Galatians: True Life

Text: Galatians 3:1-14

Theme: The Law brought only a curse, since no one can keep the law perfectly. Those who place their faith in Christ receive the Spirit who gives true life and abundant life.

Date: 07/05/2020 File Name: Galatians_03.wpd ID Number:

Consider the background of this text. Paul had brought the Gospel message to the region of Galatia. People had come to Christ. Churches had been established. They had received the Gospel by grace through faith. Then! Then! Not long afterwards the “joy suckers” showed up. They started a campaign to destroy what Paul had begun. They sought to rob these believers of their freedom in Christ by demanding that they follow and fulfill Jewish ceremonial law. It was nothing short of the perversion of the Gospel.

Paul writes to remind them that the gospel he preached was the True Gospel, based on True Grace, that provides True Life.

I. TRUE LIFE: COMES THROUGH THE SPIRIT

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” (Galatians 3:1–5, NIV84)

1. the Apostle Paul expresses great disappointment and dismay in the Galatian congregations

a. he is upset that, so soon after his leaving, the Galatians are contemplating switching allegiance to a gospel that Paul says is not a gospel

b. men, whom Paul calls Judaizers, have followed him preaching that Paul’s gospel was inadequate to make a man right with God

c. this new gospel is a gospel of faith and works

ILLUS. Over the last thirty years you’ve repeatedly heard me preach and teach that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone. I hope you can hear it in your dreams, I pray that it’s been seared into your memory. It is, I believe, the faithful proclamation of the biblical doctrine of salvation. Now, suppose shortly after my retirement in a year or two, your new pastor stands up some Sunday and begins to say, “Ya know, that declaration from your previous pastor is a good place to start, but it’s not a complete teaching of the true gospel. Let me tell you what you’ve got to do to REALLY be right with God. 1st, true believers never miss a church service. If you’re not here on Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights, you’re probably not really a Christian. 2nd, true believers tithe on their gross income. If that’s not the kind of stewardship you practice, you’re probably not really a Christian. 3rd, true believers don’t fellowship with members of non-Baptist churches, because they’re really not Christians, and you can’t be unequally yoked. 4th, true believers only use the true God-given Scriptures, which is the King James Bible. Any other translation is not the real bible. If you use anything else but the KJV, you’re probably not really a Christian. 5th, true believers accept pastoral authority without question. If you ever question my leadership, you’re probably not really a Christian.” Now suppose, for sake of argument, that within months this entire congregation concludes, “Golly. Pastor David seemed so nice; so sincere; so smart—how could he not have told us all these things? How could he have put our immortal souls in danger buy not telling us there was more to the true gospel? Suppose this happens? You might get a strongly worded letter from me, saying, “Oh foolish people! Who has bewitched you?” Only I might not be as nice as Paul was!

d. J. B. Phillips begins his translation of vs. 1 with the words, “O dear idiots”

2. do you hear the legalism in the words of my imaginary successor?

a. Paul is driving home the Galatian believer’s lack of spiritual perception and discernment

b. he confronts them with four rapid-fire question ...

1) Did you receive the Holy Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

2) Having begun [i.e. the Christian life] by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (this question gets to the heart of the issue)

3) Did you experience so many things in vain?

4) Did God work His miracles among you by the law, or by hearing with faith?

c. the answer to these questions is obvious ... faith was the means of your new life in Christ, not works of the law

1) here is the Apostle’s point: if the gospel I preached to you was true—and it is—why, oh why, would you want to switch allegiance to a faith/works gospel that puts you under bondage to a law that even the most pious Jew couldn’t keep?

3. the Apostle accuses them of being slow of heart and mind; literally senseless which is what the word foolish means

a. it’s the idea of not understanding what’s right before your eyes

4. not only are they foolish, they’ve been bewitched, that is they’ve been hypnotized

a. the Galatians had been mesmerized by the newest shinny theology placed in front of them—a false gospel that was intellectually appealing, even though it was spiritually deadly

A. YOU SAW THE POWER OF CHRIST AT WORK

1. Paul tells the Galatians, “Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified ... “

a. what does Paul mean here when he writes that Jesus was clearly portrayed or publically portrayed in vs. 1?

b. the word is placarded

1) do you know what a placard is?

