Living The Message 9th September Galatians 3

Jesus commissioned the Apostle Paul in a dramatic encounter on the Road to Damascus and sent him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. In the power of the Holy Spirit Paul planted churches throughout the region of Galatia – a rich harvest field for Christ Jesus. Then immediately Paul left the area false apostles and Judaisers came in and began to pervert the gospel Paul had preached. They wanted to add the legalism of Judaism – bring the young Christians under law.

When Paul heard of what was happening there – again in the power of the Holy Spirit, he wrote to them to warn and correct them. – It was necessary for him to reinforce the gospel and to defend his calling from God and his apostleship – that he was as much an apostle as the 12 who walked with Jesus because Jesus Himself appeared to him and gave him revelation and understanding. He did not learn the gospel from men – it was by Divine revelation!!

Ga 1:18-24 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me.

3 years in the desert – alone. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David – were all trained in the desert – separated, isolated to God – how they must have learned to depend upon the Holy Spirit there. It seems God is able to transact something with us in the desert – train and shape us. Yet it is the place most of us resist the hardest – in fact we resist it and pray against it and rebuke it – and try to cast it away from us, --- ( a privileged place?)

But after 3 years Paul went up to meet Peter in Jerusalem – 15 days is not long enough to be trained and taught – maybe this was about relationship and accountability. Paul only met Peter and James. – He is still defending his apostleship and message and Paul makes an oath – this is no light thing – to make on oath before God was considered to be life or death! Then going into Syria and Cilicia no one in Judea ever saw him they only heard that he was preaching the “faith”

Ga 2:1-2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain.

14 years labouring in the field – walking in the Spirit – what fruit! Then back to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus – who was a Gentile. Paul went up by revelation – You know though God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to proclaim His Christ – Paul didn’t preach theory – what we read here in the NT is not what he thought – it is what he lived! He lived and walked and preached in the power and Presence of the Holy Spirit – Christ in Him the hope of Glory!

All those God has used to record scripture – to convey the Divine light and His glory – were inspired by the Holy Spirit – they lived and experienced and saw what they wrote for us!! Paul didn’t go up to Jerusalem because he thought it was good idea – Jesus sent him up! After 14 years!! Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles so God isolated him from the Jews until the right time! Then when he went up to Jerusalem to make sure he was accountable and in humility –

Paul gathered all the people who were considered the leaders, the seniors in the church and shared the gospel he preached with them so they could check his doctrine out! Just in case he had run in vain preaching the wrong thing! – This is walking in the Spirit! Real humility, no pride, no doubt, no offence, no agenda – I’ll tell them what I preach so we can all be in agreement, so they can see I’m doing okay! – There was still this huge dispute over Christianity and the law!

Ga 2:3-5 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Jewish spies were checking Paul out all the time, when they found out Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile they wanted the law applied – but Paul would not allow them to compel Titus because it would have compromised the gospel he preached to the Gentiles!!

Ga 2:6-10 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favouritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.

The church leaders had gained quite some reputation and – maybe there was some pride and self importance already creeping in – a sort of hierarchy (1 Co 12 :28 quoted at me) but keeping sight of the Holy Spirit leading Paul – God doesn’t show favouritism to any man – He requires the same obedience from us all – and these other apostles did not add anything to the revelation of Christ God had given to Paul. When they understood Paul had the same gospel as Peter – the only

difference being one was called to preach to the Jews and the other to the Gentiles – James, Peter and John the pillars of the church all welcomed them into fellowship – reminding them to remember the poor! ---- God took Paul into the desert and gave Him revelation in the Spirit – then the same Spirit using Paul recorded that revelation, inspired and Divine for us in the W.O.G. – only after Paul had been taught of God did God send him up to Jerusalem and the other apostles.

All the other apostles had learned together, walked with Jesus for 3 years : --

Jn 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

When the Holy Spirit came He was able to remind them of Jesus’ teaching – but Paul had to learn for himself – to be able to preach and teach and show by example, Paul had to experience Christ for himself – if he had received his gospel from Peter or James he could never declare it was revelation – given by God – speak in God’s name in the Name of Christ! – I really think we underestimate this whole area of learning and growing – in fact I wonder if it is not a

stumbling block to many of us Christians – we rush to teachers, bible schools, seminars and conferences – to ministries and events – but we never allow God to take us into the desert with just the W.O.G., the very same revelation He gave to Paul and Peter and Isaiah and pray it in and get it for ourselves so we can say the W.O.G. says – the Holy Spirit has shown me!! – and it is not about speaking it out – it’s about knowing it in our own hearts!!! (Silent retreat 13 days)

1 Jn 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

There is no other way to know this, than allowing Him, the indwelling Spirit of Christ to teach us – but we hate the solitude, we fight the aloneness, the devotional life is our weakest area. Not just prayer and fasting – but praying over the Word of God, the revelation already given, until it is our own, not someone else’s teaching , not even Pauls teaching!! -But the indwelling abiding anointing of Christ in us – then when we know it is truth and not a lie – we go to teachers to have it tested!!

This W.O.G. really is the same revelation that Paul received – and I believe God wants us to KNOW it for ourselves – know it in the same way. Oh I wonder what we have done with our testimonies of great men and ministries sometimes, – our books and examples – as inspiring and encouraging as they can be – they are not the W.O.G. and they are not revelation to us – I think that was part of what Paul was trying to express!! – O the Holy Spirit is in us!! Now! Brooding?

