Galatians 6 11-18

Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians Chapter 22: The Truly Spiritual Life (Galatians 6:1–5)

Good works may be an indication of the grace of God, but they’re not the fuel

If we get it into our heads that religion and morality are what God desires, then we have the gospel upside-down and backwards. God desires communion; he looks to the one “who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at [his] word” (). Works, then, flow from a good conscience; they don’t fuel it. Free grace alone cleanses the conscience. Think about it like this

Bush, D., & Due, N. (2015). Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians (p. 212). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Boasting in the cross of jesus (Does that really make any sense?)

Galatians 6:11–18 ESV

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

11

v 11 Understand that when letters were written it was usually done through a amanuensis, or a scribe.

Paul would normally sign his letters with his own hand to keep forgeries from getting circulated. But it was usually just a signature or an exhortation of grace.

In this case Paul would dictate and the scribe would physically write out the words.

Paul writes with large letters to emphasize his message. He wants it to stand out, he wants them to take notice.

We do the same thing when we text in ALL CAPS.

But this is the end of the letter, Paul has given them all the information, all the things he has to say and he wants to cap it off and get their attention highlighting even the letter.

Paul wants to reiterate his message and to make it perfectly clear.

That those who are trying to get you to follow the law are doing it not because they care about you but so they can protect their own necks and brag about it even when they don’t even keep the law themselves.

And, Paul reminds them that the only think he will boast in is the cross of Christ—which is basically saying that he has been cut off from the world and now in Christ.

15 Paul says that neither circumcision or uncircumcision counts for anything. Meaning that you can’t boast in either decision, we have talked a lot about how people were wanting the Galatians to get circumcised and how big of a deal this is.

But Paul is now saying that uncircumcision counts for anything? What? Paul, first you tell us that circumcision doesn’t do anything for us. You have spent the last 6 chapters of this letter telling us that circumcision doesn’t help us and we got that, now you are telling us that not getting circumcised doesn’t help us either? What??

He refers to boasting in the cross of Christ. For us we read that and we kind of glaze over it. Sounds kind of poetic and nice. But Paul is reminding them that when you identify with Christ, you are cut off, but not like the circumcision group, you are cut off from the world.

You aren’t a Jew, you aren’t a Gentile, you are a new creation, a child of God for which none of those exterior appearances apply.

If there are required marks of the body, Paul says in verse 17

Galatians 6:17 ESV

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Paul does bear marks, the marks of Christ.

Again, just because it is so prevalent in our day and age. We don’t argue about circumcision per se. But what circumcision is here is a dependence on an outward symbol.

What do we look like on the outside? Are we attending church regularly? Do we have the right values? Do we refrain from certain places? Do we not partake in certain activities? Do we dress right? Do we have the right hairstyle? Do we listen to a particular type of music?

All of these things are used by Christians to determine the depth of another persons Christianity. But with all of those external marks has there ever been an inward change?

We can appear very Christian on the outside. We can look so right on the outside. We can appear full of life by what we do and what we look like but we can still be completely dead on the inside. I pray that isn’t you this morning.

You see, we may depend more on circumcision than we originally thought; what we are willing to do on the outside when having a relationship with God has everything to do with what is going on inside of us.

When we are in Christ there is nothing that we can boast in except the cross. And guess what, we had nothing to do with it. We had nothing to do with the payment of sin.

We had nothing to do with any part of that. We are not better than anyone, we are just recipients of God’s free gift of Grace. We boast in the cross means that our own efforts mean nothing. We boast in the cross.

What does the cross stand for? It stands for death. Pretty simple. Death. Christ died for our sins, yes, He paid for them on the cross.

But the cross is also a reminder that we have died to our selves. We read about that earlier.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.