GALATIANS 5:21 | ASSURED AND SURRENDERED

Galatians : No Turning Back  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  42:22
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TEXT: GALATIANS 5:21 | ASSURED AND SURRENDERED

INTRO

ILLUSTRATION: Kynoa losing her tooth in her cake pop
She lost it without even realizing it.
EXPLANATION: Upon first glance and without careful reading and study of this passage, it would seem that Paul is now telling us that we can lose our salvation based upon our works.
If you aren’t careful you can lose it without even realizing it!
Many point to the works of the flesh that are mentioned like Adultery, Witchcraft, and Murders.
Sure, those people that do things things must lose their salvation.
I even had someone this past week ask a question that has been asked to me many times before… what if a person takes their own life?
After all, wouldn’t that be considered murder… and murder, we would deem, is the worst!
But if we are going to go down that road, we can’t just ignore the rest of the works of the flesh.
Idolatry, hatred, wrath/anger, strife, envy, drunkenness!
Those are just a few!
And don’t forget, Paul writes in v.21, “and such like!”
That means he didn’t mention all the sins that will cause you to lose your salvation!
In fact it seems that any sins we commit, could be sins that could cause us to lose it!
APPLICATION: Friend, we’ve got a big problem this morning!
For years, I have stood up here behind this pulpit and I have told you that you can’t lose your salvation.
And now we come to a single verse that would appear to contradict the overwhelming number of other passages that says we can’t.
So, I guess we should just assume the rest of the Bible passages that say you can’t lose it must be wrong, because this passage says you can.
In fact, we should just throw the whole book out because how can you trust any of it?!?
OR Could it be that we might have a misunderstanding of this one verse.
Could it be that with some careful study, we could find that this verse isn’t saying you can lose your salvation?
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV 1900
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Friend, I believe when you walk out of the service this morning, you will be able to know for sure that you can’t lose your salvation.
And I hope when you walk out of here this morning, you will be challenged to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh!

I. PROOF THAT YOU CAN’T LOSE IT

EXPLANATION: There are an array of religions that teach that you can indeed lose your salvation and some of them will even use verses like this one here in Galatians to “prove” their position.
But how could Paul go from verses like:
Galatians 2:16 KJV 1900
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:20–21 KJV 1900
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Your salvation wasn’t earned by your works, and it is neither kept by your works.
But just for fun, let’s go to one of the most powerful “proofs” that you can lose your salvation… at least that’s how it was told to me by a lady trying to prove she could lose it.
ILLUSTRATION: In Revelation 3, Jesus is addressing the 5th of 7 churches, the church in Sardis.
Before Christ finishes his message to the church at Sardis He records Revelation 3:5
Revelation 3:5 KJV 1900
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Upon first reading, it would appear that a person could lose their salvation and be blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life.
But let’s dive into what was actually taking place in Sardis.
At this point in history in this region there was something that was known as “the curse of Minim”
The “Curse of Minim” stated, “May the Nazarenes and the Minim suddenly perish and may they be blotted out of the book of life and not enrolled along with the righteous.”
For these religious fanatics, execution wasn’t enough of a torture.
In addition to that punishment they would erase the persons name from all registries.
The would remove any sign that the person had ever been born.
If a family member or friend were to bring up that persons name, they would be taken and treated with the same punishment.
Their name was literally blotted out of the existence of history!
So as you begin reading what the Lord has to say to the church at Sardis, He words things in what at first would seem like a strange way:
Revelation 3:1 KJV 1900
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
And then when we make our way down to verse 4 He says this: Revelation 3:4
Revelation 3:4 KJV 1900
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Even in the midst of suffering and persecution, there were some “names” that had remained faithful.
And now with that historical context in mind, lets read that verse that was supposed to make people doubt their salvation.
Revelation 3:5 KJV 1900
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
He is telling them, “Even if the world you live blots out your name and tries to erase that you ever existed… you could never be blotted out of my book!”
Friend, that verse isn’t a verse to make us doubt our salvation… It’s a verse that should make us stand boldly in it!
APPLICATION: Friend, there isn’t a verse in the Bible that tells you that you can lose your salvation!
In Ephesians 1:12-14
Ephesians 1:12–14 KJV 1900
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Friend, after you accept Christ as your Savior, you are given a seal of the Holy Spirit that is the proof you cannot loose it.
John 10:27–29 KJV 1900
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Romans 8:38–39 KJV 1900
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Peter 1:3–5 KJV 1900
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
And in case you are still struggling with this, listen to some of the most familiar verses in Scripture say:
John 3:15–16 KJV 1900
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
In v.15 He says it is “eternal life”… how long is that?
In v.16 He says it is “everlasting life”… How long is that?
Friend, you cannot lose your salvation!
And we have just scratched the surface of verses that give us the assurance that once we accept Christ we can never lose it.
So if that is the case, what does Paul mean in Galatians 5:21

