Sanctification By Faith Alone in Chist Alone

Introduction:

Is there anything more frustrating or more discouraging than when someone you love and care for walks away from the faith or walks away from the truth. It is one of the most discouraging things in the world to see a loved one get caught up in deception.

This is where we find the apostle Paul this morning. As he writes to the churches in area of Galatia. These Galatians have begun to walk away from the truth that they had been taught. They have been deceived and confused and Paul is heart-broken.

What were they confused about? Sanctification. Now sanctification is a five dollar word that means the process of becoming more holy or more like Jesus. Sometimes we use the word progressive sanctification to further show that becoming more holy is a process its a progression.

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation we are justified or declared righteous. In the eyes of God our sins have been pardoned we have been made clean. However, for as long as we live this life we will still struggle with sin. We won’t be made truly perfect until we see Jesus face to face.

But while we are still here on earth we go through a process called sanctification. It’s the process of becoming more and more holy more and more like Jesus.

But the question we will wrestle with this morning and the question that the Galatians got so horribly wrong is this. How does this happen? How do we become sanctified? How do we grow in holiness? How do we become more like Jesus?

Big Idea: We are sanctified by faith not flesh.

Let’s read our passage this morning.

Galatians 3:1–6 ESV

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Big Idea: We are sanctified by faith not flesh.

So let’s try to understand what in the world is going on in these verses. A couple of things that we need to know first.

One, these churches were filled with people who had converted to Christianity from paganism. That is why Paul says in verse 1 that it was before their eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. What that phrase means is not that they physically saw Jesus Christ crucified but that through Paul’s preaching the crucification of Christ was so vividly told to them that it was as if they saw it in person. Paul’s preaching had left such a mark on them it was like they were there as witness of the crucification.

Preaching Christ crucified was Paul’s whole ministry.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (ESV)

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

The essence or the core of Paul’s message was not what we can do for Christ but what Christ has done for us.

Paul’s message was the opposite of JFK’s famous words.

“Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”

Paul said ask not what you have done for Christ - ask what Christ has done for you.

But Paul didn’t just preach a dry boring message about Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 (CSB)

5 because our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance.

The preaching of Christ crucified came with the power of God not with lofty words of wisdom but with the simple life changing power.

He was publicly crucified for our sins. This was the core of Paul’s message so much so that it was as if the galatians were witnesses of the crucification themselves.

So Paul is writing to former pagans who have converted to Christianity after hearing what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross.

But the second thing we need to know about these Galatians is that some Jews have slipped into their midst and have begun preaching a false gospel.

They have affirmed that Jesus died for them and that they must put their faith in Jesus but they were also adding to the gospel. They added the law to the gospel. They believed that you must also follow the law especially in regards to circumcision and observing the Sabbath.

One commentator explains it like this.

The contest between Paul and his opponents reverberates in the background of these verses. There is no evidence that these law-observant teachers denied either the fundamental fact of “Christ crucified” or the manifestation of the Spirit among the Galatians.

So they weren’t arguing about whether or not Christ was crucified or not or whether Christ’s crucifixion was necessary or not. That was agreed upon.

Their claim was rather that the entry-level gospel proclaimed by Paul was insufficient for the higher spiritual realities offered only through the works of the law. They would have abhorred Paul’s antithesis between the gift of the Spirit and the works of the law. For them the granting of the Spirit was merely a preliminary initiation into the Christian faith, one that remained incomplete until it was perfected by receiving the sign of physical incorporation into the people of Israel. It was the soteriological value attached to circumcision, and not the rite itself, that prompted Paul’s negative reaction to the reforming mission of his opponents. The “higher life” they were promoting was in reality a step backwards into the negative sphere of human self-justification and rebellion against the grace of God.

Here’s what these false teachers were essentially teaching. That salvation by belief in Jesus was important even foundational but it was only the first step. That after understanding and believing in the gospel they must observe the law. They must be circumcisied and observe the sabbath if they are going to reach a higher level of spirituality.

And you know what that sounds kind of familiar not exactly the same obviously but It looks kind of familiar. I’ve seen it. I’ve thought it. I’ve treated the gospel like the entry way into this new life without realizing that the gospel is the new life.

