Defeating Legalism and Advancing the Gospel Together

To recap chapter 1 just briefly Paul is addressing the Judaizers who were attacking the galatian church with the idea that you must add to faith in order to obtain salvation. Paul in the beginning of this book attacked that idea and made a clear statement to the church of Galatia that if you preach another gospel you will be accursed, and he followed that powerful statement with a testimony of God’s faithfulness to him, and the work of God in his own life that did in fact give him credibility as a minister of the gospel. Today we will see Paul’s story unfold even more. As he shows that his gospel was independent even of Peter, yet had the same message that was extending to the ends of the earth.

Listen to the words to the Galatians Chapter 2:1-11

Title: Defeating Legalism and Advancing the Gospel.

Main point: Advancing the gospel means defeating legalism.

Paul says in Chapter 2 that after 14 years he went up again to Jerusalem. Now scholars debate when this actual date was, because in Acts chapter 15 an important event took place that had some similar issues that the church of Galatia were going through. In this council they came to the conclusion what we already know that Christ saves both Jew and Gentile through faith alone.

If this is why Paul went to Jersualem he doesn't talk directly about the council, but he does deal with many of the same issues. He went to Jerusalem with at-least two people. Those people were Barnabas and Titus. Both of these men were major contributors to early church.

Barnabas was a man who was a great supporter of Paul. He was a man who testified to the work of Christ in Pauls life. Soon after Pauls conversion.

Titus was a man that Paul greatly poured into. We know this not only because of the book of Galatians but Paul would write a letter Titus as well. Titus was a Gentile, making Pauls argument even stronger.

Now Paul went to Jerusalem because he was driven by the Holy Spirit.

He was to go and tell them about all that had happened. About the gospel he was preaching to the gentiles. But he did so in a private manner. He wanted to make sure that everything he was preaching was not in vain. Paul was not a man without a plan, he was a man on mission, who would testify to those in Jerusalem that he was preaching the true gospel to the Gentiles.

He mentioned this to fight the Judaizers who believed that his gospel was not universal. One guy said, “However confident he was in the revelation that he thought was from Jesus Christ, he was still willing to submit his revelation to the evaluation of the leaders of Jerusalem”

Paul had nothing to hide from the Judaizers or the apostles. He was confident about the gospel, and his mission. He knew what God has called him to carry that mission out, but notice how his argument unfolds.

The Text says he took Titus with him. I mentioned just a few moments ago that Titus was a greek by birth. He had not recieved the mark of circumcision nor was he circumcised. But notice the text says that he was not forced to. Despite being with Paul who was a Jew by birth. Paul did not require Titus to be circumcised. If Titus was circumcised the Judaizers would have taken that and added ammo against Paul. They could have said see Titus a gentile is even circumcised, so shouldn’t all the gentiles be as well.

Yet Titus was the the perfect example of someone who could be a faithful follower of Christ yet not follow the customs of the Jewish law. Paul was not being legalist with Titus.

This doesn’t mean the law was bad or wrong or even circumcision was wrong , but elevating it to its improper place was. ( works of the law cannot save )

But that doesn’t mean others were not challenging Paul, and Titus. To admit that they were wrong, to admit they gentiles needed to become Jews before they were saved.. There were false brothers who were trying to use the freedom Paul, and others have in Christ against them.

So much so that they were doing their best to bring them back into slavery. ( what does this mean ) If Paul, and Titus accepted that circumcision was needed for salvation then they would be bound to the law.

They would in fact have bondage because they would become a slave to works. ( This would have meant all the Jewish laws and customs they would be bound to, and a slave to, to do their best to follow the law )

In a few weeks we will unpack what this means in greater detail. But for the message today its important to note that if you think works of the law will save you, you will become a slave to them.

Yet despite the heavy influence of the Judaizers they did not submit to the pressures of the them. Not even for one moment.

( I love that, because how many times in our Christian walk have we gone down the wrong path, believed the wrong thing, and fell into the temptation of some sort of works based righteousness. Not recently but in my life I have had my own struggles because of who I thought were true brothers in Christ, were actually outsides influencing me to build a resume for God that he had already freely given me. )

But Paul did not move into the direction of the Judaizers In order that the gospel would not be stained and it would be preserved. Paul and Titus and the other Apostles did this for the purity of the gospel.

Paul’s aim in this was to preserve the gospel and this applied to the people of Galatia.

( he did not want the people of Galatia to buy into the idea that they could be saved by any sort of works. ) Remember his warning in chapter 1 if anyone preaches a gospel contrary to what I was preaching let him be accursed.

One man said it like this, “Paul knew that any drift on his part toward a gospel linked inevitably with the law would mean death to the new churches. It would mean nationalization. It would mean joining Judaism as any other convert to Judaism had done. It would not mean life in Christ. And so Paul continues the narrative with the important evidence for his case”

For believers today this can be a real problem, because we can directly or in-directly tie certain things to the church, that do not belong their. Christianity used to be synonymous with the United States, if you were a Christian you were a proud American, and why this isn’t a bad thing, if elevated to its improper place it can become legalist.

Our identify is not in where we were born, but in who caused us to be reborn.

Adding on things to the gospel causes legalism, but experiencing grace destroys it.

Pauls message was clear the gospel needs nothing else.

But Paul would add to his own amazing testimony from the Lord to include those who seemed to matter most.

The people who had at least appeared to have real influence in the church did not believe you could be saved by works either.

Paul makes an interesting statement though when telling the people of Galatia that very thing. He says and those who seemed to be influential ( what the were make no difference to me, God shows no Partiality, those I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.

The Apostles and teachers were not adding or taking away from anything that Paul had already been teaching.

So why did he consult them, and why did he tell the people of Galatia about this? In chapter 1 we learned that Paul’s gospel was not of man it was from directly from God, so why would he do this, because he knew that the endorsement of the pillars in Jerusalem would be crush the Judaizers.

