Setting the Record Straight

Fact checking. It’s something we have certainly heard a lot about in recent days. Some welcome it… others see it as controlling the narrative - but both sides share the same interest: WE WANT TO GET BACK TO THE TRUTH.

Recent issues and national concerns aside… it can be difficult in a day of information to know what really is true and what is false information. How can a person know? How can a person decide what truth is… and what truth is not?

Fact checking has kind of received some negative comments because of all the issues that have been “checked” in recent months. But stop and think for a moment… this is something we do ALL THE TIME. Or at least we should.

When we get information, unverified information, what do we or should we do before accepting that information as true? We need to do a little research. We need to dig a bit deeper into the claim to see if it is true or not true.

I have been on both sides of this. I have been given information that I thought for sure was true and that feeling was prominently controlled by my biases… I WANTED IT TO BE TRUE. But despite my feelings and desires… the info was nothing but hot air.

I have also received info that I wanted to be false. I DIDN’T WANT TO BELIEVE IT… but it was true nonetheless. Again, if left unchecked, my feelings, biases, and desires would have steered me away from the truth. I would have ended up going the wrong direction.

So why all this talk of fact checking, researching, and getting back to truth? This morning we begin a series that will take us through the Book of Galatians and it is a very interesting book indeed.

Paul, the author of this original letter, is writing to the churches in Galatia for very good reason. Something was amiss. Instead of adhering to the true gospel message, the churches in Galatia were beginning to adhere to something else. As Paul says in verse 6 of chapter 1, they were “quickly deserting” from the truth. Something or someone was leading them the wrong direction.

Coming right out of our Easter celebration while facing the rising pressures of our day, I feel it very timely to review this book verse by verse to strengthen our resolve to stick to the truth. Who’s truth? GOD’S TRUTH.

This book, this Word was given to us by God. This book talks of things that once were, things that are in motion today, and of things that are coming tomorrow. Although we know the end of this story… we haven’t reached the end quite yet!

Each day that passes is another day we must remain dedicated to the truth found within this book NO MATTER WHAT DIRECTION THE WORLD TRIES TO GO.

This book is not re-definable. This book is not subject to our understanding, or our biases, or our feelings, or our prejudices, or our opinions, or our agendas. It is improper to make this book fit your way of life… instead we should work to make our way of life become HIS way of life… our life should come into alignment with God’s Word!

What happens when things are out of alignment? While working on my mom-in-law’s 56, I realized the other day the front end was knocked way out of alignment. While doing a very slow test drive, the front wheels were squealing and such was not the result of a ridiculous amount of power! One wheel was trying to keep the car straight while the other was wanting to go left. Thus, the car was hard to control as it was wanting to go two different directions.

Jesus said it well in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

If we desire to follow and honor God with our lives… we must make the choice to fully align with HIS truth and no other truth. otherwise we will find ourselves being pulled in multiple directions.

Today we look at the first 7 verse of chapter 1 of Galatians. As stated before, Paul is writing in response to a problem that was rising up within these churches. Galatians 1:6-7 reads, “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 which is really no gospel at all.”

Paul is UPSET and for good reason. This is not a cheerful letter, but a letter of correction. This letter is confronting a problem. It is a fact check letter if you will informing the churches of Galatia that they were missing out on the truth.

The “gospel” the people were running to is identified by Paul as “no gospel at all.” it was false and leading people away from God’s grace back into burdensome legalistic ways. God had made the way for grace… yet the people were missing it.

in his introduction, Paul tells the reader what it was that God gave and how it was God was able to give it. That tremendous thing being referred to is GRACE.

Galatians 1:1-5 reads “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

What God Gave: GRACE

Grace is a POWERFUL word and a concept we struggle to understand. Why? Because grace is not a natural response we see in this world.

Our world is very much transactional. This world operates on a sow and reap mentality.

A person goes to work and spends 8 hours doing what they were hired to do. In return, the employer pays the worker the wages earned by their efforts.

A person breaks the law and receives a punishment fitting for the crime they committed.

The sow and reap mentality is you get what is coming to you reality. This works both in positive ways and negative ways. YOU GET… WHAT YOU DESERVE.

Grace, on the other hand, doesn’t work like that! As Max Lucado said in his book on the topic: grace is MORE than we deserve and GREATER than we could imagine! Pastor John Lindell suggests in his book that grace is more liberating than you believe!

Grace, by definition, is favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves. Grace is one of the key attributes or characteristics of God.

What God gave and is giving is… GRACE. And the churches of Galatia needed to be reminded of this truth. As Paul wrote in his greeting, “grace and peace” is what God had offered to those who would believe. Moving to his comment in verse 7, any “gospel” that claims any other way is NO GOSPEL AT ALL. God’s gospel is THE gospel of grace.

Grace is not given because it is earned or deserved, grace is given in place of what is earned or deserved.

Recall the cause and effect or sow and reap mentality. With this in play, none of us would be here today - here in the presence of God celebrating our salvation and deliverance from sin. That is NOT what we deserve.

What we deserve to receive is wrath and judgement. The wages of our sin, what our sin has earned is death. (Romans 6:23). But God, because of His love, offers us a gift that is much more than we deserve… that gift is eternal life!

How well do we truly understand the truth of God’s grace? How deep and how far does that grace expand? How much has our understanding of how the world works impacted the way we view and receive the grace of God?

