. They recognized that he was to preach to the Gentiles, just as Peter was to preach to the Jews. This meant that both Paul and Peter had received the same calling from Christ—identical instructions and duties to proclaim the Gospel, with Peter focusing on the circumcised and Paul on the uncircumcised.
Moises Silva noted, “More to the point, however, was the positive outcome. James, Peter, and John showed him mutual respect and equality.”
Christ knew what they were capable of and worked in their lives to accomplish the task of proclaiming the Gospel.
Paul had received liberty and was living it out effectually.
Questions:
What are you doing with the liberty and freedom you have in Christ?
Perhaps you still feel wretched inside, burdened by shame, guilt, and sin?
Are you ready to follow Christ? Are you prepared for Him to change your life?
Maybe He is calling you today. Are you listening?
God calls despite your sin and despite your wretchedness.
Remember the Poor (Verse 10):
A simple command/request: "Remember the poor."
Did you notice that Paul was eager to serve the poor? He was passionate about proclaiming the Gospel to them and meeting their needs.
Paul experienced a heart transformation. Before his conversion, he likely held a disdain for the poor, considering himself too good of a Jew to be concerned with them.
Consider the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The poor often have little hope and their only wealth may be found in the riches of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, those who are wealthy may struggle more to trust in the riches of God.
The saying about the camel and the eye of a needle illustrates this challenge. It's true for those who are rich without Christ. Yet, I have known many people who, despite being financially well-off, have known Christ from a young age. Some started from humble beginnings, while others had inherited wealth. The key is that they knew Christ.
Jesus spoke about helping the poor and needy in Matthew 25:26-40. I would encourage you to read it this week.
A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.
Do not squander the time you have in Christ. Follow Him, love Him, love others, and teach them to follow Him.
Finally, understand and use your Liberty in Christ to do His will and do not be weighted down following a list of rules to make you good, righteous. We ought to follow His commands, but not at the cost of losing joy and the purposes He has given us. Enjoy life. Solomon said,
So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.
Encourage one another, spend time with one another, and discuss the following:
In what specific ways are you actively using your time to serve Christ?
How have you let go of guilt and shame, and how are you embracing the liberty you have in Christ?
Can you describe how you see God working in your life, especially during periods of waiting?
How are you currently utilizing your resources to make a difference in the lives of the poor?