II. PAUL’S CHALLENGE FOLLOWING SALVATION

Galatians 5:21 KJV 1900
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
EXPLANATION: Don’t forget what Paul is doing here for the Christians at Galatia
He is comparing the works of the flesh to walking in the fruit of the Spirit.
There are a couple of key points to look at in this verse
Paul is reiterating something he had previously told them.
“of the which I tell YOU before, as I have told YOU in time past.”
He says, “Listen I’ve told you this before.”
And then in that final phrase he uses a very important word… and it’s a small word.
ILLUSTRATION: Jayce is becoming a good reader.
But he does something that I do sometimes… he skips over the “little” words.
When I was in Bible college in one of our initial classes we were taught how to “speed read”
There were a lot of books we were going to have to read, so we needed to know how to get through them.
Well I become good at reading with speed… there was just one problem… my comprehension tanked.
But I remember one of the keys was to get the “big words” in each line.
EXPLANATION: Friend, when it comes to reading the Bible, don’t speed read!
You have to see every word, and you have to study them.
And that is the key in this verse here in v.21.
The word “do” is from the Greek participle, prassontes,
Prassontes - It is used in the present tense, referring to people who continually orient their lives toward deeds of the flesh.
Paul here is comparing two different lifestyles… the lifestyle of the lost and the lifestyle of the child of God.
The one who doesn’t know Christ and the one who is surrendered to Christ.
He says the types of people who DO these works of the flesh… and they continually orient their lives toward the deed of the flesh, are people that haven’t accepted Christ as their Savior.
It’s natural for those without Christ to act like they don’t know Christ.
For sake of time, we wont go through the whole chapter, but the second half of Romans 1 deals with a people who have turned their back on God and are living to fulfill all the lusts of their flesh!
They are the people Paul is pointing to in this list of the works of the flesh.
But just a few verses later Paul points to another group of people and summarizes what their lives should look like in Galatians 5:24
Galatians 5:24 KJV 1900
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Do you see it?
Those without Christ are continually giving to the works of the flesh we have covered in v.19-21.
Those who are Christ’s have crucified that their fleshly lives and are seeking to walk in the fruit of the Spirit in v.22-23.

CONCLUSION

So what is Paul’s point in telling these believers this in v.21?
Paul is giving the sternest of rebukes about walking in the works of the flesh.
To do so would be to act and live like someone who isn’t even saved!
When you are giving yourself to these works of the flesh, you are acting like someone who doesn’t even know Christ!
It’s pointing back to what Paul said in Galatians 4:8-9
Galatians 4:8–9 KJV 1900
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
ILLUSTRATION: This week I was getting ready to go to work on Friday, and as I was getting ready to get into truck, our German Shepherd Mocha came running up.
She had decided to try to take a bite out of a porcupine and had a face full of quills.
Thankfully Tressa’s uncle wasn’t working right then and I brought Mocha over to his house, and we had to pull quill by quill out of her face.
And she fought it the whole way, because those quills hurt!
We finally got it done and got her back home and she’s doing fine now.
But here’s the crazy part… this wasn’t her first time going after a porcupine!
We had to pulls quills out of here face once before!
I’m looking at here saying “Why would you go back and do that?”
“Don’t you know that is painful?”
“Don’t you remember what it was like before?”
APPLICATION: Friend, that’s what Paul is trying to get across to these believers here in Galatia.
“Why would you go back to living like someone that doesn’t know Christ?”
“Don’t you know that is a painful decision”
Painful for your spouse
Painful for your kids
Painful for you
“Don’t you remember what it was like before you had the hope of Christ?”
He’s setting the stage to challenge them to choose instead to walk in the Spirit!
And friend, can I remind you this morning, you can’t loose your salvation.
But just because you can’t lose it, doesn’t mean you should try to test the limits of God’s grace and mercy!
Just because you can’t lose it, doesn’t mean you should go and live like you never knew Christ!
Friend, don’t forget the theme of the whole book of Galatians: No Turning Back
Maybe you are here this morning and you have been trying to get a taste of the world… of what life would be like without Christ
Can I remind you of how you are supposed to live?
Galatians 5:24–25 KJV 1900
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
To say with Paul in Galatians 2:20
Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
To say with Paul in Philippians 3:12-14
Philippians 3:12–14 KJV 1900
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
To live like Paul begged in Romans 12:1-2
Romans 12:1–2 KJV 1900
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
To live like Paul challenged in Galatians 5:13
Galatians 5:13 KJV 1900
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Friend, don’t turn back to living like someone that never knew Him!
Be assured of your salvation and surrender your life to live for Him!
Maybe you are here this morning and you came in this morning struggling with if you could lose your salvation.
Friend, we aren’t talking about baby teeth that can be lost without even realizing it.
We are talking about promises from God’s Word, that you cannot lose it.
And maybe you are here this morning and you are struggling because you are consumed with the works of the flesh because you’ve never started a relationship with Christ.
Can I tell you this morning that He want to begin that relationship today.
If you’ve never trusted in Christ alone to save you from a lake of fire one day and to take you to an eternity with Him in heaven, I hope you will accept Him today!
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