SO that’s what the Galatians are starting to believe. They have been persuaded that the gospel is simply the entry way and now to experience this higher life of spirituality they must go back to observing the law.

So with that in mind listen as I read the text again.

Galatians 3:1–6 ESV

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Look how Paul compares and contrasts here with three questions. He says, Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? -and- Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? -and- Does he who supplies miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Notice the contrast between believing or hearing with faith and observing the works of the law and beginning by the spirit vs being perfected by the flesh.

He’s contrasting the two because to believe in the gospel is more than just giving mental agreement to the facts of the gospel (Christ dying and being raised from the dead) but to believe in the gospel means to stop trying to earn salvation by observing the law.

So he asks the simple question. How were you saved or how did you receive the Spirit? The obvious answer is they received the Spirit by hearing with faith completely apart from any good works they have done.

Listen to his second question, “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

This is a simple but profound question. Essentially Paul is saying if it took the supernatural work of God to save you why would you think you could make yourself holy on your own.

Why would you think you could perfect yourself by the flesh. I think as Christians we can all say to one level or another that we want to become more holy we want to become more presentable to a pure and holy God but to trust in our flesh to do something that can only be done by the Spirit is as the commentator said earlier a rebellion against the grace of God.

Listen to his third question, “Does he who supplies miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” Apparently in these churches miracles are being done in their midst. Paul’s question is simple. Are these miracles happening because you are obeying the law or are they a result of faith?

NOw think through the book of acts with me. Do any of those miracles happen because someone was circumcised or because they observed the sabbath or refused to eat certain meat? NO. Every miracle that was ever performed by a disciple of Jesus Christ came because of faith.

So you can see why Paul is being so harsh with them. The idea of treating the gospel as simply an entry way into salvation or the thought that the miracles that we happening were the result of obedience to the law was abhorrent to Paul. He calls them foolish. He asked if they have been bewitched and if their life has been in vain.

Paul is being harsh with them but it’s because he loves them even when he calls them foolish in the greek it’s done in an endearing way.

It could easily be translated like, “Oh you dear idiots of Galatia … surely you cannot be so idiotic?” To call some one foolish is to call them an idiot. But Paul has developed such a close and intimate relationship with them that that he truly and clearly loves them but for their sake and for their good he has to be blunt. Because to miss the gospel is to miss everything.

So Paul says oh dear idiots of Galatia who has bewitched you. Bewitch means to cast a spell on. So to be bewitched means to have a spell cast on them. Paul in shock he says who has cast a spell on you? Who has deceived you? What is going on? How could you be so easily deceived?

I’d like to spend a little time on that last question. How were these Galatians so easily deceived? What was at the root? How could these Jews come in and preach this false gospel and so easily cast a spell on these people?

Listen to Obadiah 1-4

Obadiah 1–4 (ESV)

1 Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!” 2 Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. 3 WHY??? The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” 4 Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord.

Nothing is more deceiving than that of your own pride. Edom dwelt in the clefts of the rock which means they were high and safe from danger. They w]asked who could bring me down?? They soared like eagles and their nest was among the stars. They thought surely nothing could happen to me. Their pride made them foolish. Their pride deceived them.

Because nothing is more deceiving than pride and in the context of Galatians 3 we see the pride of self righteousness. Why can I say that? Because only the self righteous would ever think that in the flesh we could become more like God. Only the self righteous could get this question wrong, “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Only the self righteous would think that they were in good enough shape that they no longer needed the Spirit and could in fact improve themselves on their own power. Only the self righteous would think they could make themselves acceptable to God. Only the self righteous would think the gospel was only an entry way into the christian life.

Only the most self righteous would ever be so easily deceived so easily fooled. Only the most self righteous people like me. You see Paul could have easily written a letter like this. O you dear idiot Jared who has deceived you. How could you be so foolish. Having begun by the spirit, Jared, do you really think you can be perfect by your own flesh?

I’m sure you’ve been told before to put your name in the verse John 3:16. For God so love the world that “insert your name” he gave his only begotten Son. That’s a wonderful thing to do and it’s true.

