RE:made Galatians wk 1

January 9, 2022

RE:made Galatians pt. 1

Have you ever felt unqualified for something?

When I look at my own life, the list of the things that I am not qualified for seems to get longer and longer.

I’ve been working since I was 11 years old and to this day I’m not sure if I have ever started out a job that I knew was 100% qualified to do...

This is where we find ourselves in the text today... Who’s qualified to do what God wants us to do?

As we dive into this series, I want to start by saying this…

The book of Galatians sets the stage of calling out the old law with the new grace that Jesus gave with His life.

Paul is answering the objections of a group of people we are calling “Judeizers.”

Since the Judeizers were basically emphasizing circumcision and the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, they were probably Jewish Christians (in a very loose sense) who had come from Jerusalem and claimed to have James, Peter and John as their authority.

According to them, Paul was just a “the next big boy band”… The new hype that they thought would come and go…

Now, the Judaizers realized that they could not attack the gospel Paul preached without attacking him.

And… The one thing they all had in common was Jesus.

So they assaulted his character and they challenged his credentials.

Simply, he was not qualified.

They communicated that he was not a legitimate apostle and spokesman for God.

He had not been with Jesus in his earthly ministry; and now here he was starting churches in the name of the Messiah but telling Gentiles they didn’t have to be circumcised or keep the feasts or be under the old law…

So these people went out to set the Galatian churches straight.

Paul may claim to be an apostle, but he is not really one.

He may claim to preach the true gospel, but he only has it secondhand from the true apostles.

Not only that, his version is seriously flawed.

We can not be sure what their motivation was, but we know well that there was strong prejudice against the Gentiles (Meaning anyone who was not a Jew) in the Jewish community.

It was very evident during Jesus’ ministry.

So, when Paul declared himself an apostle to the Gentiles, there were probably those that considered the Gentiles to be utterly outside the sphere of God’s concern and grace.

Therefore, if they were coming in, there was only one way in, that is the Jewish way.

Even though the accusations were coming his way…

Paul had confidence about God’s call on his life.

He recognized God’s grace was at work in his life.

He knew that he was an apostle.

He knew that his gospel was true.

But his concern, though, was not for his own popularity or personal success.

It was God’s truth.

His defense of his apostleship was for the purpose of defending the integrity of the good news about Jesus, that He had come for all of us.

You see…

Paul was confident about his motive…

We are going to start in v10 of chapter 1… Let’s dive in…

He writes in vs. 10

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Here he answers the accusation.

The accusation was that Paul was motivated by a desire to win man’s approval rather than God’s.

The Judeizers claiming that he had acted not out of integrity, or necessity, but a desire to gain easy converts.

In short, to be popular, Paul had diluted the message.

Paul’s answer to the accusation was not that he had begun to be a man-pleaser since his conversion, but that he had ceased to be so.

He testifies that Jesus changed that in him.

And now his life is one that is going to be characterized by doing the opposite of which he once did.

Ultimately, he is going to end up dying for his faith.

Is that the life of a man-pleaser?

No, rather, he is a servant of Jesus, to whom he owes everything.

God has called him by His grace.

The first proof that reveals how Paul could be confident of God’s call in his life is that he RECEIVED THE WORD (11-12).

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s testimony is that…

The gospel is not man-made.

The gospel is not some human concoction.

Certainly, if it was, he could have come up with something better.

For, from the outside looking in, this doesn’t make sense.

For something man-made would have been permeated with doing works for salvation.

This gospel is not.

Nor does it come from the authority of the church in Jerusalem.

Paul does not come with their recommendation.

He does not need it.

His authority is independent of theirs, even if it is from the same source.

For…

The gospel comes from Jesus.

What Paul says here is a direct challenge to the Judeizers who received their religious instruction from the old rabbinical tradition.

For these people, rather than studying the Scriptures directly, they looked to human interpretations as their religious authority and guide.

