Sharing in the faith of Abraham

Turn with me to Galatians Chapter 3

As we turn there Paul is continuing of what I have observed to be an obliteration of Judaizers argument of faith plus works. Whats important to note is the the Jews have never been saved by works, they had always been saved by faith. I have heard it said by one man, Before the Cross they were saved on credit. After the cross we have been saved on debit. Abraham is one of the most recognizable names in all of scripture, and he to was saved by Faith alone.

Read Text:3:1-9

Main Idea: The people of Galatia and Abraham were both saved by faith alone.

Galatians salvation started with faith.

Paul was getting to the heart of the issue with the people of Galatia using their own experiences to show them how important faith is.

Paul Starts Galatians 3 with the language, O Foolish Galatians who has bewitched you? The people of Galatia were in fact bewitched by the Judaizers. The Judaizers came in, and preached a different gospel. They influenced the people there to believe something that Paul did not preach. Paul by calling them foolish is very surprised that they would do such a thing, that they would abandon the grace of Christ. remember back in Galatians 1:6-7 that said, I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” It was foolish to Paul that they would leave this gospel of grace for a gospel of works, a gospel that could not save.

Paul reminds them that it was before their own eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly crucified. ( we dont know if these people saw this, its most likely that they didn’t but Paul preached the message of the cross to them ) The cross was the one time event, that saved sinners from the wrath of God, that event gives believers hope in the evil age, and proves who the real Lord is, last week we saw Galatians 2:20-21 say 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Christ had a purpose for coming and that was to save sinners.

Listen to John Stott, “There is then, it is safe to say, no Christianity without the cross. If the cross is not central to our religion, ours is not the religion of Jesus.”

Paul didn't want the people of Galatia to forget this. He also didn’t want them to forget about the source of their own salvation.

In verse 2 he asks a simple question. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with Faith?

If you have been following the argument Paul has been making you can clearly see there is only one possible answer. They recieved the Holy Spirit when Paul was originally preaching to them, when they believed in Jesus Christ, it wasn’t until after Paul had come when they learned about the law, and how the judaizers twisted the message that Paul preached saying this is the full revelation of God, and some believed the judaizers, but this still wasn’t when they recieved the Spirit of God, they recieved the Holy Spirit by faith when they believed in Christ.

Paul asks them again another question. Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh? Paul answers the last questions within this question. The Spirit of God is given by faith, but the Galatian church had bought into the idea that they could add to the work of the Holy Spirit. That they could somehow add to the power of the Holy Spirit, and make the flesh better. If you know cars you know the size of the engine matters. Imagine taking a Bugatti Chiron which has 1479 horsepower, and trading it in the Renault Twizy that has a horsepower of 5, and somehow thinking man I got the better deal on this one. A Car example doesn’t do the Power of the Holy Spirit justice though, even though you can see the drastic difference. Man cannot add anything to God and his way of salvation. Faith alone is what saves you, the people of Galatia knew this and yet they were exchanging a truth for a lie. Exchanging something better for something far worth, something that was freely given to something that was trying to be earned.

These people had experienced the grace of God had real change, seen their lives transformed, and now they are going to a works based system. Not only did they say Hey God i dont need the Holy Spirit to become more like Christ I got this, they were saying I am just going to abandon this grace I have recieved and follow the law instead. Their whole Christian experience would in effect be thrown out the door, and had no purpose to them.

Paul asks again another question Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain. We dont know the kind of suffering that the people of Galatia may have had, but we do know if they suffered outside of Christ then its all in vain, because suffering for Christ is the only thing worth suffering for.

What Paul does in verse 5 is ask the same question that we answered no to in verse 2, but now we have the contexts of verses 3 and 4 to answer even more clearly. The Spirit of God had been at work in the people of Galatia, so much so that it was evident that it was God who was doing this miraculous things. And what Paul wanted to make clear to the people of Galatia that it was by faith that these things were happening not by works of the law.

