Pastor's Sermon Blog

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Freed By or Severed From Christ

Gal 5:1-12[1]

Preached at Rolling Hills Church 15 Aug 2010

We have much to consider today, so let's open our Bibles to Gal 5:1-12 and open our minds to God and let's get to work.

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.

3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.

11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.

12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! Let us pray.

Here is the message I believe this text gives us today: Let us stand firm in Christ; let us mark and move away from those who would lead us from faith in Him, lest we fall away from Him. The truth in v 1…

V 1 Stand firm in what? 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Stand firm in the truth of the gospel; a doctrine, a teaching, a truth, a belief. Stand firm in a belief in Christ. Don't waver as all around you doubt, disdain, and disparage this JESUS whom you believe. It's a tough thing to do these days; believing something and declaring so; taking sides on doctrine! Taking a concrete position on a religious belief that this world thinks is foolish to begin with. When one has become a Christ-follower, the New Testament warns us repeatedly that enemies come to steal away that faith. In Matthew 13 the devil came and snatched up the seed, tribulation presses some to fall away, and the cares of the world choked out more. Here in Galatians, and in many other places in the New Testament, false teachers pressed a different, false belief on you that calls you to abandon the truth. Paul calls this bunch of Christians in these young churches in heathen, idolatrous cities to stand firm in Christ – in their freedom!

Believe something: be a man, be a woman, and take a stand, folks!

- Either Christ is God or He is not.

- Either Christ has set you free from the law of sin and death – has made you righteous – or He has not.

- Either Christ, through His shed blood on that cross, will save you from the sure punishment for your rebellion against God, or you must work to be saved through some form of self-generated righteousness.

What's it gonna be? I ask you now – what do you believe? Who do you believe? Will you stand firm in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Wavering is for dead people; only the living will stand firm, come what may. Let's hear the stern old prophet Elijah up on the mountain as he challenged the priests of Baal to call down fire from heaven. He said this to the people… "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." (1 King 18:21) There it is, right in front of you, huh!?

When Martin Luther was on trial at the Diet of Worms and they demanded that he give an answer before the Emperor Charles V and the Bishop of Trier as to whether he wrote these works and believed what they stated, He gave this reply… "Your Imperial Majesty and your lordships demand a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convinced by Scripture or by clear reason – for I do not trust the Pope or church councils, since everyone knows that they can make mistakes and contradict themselves – I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is held captive by the Word of God. I cannot and will not take back anything, because it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience."[2] Church let me remind you from this text that to believe in Christ unwaveringly, publicly, and boldly is FREEDOM. To deny Christ is to be enslaved to sin and death, simply existing until you are cast into hell forever. Christ IS freedom. Now on to…

V 2-6 Severed from Christ. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

This can't be, Paul emphasizes, synchronization; there is no joining of hope in Christ and hope in keeping of the law. So he uses strong words to make this very clear; it is a warning.

- Christ will be of no advantage to you

- Severed from Christ

- Fallen away from grace

This brings up questions Christians often wrestle with, and it is proper that we should!

Can one be cut off from faith in Christ?

Can one fall away from Christ?

Let me say with a clear voice – YES. Why else would Paul warn the church away from false doctrine lest they fall away? "But pastor Jeff, what about the doctrine of eternal security? Aren't you a Southern Baptist!? Don't we believe that God keeps all that He saves? To which I also answer in a clear voice – YES. I certainly believe the doctrine of eternal security is taught in Scriptures. Rom 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. And there are warnings not to fall away are taught in Scriptures. There is no contradiction; we should consider and receive both truths. Clear enough? The New Testament writers veto assuming safety once you've received Christ; rather, they challenge us to evaluate. "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test." (2 Cor 13:5-6)

Let me attempt to make this clear. Here is how these two doctrines fit. Many say that once saved, always saved; we can rest in God's good salvation, secure that we can never fall away. This is true with a qualifying definition of who 'WE' is, and what 'REST' is!

- Are WE genuine believers in Christ? Have WE repented from sin and believed in Jesus? Are WE resting our hope in grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? Then WE won't fall away. John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

- Are we simply church-goers? Are we religious tag-alongs, wannabes, or those who put on a fake face of faith – hypocrites? If so, then falling away simply proves there was never a genuine faith. 1 Jn 2:18-19 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

The healthy thing is for all of us examine our faith and our fruit, and let the Holy Spirit convince us that we do indeed believe we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone! And if we examine ourselves and find no genuine, life-saving, life-changing faith, then wouldn't it be good to know that so we CAN be saved? And we as believers should never take the good saving, keeping grace of God for granted; we should labor to believe and keep believing and we should FEAR lest we fall away, church. Heb 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; This is why Paul warns these folks "If you take circumcision, you are severed from Christ. He is of no value to you." We can't remain secure in our faith in Christ and believe what contradicts faith in Christ. We must hold to the good gospel of Jesus Christ, church! So stand firm in Christ, and don't be severed from Christ! Now the rest of this passage…

V 7-12 Who Hindered You? You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

If Paul sounds harsh when he says, "I wish they would emasculate themselves", know that he isn't; he is simply Christ-like. There is, as he wrote, a penalty to bear. He's already declared them accursed (1:8-9). Folks, let me put you into the shoes, just for a few minutes, of those who hinder the church from following truth.