Thus, biblical truths became diluted and or stretched far beyond their original meanings.

Paul, though more than well read in rabbinical tradition, did not need it.

He knew the law better than 99% of the people in his day.

But what he came to find out was that the real GOOD NEWS wasn’t found in the law.

It was found in Jesus Himself.

This message did not come out of Paul’s head, it came out of God’s heart.

For…

The gospel is about Jesus (1:3-5).

In the beginning verses of Galatians Paul says this…

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The second proof that reveals how Paul could be confident of God’s call in his life is that he REPENTED OF HIS PAST (13-14).

13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

There was no neutral ground for Paul before Jesus grabbed his heart.

He was in his own words VIOLENTLY against him trying to destroy it.

There was no middle ground for Paul…

In Philippians, he writes:

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Paul tells us in our text that he pursued and hunted Christians.

And in his day under the greatest authority of the Jews… That was the popular thing to be doing if you were Paul…

For those whom he regarded as enemies of Israel and God, it was a relentless pursuit.

The grace from Jesus Paul was sharing was turning everything upside-down.

Before this Paul was going to cut down all opposition to the law and its tradition, for the Jewish way of life was at stake.

Christianity, not only needed to be controlled, it needed to be eliminated and extinguished.

Again before this time, Paul was a rising star.

The text tells us that he was advancing, like one that is blazing a trail ahead of him.

He testifies that he was going where the other Jews dared not go.

At his relatively young age, he was already a member of the Sanhedrin.

He was considered one of the most rigorous Pharisees of the day.

But the truth is, is though he knew the OT Scriptures well, he was far from God.

Paul’s testimony isn’t so different from ours… For many of us… We either started or had seasons where for other reasons…

We too were very far from God…

BUT… this is what makes God so so so good…

God gives us the opportunity to change our direction.

Let me share with you how this took place in Paul’s life…

Acts 9:3-9, 17-18

3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized…

Before this took place…

Paul considered himself the chief of sinners.

He had been a persecutor of Christians.

But he did an amazing 180-degree turn from persecutor to apostle.

It was nothing less than a miracle.

Which leads us to…

The third proof that reveals how Paul could be confident of God’s call in his life is he RECOGNIZED GOD’S WORK (15-17).

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born…

God begins His work in us early…

Paul’s words are reflective of God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Though occurring historically about three years after the crucifixion of Christ when Jesus appeared to him, Paul sees his call as something that happened at birth, just like Jeremiah, Isaiah and John the Baptist.

It reveals this tremendous truth, that our salvation story begins long before we possess eternal life.

God is at work in our life, gently calling us, convicting us of sin and drawing us to Him.

Let’s keep reading the rest of v15…

…and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

For…

God calls us by His grace.

God calls us according to his unmerited love and kindness.

For Paul, the event on the road to Damascus was shocking and earth shattering.

His violence against God was so severe… perhaps Jesus coming directly to him was the only way it could be done.

If so, it had to be humbling to have to receive such a direct message…

Jesus coming to him was an act of grace.

A young man who had been hired by the personnel department of a large supermarket chain reported to work at one of the stores.

The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, handed him a broom and said, “Your first job will be to sweep out the store.” But the young man said, “I’m a college graduate.” “I’m sorry,” the manager said. “I didn’t know that. Here, give me the broom and I’ll show you how.”

Paul may have thought he was well educated in the Jewish Scripture, but he was going to have to learn some things over again.

He was going to see the Scripture in a new light.

He spent his time alone with Jesus learning, meditating and studying the Scriptures from this new revelation…

And what Paul found is that…God loves us fiercely… He loves all of us fiercely… Even those who persecuted him…

Paul had a new mission.

It was to proclaim Jesus among the Gentiles.

He was not to proclaim Jewish law, or tradition, or rabbinical interpretation.

Think about this for the life of the church today… If we had this same mentality…

We are not here to proclaim traditions, legalism, judgement or condemnation...