ILLUS. Before the days of electronic media which now includes the internet and social media, advertisements were often done with placards. These advertisements are as simple as a handbill stapled to a telephone poll to a giant billboard along the highway. In bible times a magistrate would placard new laws, or announcements of entertainment events around his city.

2. Paul is saying that, by his preaching and by his life, and by the miracles among them Jesus was widely advertised

a. Paul, through his preaching, had painted a vivid picture of Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection

b. the Galatians are without excuse because Paul had clearly shared God’s redemptive story of Christ, and its life-giving, life-changing truth

3. Paul’s rapid-fire questions are meant to jolt the Galatian Christians into clear awareness of their peril

a. Paul is hoping to convince these believers that they already know all that they need to know about being saved ... nothing needs to be added

b. he tells them in vs. 2, “OK Galatians ... put on your thinking caps, and give me a straight answer to my questions”

4. Question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

a. part of the basic message of the good news was that when people placed their faith in Jesus Christ they received the gift of the Holy Spirit

1) this is part of the message Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38)

ILLUS. Paul is challenging the Galatians, “If, I repeat, if the Holy Spirit comes into our lives by the good works of the flesh, how many good works does it take to receive him? How “good” do our good works need to be? Does helping a little old lady across the street do it, or does it require a spiritual pilgrimage to some sacred biblical site? What if your motives are wrong? What if you help the little old lady, not because she needs help, but because you’re trying to earn the Spirit’s presence? Does the good deed still count?”

b. no, the Spirit came into your lives as a gift of God by believing what you heard

5. Question: Having begun [i.e. the Christian life] by the Spirit, are you now going to switch over to legalism for your sanctification?

a. here is, in my humble opinion, the crux of the issue

1) the Galatians had begun their Christian life by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone

2) the Apostle does not challenge the sincerity of their confession of faith

b. but now they were attempting to grow in their faith by ritual-observance, and rule keeping—especially the rule keeping

c. one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to help us grow toward spiritual maturity

1) that takes work, hard spiritual work

a) we want a 12 step program that takes us from sinner to saint with black and white rules to get there

b) knowing the Lord’s will takes prayer, and bible study, and meditation on the word, and gaining wisdom, and growing in discernment

2) let’s be honest ... rules are just easier

ILLUS. You’re a 30-something Christian whose friend invites you to the local bar after work for a few beers. But your response is, “Hey, I’d like to, but I can’t.” “Why can’t you?” asks your friend. Sheepishly you respond, “Well, I’m a Baptist, and my church says I can’t.”

a) you’ve just ‘Judaized’ yourself!

3) rather then depend upon the Spirit’s leading, rather than depending on biblical instruction, rather then depending on wise counsel, all of which have led you to the spiritual conviction that you won’t drink alcoholic beverages because you want your euphoria to be Spirit-induced, and not artificially induced, or because abstinence gives you an opportunity to share your faith, or because you don’t want to be a stumbling stone to another believer, or because biblical stewardship says ‘I refuse to pay $4 a bottle for beer at the local pub’ ... it’s just easier to cite the rule “I'm a Baptist, and my church says I can't”

d. our religious lives are just made simpler when we can show our friends our long list of rules that tell me how to live

1) but ... if we are saved by faith in Christ shouldn’t we also live by faith in Christ?

6. Question: Did you experienced so many things in vain?

a. what is the Apostle saying here?

1) they had seen the power of God both internally and externally

2) prayers had been answered ... lives had been changed ... old habits broken ... bad relationship ended ... broken lives mended ... marriages saved ... families restored ... the lost saved ... sins forgiven

b. having experienced so many benefits, and blessings as believers in Christ, why would the Galatians—or any believer—turn to a counterfeit gospel that offered nothing but bondage to powerless rules?