How would you like to become like Sodom and Gomorrah to God? (Jer 23:14)

How about being fed bitter food and given poison water to drink? (Jer 23:15)

How would you like to have a huge millstone hung around your neck and be thrown into the sea? (Luke 17:2)

How about God coming to execute judgment against all the false teachers for all the false teachings they have uttered? (Jude 15).

There is a penalty to be borne by those false teachers who lead God's sheep away from the good truth and into barren pastures of lies and laws.

Here is what we must see and hear from this, church…

Let fear lead us to move far away from false teachers, blasphemers, liars, and all who disdain the gospel of Jesus Christ to lead the church away from truth. Worse than heavy lightning when we're on an antenna, worse than standing on a beach in a Category 5 hurricane, worse than carrying sandbags through a river in a flood, let us FEAR their judgment.

Let wisdom lead us to draw near to those gospel teachers who, like Paul, preach the truth come what may from this godless world.

What about you? Let every single one of us ask this question of ourselves:

Am I freed by Christ, or am I severed from Christ?

Can you answer that question firmly, with genuine peace in your heart? No hypocrisy, no hiding serious doubts about Christ or serious leanings to the lies of the world? I pray you can, and if you can't, I pray you repent of your sin and believe Jesus Christ today, that His death on that cross is fully sufficient and alone is sufficient to save you, and RECEIVE God's good forgiveness and adoption!

To those who can say I have been freed by Christ, Paul's warning is worth considering:

Let us stand firm in Christ; let us mark and move away from those who lead us from faith in Him, lest we fall away from Him.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Become As I Am

Gal 4:8-20[1]

Rolling Hills Church, 25 July 2010

I want to read a portion of a parable that Jesus taught; it's often called The Prodigal Son. Luke 15:11-24

11 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.

12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them.

13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."'

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.

That's a beautiful story from Scripture about that which was lost (the son) being found. Now let's imagine it's two years later and this is the story we hear…

Two men came to the family farm where the former prodigal was working hard in the fields. They stopped to pass the time of day with him, and the topic of religion came up. "I believe in Jehovah God, as does my family." The reply came quickly, "Oh we do too, sir! In fact, we're out talking about that with folks today. We have a couple of these scroll-copies we would like to give you, and if you'd be open to it, we'd really like to sit down and talk about this with you some more." The son took the scrolls, and thought, "These guys are diligent and devoted! I'd like to hear some more of this."

Six months later he is astounded at the reaction of his father when he tells him that he had joined a group called Jehovah's Martyrs. "Father, they love God, and they are hard-working, diligent folks. They commit very much time to sharing the Scriptures with people, and they have very wise teachers who help us see new things in the law and the prophets." His father, grieving in his heart, asked the son, "Would you again turn from me?" Now let's turn to our text today in Gal 4:8-20

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

10 You observe days and months and seasons and years!

11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong.

13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,

14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

15 What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.

16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?

17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.

18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,

19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!

20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Jeremiah Wendt, would you offer a prayer for us, brother?

We know what Paul is so concerned about: Justification is by faith alone in Christ alone.

Did you notice in this text a turning from the strong, direct, and authoritative tone Paul had been using to a more loving, relational tone with the Galatians? It reveals to us this truth that can often be overlooked: When you turn from the gospel to a lie, you are also turning from those who brought the gospel to you. In fact, it is necessary to do so, if the ones who shared the gospel with you are standing firm in this gospel. Now I have read this text, and given you the main idea; let me address it today through a series of questions.

When Paul says 'become as I am, what in the world is Paul talking about?

He's writing to Gentiles who have believed Christ and are now considering circumcision as a way of righteousness with God. He is a Jew who was under the law but came to believe in Jesus as the only 'justifier' of any man, woman, or child of any culture, skin color, or religious background. I believe we'll see what he meant by that as we go along.

They had come to faith in Christ from pagan idolatries, and Paul had come to faith in Christ from diligent Judaism. Here is what I believe Paul means. He had turned from the non-saving belief of a Christ-rejecting Judaism; he had set aside any and all hope of the law-keeping as a means of salvation. Rather his entire and complete hope of being made right with God and not having God's wrath poured out on him eternally was Jesus Christ's substitutionary death on the cross. Paul says, 'become as I am' meaning, "C'mon, brothers- believe this truth I taught you, and stand firm in it like I do! Don't consider circumcision as a means of righteousness! Let's ask this question as well…

How does Paul describe what they are turning back to?

