"The Gospel is from God"
Notes
Transcript
The book of Galatians has been called “the charter of Christian liberty.” Paul writes to churches that had heard and believed the true Gospel, but false teachers (called the Judaizes) had begun teaching another quote “gospel.”
Paul's concern was not simply that they were adopting a different opinion. They were beginning to accept and even embrace a so called gospel.
That is why Paul begins this letter differently than most of his other letters. Before he gets into the problem, he establishes the authority of the message.
The Gospel is not man's invention -
It is not Paul's opinion -
It is not something that humanity or the church created -
The Gospel comes from God -
Proposition - The Gospel comes from God alone, as a result we must: 1) Trust it, 2) Defend it, and 3) live it.
Interrogative question - Why is it important for you to trust that the Gospel is not just a set of rules, but a life-changing relationship with Jesus?
1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
1. The Gospel is from God - vs. 1-2
1. The Gospel is from God - vs. 1-2
1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
Paul starts by identifying himself as an apostle.
The word apostle refers to one who is sent with authority.
Paul immediately makes his point very clear -
His authority did not come from man.
He was not appointed by a committee.
He did not give himself the position.
His apostleship came “through Jesus Christ and God the Father.”
Why do you think Paul starts by making this point?
Because the Gospel message Paul preached rested upon divine authority. If Paul was merely giving his opinion, the Galatians could reject it. But if Paul was delivering God's message, rejecting his message meant rejecting God's truth.
1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Paul reminds the Corinthians of the Gospel that he preached -
Christ died for our sins -
He was buried -
He was raised from the dead -
This is not a message Paul invented. It is the message he received and faithfully delivered.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
The Bible is not merely man's thoughts about God. On the contrary it is God's revelation to man.
Illustration — The King's Messenger
Imagine a king sending a messenger to a distant city.
The messenger arrives carrying the king's official letter.
The people don't have to agree with the messenger personally. They aren't being asked to trust his personality.
The question is:
Did the king send him, and is this the king's message?
Paul's authority mattered because he was commissioned by Christ.
We must be careful when someone says - (exercise discernment)
“I think God would say…”
The important question is not what we think God would say.
The question is:
What has God actually said?
2. The meat of the Gospel is Jesus Christ - vs. 3-4
2. The meat of the Gospel is Jesus Christ - vs. 3-4
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
Notice the progression that Paul makes. He just made the point that he was called and commissioned by God. Now he turns his attention to Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is not primarily about improving ourselves.
It is not about becoming a better person through human effort.
It is about Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for sinners.
Christ Gave Himself
Notice the wording:
“who gave Himself.”
Jesus willingly gave Himself for our sins.
18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Jesus said that He lays down His life willingly.
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
The Old Testament had already pointed forward to the suffering Substitute who would bear our iniquities.
The Problem Is Sin
Paul does not say Christ gave Himself because mankind simply needed better advice.
He gave Himself “for our sins.”
Sin is the fundamental problem of humanity.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We don't merely need education.
We need redemption.
We don't merely need encouragement.
We need forgiveness.
We don't merely need to try harder.
We need Christ.
Illustration — The Debt
Imagine someone owes a debt that they have absolutely no ability to pay.
Someone else comes along and pays the debt in full.
The debtor doesn't receive credit for paying it.
The debt was paid by another.
That helps us understand the grace of God.
We could not pay our sin debt, but Christ gave Himself for us.
3. The Gospel Delivers Sinners - vs. 4
3. The Gospel Delivers Sinners - vs. 4
4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
Salvation is not merely about getting forgiveness and then continuing to live exactly as we did before.
Christ saves us from sin's penalty and begins transforming us from the inside out.
We Belong to Christ
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
The Believers life is not simply:
“I said a prayer, so now I can live however I want.”
The Gospel changes the direction of our lives.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Paul asks whether we should continue in sin because grace has been given.
His answer is emphatic:
May it never be!
Grace does not give us permission to love sin.
Grace teaches us to turn from sin and follow Christ.
Illustration — Rescue From a Burning Building
Imagine someone is trapped inside a burning building.
A rescuer enters, finds them, and brings them out.
Would it make sense for the person to run back inside because they enjoyed being there?
No.
They were rescued from the danger.
In the same way, Christ does not rescue us so that we can continue loving the very sin from which He saved us.
4. The Gospel was predetermined - vs. 4
4. The Gospel was predetermined - vs. 4
4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
The Gospel is God's plan.
Salvation was not God's emergency response to man's sin.
God's saving purpose was established according to His sovereign will.
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The Gospel reveals both -
God's holiness and God's grace.
Sin is serious enough that Christ had to die.
God's grace is great enough that He was willing to send His Son.
SO WHAT?
Don't add to the Gospel.
Don't subtract from the Gospel.
Don't replace the Gospel.
Believe the Gospel.
Stand on the Gospel.
Live out the Gospel.
Because the Gospel is not man's message.
It is God's message of grace through Jesus Christ.
