Untitled Sermon (6)

Galatians Chapter 3:19-29

Last week’s sermon summary:

Slide Conclusion of Galatians:

6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

- Boy Scouts; compass navigation

-to sum up chapter one and two, Paul continued to defend his apostleship and God given authority. WHY - Paul persecuted the church so his gospel can’t be trusted, so believe our gospel, not his, BUT…

-he was commissioned by God himself

-he received the gospel by direct revelation from God

-the Jerusalem church recognized his authority AND apostleship

-Paul is Peter’s equal and confronts Peter’s hypocrisy as his equal

-therefore, Paul’s gospel is genuine unlike the false teacher’s gospel the Galatians have ran after. Slides

19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

20 Now a mediator is not for one party only, whereas God is only one.

1. BEGS THE QUESTION…in the mind of a Galatian. Law must contradict promise.

2. Transgressions: Law like a road sign

a. Points to danger

i. We are sinners!

b. Reveals our sin so that we agree with…

i. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God

ii. Road signs: Tells us where not to go.

1. Do not go this way on the road

a. DANGER AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

b. Turn away from your sin

i. The Law CANNOT SAVE YOU

ii. ONLY JESUS saves!

1. Jesus loves you soooo much that He gave us road signs, His word, the Bible!

iii. Romans 5:8 For God demonstrates His love in this, that while we were still sinners

a. Still hating him

b. Still angry

c. Still rebelling

d. Still pridefully doing things our own way

e. Christ died for us! AMEN!

2. Therefore, the Law, like a road sign, pointed the OT people

(Like Abraham)

i. To place their only hope by faith alone in the promise to come

1. Which is JESUS!

3. Abraham’s faith was a waiting faith in the promise to come

a. But now that the promise has been fulfilled in Jesus

i. Faith now guides us,

1. Though we still have a waiting faith like Abraham

a. Because we now await Jesus’ 2nd return

1. However, looking again at vv.19-20,

a. how can Law be bad?

2. vv.19-20 forces us to ask how the Law does not impart life

a. since it was given by God

i. à MORE THAN THAT…

3. Law was given by God through angels mediated by Moses à had to be good

4. indeed, it is good, but so are road signs, because they

a. point us in the right direction

b. help us avoid danger.

21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

22 But the Scripture (LAW) has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

1. In other words, the LAW was given to hold our hands,

a. shake us while screaming to us that we are sinners

i. so that we would realize how utterly sinful we are and therefore how utterly in need of Jesus we are.

b. Therefore, the law was a temporary guide like a road sign

i. to point us to our need for Jesus to forgive us of our sins,

ii. Here’s your SIGN à you are a sinner, go directly to Jesus, do no pass go, do not collect $200.

1. for Paul continues…

23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. So, OT people… 613 à impossible

24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, why? so that we (OT) may be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Differences between OT & NT

1. Therefore, if we are no longer under the law as a tutor or road sign

- but under faith

- then that means we must now live by that faith, not by the law.

2. And by this faith

- we have indeed received the Spirit by faith

i. and not by works of the Law

3. but faith does not happen in a vacuum

- look again at verses 2 and 5

i. Hearing with Faith: ILLUSTRATION God spoke according to Genesis

ii. God spoke his word = creation ex nihilo

1. Same with us

2. We hear God’s word

a. And we believe

i. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today?

3. But if our faith is week, remember, faith does not happen in a vacuum

4. We must place ourselves in a position to hear God’s word if our faith is to grow.

a. Does not take much

i. Mustard seed

1. But mustard seeds grow

a. When a little is exercised

4. This faith through the hearing of God’s word causes new birth, a new creation

- Galatians 6:15

- We become new creations, sons, and daughters of God!

i. à something Pastor Pete drilled into my head because of my...

1. Low self-esteem

a. And thus, he built me up in this truth, so be admonished!

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

1. Only time Paul mentions baptism in Galatians

a. In exact middle of letter (In context of faith by hearing the word of God)

i. And not by works of the Law

ii. Very significant

1. Because in baptism we identify with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection,

a. Like putting on a toga, we are now Jesus’ and He is now ours (thanks Amazon) SLIDE

2. Firefighter example: not who he is, just what he does

a. I am a proud Indian, like Pastor Pete, and we went to the same doctor’s office, Haskell Health Indian Clinic in Lawrence

i. Yet, our citizen is in heaven, and our identity is in Jesus as SONS & DAUGHTERS of GOD!

ii. Therefore, as citizens of heaven

1. We are baptized into Jesus’ identity

a. Which is an identity of his Cross

i. To take his

ii. Ministry of servanthood

iii. And reconciliation

iv. In other words,

v. To follow and walk as Jesus as His children!

b. And if we identify with Jesus by faith through baptism as sons and daughters,

i. Then there is neither Jew, Greek, slave, free, black, white, yellow, brown, male, female

1. Because we are ALL born of the same Spirit, the same Father

2. For we are all one in our identity in Christ,

a. Wearing the same TOGA!

i. And there is no other identity for which we are to cling to

1. All other identities lead only to destruction!

c. Baptism itself does not save, for 1 Peter 3:21 says

i. Baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

ii. So then, baptism is

1. An outward expression of an inward experience

a. This is the inward experience found in 1 Peter 1:3:

b. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

2. Sons and daughters are not born by themselves on earth

a. Mommy has to go into labor

i. Doctors, nurses, and midwifes also help

ii. Conclusion: babies do not just come out on their own

1. During the night when everyone is sleeping, NO!

b. Same with those born of the Spirit through faith alone in what JESUS did for us, dying for our sins and raising from the dead three days later

i. Therefore, we are born of God by God’s great mercy

1. By His grace alone

2. Will you believe today?

3. And what is the result?

a. Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

b. Therefore, by faith through the hearing of the word of God

i. we are all sons and daughters of God

1. and eternal heirs of the everlasting inheritance

a. that will never fade, ever, never, ever, never

ii. and our identity in Christ through baptism goes even further in

1. 1 Peter 9-10

a. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

4. Therefore, like a firefighter who puts out fires

a. We too, since we are children of the living, resurrected God

i. Let us also behave as His children,

1. And proclaim his excellencies!

a. And be the salt and light the world so desperately needs RIGHT NOW!

In Ending

5. Prisoner of war from the Korean War (Chaplain Emil Kapaun)

a. Half-starved prisoner

i. But always had a positive godly attitude

b. Things he did

i. Washed the clothes of the recently deceased so that those with dysentery could stay warm

ii. Traded watch for blanket to make socks for others in cold weather

iii. Carved stairs out of ice so that water from the creek would be accessible

iv. Voluntarily cleaned the latrines to stop his co-POW’s from fighting over who would perform the loathsome task

v. Upon his execution he maintained a loving smile and requested that chapel services continue

6. We are children of God by faith in Christ alone,

a. Therefore, let us behave like children of God,

i. Even in the darkest of times!