We are here to just life a life proclaiming the grace of Jesus.

Paul’s ministry was to proclaim the Jesus, and Him alone to the Gentiles. Not the law, not traditions, not best behaviors… Just Jesus.

This leads us to…

IV. The fourth proof that reveals how Paul could be confident of God’s call in his life is he was REGARDED A BROTHER (18-24).

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas (PETER) and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

God shows us that we are not alone.

Paul was given the opportunity to meet with two of the pillars of the church, Peter and James.

I am sure that Paul had the desire to know Peter and become better acquainted.

But, it was a short time.

It was only 15 days.

But note that Paul did not go to Jerusalem until after three years.

One reason was certainly the danger.

He was now a marked man.

And Jerusalem was not a safe place.

But according to God’s grace, it was time to go and find that he was not alone in the faith.

Then Paul heads back north, for…

God finds a place for us to serve.

Paul, essentially, goes back to his home area.

He finally ends up in Antioch, where he found his early ministry partner, Barnabas.

As time passed, it became evident that he was a specially chosen and gifted man of God.

God gets the glory for the changes that took place in Paul’s life.

Paul did a 180… He changed completely… And he did this with such a confidence that not jail, beatings, ship wrecks, betrayals and ultimately his own death… could persuade him from the TRUTH and GRACE that he received from Jesus.

AND CHURCH…

We can have the same kind of confidence.

But, let me ask you…

What are your credentials?

What proofs are evident in your life?

Can people point at you and say, “Yes, that one is a Christian”?

You see, just as Paul…

WE ARE TO BE CONFIDENT OF GOD’S CALL.

I find so often in Christian circles that we are busy being political, instead of confident.

We say the right things when we know we need to and we do the right things when we have to.

But most Christians don’t operate out of conviction.

We do not speak the good news with boldness we don’t love deep the people who need it most or are the furthest away…

Instead, we are concerned about the approval of others and how we appear.

But if we are to be like Paul...

We have to let the GOOD NEWS of JESUS be our motivation.

Many years ago, one of the astronauts who walked on the moon was interviewed and asked, “What do you think about as you stood on the moon and looked back at the earth?” The astronaut replied, “I remembered how the spacecraft was built by the lowest bidder.”

We as Christians can rejoice that the work of salvation did not go to the “lowest bidder,” but was performed by an infinite God.

There will never be a deficiency in His work.

Our salvation is as sure as the Architect of that salvation. Jesus.

Therefore, we can be confident.

We do not have to worry about what others think.

Being a “man-pleaser” is not our goal. And this is a plague even the modern day church…

Consider the words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Not sure about you, but that defines what my life use to look like... BUT THE verses do NOT END THERE!

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

The good news is that though we are by nature, objects of wrath, love and mercy have won.

This is the good news.

And it is worth living for…

I read a quote this week from a book I’m reading and it really shook me...

It said: “Most believers aren’t in imminent danger of ruining their lives. They’re facing a danger that’s far greater: WASTING THEM.”

We are not who we once were...

Who did you use to be?

What did your dreams use to look like?

What has changed within you since God called you to himself?

Are you different?

The world’s goals are power, money, control, self gratification...

But each of those are truly false masters in which we become enslaved to blindly.

That may have been who you used to be... BUT NOW THOSE WHO WOULD CLAIM THAT YOU ARE SAVED...

YOU HAVE BEEN REMADE. Like Paul, you are no longer who you used to be.

Are you living in the past?

Are you afraid that someone is going to judge your life based upon your past?

They tried that with Paul. It didn’t work.

You know why... Because he looked at them and said... IT’S ALL TRUE. You know my darkest secrets... You know my greatest sins...

But they no longer define me, because I have been REMADE.

And a murderer who hated Christians, who threw them in prison and watched them get tortured... Became one of the greatest Apostles to ever live.

He wrote half of the NT in your bible...

He did not let his past define him, for he had been REMADE...