Sermon Tone Analysis

(NKJV)

O foolish Galatians!

Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 3 Are you so foolish?

Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Paul gets straight to it: How stupid you are!

How have you missed the truth!

Jesus was crucified for your freedom.

Was this not made clear?

How come I have to say again that no good work is good enough?

Or is that you think that now you have come by faith that the rest of our lives are under the burden of the law?

The law did not save you and it can’t help you now you are saved.

You did trust Christ, right?

That the price was paid for you, yes?

You cannot please God by obeying the law.

You can only please God by your continual trust in Him.

The law revealed just how bad you are.

The law is so absolutely good, so absolutely right to show you that you cannot achieve it because you have to obey it all.

15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.

16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.

He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.

18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

19 What purpose then does the law serve?

It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not!

For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

In prior weeks we have looked at whether we can, through works, please God.

We discovered that, in fact, we cannot please God at all if by doing good works we are trying to get into God’s good books.

The Law of Moses was a good law; Paul didn’t dispute that.

It was good, though, not to be able to save us but to make us aware of our transgressions (v19).

By “transgressions” Paul means something a bit different from sin.

We might sin in ignorance.

To trangress is to go against the standards which they have accepted for themselves.

The law revealed sin; it did not produce it.

The law served to goad persons to see the depth of their impotence and sinfulness as they experienced not only their inability to keep the law, but their regular transgressions of it.[1]

The law is good in that it is perfect but we have all been found condemned because no one has been able to keep the whole law.

So we see that trying to keep the law is impossible.

In Galatians we have already looked at whether we can, through works, please God.

We discovered that, in fact, we cannot please God at all if, by doing good works, we are trying to get into God’s good books.

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The Law of Moses is a good law; Paul didn’t dispute that.

However it is not able to save us but to is does make us aware of our transgressions.

By “transgressions” Paul means something a bit different from sin.

We might sin in ignorance.

To transgress is to go against the standards which we have accepted for ourselves and gives us a sense of guilt.

The law revealed sin.

The law served to make people see the depth of their impotence and utter sinfulness as they experienced their inability to keep the law and just how often they are regular transgressors of it.

The law is good in that it is perfect but we have all been found condemned because no one has been able to keep the whole law.

It is impossible.

We cannot save ourselves before we are saved or afterwards.

In prior weeks we have looked at whether we can, through works, please God.

We discovered that, in fact, we cannot please God at all if by doing good works we are trying to get into God’s good books.

The Law of Moses was a good law; Paul didn’t dispute that.

It was good, though, not to be able to save us but to make us aware of our transgressions (v19).

By “transgressions” Paul means something a bit different from sin.

We might sin in ignorance.

To trangress is to go against the standards which they have accepted for themselves.

The law revealed sin; it did not produce it.

The law served to goad persons to see the depth of their impotence and sinfulness as they experienced not only their inability to keep the law, but their regular transgressions of it.[1]

The law is good in that it is perfect but we have all been found condemned because no one has been able to keep the whole law.

So we see that trying to keep the law is impossible.

We are a proud people though.

We like to do things to show that we have the ability.

Never realising that it is not possible.

We put rules and regulations in to keep but these do not help either for we are not able to keep even these.

Idiots!

Paul says! Sounds a bit harsh but he is trying to shake them out of their dangerous and wrong thinking.

Can you imagine me saying such things to you!

Let me say it hasn’t even so much as crossed my mind to do so!

But what sounds down through the ages is the message is still not getting through.

Paul says; how is it you do not know what you believe?

I thought you were taught well!

This chapter starts with Foolish Galatians – idiots!

My, these are harsh things to say!

How is it you don’t know what you believe?

I thought I taught you well!

George Barna leads a Christian research group and discovered some things about Christian beliefs.

In his research during 1996, 1997 and this year (2017), Barna discovered that many professing Christians believe that people are inherently good (75%), that our primary purpose is to enjoy life, and that our most important responsibility is to take care of our family.

He found that:

81% believe that the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves.

[God is the help for hopeless – and who can save themselves?]

72% believe that people are blessed by God so they can enjoy life as much as possible.

[We are blessed to be a blessing]

70% believe it does not matter what faith you have [Jesus is the only way to God]