BELONGING TO CHRIST
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Lawrence of Arabia was a famous British scholar and soldier. Representing the Arab peoples in the Paris peace talks that followed World War 1, he brought several Arab leaders with him to Paris. These men were staying in a fancy hotel which had running water — something they had never seen before. Something that at that point in time was probably a rarity worldwide. These men were “astounded to discover they could bring seemingly unlimited amounts of water into the bathtub or sink simply by turning the handle on a faucet. When preparing to leave Paris, they removed the faucets and packed them in their luggage, thinking that the faucets themselves magically created the vast amounts of water. When they told Lawrence what they had done, he explained that the faucets were useless unless connected to pipes that were, in turn, connected to a source of water.” (MacArthur, pg. 97).
Of course that presents a truth in the spiritual realm. Unless a person is connected to God the Father by means of a spiritual union with Jesus Christ, then their life is absent of any real spiritual life or power. Though this might sound rather glib in our present world, spiritual life is all about one’s connections — it is about who we are or are not connected to. As Charles Spurgeon once wrote:
Morning and Evening Morning, January 12
“Ye are Christ’s.” You are his by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; his by his bloody purchase, for he counted down the price for your redemption; his by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to him; his by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one of his brethren and joint-heirs.
Today we are continuing on in our study of Galatians. Our text for today is , if you have not done so already, please take your Bible and turn there. The keynote of this passage, according to Douglas Moo, is the believer’s union with Christ (Moo, pg. 248). Or as our title suggests, the believer’s belonging to Christ. As we go through this passage we will see that those who belong to Christ are: sons of God, baptized into Christ, desegregated, and the seed of Abraham.
Let’s read our passage together.
SONS OF GOD
SONS OF GOD
As we consider verse 26 and its reference to believers being sons of God, I would like to put on the screen the a literal translation in the ordering of the Greek text. When things are being translated from one language to another the word ordering is often changed in order for it to make sense in the second language. Here is the translation in the original word ordering:
All indeed sons of God you are through faith in Christ Jesus.
WHO IS ALL?
Obviously this word ordering is awkward in the English language. But I wanted you to see that the emphasis of the Greek text in on the word “all.” Now we need to define what Paul means by “all.” Was Paul making a universal statement regarding every person that was ever born being a son of God? If so then it would lead to a universalist concept which teaches that ultimately all people will be saved.
Let’s refresh our memory regarding whom Paul was writing to. The churches in Galatia were primarily made up of Gentile believers, although not exclusively so. Part of the reason that the apostle was writing to these churches was that false teachers had come and taught that Gentiles had to become Jewish converts in order to be saved. This meant that the men had to undergo the rite of circumcision. While agreeing with Paul that this was a false gospel, Peter’s behavior led some Gentiles to the conclusion that though they did not need to be circumcised in order to be saved, they did apparently need to in order to have fellowship with their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul said that the Galatians had been bewitched by this teaching.
Based on the context of this passage we must conclude that the “all” of verse 26 is referring to all believers in Christ, both Jewish and Gentile.
WHO ARE THE SONS OF GOD?
The reference to sons of God in verse 26 goes back to what we talked about last week. Namely, that before we came to faith in Christ we were under the guardianship of the Law. But now that we have come to faith in Christ we have come of age so to speak, and are no longer in need of a guardian. We are pictured as an adult male who is ready to receive his inheritance.
Unfortunately, some who do not understand the culture in which this letter was written have changed the term sons to children. In part it may be because of the influence of the modern feminist movement. (Although that certainly would not explain why the KJV translated as children instead of sons). While we understand that salvation is not a men’s club, changing the term from sons to children takes away the cultural understanding of what is being said. In first century Roman/Greek society only males received an inheritance. If a wealthy man did not have a son to leave his estate to then he would adopt an adult male who could inherit his estate.
One famous example of this is Caesar Augustus, who was emperor at the time of the birth of Jesus. He was born Gauis Octavius. He was a nephew of Julius Caesar’s and was named in his will as Caesar’s adopted son and heir. Thus he succeeded him to the throne.
When we get down to verse 28 Paul will address the issue of gender equality, and so we look at that when we get there.
HOW DO WE BECOME SONS OF GOD?
The way that we become sons of God is through faith in Christ Jesus. No other way.