As both non-gods and elementary principles of the world that enslave people. Elementary principles or spirits of the world is a thought Paul brought up in Colossians 2:8 as well…

2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Down in 2:20-23 Paul writes this: If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Calling both idolatry and law-keeping 'elementary principles' points out that idolatry and law-keeping as a means of righteousness have some things in common:

They can't save you. There is a reason God sent the apostles – and sends us – to preach the gospel to those bound up in religious and non-religious idolatry; the need the blood of Christ applied to their lives before they are free! Neither road leads to life, only death.

They are contrasted with the gospel, with truth. Just like when I added to the story of the prodigal; he went from debauchery, to faith, to a cult adding to the gospel (and thus NULLIFYING the gospel). It's like a little boy who was playing in a mud puddle when his Mom told him to get out of there and clean up and come in! He got out of the mud puddle, jumped in the clean pool, and then took a quick leap into the stagnant, scum-topped pond before coming into the house. Neither the mud nor the scum is clean. Only Christ is our righteousness; both law-keeping and pagan idolatry disdain faith in Christ alone. They are lies; that is what is contrasted with truth – lies. Good news? No, bad news! Furthermore…

Both require unbelief in Christ – or rather, God requires that we not claim to believe in Christ AND anything to save us. If we claim to believe Christ and anything, we do not believe in Christ – that's God's opinion. "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Now let's consider another question this text brings out to us that is new here…

Who are these people to Paul? They are brothers, friends, and little children.

Consider that Paul loves these people. Remember the scorned, rejected Father running down the road to meet and hug the returning rebel? Why? It is because he loved Him, just as God loves us, folks! But not only does God loves us, those who brought the gospel to us and who shepherd us in the truth love us as well. This is a continual sub-theme in Scripture. Paul to the Thessalonians: "But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us." 1 Thess 2:7-8

John to Gaius: "For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 3-4. It was the same with Peter. Jesus taught us to love one another! These people are dear to Paul; brothers, friends, children. So…

What affect is their potential apostasy having on Paul? It's hurting him terribly! He is afraid, in anguish, and perplexed.

These words aren't trying to communicate a depletion in convert statistics or resume-drainers; this is about people he loves! So, as with any parents who have children who turn from truth to a lie, he was grieving deeply. Afraid, in anguish, and perplexed. Greatest fear? That their faith wasn't genuine; that they would turn or fall away from Christ, thus proving their faith to be fake. Church let me pose this question to you as I wrap this up and turn to the Lord's Table:

Do we think about what affect our apostasy or sin has on God?

What affect do we think our apostasy and sin has on those who love us?

What happens to those who care about us when we turn from faith in Christ, and turn back to what we had before (worldly satisfaction, death)?

Answer: anyone who loves Christ and loves us, hurts deeply.

God hurts. He loves you, of course He will hurt! Read the Old Testament, the prophets; feel the pain of God.

Parents hurt. We age, we suffer.

Pastors hurt.

Teachers, friends, fellow Christ-followers in church or small group with us, evangelists who led us to Christ – they all suffer.

I'm no great man, but I'm greatly loved; imagine the impact on those who love me, who have invested in me, if I were to turn from the gospel? It chills me to even consider such.

Do you ever think about the effect of your sin and possible turning from Christ on others?

Church, let us heed Paul's painful appeal: Become as I am. Stand firm in believing Christ alone for salvation.

Let's pray.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

No Longer Slaves

Galatians 4:1-7[1]

Rolling Hills Church, 25 July 2010

In this book of Galatians the theme is clearly justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Grace, by faith alone in Christ alone. All the blessings that God pours out on Jesus Christ, the second Adam, are poured on us IN CHRIST. The first Adam pulled us into sin and death; the Second Adam, who DID fulfill the law and obey the Father, offered His life on the cross to pay the sentence of death for our sins and pull us to LIFE.

And week after week, justification by faith alone in Christ alone comes to the top as the central premise of the message. It may seem repetitious to some of you, and that is quite acceptable to me. You see, when you learn a song, a verse of Scripture, or the roster of your favorite sports team, it requires some amount of repetition. Learning that we are justified by faith alone is a worthy, foundational thing for believers. When we can't separate justification from sanctification in our beliefs, the gospel is always at risk in our lives; our faith will be at risk of being futile (4:11). So let us absorb, consider, learn, and know this good truth from this good book inspired by our good God.

Gal 4:1-7

1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,

2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.

3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

When we believe in the Son of God, we are adopted as sons; we are no longer slaves to sin. We can rejoice that we've been chosen, redeemed, adopted, given the Holy Spirit, and made an heir through Christ. This is the good news of Christianity! Justification by faith in Jesus Christ is the free gift of the Father to all who believe.