But this morning I challenge you to put your name in these verses. How has your pride, how has your self righteousness deceived you into thinking you no longer need the gospel? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. In what ways have you walked away from the glorious truth and begun to try to perfect yourself by your own strength.

Our self righteousness has deceived us. It’s made us foolish and like verse 4 implies it’s made our suffering worthless.

For the remainder of our time I’d like to answer than two questions.

What does it look like for us to try to perfect ourselves in the flesh and what does it look like to be perfected by the Spirit?

Or in other words getting back to the big idea. How do we try to sanctify ourselves by the flesh and what does it look like to be sanctified by faith. <<<<repeat>>>>>

A great way to see how we try to sanctify ourselves is by going to a Christian book store and looking through books in the category of self-help. Do you understand how prideful and self righteous that category is? “Self-Help.” As if we have any power to help ourselves. We don’t need self help we need Jesus.

Or how often after you fail to do what you know is right or you do the very thing you promised you would never do again. How often after that do you promise that next time you will try harder. Next time I’ll work even harder. In our pride we convince ourselves that in our flesh we can kill that sin and the next time we will have victory. All it takes is a little more motivation. A little bigger pep talk. And what we’ve turned into is what DA Carson calls New Year’s Christians. We make all kinds of resolutions to be better and in reality we fail far more often than we succeed. Trying to perfect ourselves by the flesh.

Or maybe you just create your own law. You create a standard of living that for the most part you can handle and by creating this new and lower standard you feel as if you have nearly perfected the flesh except for those little areas.

We could go on but all self-help books do all New Year’s resolutions all our motivational speeches do is what Paul Tripp calls fruit stapeling. Our life if filled with bad fruit but instead of taking care of the roots we just staple good looking fruit to our branches in an effort to look good or feel good about ourselves.

And what we see Paul saying in these verses is that it is impossible to perfect yourselves by the flesh. We are not able!

So how do we change? How are we sanctified by faith?

By viewing the glory of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Paul says we all with unveiled face. What does he mean by unveiled face? Well it a reference to the Old Testament that when Moses saw the glory of the Lord it literally changed his face so much so that it was shining and he covered it with a veil before talking to the people.

But what’s the point. Well when you see the glory of the Lord it changes you. When you see Jesus for who he is it changes you it transforms you. But notice how Paul says it. From one degree of glory to another. That’s progressive sanctification.

Where is God’s glory most clearly seen? In the cross of Jesus Christ.

And we can view that cross with an unveiled face because when Jesus died the curtain or the veil tore in two.

That is why Paul preached Jesus Christ crucified. That’s why he relied on the gospel of Jesus Christ to change people. Because what was started by the spirit will never be perfect by the flesh.

The thing that keeps us from seeing the glory of Christ is our own pride. Pride deceives us it blinds us. We need humility to see the glory of God.

Have you ever been to a big city at night and seen all the lights? It’s beautiful. We were in Arizona last bring and we climbed up this big hill and could see almost all of Phoenix lit up in the dark of night. It was beautiful. But you know what we couldn’t see? The stars.... Why? Because the light of the city obscured the light from the stars.

Have you ever been in an empty field or up on a mountain separate from from any man made light and looked up into the sky on a clear night? Now that’s breath taking. To see the glories of the heavens completely unhindered by any of mans creation is a beauty that nothing manmade can touch.

But what does it take to see that glory that beauty. The light of man must be turned off in order to see the suppieor light of God. The same is true in our lives. Our pride our self righteousness has hindered our view to see the glory and the beauty of Christ and it has stunted our growth. Because we will never change to become like God if we are distracted by our own glory or are own beauty.

But let’s get a little more practical. Remember if after failure our response is simply to try harder or to look for a new method then all we are doing is seeking to gain control of our lives through a works based righteousness.

The way we change as a Christian is not by trying harder but by continually repenting and uprooting our sinful action at their root. We do this the same way we became Christians. By the vivid depiction and belief in Christ’s saving work for us and the abandoning of self-trusting efforts to complete ourselves. We go back to the gospel so that our hearts and our passions are more deaply controlled by Him and what he has done for us.

