The Connector

Context

Paul confronted Peter

Don’t mess with the Gospel

We are not tempted to mess with the gospel by burdening ourselves and others with dietary laws or other ceremonial laws, but perhaps we mess with the Gospel in some of the presuppositions we have about what we do and what God does.

Introduction

Prayer of frustration

FCF: We often misunderstand the connection our obedience to God and the grace of God.

The connection between our obedience to God and the grace of God is faith in God.

What does faith in God clarify about the connection between our obedience to God and the grace of God?

Our works do not secure our acceptance from God (15-16)

What do we have in common if we believe this?

A shared theology (15-16a)

talk about the term sinners

A shared faith (16b)

We must stake our lives on the redemptive work of Christ

Another point of clarification that faith provides us when it comes to obeying God and His grace

Christ’s work secured our acceptance from God (17)

Paul is admitting that he is seeking justification through Christ alone and not his works.

Paul is denying that Christ is an agent of sin

The Judaizers were accusing him of this

Party Illustration

We celebrate because of something that has already happened. The children of God celebrate through worship, obedience, prayer etc. We do this because we have been justified by the grace through Christ.

To presume that our works can secure acceptance from God is sin (18-19)

v. 18 begins with for which tells us that Paul is defending what he said in v. 17 namely that Christ is not an agent of sin

When we do away with this presumption, what else do we do away with?

bad theology: justification by works (18)

ego (18)

distance from God (19)

the less we rely on self, the closer we get to God.

Final point of clarification

Our union with the cross of Christ is why we should celebrate the grace of God. (20-21)

Verses 20-21 explains what v. 19 is like: dying to the law and living to God.

What does this union make clear about us?

We have hope because of the cross of Christ

crucifixion demonstrates the hellish reality of our sin

It is not on us (no self-reliance)

All that remains at the cross is Christ and His grace

Conclusion

Back to the chair

Yes, we will go to God in prayer with heavy hearts. Yes, we will be desperate, and yearn for certain outcomes. Yes, we will experience the ups and downs of life - joys and sorrows. But regardless, what we need to be clear on is that there is never a time when God’s grace is not sufficient for us. Even when the outcomes of what we want for our lives fail to come to pass. If God’s grace were not sufficient for us, nothing would be, and that’s miserable place to live.

We can know about the grace of God and we can strive to obey God, but unless faith in Christ alone connects those two ideas, we will live in that place of insufficiency, but when we live by faith in the Son of God, God’s grace will be sufficient.