Son and the Slave look the same growing up. The Romans had a 'coming of age' ceremony called toga virilis. At the Roman ceremony boys would take their toys - and at a similar ceremony the girls would take their dolls – and offer them in a sacrifice to the gods as a symbol of putting childhood behind them. Paul was likely alluding to that custom in his comment in 1 Cor 13:11: "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." It marked the day the boy became a man; and the distinction between being a boy and being a man was very clear in that culture. Before that time, they were both under a tutor (paidagogos); it was his responsibility to train them, get them to school, and diligently (somewhat mercilessly) teach young males, both slave and son, all things needed to grow up well. He was not trying to be their friend; more often he resembled a drill sergeant in basic training! The father oversaw this work and the tutor answered to him. The Jews had and still have a ceremony called bar mitzvah, which does the same thing; it is celebrated the first Sabbath after the boy turns twelve. At the bar mitzvah the boy and the father come before God and the father prays, "Blessed be thou O God who hath taken from me the responsibility of this boy," and the boy would pray, "O my God and God of my father, on this solemn and sacred day which marks my passage from boyhood to manhood, I humbly raise my eyes unto Thee and declare with sincerity and truth that henceforth I will keep Thy commandments and undertake to bear the responsibility of my actions toward Thee."[2] Now in many households when they had servants or slaves, both boys learned and grew together until manhood. In Jewish families that were barren, it was probable that a servant would become the heir. Gen 15:2 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?"

The Father in this instance had allowed the law to be the tutor for His people, the Jews. And when the time came, the Savior came; grace came, the New Covenant came, and it was time for adulthood as far as FAITH goes; it was time to see the manifestation of the One faith was looking toward (adulthood), not time to go back toward childhood things.

In the Fullness of Time. Paul compares the time a child became adult to the time that Christ came to fulfill all righteousness, die on the cross, and bring justification, righteousness, and new and everlasting life to all who would believe in Him. And Christ did, church, come in the fullness of time. It wasn't accidental; it wasn't coincidental. It was in God's perfect plan, and in His perfect time.

It was right religiously. The Jews were done straying after the Babylonian captivity, and had settled down to worship God and endure suffering, looking for their Messiah. They were building synagogues all over the Roman Empire. The Greeks and Romans were open to new ideas and philosophies, despite their religious idolatry and arrogance.

It was right politically. Rome had instituted Pax Romana (Peace of Rome) throughout their empire. Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman peace") was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the first and second centuries AD. Its span was approximately 207 years (27 BC to 180 AD)[3]. Conquest was limited and good will was encouraged. With good roads, communication, free and safe travel between what had been antagonistic cities and countries, what better time was there for the apostles to take the gospel to the ends of the earth?

It was right biblically. This was the time God had planned, and all the prophecies were fulfilled in the night the Savior was born of a virgin in a stable. The place, time, person, descendants, everything was specifically spelled out and fulfilled in God's time and place through God's people. 'Born of a woman' refers to the virgin birth. Isaiah tells us He would be born of a virgin; Micah tells us He would be born in Bethlehem. The Psalms tell us He would be a son of David, and God also promised that to David Himself in Chronicles. Daniel tells us, when one labors through the history and prophecy, the time of His birth and the situation of the kingdoms leading up to it. This was God's plan, God's time, God's place, and through God's chosen person, young Mary, betrothed to Joseph, who would have to be registered for the census in Bethlehem.

Born under the law refers to the Jews under the covenant of Moses, and Christ lived that righteously, then set us free from it by suffering His cruel death on the cross!

No Longer Slaves. Folks, Christ came to buy back those under the law and set them free. He came to buy these sinful, idolatrous Galatians who had worshipped multiple gods and or no god at all. Paul shows the Galatians here in this passage that there was no need, having come to Christ through faith, to go back through the 'childhood' of Israel, the Covenant of the Law. No need at all! Though the Jews were under the covenant of law, the Greeks had been enslaved to sin, various false gods, and corrupted, unbelieving, idolatrous lives! They weren't going back to that; they were tempted to go experience the law, though.

Paul said there was no need. Experience, believe, trust in, and treasure the good grace that you have in Christ Jesus! TREASURE it! And don't turn to the law for justification!

We Too Are Sons. Those who have been called to Christ, who have responded to the Word of God by repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ, know that the siren call of the world will not stop. We aren't tempted to go back to the law as much as back to the world! And even when trusting in grace – especially when trusting in grace! – we are

You are no longer slaves; neither to your childhood nor theirs. You are free in Christ, adopted, justified through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.

You have inherited eternal life. You have all the blessings of being a child of God by faith; everything that is given to the church 'in Christ' is given to you! You are joint heirs with Christ! Why, when you have all these eternal, spiritual riches, would we turn to the fading, powerless, temporary riches of this world? Why idolatry when we can be sons of God! When we have tasted the good riches of eternal life, would we then backtrack to grab the gusto of this world?

The truth in this text is the truth throughout the entire book of Galatians; we are saved by grace through faith alone! We are justified by faith in Christ alone, and not by faith and works of the law.