Tim Keller in his commentary on Galatians helps us with what his looks like. He says in effect that… We should not simply say Lord, I have a problem with anger. Please remove it by your power. Give me the power to forgive. That sounds like a great prayer but typically that will simply end up with a prayer for power followed by more self improvement that fails.

But instead we should apply the gospel to ourselves at that point. Paul tells us that uncontrolled bitterness is a result of not lining in line with the gospel. It means that though we began with Jesus as Savior, something has now become our functional savior in His place. Instead of believing that Christ is our hope and goodness, we are looking to something else as a hope, to some other way to make us feel good and complete.

SO instead of just hoping God will remove our anger or simply trying to exercising will power against it, we should as. If i am being angry and unforgiving, hat is it that I think I need so much? What is being withheld that I think that I must have if i am to feel complete to have hope, to be a person of worth? Usually deep anger comes from something like that.

Maybe we want comfort above all else and when we are denied comfort we last out and whoever made us uncomfortable.

Maybe we want respect and when our child or spouse disrespects us we lash out in anger.

Maybe we want mens approval so when someone speaks bad about us we feel the need to defend ourselves.

Maybe we want control and every time we sense that we are no longer in control we respond with anger.

Comfort, approval, and control are functional saviors and whenever they are blocked we get angry.

Now self help or self improvement will give you advice on how to handle your anger. Maybe they will tell you to get a punching bag, scream into a pillow, count to ten, take a deep breath. That advice may help but it doesn’t solve the root. But aren’t you glad that the gospel doesn’t mean good advice. It means good news.

News that in Jesus we have all the comfort we could ever ask for and more.

That through Jesus we have the respect of God because in Jesus we have been made righteous.

That we don’t need mans approval because we have GOd’s

That we may not be in control but God is and he has our best intrest in mind.

So you see how faith in the gospel solves our deepest needs which leads to new life. But it takes faith. Faith that Jesus is enough. Faith that in the end all will be made right. Faith that God really is in control. Faith that we are loved and accepted by God.

It’s Faith in the truth of the gospel and repentance of our sins that changes us.

I had to do this last night. Our life got a little interesting this week and now we have a couple more beautiful kids in our home and things for the most part are honestly really good right now except for bedtime.

Bed time is not easy. Hours and hours of crying and I caught myself last night praying this prayer. God would you just help him fall asleep. Now that sounds like an ok prayer and I’m sure it could of been ok.

But you need to understand the motivation behind that prayer was not love but anger. I was angry because this crying kid was keeping me from doing the things that I wanted to do that I needed to do. Namely coming over to the church to prepare for today.

I was angry. God don’t you understand I’m trying to serve you. I’m trying to be better prepared to preach your word why won’t you make this.... kid fall asleep.

And in my anger I asked God to make my life easier, more comfortable more peaceful. But by God’s grace I was reminded of the very thing I would be talking about this morning. So i had to change my prayer and instead of praying that God would make this child fall asleep I asked God that he would change my heart.

That I would be filled with grace and patience. That I would love God and this child more than I love myself. And that I would be satisfied in Jesus in the midst of this inconvince. That the God of peace and all comfort would be enough for me.

Then I had to repent. I had to ask God to forgive me of my sin and I asked him for a new heart.

That’s how we change. Not by trying harder. Not by self help. Not by motivational speeches. Not even by learning tips and tricks to help a child fall asleep. Because maybe what that child needed even more than sleep was for a parent to hold and comfort him even when he was loud. Maybe he needed to feel and experience the kind of love that our heavenly father has towards us.

And you know that’s what I needed last night. I needed to know that I have a Father that loves me when I lash our in anger. That is patient with me when I’m loud and won’t listen. That comforts me when I’m inconsolable.

So if your here today and are struggling with your sin. Maybe you have tried and tried and tried but you keep failing. Maybe you’ve convinced yourself that this is the last time.

Can I plead with you today to repent. Repent of your self righteousness. Repent of the pride that has deceived you into thinking you can perfect yourself in the flesh. You can’t do it.

But also please know that you don’t have to be afraid of your sin. You don’t have to run from it. You don’t have to cover it up. You can come to Jesus the one who already knows all that you’ve ever done. You can bring your sin to him repent and rest in the fact that you are loved