Grace and Peace Be Upon You!
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Text: Galatians 1:3-5
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The Apostle Paul opens his epistle with a greeting that is also a prayer. His prayer is that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ would give the saints grace and peace.
The Apostle Paul opens his epistle with a greeting that is also a prayer. His prayer is that God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ would give the saints grace and peace.
He then states in the next verse:
“Who gave Himself for our sins, so that He might rescue us from this present evil age”.
“Who gave Himself for our sins, so that He might rescue us from this present evil age”.
It is a fact that Jesus gave himself for our sins.
It is a fact that Jesus gave himself for our sins.
This is the good news of the gospel, that Jesus gave himself, that Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven us. Jesus died to free us from sin, Jesus gave his life to pay for our sins.
The scriptures record in Hebrews 9:14 that Jesus through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God. He offered himself so that our conscience could be purged from dead works to serve the living God.
Paul then states the result of Jesus giving himself for our sins:
“That he might deliver us from the present evil world.”
“That he might deliver us from the present evil world.”
If there is ever a time in which people need to be delivered, it is RIGHT NOW!!!
If there is ever a time in which people need to be delivered, it is RIGHT NOW!!!
This world that we live in is an evil world, so much wickedness, so much sin in the world, so much hatred, jealousy, division, lust, wrath, strife, drug addiction, etc. We need to be delivered from the present evil world.
Jesus died to deliver you from this evil world we live in. He died, to deliver you from evil, He died to deliver you from sin, He died to deliver you from the wrath that is to come, He died to deliver you from the judgement, He died to deliver you from the lake of fire, Jesus died to set you free from the grasp of Satan.
Not according to the will of man, not according to the will of angels, but according to the will of God and our Father:
Then the Apostle Paul gives a doxology which is a praise to God in which he states:
Then the Apostle Paul gives a doxology which is a praise to God in which he states:
To whom be glory (majesty, dominion, respect, credit) forever (throughout all ages, throughout all eternities) and ever.
To whom be glory (majesty, dominion, respect, credit) forever (throughout all ages, throughout all eternities) and ever.
Paul then praises God for making a way for us to be delivered. Can you thank Jesus for dying so that you can be delivered?
This world is going only get worse, but I’m glad Jesus made a way for me.
If we don’t praise God for nothing else, we ought to give God glory for what he did for us. If we don’t do anything else we ought to praise the Lord for dying for us, to deliver us, for setting us free, for forgiving us of our sins, for delivering us in this present evil world, for calling us out of darkness into the marvelous light.
When you truly understand, when you truly realize what Jesus Christ has done for you, it ought to bring you a measure of peace in your life.
When you truly understand, when you truly realize what Jesus Christ has done for you, it ought to bring you a measure of peace in your life.
Paul prays for grace and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ to be present in the lives of the saints.
Paul prays for grace and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ to be present in the lives of the saints.
We must understand that God gives us grace (unmerited favor) God gives us peace, all because Jesus died for us.
We must understand that God gives us grace (unmerited favor) God gives us peace, all because Jesus died for us.
Not because of what we have done, not because we are so good, not because we didn’t break a rule, but because of what Jesus did for us, and He didn’t have to do it......but I’m glad He did!
When we rely on what Jesus Christ did for us, when we put our trust in his finished work on Calvary, it ought to bring you peace in your life! It brings peace between you and God.
When you live in sin, when you live outside the will of God you are considered to be an enemy of God:
When you live in sin, when you live outside the will of God you are considered to be an enemy of God:
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
When we rely on what Jesus Christ did for us, when put our trust in his finished work on Calvary.
It ushers in the grace (divine favor) of God.
God sees you not as an enemy, but God sees you as his child, and when God sees you as his child, He sees you favorably. The Lord will begin to bless your life in so many ways. I wish I had a witness here this morning!
When you rely on yourself, when you rely on your own goodness, it brings misery, it brings doubt, it brings guilt, it brings shame.
When you rely on yourself, when you rely on your own goodness, it brings misery, it brings doubt, it brings guilt, it brings shame.
Because you realize that you’ll never be good enough. It will cause you to waver in faith, and when you waver in faith, it will cause you to not get a prayer through, because you are relying on your own goodness.
When you come before God, you come before God humbly, you know that you don’t deserve to be in God’s presence, but yet, you able to come to Him, not because of what you did, but all because Jesus died and shed his blood, to make you holy, and to make you blameless in his sight! That’s what grace is......you’re not holy and blameless because you didn’t do XYZ......YOU ARE HOLY AND BLAMES BECAUSE THE BLOOD OF JESUS HAS WASHED YOU!!!