[3] Little touch of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Romana helping me out with details here.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

People of Promise

Gal 3:15-29[1]

Rolling Hills Church, 11 July 2010

We are in Galatians 3 today, where Paul is supporting his argument that all we receive from God – forgiveness, freedom, pardon, power, the Holy Spirit, eternal life, an inheritance, adoption, imputed righteousness – comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law. To support that, he talks about how covenants work, and he gives us the place of the covenant of law in regard to the covenant of promise (law=Moses, promise=Abraham).

Scriptures

15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ.

17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

If we are Christians, it is because we are people of promise, not people of the law. This truth better be known, believed, and held fast and close in our hearts, church. While we're thankful for Moses and the law, our hope is completely and fully in Christ, and the covenant of promise. Let's pray, and let's unpack this text. I need to move quickly this morning, in order to finish by 11:10.

The Promise is better than the law, 15-18

Better because it's one-sided. Paul's illustration here is simple; a covenant isn't messed with by people after it's made; you either fulfill it or you don't. Obviously these were the good old days when you didn't have herds of lawyers to 'interpret' the contract. But here is the point; God is faithful to His promise, since He alone made this promise to Abraham; it wasn't mutual. It's better by far to trust God than to trust God and man, wouldn't you agree?

Better because Christ is the central figure of the covenant of promise. Let's look at this text Paul refers to. Gen 22:18 "…and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." Context is this; Abraham had offered his firstborn, the child of promise on the altar by faith in God's promise. Now God spared Abraham's son Isaac, knowing He would not spare His OWN Child of promise Jesus Christ, who would die on that cross. So Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, teaches us that God meant Christ in this verse. The only way that all the nations are blessed through Abraham (Gen 12:3) is through Christ.

Better because it was before and lives on after the law. It was meant to be permanent, bringing eternal life to all who would believe in Christ; the law was not permanent.

Better because our inheritance comes through promise. The law cannot impart life, and the promise, received by faith in the Offpsring, does give life! So this first section shows us that the promise is better than the law.

The Purpose of the law, 19-24

This section is Paul's anticipatory response to the argument the Judaizers would throw at the Galatians, so he answers it as he writes. Two questions hi-light this section. "Why then the law?", and "Is the law then contrary to the promises of God?".

Let me address this intermediary question, in vs 19-20. "it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one." As best as I can tell, Paul is referring to the angels who met with Moses on the mountain as the Angel of the Lord. So when Paul writes of intermediaries, he is saying the law came through angels to Moses to the people of Israel. The covenant of promise came from God to Abraham; there were no people yet. Now let's consider how Paul answers the 'why the law' question; after all, many of us are unclear on why God would give a promise, then the law, then fulfill the promise and the law saying the law is no longer necessary. Here is why God gave the law, according to Paul here:

Because sin is in our hearts and in the world. We need restraint; otherwise the wrath of God would destroy us all. Think flood, folks. Sin from the garden to the Egyptian captivity, and sin that still runs rampant in our hearts apart from the Holy Spirit's restraint now! God hates sin, and without restraint of law, we would not have lasted before Him! These were to be God's people, and an unholy people misrepresent God – as they ultimately did, and were destroyed, time and time again!

To offer us civility by restraining sin. What hope does man have of a civil society apart from laws, rules, from standards? I ask the question of humanists who would toss out God's moral laws wholesale today – what hope of civility do you offer in the moral vacuum you propose to build? They have no answer; anarchy, chaos, death. They fight to save mosquitoes and owls and slaughter babies to make room for them. It is the lies of the devil, straight from the garden. Nothing new there. The law offers civility to a society. Not righteousness; civility.

To teach us right from wrong and then point us to the only one who was right and could save us!

Who knew sin until the law pointed it out to us? Surely there was the law written in our hearts, but we harden our hearts, we sear our conscience to the point of deafness. The law raises the standard to a place we can't reach. Man wonders – who can reach that standard? Christ alone.

To show us our wretchedness so we could look to God and His faithfulness to His promises! Perhaps we could, apart from the law, convince ourselves that we are just and that God should accept us on our own merit.

To show us our slavery to sin and make us thirst for freedom. This law is ever pointing out our short-comings and failures. We can't keep it. We are slaves to sin. We can't buy our way out; we can't beg our way out; we can't bluster our way out. We can't work our way out. We are shut up under sin; we are slaves, and we beg – who will rescue us from this body of death! Praise to the law?!? NO, praise be to Christ Jesus who sets us free by the promise of faith!

Faith in Christ justifies and makes heirs by promise, 25-29

The church doesn't need the law for justification. This is so the main point of this book; the Galatians did not need circumcision! They did not need to become Jewish in order to become Christians, and having become Christians, there was no need to go back to and through the law! The law is good, it is wise, and it is helpful; it will never save. Remember; perfection allows no exception! And there isn't a law powerful enough to save, church (3:21).

What we receive, we receive through Christ by faith. Our salvation, our inheritance in the promises of Abraham, is by faith in Christ. Our freedom, our eternal life, our hope, our inheritance – all are in and through Jesus Christ, the Central Figure of the Covenant of Promise! Faith has come, and the law has been fulfilled, superceded by faith!

