Nothing but the Gospel! Pt.1
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The words spoken by Gamaliel are almost prophetic concerning the movement of the followers of the way of Christ Jesus, he shares two instances of men who rose up had a following and it faded with their deaths…
“So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”
“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ”
It has been well over 15 -17 years since the day of Pentecost… The church is now in a place where we see growth, strength, it’s becoming established, expanding… even through trials and it has seen some:
The stoning of Stephen pushing it further into Judea and Samaria
The persecution brought and initiated a great deal by Saul
Growing pains of Jews seeing Gentiles receive the same Holy Spirit as them (Cornelius)
Peter has addressed the Jewish church concerning the Gentile believers stating…
“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
God works in a predominately gentile church in Antioch… and the church grows strong
It is from this church in Antioch that a mission team is sent (Barnabas and Paul)
They plant churches (share the gospel and gather the believers to be discipled and equipped)
The region of Galatia is reached with the gospel and churches are growing!
Paul and Barnabas return praising God and reporting all God has done in these gentile believers… These are exciting times, well for the church anyway…
From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples.
Well Satan wants to stop it and he is constantly fighting God attacking the bride of Christ the church.
All that God does good Satan is going to attack… and he usually attacks the foundation. Take that out and nothing can stand!
The very foundation of the church is Jesus Christ… He is the cornerstone!
The finished work at Calvary is constantly under attack… and we see it in the church in Acts.
The Attack on Truth
The Attack on Truth
So swift and cunning is the attack that Paul no sooner gets back, gives his report to the church and he is having to sit down and write a letter to the Galatian churches!
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
THERE IS NO OTHER GOSPEL!!!
Read Galatians this week in one sitting at some point and you will see and read the passion that Paul has concerning this matter!
I imagine no sooner does Paul send this letter out to the churches and we see this same attack even come to the church in Antioch…
Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
“SOME MEN”… quite possible from the same ones going to the churches in Galatia… or the believers from the Pharisees group we see in verse 5.
They did not come on the authority of the church in Jerusalem rather with the pride they carried by being of the circumcised…
Why they had not spoke up with the situation with Cornelius almost ten years prior or with Barnabas we don’t know…
But now it was big and growing and they wanted to protest / keep it in the Jewish comforts / maintain their elitism in tacked
Think about it… is requiring circumcision so bad really?
Health benefits
There is external ways to show off who you are to God
I mean God did command it after all! Right?
What is the big deal of saying “you need to be circumcised in order to be saved” anyway?
A False Gospel or Doctrine: Any teaching that attempts to take away from or try to add to the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary!
To take away one is saying that it was not needed or necessary what Jesus did for Salvation
To add to it is to say that what Jesus did was not enough, it was insufficient and sinful man has the obligation to make up for what Christ could not or did not do at Calvary!
BOTH!!! Are dangerous ground for a persons eternal destiny… these are attacks on the very cornerstone Himself, a foundational attack!
Intent of Circumcision...
Intent of Circumcision...
Intent of circumcision...
NOT TO SAVE!!!... salvation has and always will be by faith. Abraham was justified by faith!
Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
It was to be a sign... a setting apart... act of obedience!
Circumcision was ceremonial in nature... given to the people of Israel.
One who placed faith in the God of Israel would proselyte themselves and be circumcised to give an outward demonstration of their heart!
For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Even in the Old Testament we see that God still looked at the heart NOT the external act alone…
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised— Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”
The Heart of the Matter
The Heart of the Matter
Next week we will look at how the leaders in the church deal with this and the conclusion they come to… However, what doe this have to do with us today?
2000 years later, the church is still growing, and Satan is still fighting against God!
BE CAREFUL! That we do not add to or detract from the gospel of Jesus Christ!
LOOK… at your heart.
Outwardly you may look like you have it all together, the ideal christian, saying and doing to impress those around you maybe even trying to impress God
God is more concerned with your heart, examine it before we come to His table (search me know me, see if there is any wicked way in me.
If our heart isn't right before God, we may just find ourselves as Gamaliel put it “Opposing God!”