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
There was a falling away that was happening in the church at Galatia.
There was a falling away that was happening in the church at Galatia.
Paul records in verse 6:
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
The saints removed themselves from the grace of Christ. What is the grace of Christ. The grace of Christ is that Jesus gave himself and died for your sins. The grace of Christ is that you are made right in God’s sight by the blood of Jesus and through his death.
The Apostle Paul said, he marvels that they are following another gospel, he said “You are following a different way that pretends to be Good News, but is not the Good News at all.
He then said:
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
IF ANY MAN PREACHES ANYTHING THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD, LET HIM BE ACCURSED!!!
There is only one gospel, there is only ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM!
BAPTISM HERE ISN’T REFERRING TO JESUS’ NAME BAPTISM. Contrary to popular oneness belief, the early church wasn’t running around convincing people that baptism in Jesus’ name was right.
Yes, they only baptized in Jesus name, but in the text Paul is referring to the baptism of the Spirit:
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
There is only one Lord, one God, there is only one faith (gospel), there is only one Spirit, and we are baptized (the saints of God that have been born again) into one body, by one Spirit!
Some of the saints were being influenced by 1. people that number one, truly did not understand the gospel. 2. they were being influenced by people who were puffed up in their minds, that tried to use human reasoning to understand spiritual things. 3. It was a Satanic Doctrine that they taught which places emphases on self-righteousness, which is devoid of placing faith in Jesus Christ and taught to place faith in self.
These false teachers were guilty of trying to force the Gentile believers obey the law of Moses. If they were uncircumcised, they taught they needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. They taught, they had to follow the law, they had offer sacrifices, they had to observe certain days, they had to do this and do that.
But then Paul records in chapter 2:
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
A person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ.
I’m going to say that again:
A person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ.
So that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law.
Paul said in the previous chapter:
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
Paul knew the law, he studied the law, he was versed in the law, he obeyed the law the best way he could. He thought that when these Jesus fanatics rose up, that he was doing God justice by trying to extinguish out this new religion.
But then he records:
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
He said, God called me by his grace!!! I need to let everyone that in here that is saved, that God called you by his grace. You didn’t do a single thing worthy for God to call you. Matter of fact you were an enemy of God just like Paul. You opposed God by your wicked works.
And let me speak to those who are not saved. God is calling you too. That’s why you are here, that’s why you tuned in this morning, that’s why you are listening to this message. Maybe you are living in sin, maybe you are currently an enemy of God, maybe you are not where you should be in God.
God is calling you! He’s giving you an open invitation to:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
You’re tired of sin, you’re tired of being at odds with God, you’re tired of the addiction, you’re tired of the habit, you’re tired of this life, Jesus said “COME UNTO ME.”
COME LET US REASON TOGETHER, THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, I’LL WASH THEM WHITE AS SNOW!
Close:
The Apostle Paul now says in chapter 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Then he says in verse 2:
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
He said:
Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.
They heard about Jesus and when they heard about Jesus, they believed in Jesus. They believed that Jesus died for their sins. They believed that Jesus shed his blood so that their sins could be forgiven. They believed that Jesus died and that he rose again on the third day!!!
Then Paul says in verse 3:
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
How foolish can you be? You have received the Holy Ghost, you have received the unction of the Spirit. And now you are trying to be made perfect by your own human effort.
I need to stop right there to tell you this morning, you’re not right with God because of your own effort. If you could save yourself, Jesus wouldn’t have came down from Heaven to die for your sins. But since you couldn’t do it, and since I couldn’t do it, he came and offered Himself for your sins.
You’re not closer to God because you follow the law. You’re not closer to God because you worship God on a certain day. You’re not closer to God because you don’t eat a certain food, or because you dress a certain way. You are nigh to the Lord because of the blood of Jesus. You’re close to God because Jesus Christ died to reconcile you back to God.
Moses when he talked to the Lord on Mt. Sinai, he said:
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
When you have favor working in your life. The Lord will reveal himself to you, the Lord will reveal his way to you, not only that. But when you have the grace of God working in your life. The Lord will bring you out!!!
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Let’s pray this prayer over each other. Let’s repeat this scripture and pray for someone near you.
Conclude:
The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
(repeat 3x)