A already powerful testimony from Paul becomes even more powerful.

These pillars of the faith were preaching the same message of gospel to the Jews.

And this same was extended to the Gentiles. ( God didn’t just give the message to Peter or his closest apostles only, but extended it to the Gentiles and used Paul, and Titus and others to do so. and the apostles recognized that call on Pauls life, and preached that same message as well.

Peter and Paul had the same mission Preach the gospel, but each had their own tasks. Peter was entrusted to preach the gospel to the circumcised the Jews ( it was God plan for him to do that very thing ) God worked through Peter to preach the gospel to the Jews.

And for Paul he was to preach the gospel to the gentiles ( it was Gods plan for him to do that very thing) God worked through Paul to preach the gospel to the gentiles.

If the Judaizers thought they had any power over Paul and his message, James, Cephas, and John could vouch for Paul. These mens were known as pillars of the faith, a pillar is foundational to any building if you have been oversees or seen picture you can see how massive and strong these pillars are and what they held up,

and these men were who God used to advance his gospel, and they do perceived the grace that was given to Paul. ( These men are responsible for 8 books of our New Testament, they had authority in the church. )

And they had seen the grace Paul had been given they recognized that he preached the right gospel, his testimony was rock solid.

Paul who had been a great enemy of these men was now a friend. A co-labored in Christ, so much so ( He was given the right hand of fellowship )

One scholar said in the near east this was a significant vow of friendship and a mark of a true partnership.

They believed as Paul believed. Paul would go to the gentiles, and Peter would go to the Jews. Paul’s call and confirmation on his life was a death blow on the Judaizers.

These faithful men make us as a Church figure out what our calling is.

Last week I told you, that Only you can live the life God called you to. Only you can live the life God called you to.

Lets take a step here, and think about what God has called Agape Baptist Church to do. Paul was called to go to the Gentiles, and Peter was called to go to the Jews, but what are we called to do.

I personally love the mission statement of Agape Baptist Church that is written on the back wall.

EXALT the Savior  EVANGELIZE the Sinner  EQUIP the Saints  EDUCATE for Maturity  ​ENCOURAGE one Another

I want you guys to understand something, we may not be the biggest church in town, we may not have all the resources that other churches might have, we dont have the influence that other churches do, but we do have a gospel message that changes lives. We do serve a savior that is still in the business of saving others, and we have a clear mission statement that we can faithfully do. These five things don’t require a gigantic building, or thousands of dollars, or thousands of people, but they do require you.

Lets briefly go through each one.

EXALT the Savior- what does exalt mean- to hold something or someone is very high regard; think or speak very highly of.

At Apage I want this place to think mighty highly of our Lord.

Listen to Psalm 34:3 “Oh, Magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together!”

Church let us be a place that lifts us the Lord high.

EVANGELIZE- The oxford dictionary says to evangelize means to convert or seek to convert someone to Christianity.

We believe we cannot save anyone, but we can tell them about our savior. I want us to be a church that tells others about Jesus.

It can be as simple as this. We believe that Jesus came born of a virgin lived a perfect life, was crucified for sinners, and was raised on the third day. And everyone who repents of their sin and puts their faith in Christ can be saved.

Every single week I dedicated to evangelize the body of Christ, and those who do not yet know him, are you?

EQUIP- supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose

This is done in the Pulpit, in Sunday school, on Wednesday nights, and in the youth, and children's rooms.

We have the word of God to help equip us.

Several weeks ago I preached through some of these verses, but they are worthy of mentioning again, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

This church is a place that aims to equip believes to become more like Christ.

EDUCATE- is close to equip but as the mission statement says educate for maturity.

Sanctification never stops, as much as we think we may know about Christ their is always more to learn, Believers of Agape want to mature in their faith, and my aim as pastor is to not only help you grow, but to grow myself.

​ENCOURAGE- is to give support, confidence, or hope to someone.

It doesn’t take much to encourage somebody. I have been at churches that have been nothing but discouragement, and agape doesn't need to be a place like that.

Agape should be as Paul says it the Romans Chapter 12:10, Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor”

I believe as a church we can do those five things well. We can be a light for the gospel in this area, and the world.

Let us be reminded from Peter and Paul that we have a mission to preach Christ, and let our mission be specific, and obtainable. While making sure we never add anything to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and make sure that we never are so set in our ways that we let it impact our witness for him.

Every believer and church has a different calling, let us go and fulfill that calling Together all while not compromising to Legalism along the way.

Now these great men of the faith did ask Paul to do something, and that was to remember the poor. ( many Christians were not in the proper place to be able to take care of themselves, but Paul was eager to help them ) Which is something he often did when it would come to Jerusalem he would bring money to the help those in need.

Every believer and church is called to if they can to take care of the most vulnerable.

How can you respond today. First dont’ buy into the idea that faith plus works can save you. Its only by faith alone can one be saved. It you dont have a realationship with Christ then you can respond in faith today, by repenting of your sins and trusting in Christ alone. If you are a believer your a called for a specific mission, and this church is as well, how can you play your part in

EXALT the Savior  EVANGELIZE the Sinner  EQUIP the Saints  EDUCATE for Maturity  ​ENCOURAGE one Another

As a body its important that we all do what God has called us to do. Finally give to help those in need. I know as a church who is involved in cooperate giving that some funding goes to some in need, and I have been told that this church regularly is apart of things that helps this community and as a body let us respond to the call God has on this church, and your own lives.

Its important as we go to defeat legalism ( as a church we should strive to remove all things that we may be adding to the gospel, and advance the kingdom of God together )

After we pray I will be up here to pray with you if you would like to make a decision or just need someone to pray with. Lets pray.