He was the central figure in the promise, and He is the central figure in the church! Indeed, it was through Christ that the inheritance of Abraham is truly offered! You see, when God makes a promise to Christ and we are in Christ, we receive the benefit of that promise even though we haven't earned it. That is why we rejoice at being IN CHRIST, church.

In Christ distinctions are humbled and unity is exalted. We lower our distinctions and we raise our unity – Christ! We are distinct in many ways; but we are one in Christ. We are different in gender, culture, skin color, experience, language, status, work, wealth and education. We are unique in musical preferences, art leanings, TV show preferences, politics, values, and hobbies – and all this means so little when it comes to being a Christian. We're

This doesn't teach a new leadership structure in the church. Some have used this verse to push a place for women in ministry. My brothers and sisters, you see the context; this is about saving grace coming to all through faith in Jesus Christ alone! It is not about who can or who cannot preach, teach, or exercise authority over men. Let's toss out that weak argument, and let's let the clear message of this text stand out – we are saved, justified before a Holy God, only through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. And when we are, we stand side by side justified with women, men, Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free, and any people from any people group of any skin color or nationality or background under the son – One in Christ. We are His church through faith in Him. Our unity displays His love and grace to all people. Our distinctions, while real, are downplayed and our unity is held up high! So…

If we are Christians, it is because we are people of promise, not people of the law. Do you want to be people of promise, or people of the law? Again let me say, there is a measure of self-satisfaction, self-gratification when one looks to law for justification. It swells when we look at others who don't keep the law as well as we do. It puffs us up, and even when we thank God for our righteousness, we still take credit for that righteousness in our hearts. Luke 18:9-14. But when that one law we break is brought up before God, do we want a cross between us and God (complete payment, in full), or do we want our filthy-rag righteousness? Think, church – be honest with yourself! Humble yourself, and believe in Christ!

Are you in Christ?

There is repentance from sin, and there is faith in Jesus Christ as the only way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus, the seed of Abraham.

Church, let us believe Christ. Let us persevere in believing Christ! Let us receive our inheritance by faith in Jesus, who His shed blood on that cross makes us right with God, sons and daughters of God, who are just by faith.

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

Galatians 3:7

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Cursed and The Blessed

Gal 3:10-14[1]

(Preached at Rolling Hills Church on 11 July 2010)

We've been inundated with drug commercials the past few years. One the things I do NOT miss about TV is the drug commercials. When you think of it, the entire concept is flawed at the core; you're advertising dangerous drugs to those who have no formal education in such information. It's done in such a way that healthy people may be led to think they're sick, go to the doctor and demand these medications they saw a commercial for.

And the side-effects often form a very impressive list. Seriously; when the danger of the side-effects seriously out-weigh the potential help, is some commercial-watching person the one to make that decision wisely? I don't think so; and often this deadly side-effect list is being read while some pretty woman is watering flowers and smiling with pleasant music in the background; "in rare cases, death" sounds nicer that way, I think. Mind you, without the FDA's demands, these drug companies wouldn't waste your time with the side-effects. I for one think this advertising should be reigned in, and that the professionals, the doctors, should be saddled with diagnosis and treatment options; just old-school that way.

These Galatians were like the consumers; Paul was the doctor, and the Judaizers who were telling these folks to get circumcised were like the drug companies – not telling the whole truth; the difference was they either didn't know or didn't believe the truth of the gospel. The Judaizers knew what they thought to be truth and they deceived the churches with this dangerous lie. Paul is working here to convince the Galatians of the danger, the implications of their flirtation with the law. So he goes, in this portion, back to the Old Testament to make his case, with three quotes that drive this section of Galatians three. Let's read it.

Gal 3:10-14

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."

11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith."

12 But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them."

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"--

14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Better to be redeemed from the curse than cursed under the law.

The cursed. Rely on works of the law, but don't obey all the law. When circumcision became the discussion, these Gentiles needed to know that it represented the law. Paul knew the law, and Paul knew the Galatians; he knew they didn't understand the lie they were being led into! If one is circumcised in hopes of gaining any merit with God, it is a doomed hope from the start! Why? Because no human being has ever fully kept God's law.

Let us remember that when God gave the law, He also instituted the sacrificial system; if a man could keep the law, why would they need to know about sacrifices? What righteous man needs to lay his head on a lamb and have it slain for his transgression against God? What righteous woman need bring a dove as a sin offering?! The law did not justify a man; the law declared him guilty before God. So anyone who did not keep all of the law was cursed. Paul quotes from the law (Deut 27:26) to make this point: "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." This was to happen later in the book of Joshua, when these tribes stood on Mt Ebal and Mt. Gerizim and read off the curses and the blessings. If you obey the law, you are blessed; if you disobey the law, you are cursed (Deut 27:11-14). This is negative proof from the OT that one cannot be justified by the law, but rather is cursed. Here is the problem with the law… perfection allows no exception. Law-keepers are not justified before God. If a man breaks any part of the law, he is guilty of all of it. Cursed means to be the object of God's righteous wrath. Paul's second quote has to do with faith: "The righteous shall live by faith." This is even taught in the Old Testament, Paul means here. That's what we learned in the first part of this chapter; Abraham was a man of faith before he was a man of circumcision; faith precedes the law. So these Judaizers didn't understand the law but they were peddling it off on these relatively new believers.