We are so consumed with the idea that our works has something to do with the grace that we receive. But the astonishing thing about grace is that “the work” is really not up to you at all; grace is the proclamation that the work has already been done for and is being done in and through you.

There is no ten-step process or special technique to learn in order to receive grace. Listen to this very carefully:

Grace says everything that ever needed to be done has been done for you.

Grace says you can finally lay the burden down, let the people who hurt you off the hook - even let yourself of the hook.

Grace says there’s nothing else you have to do to make yourself righteous - that the only response God expects from you in response to His radical forgiveness is to come on home where you belong - back in His amazing presence.

Grace says you get to start over. Grace says you get to be free. God’s grace is enough. God’s grace is sufficient. God’s grace will carry you through! His grace is ALL that you need!

God’s grace was not given to be abused… but it certainly was given to be enjoyed! By His grace, we walk out from under the weight of our sin AND the weight of our works. What do I mean by that? We walk out from under the impossibility of trying to earn our favor with God.

God has given grace to those who would believe and it is an amazing gift to receive! And the means by which God has given us grace is something that cannot be ignored.

How God Gave: Jesus

God’s grace is given as the price for our sin has now been paid in full. All that is necessary for our sins to be forgiven is FINISHED. The work has been done and it was accomplished through Jesus Christ our Lord. Looking back to verse 4, we see how it was (is) that God gives grace through Jesus.

Jesus Christ GAVE Himself for our sins. He was given so that our sins could be forgiven. he was sacrificed for our sins and because He was without sin… He blood had the power to cover ALL sin!

Jesus took the punishment that we deserve for our sins and nailed it to the cross. I often struggle with this truth because I find myself asking why… why would Jesus do this for me? I DON’T DESERVE THIS KIND OF LOVE! Be that as it may… He did it anyway. In the beginning, I didn’t choose Jesus… but that didn’t stop Him from choosing me. That didn’t stop Him from choosing you.

Because the price was now paid in full, instead of receiving what we deserve, those who believe in Jesus receive grace and peace from our God.

Verse 4 also says Jesus gave to rescue us from the present evil age. Jesus gave so that we break free from the destructive pattern of this world that is immersed in sin.

Before Christ gave… this world did not have resource enough… this world did not have strength enough… this world did not have power enough to rescue itself from sin. We were drowning in sin and there was no means of rescue in sight. Try as we might… there simply was no way to save ourselves.

Evil is all around us. The further culture moves from God, the more prominent and bold its evil actions become. Evil is more than an idea and more than one bad decision. Evil is a force that that is on the move and it brings destruction and devastation with it wherever it goes. Evil encourages people to remain in sin… to give in to the depravity of their minds. You don’t have to look far to find the evil that is present in this age.

Jesus gave to rescue all who would believe from this evil. Jesus gave in accordance with the Father’s will to make possible this awesome deliverance!

No Other Gospel

So let’s go back to the issue or the problem that Paul was confronting in this letter to the Galatians. They knew of God’s grace. They knew of Jesus and His sacrifice. They knew of the deliverance and new life that was now available in Jesus. Yet… they were choosing to follow something else.

The people were deserting or turning their backs on what they knew for something Paul describes as no gospel at all. They were moving from that which brings freedom back to what brings bondage.

They were succumbing to outside influences. They were NOT checking the facts and they gave into a false teaching. And such is happening in our world today. People of “faith” are walking away from truth and are settling for watered down or compromised theology. The gospel is NOT something we can add to or take away from… it is something GOD has defined and given to us through His Word.

There is ONLY ONE gospel… and it is the gospel of grace.

Christ, through the message of the cross, is calling out to this hurting and broken world to come under His grace… to find mercy and peace… to find forgiveness of sin. Christ wants to set you free.

Grace is NOT about our works but is all about the work Christ has already completed for you. It is a work that none of us deserve, but a work that is finished nonetheless.

God’s grace is not something that impacts us for just a moment… it is a new reality we get to live in every single day. It is joy in knowing your sins have been forgiven.

I want you to hear me clearly: The conditions necessary for you to receive God’s grace were satisfied through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO EARN THE GRACE OF GOD. Jesus did it all already!

When we add conditions to the reception of God’s grace, what we are really doing is cheapening the work that Christ accomplished. In a sense… we are saying His blood was not enough.

All Jesus wants today is your heart. All Jesus desires today is for you to come home. Jesus is calling to all who would hear to come out from under the weight of your sin through repentance and allow His grace to set you free!

These are facts that you can take to the bank. God LOVES you. God GAVE His Son for you. Through the giving of His Son, God OFFERS grace to you.

None of us have earned it. None of us deserve it. it’s not because of who we are… but it’s all because of who God is!

This is TRUTH. You can check it right here in the book. And if someone tries to add or take away from it, do not accept it as truth, but come back to the source of truth that will set you free!

Prayer

Salvation - God is calling you to live in the grace of Christ Jesus, to be forgiven of sin, to be rescued from the present evil age… TO BE SET FREE. The way to grace is Jesus. The way to forgiveness is the cross. Will you receive the grace God wants to give you?

Help us stay true to truth. Let’s not follow any other “gospel.” Reject any “truth” that add conditions or take away from the significance of our salvation. THE CROSS IS ENOUGH. HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN!