Galatians (20)

Introduction: Imagine with me that you are prepared to run a marathon. We have trained together. Experienced the strengthening of our legs and limbs. And on the day of the race we get started with an excellent pace. Our stride is strong and we are running very well. For awhile we are running unhindered and without any set backs.... then, all of a sudden at about the 6 mile mark, someone switches the sign that gives direction for the course. Our GPS isn't working and so we turn off the course and end up running into a maze of misdirected efforts. All of a sudden the true path is history, and we are running down a fake and weary road that will not cross the finish line. Would you agree that this would be a terrible state to be in?

Transition: This is the very question that is asked in Galatians 5:7. Following along with me as we read together. (Read 5:7-12)

We are going to begin this morning by noticing the question asked in verse 7.

Question

Observation:

Point: Every hindrance to Christian progress is rooted in false beliefs. All backsliding is the result of being persuaded to believe something false about the gospel. Every laps back into bondage is because in that moment we are adopting a false truth about the gospel.

Who is persuading you? World, flesh, or devil. Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, or the pride of life. The care of the world. The stresses of life. The apathy of not caring. The suffering and hurts of relationships. The misdirected affections of desiring entertainment, false hope, or false security. The idolatrous attachments of the world. For those who are in Christ, we should be submitting to the persuasion of the Holy Spirit by the truth of the gospel recorded in the written scriptures.

Transition: The core root of all spiritual regression is false truth. Being persuaded by something other than the truth of the gospel. This may not always occur so blatantly like the Galatians being slammed by Judaizers, however is is always the root of floundering faith. Now, notice the answer he gives to the question in verse 8.

Answer

Observation: The guarantee is this. They are not being persuaded by God. The God who has called them is not the one responsible for leading them back into slavery and trying to convince them to be circumcised. This statement takes us back to Gal 1:6 when Paul started with surprise that they were so quickly deserting God who had called them in his grace. By way of a quick reminder let me share with you again the nature and effect of this calling of God.

A. Who? First, notice that it is God who does the calling.

B. How? God make this summons by the grace of Christ.

C. Why? Because it pleases Him. (1:16) He is glorified in accomplishing His desired purpose. (1:4-5)

2. Point: God who called them by His grace is not now placing them under the law in order to maintain their relationship with Him by merit.

3. Then he illustrates his point by references leaven. (Explain verse 9)

Transition: Verse 7 poses the question. Verses 8 & 9 reveal the answer. and illustration. Then in verse 10 the apostle reveals his confidence for the Galatians.

Confidence

Observation: Notice that Paul’s confidence that the Galatians will stand firm, and be renewed in the truth of the gospel is not in the Galatians ability to get it together. No, rather his assurance is in the Lord. This is the same confidence he offered to the saints at Phillipi in Phil 1:6

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

2. The point: Just as much as the Galatians are being persuaded by false teachers, Paul is being confidently persuaded in the Lord that they will not hold to another false gospel.

3. Application: We are held fast on the course of Christ by the one who alone put us in the race. Jesus Himself. Our confidence in the Lord, our faith in Christ alone, our trust in Jesus, our submission the the good news of Christ.

a. Perhaps you have a dear friend or family member who is walking away from the gospel. Maybe a mom or dad, a sibling, or son or daughter who is floundering in their faith. We certainly have members of our own body who we are perplexed about. Who seem to be drifting off the race track, who are obviously believing lies, who are hurting to the point of deserting the gospel of grace. Church! We will not despair. Our confidence is not in one another to stand firm in the gospel, no! Our confidence is in what Christ can do. The Holy Spirit can do more with truth in a millisecond than we can with a whole life time of fretting and worrying over other people hang ups.

Transition: Who am I trusting to persuade others with no other view than the gospel of Christ? So we see the question, the answer, the confidence to persuade, and then in verse 11 we are again reminded of the cross.

Cross

Observation: Paul finishes verse 10 by stating that he is sure whoever is disturbing the minds of the Galatians will suffer the consequence of their actions. And then in verse 11 he poses a rhetorical question. (read)

It seems that the false teachers in Galatia had tried to even use Paul as a means to make their case for circumcision. Maybe the delusion had gone something like this. “Galatians, you all know that even Paul was circumcised. He obviously doesn't think its evil. As a matter of fact he himself used to teach that you must be circumcised. So the guy who taught you that Jesus is the Messiah would in no way disapprove of you being circumcised in order to show your allegiance and be accepted to God.” Paul is saying here… if I was still teaching circumcision like I did before I was converted, then why am I still being persecuted? If I agree with these false teachers then why was I stoned and left for dead in Lystra?

Then, he gets to the bottom of the main issue at hand. The scriptures are saying here, if circumcision was essential to be right with God then the offense of the cross has been removed. This means that if a person can be made right with God through merit, then the offense of Christ becoming sin in the place of sinners, taking the wrath of God on sin, suffering the anguish of the cross was absolutely pointless. Why? Because if a person can make themselves right with God through their own merit, then the merit of Christ on the cross is of no value. This is the same point he made in Gal 2:21.

Galatians 2:21 ESV

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Furthermore, if the offence of the cross is removed, then the gospel is incomplete. This is the same issue that Paul addresses in writing the the church at Corinth. Turn over to 1Cor 1:18-25

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

5. The major point here is that the very heart of the gospel is at stake if a person can be made right with God through circumcision. To conclude that a person can gain or maintain a right relationship with God through any kind of law keeping is to say that the death of Christ on the cross is insufficient.

a. Also, think of it this way. When we drift off course and walk according to the flesh instead of the Holy Spirit we are giving into the lie that Jesus death was not enough. That my friends is a dangerous race to run.

Transition: Which is why Paul finishes up this paragraph with a very strong wish. Notice the curse in verse 12.

Curse

Since he understands what is really at stake in the Galatian churches, Paul directly speaks against the false teachers.

We do not need to downplay or reinterpret what he is saying here. However, a little cultural context may be helpful to understand. In the region of Galatia there were various Greek cults that practiced all sorts of unusual customs in order to please the gods they worshiped. Some of those who used to be a part of these cults were no doubt now converted and a part of the Galatians churches. They would have realized the connections between what Paul is saying here and the customs of the cultic priests. Apparently, there was an annual celebration where the priests of these cults would be castrated as a sacrifice to their gods as a service to their religion.

In effect, Paul is saying, “ the curse upon these false teachers is just like those of the pagan practices to whom you were converted from. This is exactly the tone he offered in the introduction to his letter when he said if anyone preaches another gospel that what has been preached let him be anathema, be damned.

Again, we should understand their are severe consequences for deluding the gospel and derailing others to do the same.

Closing: We have observe the question, answer, confidence in the cross of Christ, and consequence for deserting the grace of God.