Works righteousness is faulty: they are still guilty of breaking the law.

Christ. Purchased redemption for us. He redeemed; paid the price to purchase or set free. He bought back those which were already His!

He became cursed. He is the only one who ever obeyed the Father, but He became cursed for us.

Our sinless Lord fulfilled the law and yet was crucified by and for law-breakers. Isn't this astounding? Paul quotes another Old Testament passage… Deut 21:22-23 "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance." For our sake, 2 Cor 5:21 he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The blessed. All who believe in Christ for forgiveness and right standing with God are justified before God.

These are and have been justified by faith in Christ. There is no need to go back to the law, no need to question the good doctor who was taught by the Great Physician.

The cursed are those who would go back to the law. Don't do that, church; trust in nothing or no one to make you right with God; only Jesus' death on that cross.

When we consider how blessed we are, it is amazing indeed!

All of our sins – past, present, and future – justified by the blood of Christ alone.

All of our righteousness secured – in Christ alone.

All we can do is believe – and that a gift of God!

We are loved, adopted, accepted, and made whole. We even receive the Holy Spirit to live in us – by faith, not by works of the law! All who believe in Jesus Christ with sin-hating, Christ-loving faith are blessed in and through Christ.

Closing

Church, are you aware of how blessed you are? Are you aware of how scary it is to be caught trying to gain a righteousness of our own? Especially if we knew the truth and turned back to some form of works of the law! I beg you today to heed this simple message from this direct epistle; repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ to make you right with God!

Remember, perfection allows no exception; if you're going to a works-based righteousness, it has to be perfect.

It is too late for that, isn't it?

The cursed are trusting in their works, in keeping some rules, or even God's law.

The blessed live by faith. The blessings of Abraham do not come through circumcision, but through Christ, by faith in Him.

He became cursed to make us righteous.

We receive the promised Holy Spirit by faith in Christ.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Hard Questions

Gal 3:1-9[1] 04 July 2010

Tell me, if you had to give a brief explanation for the hope that is within you, would we hear more of "Here's who Christ is and what He has done", or would we hear more of, "Here is who I am and here is what I have done"? You see, people can forget where they came from; Churches can forget where they came from as well. False teachers, religious lies, and works-based religion can all be very attractive and self-exalting; we must be careful about such. In a zeal for holiness, churches can add to the gospel over the course of time. The simple question, "What must I do to be saved?" is still a good one to reveal the beliefs of a church. Folks who love us sometimes ask us hard questions.

Before we get to this particular passage, let's step back for a minute to see a bigger picture of the book of Galatians:

Galatians is about grace through faith alone in Christ alone.

Chapter One: There is only one gospel, and it comes from Christ Himself: accursed is anyone who preaches another.

Chapter Two: The apostles confirm Paul's gospel, and it is bigger than the apostles: it is about grace (justification of the wicked) alone through faith alone in Christ alone

Chapter Three: Faith/promise contrasted with the law

Chapter Four: Faith/promise illustrated through sons and slaves

Chapter Five: Freedom in the Spirit: walk in the Spirit

Chapter Six: Instruction after rebuke: Fulfill the Law of Christ, and boast only in the cross

Today we're going to look at the first nine verses of chapter three, and the title of the message is hard questions. Let's read it then we will pray.

Gal 3:1-9

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"?

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."

9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Message: Church; don't forget what God has done among you and how He has done that! A clear testimony is powerful for our remembrance, and for fighting off the lies of the devil and false teachers. So we'll examine some key words, then we'll focus on the hard questions in verse 1-6, and we'll finish up in verse 6-9 (overlap), examining the connection to Abraham.

Let's pray.

So, some key words here…

FOOLISH. What he means isn't mental deficiency, but rather mental laziness and carelessness. That was carried forward by the questions he asked. Some of you might be concerned that Paul was in danger of hell's fire because he called his brother a fool (Matt 5:22); but he wasn't. It wasn't hatred, it wasn't disdain, and it wasn't useless anger that motivated Paul here; it was a love that drove him to deep concern that these people get the gospel straight. Jesus used this word speaking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:25); also used by Paul of himself in the past (Titus 3:3) before he was redeemed.

BEWITCHED. Charmed or fascinated in a misleading way[2]. This word was associated with pagan magic, and used to characterize the deceptive work of the false teachers who had convinced the Galatians that they needed circumcision in order to be saved. Somebody had bewitched these folks; deceived, misled, and convinced them that a lie was the truth. This is the case when false teachers and their right-sounding lies take anyone captive. We see the heart of God here in Paul, because God hates witchcraft and rebellion.