7. Question: Did God work His miracles among you by the law, or by hearing with faith?

a. again, Paul is challenging the Galatians

ILLUS. He wants them to think, “Did God work His miracles among you because of your good works, and obedience to the rules? OK. Which ones? Which part of the law were you obedient to by which you received your eyesight? Which good work convinced God to heal your crippled foot? How many good works does it take for God to respond with a miracle?”

b. did the Spirit, and the miracles of the Spirit come by good works or by believing what you heard?

B. THE CURSE OF THE LAW IS LEGALISM

“All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”” (Galatians 3:10–12, NIV84)

1. one of the greatest hindrances to keeping the gospel central in our lives is our creeping tendency toward legalism

a. it’s an age-old foe to God’s plan of salvation through faith alone

b. from the earliest days of the church, (as we see here in Galatians) legalism has thrown Christians off course and sidetracked them all over the place

c. and it’s just as active and destructive today as it ever was

2. at its core Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God

a. in other words, a legalist is anyone who behaves as if they can earn God’s approval and forgiveness through personal performance

3. let me share with you some of the dangers of legalism—the curse that comes with trying to live by the law

a. 1st, to subsequent generations in the church rule-keeping becomes the means of grace instead of the means of of living the Christian life

1) you see, the Galatians Paul has preached to became believers by believing, even though now that are being tempted to switch to a rules-based religion

2) they are really saved by faith, but what gets communicated to the next generation is this, “Just be good. Live the Ten Commandments, follow the rules, that’s what is really important.”

3) but in that, the true gospel gets lost

b. 2nd, rule-keeping becomes the club by which the larger group of believers keeps individual believers under control even when one’s behavior rightly falls under Christian liberty

ILLUS. Flat Creek and playing croquet on Sunday.

c. 3rd, rule-keeping stifles Christian joy

1) in extreme cases, legalists begin to forbid things God created for our good, our pleasure and our joy

“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:3, NIV84)

d. 4th, rule-keeping leads to Phariseeism

1) if we are not careful our personal desire to live righteously by following the rules becomes an obsession to make sure that other believers measure up to our standards

2) in time we begin to require believers to submit to man-made commandments as if they were God’s law

ILLUS. 11th Commandment, Thou shalt not smoke, and thou shalt not chew, and thou shalt not carouse with girls that do.

4. the power of the gospel doesn’t end when we’re justified

a. when God declares a sinner righteous, He immediately begins the process of making that sinner more like His Son

b. through the work of His Spirit, through the power of His word and fellowship with other believers, God peels away our desires for sin, renews our minds, and changes our lives

c. this ongoing work is what we call “sanctification”

1) our sanctification is as much a matter of faith as is our justification

2) empowered by God’s Spirit, we strive ... we fight sin ... we study Scripture and pray, even when we don’t feel like it ... we flee temptation ... we press on ... we run hard in the pursuit of holiness

3) legalism short-circuits our spiritual growth

ILLUS. It’s why we have so many believers who are stagnant in their Christian walk. As long as they can look at their list, and check off all the rules they’ve kept they don’t see any need to go deeper into the Scriptures, or examine their life more closely.

5. as we become more and more sanctified, the power of the gospel conforms us more and more closely, with ever-increasing clarity, to the image of Jesus Christ

a. we discover what true life; true abundant life is all about

II. TRUE LIFE: ABRAHAM BELIEVED IT

“Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3:6–9, NIV84)

1. the Jews, as well as the Judaizers, were always appealing to Father Abraham as the example of one who perfectly fleshed out the whole Jewish law

a. which, when you think about it, is a pretty impressive accomplishment considering that Abraham lived 430 years before the Law was given to Moses

b. the Judaizers pointed to Genesis 26:5 as their “proof text”

“I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.”” (Genesis 26:4–5, NIV84)