This is a great reminder for believers today about the importance of faith in our own lives. When we come to faith in Jesus its not about doing all right things, or following the law, its about faith. But the thing about Faith is that it doesn’t end whenever we believe in Christ, it continues for the rest of our lives. If you are a believer in Christ it’s not because of what you have done, but what Christ has done, and by faith he is going to give you all he has promised you.Paul’s message is a message of faith in Christ not faith in works.

As far as I am concerned Paul’s argument is rock solid. Faith alone saves, but in true Paul fashion he keeps going And their is no better example of faith than that of Abraham.

Abraham was someone who had great faith and shows us that justification by faith isn’t just something Paul had made up.

Abraham was saved by faith.

Paul is quoting in verse 6 Genesis 15:6 which says, “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” But what was he believing him for? Lets read the previous verses in Genesis 15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

See God promised Abraham a child and heirs that would out number the stars, a powerful promise from a powerful God. And God made this promise not to a man who was young and in his prime, but to a man who was 99 Years old, and his wife was 90. God took what seemed to be impossible, and made it possible.

Despite what seemed to be impossible he believed God, and that belief was counted as righteousness. Not Abrahams works or his achievements, but faith alone.

Abraham did not have the law, yet he was justified by faith, God fully accepted him not based on works, but based on faith.

God gave a covenant to Abraham after he had believed, and if you know anything about covenants it would involve two parties that would literally cut two animals in half placing them in two rows were each party would walk together through the sacrifice, but God made this covenant in a different way. God made this covenant with Abraham when he was asleep, and rather than Abraham and God walking through the sacrifice together only God did it. God made the covenant, and the only thing Abraham did was believe God.

Faith matters to God, and Paul says to the people of Galatia that those who are of the faith are sons of Abraham. And the implications of this are if you believe in Christ you to are a son of Abraham. Romans 4:11 which says, “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well”

See Abraham was an example to all of those who would believe. That righteousness comes from faith alone. One more example Romans 4:16 says, That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham”

Abraham did eventually get circumcised but this wasn’t because it was what saved him, but it was what God asked him to do. Not as something that would justify him. Its clear to see Abraham was justified by Faith alone.

The great truth about justification by faith alone is not just for Jews, it is for the Galatian people and us. The gospel came to the gentiles, because God wanted it to.

The same message that saved Abraham is going to save gentiles as well.

Genesis 18:18 says, “seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” All the nations will be blessed because of Abraham.

See contrary to what the Judaizers were preaching gentiles are saved by faith alone. This message of faith alone came over 400 years before the law was even given. See the promise of being an heir of Abraham isn’t by works its by faith in Christ. So everyone who believes in Christ is an heir of Abraham, and they are blessed with him as well.

One commentator said it like this, Who are the ones who enter into spiritual blessing? The answer is: Those characterized by the approach of faith are blessed along with Abraham, who had faith. Besides, since the blessing of Abraham is declared to have been intended for the Gentiles also, how could the Gentiles be blessed except by faith? To have been blessed in any other way would have involved their ceasing to be Gentiles.

The gospel of Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified is not just for the Jew, it was not just for Abraham it was for the Gentiles. Listen to Paul is Colossians 1:24-2:3 it says this, “24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”

This truth today for us means that if you dont know Jesus Christ you dont have to jump through hoops to know him, the mystery is no more because if you dont have a relationship with Christ you can today if you repent of your sin, and trust in him.

For us as a church this is an amazing truth, because we can go to anyone, and preach the gospel to them. It does not matter their background, their social standing, their current religious views, their political party, or anything else. We can tell them that Jesus saves. While the gospel is not universal meaning not everyone is saved it’s reach is, meaning God can save anyone.

Live your life in such a way that says I believe by Faith that God can save those who are different than me, knowing that I have been saved and set free.

As a church if we are going to fulfill our mission statement to evangelize the sinner its going to take sharing the good news with people that are not like us.

Remembering always that the people of Galatia, Abraham, and all believers are saved by faith alone.