CRUCIFIED. Paul had preached Christ powerfully among them. This is the gospel; we're sinners, but God had provided a way out of His wrath! His Son has come to bear our burden, to fulfill all righteousness, and to purchase, on a bloody wooden cross, pardon for us. We receive His righteousness; we don't earn our own.

FAITH. Paul uses this word five times in these nine verses. Twice it's coupled with 'hearing by', a phrase many of us have learned from Romans 10:8-17. Since the entire focus of the book is justification by faith alone, of course it is central to Paul's rebuke here. They had received the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they were in danger of abandoning it due to the lies of people telling them they must be circumcised in order to be saved.

HARD QUESTIONS: (vs 1-6) Paul then goes on to ask a series of rhetorical questions. These are maybe like a lawyer interviewing a witness, and asking him questions he knows the witness knows and yet makes him answer them anyway; he does so hoping to bring out the contradiction in the witnesses statements or assertions. Or maybe it's more like a mother standing in her child's messy room asking, "Did you not say you were going to clean this room? Is this clean? Is this bed made?" It is direct; it has anger and sarcasm in its tone. These rhetorical questions bring the Galatians to review and clarify what God had done among them. This is a good thing; it was good for them, and it is good for us to review our lives for the activity of God in our lives. While our testimony can't be the only witness of Christ in our souls, it is still an effective witness. We can glean a good bit of their history, and of God's work among them from these questions...

God had brought Paul to preach Christ. This was Paul's calling and work (Acts 13:2, 1 Cor 1:23). Paul had preached Christ like one would post yard sale signs on power poles on Friday night in town - publicly, to let everyone know what Christ had accomplished on that cross. He had preached Christ so compellingly, with so much power of the Holy Spirit, that it was as if the crucifixion had happened before their very eyes. Christ, crucified, risen – our only hope for salvation and justification before God.

God had given the Holy Spirit to all who believed the gospel. They had 'received the Holy Spirit' as Paul preached Christ. They had been born from above, born again, regenerated, and filled with the Holy Sprit of God. Hearing the gospel with faith was the means of this receiving, not any works they could have performed. This is important, for in Acts it is recorded how the apostles at times laid hands on people and they received the Holy Spirit of God; this wasn't the case in the Galatian churches, and it wasn't taught that we are supposed to seek such an experience; but rather we are the preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God will work through that Gospel preaching. Rom 8:16 "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God".

God had worked miracles among them. This could have been the miraculous work of regeneration (new birth) that Paul referred to, or more visible works or signs that often accompanied the preaching of the gospel by the apostles. Things had happened that they knew was the Holy Spirit's working among them. Either way, miracles had been done and they knew it; Paul knew they knew it. So he asks: did that happen through the working of the law, or by faith?

God had sustained them through suffering. Right away they had evidently been persecuted for their faith in Christ. Apparently Jews were free to gather in synagogues, for they were in all the Galatian towns Paul and Barnabas had visited; but once they received Christ and Jews began to persecute Paul and Barnabas, the believers suffered as well. Not only from the Jews, but often the city they were in joined in condemning Christ-followers. In their new-found faith in Christ, they had held fast through such persecution; it was God's power that had helped them through!

Those were things God had done among them, and Paul wanted them to recall what God had done and how God had done it, lest they be deceived into thinking God had either not really worked or had worked through the law instead of faith.

CONNECTION TO ABRAHAM. Paul finishes this section up by pointing back BEFORE the law came to Abraham. Now circumcision originated with this man; God gave this sign of His covenant to Abraham.

The connection to Abraham isn't made through circumcision, but through faith in Christ. Faith came before the sign of the covenant.

Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Gen 15:6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

If they wanted to be "Jewish", so to speak, then believe God the way Abraham did; don't go for the sign of a covenant that Christ had fulfilled already! More on Abraham and the covenant ahead.

Closing

So some key words, some hard questions, and the connection to Abraham bring us to this truth; God had done all this, beginning with this messenger who came with the truth of the cross! Tell me, Paul says - did God work through hearing with faith, or through the law?

Folks who love us ask us hard questions.

Message: Church; don't forget what God has done among you and how He has done that!

What has God done to save you?

How did you receive the Holy Spirit?

Having begun by faith, have you subtly turned to good works for justification?

Exactly what are you counting on to make you right with God?

Certainly biblical faith will result in and lead to good works; but those won't save you; that is only evidence that God HAS saved you, and is sanctifying you.

Let's consider our own questions here today as we close, and prepare for the Lord's Supper

Who is Christ, and what has He done for you? Have you received such grace? It that evidenced in repentance and following Christ?

What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and you will be saved.

People and churches need to remember, when it comes to eternal life, where they came from.

[2] Like to thank John MacArthur for his help with Greek words, definitions, and uses found in his New Testament Commentary on Galatians, © 1987 The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, All Rights Reserved.