Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Jewish Christians were telling Gentile believers their faith in Christ alone through grace alone was not enough to save them.
happened first in the Antioch church where Paul and Barnabas were pastors
happened again when Paul and Barnabas were in Jerusalem giving an account of how the Lord had been at work saving the Gentiles
in Antioch it was circumcision then in Jerusalem it was circumcision + law
once we start adding to the gospel it is hard to stop!
these Jewish Christians were telling Gentiles they had to be circumcised and keep the ceremonial laws of the OT
a denial of Christ alone for salvation
A traditional belief they had to do something to earn or merit their salvation.
(Rom 10:3)
a characteristic of all false religions
Points to the universal pride that resides in every human heart that we are not helpless when it comes to our salvation.
that we are essentially good
that we are not so lost that we cannot contribute to our salvation
an attitude that keeps creeping into the church and must be carefully guarded against
1 There is no “I” in Grace!
How you know you are saved?
If you answer starting with “I” you have a problem!
what the Jewish Christians were saying, “I was circumcised and I keep the law of Moses.”
what people might say today:
I go to church, I tithe, I am a good person, I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs
I said the sinner’s prayer, I walked an aisle, I answered an altar call, I believe in Jesus
Q is why you did these things
A) Peter’s Response
recounts his vision and subsequent meeting with Cornelius where he and members of his family and friends received the HS in the same way the Jewish believers did at Pentecost
Peter’s conclusion
the contrast: putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck … but we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus
“putting God to the test”
Israel tested God in their wilderness wanderings when they questioned God’s ability to give them food even though he had already done many miracles and signs for them (Ex 17:2,7(cf.
Ps 78:18; 95:9; 106:14); Ps 78:41, 56))
the 10 spies tested God when they doubted God’s ability to subdue the Canaanites when he had completely subdued the Egyptians (Num 14:22-23)
They put God to the test by forgetting what God had done for them and not believing he would continue to help them as he promised.
this is often the reason we become anxious and fearful and why the bible tells us it is a sin
“placing a yoke on the necks”
used to bind animals together to make them work together as a team
pulling a plow or a heavy load
used by labourers to increase the amount of weight they are able to carry
Peter compared the imposition of the law of Moses as a condition of salvation to such a yoke
the law forcing its partner to pull the impossible load of ceremonies
the law as a weight impossible to carry without help
both point to something which binds them to a heavy load they are unable to free themselves from
When we add to or take from God’s Word we create something onerous and difficult to bear and rob ourselves of the joyous freedom he provides.
God’s purpose for the law:
held captive … imprisoned … law was our guardian
that we might be justified by faith
God’s purpose in giving his law was not to save his people but to point them to Christ.
(Gal 3:23-26)
B) James’ Response
Peter said in v.10, “we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus”
James redefined saving grace in v.14,
James defines saving grace in 3 ways: God visiting, God taking and God glorifying himself.
(Acts 15:14)
God “visiting the Gentiles”
apart from his visit the Gentiles who were saved would have remained in their sin and darkness and would never have found God
Rom 3:10 - there is no one who seeks after God, not even one
God taking: “to take from them a people”
take = to get possession
God takes some out of the world for himself
they are no longer children of the devil, they are children of God (John 8)
they are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Col 1:13)
God glorifying himself
James gives the purpose of saving grace: “for his name”
tells us why God visits us and takes some of us out of the world for himself: for his glory
Everything God does is to highlight his glory and saving people from sin and death and the devil is a primary way he does this.
(Eph 1:4-6; Isa 43:6-7; Rom 9:22-23; 11:36)
God chose his people for his glory
what should we do in light of this?
why was this issue of how we are saved so important that it required a church council?
why not just ignore them and hope the problem goes away?
C) Paul’s Teaching
we are given understanding why it was so critical in Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches
Paul wrote to them at or shortly after the Jerusalem council
“stand firm”
In our battle with the world, our flesh and the devil we are to put on the full armour of God which is his Word, (Eph 6:10-18)
by the truth and power of God’s Word we are able to overcome the devil’s lies and schemes, our sinful desires and the world’s efforts to make us conform
“do not submit again to a yoke of slavery”
points back to the Jewish attempt to achieve their righteousness through the law (Rom 10:3)
a misuse of the law - its purpose to show that we can’t be righteous and to drive us to Christ (Gal 3:24)
as a result our temptation is to look at the law as bad
but according to Rom 7:12 the law is holy, righteous and good
James describes the law as the law of liberty (Jas 1:25)
The problem with the law is not the law itself but what we are tempted to do with it.
hoping that keeping it will help save us
Paul’s 4 fold conclusion:
“if you accept circumcision …”
Christ will be of no advantage to you (v. 2)
you are obligated to keep the whole law (v.3)
you are severed from Christ (v.4)
you have fallen away from grace (v.4)
the language Paul uses is very clear, it’s all or nothing
Salvation is designed by God and it is a take it or leave it package deal.
how important was this issue to Paul?
listen to what he says,
Tinkering with God’s plan of salvation is a capital offence!
(Gal 1:8-9)
if you add anything to God’s plan of salvation you lose it
to add anything is to produce another gospel
those who do so are accursed = hell
this is why the way in which we are saved is such an important doctrine!
this is why the early church held a conference to decide the issue
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