2. to which the Apostle Paul responds, “Abraham? Father Abraham? I’m glad you brought up Father Abraham. Let’s look at what our Scriptures really say about how he became righteous. IT WAS BY FAITH!”

a. consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”

1) Paul is actually quoting Genesis 15:6 and reminds his readers that Abraham, is not an example of a person made righteous through pious behavior, but was declared righteous by God because Abraham believed God

3. similarly, according to vs. 7, the true children of Abraham are not those who are ethnically Jews, but who are spiritually Jews because they’ve had the same kind of faith that Abraham had

4. Abraham had true life because he believed, not because he behaved

a. this remains the great divide between the Old Testament and the New Testament; between the true gospel and a counterfeit gospel

1) the Law said “DO!” but grace says, “DONE!”

2) the Law says “TRY!” but grace says, “TRUST!”

3) the Law says “BEHAVE!” but grace says, “BELIEVE!”

4) the Law points to the commandments, but grace points to Christ

5) the weakness of the Law is the flesh (we simply can’t obey it), the wonder of grace is the cross (where we stand forgiven)

b. living by the law isn’t a buffet where you can pick and choose the rules and regulations you want to obey

1) it’s an all-or-nothing deal ... either you keep all the law all the time or you’ll never get to heaven

2) Paul’s point is that no one can do that

5. but if you believe, if you fly to the cross for grace then you become an heir to the promise God made to Abraham ... you become a true son of Abraham and an heir with Christ

III. TRUE LIFE: CHRIST PROVIDES IT THROUGH THE CROSS

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:13–14, NIV84)

1. justification is immediate and complete upon conversion

a. you will never be more justified than you are the first moment you trust in the Person and finished work of Christ

1) the weakest believer and the strongest saint are alike equally justified

2) a man is either wholly justified or wholly condemned in the sight of God—there is no middle ground

ILLUS. I’ll never forget an experience I had as a Sophomore in College. Actually it was something one of my room mates experienced. I was attending what is now Truman State University. I was living off-campus with four other students. Four of us were Christians, but one was not. Early one Saturday morning there was a knock on the door of our apartment. I opened the door to see Jim standing there; barely standing there. His cloths were rumpled. He was wet and filthy and reeked of beer and vomit and urine. When we asked him what had happened, he said, “I don’t remember much after leaving the party. I think I slept in the gutter, and no one bothered to pull me out.”

2. God the Father sent God the Son to pull us out of the gutter

a. in our lostness we reeked of sin and rebellion

b. we were are powerless and without strength

1) by our own good works we were unable to lift ourselves out of the scandal of our sin and the gutter of godlessness

c. but God can

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:2, NIV84)

1) that rock, of course, is Jesus Christ

3. when Christ died, he took upon himself the curse of God intended for us

a. he took our pain ... he took the shame ... he drank the cup of God’s wrath ... he bore the punishment meant for us ... he stood in our place ... he suffered for our sin ... he paind a debt he did not owe

IV. SOME APPLICATION

1. 1st, The Plan of Salvation in Every Age Is Always by Grace Through Faith Apart from Human Effort

a. God has only one plan of salvation—not two or three

b. don’t let anyone tell you that in the Old Testament people were saved differently than in the New Testament

c. it’s always been by grace, always been through faith, and always apart from human effort

2. 2nd, God’s Plan to Include the Nations Means There Is No Room for Racism, Bigotry or Prejudice in the Body of Christ

a. there is no room for excluding people on the basis of racial heritage, ethnic origin, language, appearance, skin color, or any other secondary trait

b. God has always intended to save people from every tribe, tongue, clan, kindred and nation

1) deal with it! ... Christ’s bride is multicultural and multi-hued

3. 3rd, This Is the Foundation for Evangelism And World Missions

a. God always intended to draw people from every nation

b. this is why we send missionaries around the world

Con. You cannot add to the work of Christ. When you start in the Spirit, you must end in the Spirit. So many times the Word shows that the flesh profits nothing and gets you away from what Christ is doing in you by the Holy Spirit.