So Paul was writing all this in the Holy Ghost – so that not only would the Galatians learn and turn, but that we might also have access to the same revelation – and Paul explains how he was lead to confront the hypocrisy and infiltration of the law even among those who had first been apostles –

Ga 2:11-14 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Even Barnabas was seduced by the legalism – so Paul confronts Peter publicly – what is done in public must be addressed in public that is the only way hypocrisy can be uncovered. Why are you trying to turn the Gentiles into Jews under the law!! --- God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are so much higher than ours – why we ever have the gall to question and doubt Him is mind blowing – Jesus had kept Paul until later – He had revelation that He wanted to express

through Paul that maybe had to be given outside of the Jewish tradition! Perhaps this next part could not have been expressed by Peter or James because they had walked with Jesus – How wonderfully wise and above us God is! How gloriously holy and just and all seeing and all knowing I have been so wonderfully convicted reading this slowly – I find myself wanting to just say

Jud 24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Saviour, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

Now the very heart of what Jesus by the Holy Spirit through revelation to Paul wanted to express to the Galatians and to all the church of God – and it is hard to see here where Pauls rebuke to Peter and his writing to the Galatians finishes – but that’s the way God wants it – Ga 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, -- the Jews really believed themselves the chosen of God – above and called, and the Gentiles were sinners!! But we Jews know!! ---

Ga 2:16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

The Jews knew that for 1500 years they had tried to keep the law and failed! They knew it was impossible – the law did not keep man from sin nor did it excuse him – all it did was show that he was not measuring up – the law was man’s tutor to expose his wicked and deceitful heart and sinful nature – the law uncovered the fallen nature of mankind –
man is not justified = a legal term “to declare righteous” by the works of the law –

The law shows that all men are sinners and are already condemned! The law cannot reverse that, the law cannot save us!! – As Jews we know that! – But man is justified by faith in Jesus Christ – faith in Jesus Christ declares us righteous before God!! – Even we – Paul includes Peter and James along with himself – even we, Jews, have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by faith in Him and not by the works of the law! No one can be justified by the law!!!

Paul was lead by the Spirit – Christ in him – he wasn’t perfect he still had his fallen humanity

But this is the Holy Spirit – Even us, Jews! Accepted Christ by faith – we know from our lives of legalism and tradition that we were never free – we always lived under the law, bound by the law, struggling to remain righteous under the law – in fact we added hundreds of rules to the law to try and make a way for us to live without feeling forever condemned! – Then we received the revelation of Christ – and we were set free for the first time in our lives ----

All of us – you who were fishermen and workers and walked with Jesus – and I a Pharisee and teacher who was captured by Him later, -- all of us know it was entirely by faith we were set free --- and this is the message I have preached to the Gentiles and they are free – wonderfully, gloriously free – justified entirely and only by faith in Christ Jesus – they never had the law – they never lived under our traditions and ceremonies – but they were sinners, corrupt and defiled – as we were!

Then they heard the message I preached - Jesus Christ and Him crucified – they believed the gospel! They accepted it entirely and only by faith through GRACE – They have been living a justified life, they have approached God boldly entering into the Throne Room of grace! – Now you want to add to this gospel, you want to add the law to grace and faith!! How can you do this???
God has declared these believing sinners righteous in Jesus Christ!

It is not a process, it is not earned, it shows no favouritism, no one is more justified than anyone else – it is a sovereign act of God in Jesus Christ! God declares us righteous because of His Son! By faith!! – It is complete and finished and final – we NOW have peace with God – it is not by works it is by faith and we are now no longer guilty as sinners!! We are made just, as if we have not sinned at all by faith in Jesus Christ!!

They wanted to add Moses and the law to the gospel – nothing – nothing can be added to the gospel of Jesus Christ – it alone is the good news of God. This is what impacted Martin Luther and brought about the reformation – you cannot add indulgences to the gospel, you cannot add Mary as though she were God, you cannot add Saints – and Wesley and others you cannot add politics and The State – rules, regulations or anything else. Justification is by faith alone!!!

Today we don’t have to add anything – no religion, no new revelation, no power, no miracles, no events or programs or systems or books or denominations or organisations – we are made righteous before God entirely by faith in Jesus Christ --- not guilty!!!

1 Co 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. ------- (Vernon McGee)

Now the question for you and me is: how can we call Jesus accursed? If you say to me, “McGee, when you came to Christ and accepted Him as your Savior, you didn’t get all that was coming to you. The Holy Spirit can give you something that you didn’t get in Christ, and you ought to seek that today?” My friend, to do that depreciates the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross when He came to this earth to die for you and work out a salvation so perfect that when He went back to heaven He sat down at the right hand of God (see Heb. 1:3). He sat down because there was nothing else to be done. If there had been anything else, He would have done it before He sat down. When you say that He didn’t do it all for me, you are saying that Jesus is accursed. And you can’t say that by the Holy Spirit of God. That is, you are not giving me the word of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16:13–14). My friend, when you came to Christ, He gave you everything you will need in this life. Christ is the One who administers all the gifts. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives them, but He is working down here under the supervision of the second Person of the Godhead. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. My friend, we have everything in Him. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Amen—and when you say “amen,” you are through, my friend. Christ did it all.

This verse is so clear it is impossible to misunderstand it. “Knowing that a man (any human being—man or woman, black or white, rich or poor, Roman, American, Chinese) is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.” It is not faith plus something; it is faith plus nothing.

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[1]McGee, J. V. (1991). Vol. 46: Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Galatians). Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.). Thru the Bible commentary (36). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.