Faith in Christ Jesus involves belief in His person — that is the virgin born Son of God. Faith in Christ also involves belief in His work which includes the perfect life that He lived, as well as His substitutionary death, and resurrection from the dead. Faith in Christ also includes an understanding of our total depravity — our inability to save ourselves — and a reliance on Jesus for our salvation.
When we have been adopted into the family of God we are also baptized in Christ.
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
Notice verse 27. The N.T. speaks of Christian Baptism both in terms the physical act of water baptism, and as the spiritual act of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Some commentators, especially those from a background in Covenant Theology, see this verse referring to water baptism. While commentators with a Dispensational
Theology background see this as a reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Based on the phrase all of you I believe that Paul must be referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is a seal that we belong to Jesus. All believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit at the very moment of conversion to Christ.
That being said, I think there is at least a veiled reference to water baptism as well. Consider what Paul wrote to the
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
In he stated:
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Though these passages refer to spiritual baptism, they also show that when water baptism is done properly, by immersion, it pictures this spiritual baptism. Todd Wilson, in his commentary on Galatians wrote about how evangelicals, in their effort to avoid an erroneous teaching that somehow baptism saves a person, have downplayed its importance in the Christian’s life.
Preaching the Word: Galatians—Gospel-Rooted Living Incorporation into Christ
Nowadays many evangelicals treat baptism as though it were an optional part of the Christian life, treating it like a baby announcement we send to family and friends, sharing the good news that we have become a Christian.
There’s a good challenge here for many pastors and churches. We need to take a hard look at the robust significance of baptism we find in the New Testament. But there’s also a good challenge here for many individual Christians. Perhaps some of us have been professing Christians for a while, yet have never been baptized. Let this serve as an exhortation to take this step of faith and obedience.
In this passage the reference to baptism is still in the context of guardianship leading to sonship as well as the believer’s union with Christ. Note the last phrase of verse 27: clothed yourselves with Christ. Perhaps a better translation is have put on Christ. In Paul tells the believers there that they have put off the old man and put on the new man.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:26–27
In the Roman society when a youth came of age he was given a special toga which admitted him to the full rights of the family and state and indicated he was a grown-up son. So the Galatian believers had laid aside the old garments of the Law and had put on Christ’s robe of righteousness which grants full acceptance before God.
Let’s turn our attention now to verse 28 where Paul teaches that those who belong to Christ are desegregated.
DESEGREGATED
DESEGREGATED
RACIAL DESEGREGATION
Notice that Paul refers to neither Jew nor Greek.
CLASS DESEGREGATION
Notice that Paul next refers to neither slave nor free man.
GENDER DESEGREGATION
Next Paul refers to neither male nor female. Textually speaking the Greek term translated nor in this phrase is different than in the previous two phrases. This is the term kai which is usually translated as and. Literally this phrase could be translated there is not male and female. In the old creation
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
But now that we are in Christ we are a new creation. The old has passed, and the new has come.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Though racial, class, and gender distinctions are done away with in terms of our standing before God, that does not mean to distinctions cease to exist. A person who has dark skin before conversion still has dark skin after conversion. But regardless of the color of our skin we are equals as it relates to salvation. A male who comes to Christ remains a male after conversion.
Perhaps the slave vs. free man distinction was the most important of the distinctions at that time. Only in the church were they to be found on equal terms. History tells us that some of the men who served as pastors of the local churches were slaves of one kind or another. That must have been really interesting to see!
In our society there is a huge push in regards to the gender issue. Though male and females are equal in regards to salvation, God has ordained distinctly different roles within the home and the church. Paul is not setting these aside. His argument in this context is focused, I believe on racial distinctions. A person did not have to become a Jew in order to be saved. But they do have to belong to Christ.
Notice the last phrase of verse 28 — for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
James M. Gray wrote these lyrics:
One with the Lord, and bound to one another,
Joined by our faith to Christ the elder Brother,
Blest is our fellowship, ever growing fonder,
Promise of the better things in glory over yonder!
SEED OF ABRAHAM
SEED OF ABRAHAM
Let’s look at verse 29.
Those who belong to Christ, those who are united with Christ, are the seed of Abraham. Do you remember who else was called the seed of Abraham? Christ was. We are the seed of Abraham by virtue of our union with Christ.
Earlier I referred to something that Charles Spurgeon wrote regarding belonging to Christ. I would like to return to his writing once again.
Morning and Evening Morning, January 12
Labour practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, “I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ’s.” Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ’s, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ’s. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, “No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ’s.