Galatians 3:1-9

Context, Recap

Galatians 3:1-9

Galatians 3:1–9 “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing? So then, does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law? Or is it by believing what you heard—just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness? You know, then, that those who have faith, these are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.”

A Backpack Full of Rocks (v.1-3)

Paul wants to communicate that the Galatians believed in Jesus Christ for the total, once and for all forgiveness of sin. If that is the case, why are they falling for these lies that they have to take up this extra burden of living like Jewish people when they are, in fact, not Jewish but Christian?

Romans 8:1–4 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

We have these moments some times where we believe in Jesus for our salvation, but when we mess up and sin, we begin to move past the point of repenting of sin and begin to question if we truly are saved.

This misses the point of being saved! Why would trust in Christ as the one who saves us from sin and yet still only believe that we are saved when we are able to not do a certain sin?

Let me remind you of what Bro. Mark taught on a couple weeks ago. 1 John 1:6–9 “If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

If we walk in the light, this is evidence of Christ in us. However, v. 8 says that walking in the light does not mean that we never sin. If our parents are going to go to the store for 15 minutes and asks us to wash the car, they are likely well aware that we will not wash the car by the time that they get back. If that is the case, what we need to do to follow their instructions by the time they get back? Start washing the car and do not worry the Father being angry when you haven’t finished by the time he inspects.

A Wet Map (v.3-6)

That being said, we are still called to pursue holiness to the fullest. John Piper said in an interview, “(God’s) standard cannot be less than perfection, and when he calls us to perfection, he is not naïve. He knows that in this life we will fall short, but he also knows that he intends to give us success in the pursuit of perfection when we see him face to face. The quest is not in vain. We will attain perfection.

So what is it then? Work hard towards being like Christ or trusting in his salvation? YES, but I think our problem in doing both is the wrong perspective.

Romans 15:16 b “God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

It is very true that we are to flee from sin in our lives and, as Romans 6:13 puts it, “present ourselves as weapons for righteousness.” We are very aware of this, but often times we forget that, to flee from sin requires us to move TOWARDS God. Becoming more like Christ is both an active and passive process, just like active and passive verbs. We depend on the Holy Spirit to work in us...

2 Corinthians 3:18 “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

...and we also actively learn how to control our own body in a way that is holy and honorable and put to death the ways of the sinful flesh. (1 Thess.4:4 and Romans 8:13)

Be encouraged that, if you have trusted in Jesus as your savior from sin and the king of your life, there is no guilt applied to your account. (Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,” ) This frees us to pursue a life of complete holiness with confidence, knowing that the burden of this process is carried by the Holy Spirit. We get to work alongside him to become more and more like Christ until we are finally perfected when we get to Heaven.

Application

For believer with backpack full of rocks: rest in Christ. He says that his burden is easy, and his burden is light. Draw near to him through prayer and his word, not to check off a box, but so you can be filled up with the bread of life.

For the person trying to so hard to get it right, trust in the Spirit,

Philippians 1:6 “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

It is alright to be frustrated by sin, Paul says that this feeling should lead us to repentance. Let that felling lead you not towards an uncertainty about salvation, but rather to a closer relationship to Jesus, let it remind you of why you were so desperate for being saved from sin in the first place.

For the person who does not know Christ, you sit in a dangerous position. Without the work of Jesus Christ, you have no hope to do enough to be made right with God. By not choosing to trust in Jesus, you are choosing to take your chances with the creator of the universe, and if you are found imperfect before him, you will be choosing an eternity in Hell, separation from God.

However, the offer Jesus presents is free. It is available to anyone who wants it, and Jesus paid the price for your sin because he wants you to be right with God. You can choose him today, let your small group leader or myself know about that decision.

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