"That He Might Deliver Us"
TEXT: Galatians 1:4-5
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue us
from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and
Father, {5} to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
INTRODUCTION: Why did the Lord Jesus Christ come
to this earth and willingly submit to the death of the cross?
One particular reason cannot be given because the Bible mentions
several.
There is a phrase that occurs a number of times in the New
Testament and each reference contributes to the reason for His
coming. The phrase I have in mind is "who gave himself".
It occurs in 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; and Gal. 1:4.
In 1 Tim. 2:6 it states, "Who gave himself a ransom
for all, to be testified in due time."
The offer was voluntary, sacrificial, substitutionary and
universal.
We were, in one sense, held captive by sin....
The last part of the verse reads better in the A.S.V which says,
"the testimony to be borne in its own times".
When Jesus died on the cross, the time was introduced for the
proclamation of His ransoming work.
Therefore, the first purpose we might note for His coming
and death is that the testimony of the cross should be proclaimed
in this age....that testimony is that Christ has PAID THE RANSOM
PRICE....
The second text we will look at is found in Titus 2:14. It
reads, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works."
A second purpose for his coming and death is that he might REDEEM and "purify unto himself a peculiar people".
To redeem means to buy back....
We were all SOLD INTO SLAVERY....Christ is our SABBATH, and our
YEAR of RELEASE and our JUBILEE YEAR....
The word "peculiar" means "of one's own
possession".
He gave himself for us that we might be for Him. Believers are His treasured possession.
ILLUSTRATION: A pastor of a church in Bosten
met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in
which several birds fluttered nervously. The pastor asked, "Son,
where did you get those birds?"
The boy answered, "I trapped them out in the field."
"What are you going to do with them?"
"I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed
them to an old cat we have at home."
When the pastor offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister,
you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't
even sing very well..."
The pastor replied, "I'll give you two dollars for the cage
and the birds."
"Okay. It's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain."
The exchange was made and the boy went on his way, whistling and
happy with his money...
The pastor walked around to the back of the church property,
opened the cage and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue.
That's a picture of REDEMPTION...buying back that which was
destined for certain death....
The third passage is found in Ephesians 5:25-27:
"Husbands love your wives,even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish."
The third reason he gave himself was for SANCTIFICATION...making
the Church holy, clean, glorious and without blemish...
So far, we have RANSOM, REDEMPTION, SANCTIFICATION...
The fourth passage I call your attention to is found in Gal. 1:4.
The verse reads, "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:"
S.P.S.: A FOURTH PURPOSE for Jesus' Death is that he might
RESCUE or DELIVER His own from this present evil age. Today, in our
continuing series on the book of Galatians, I would like to examine
this verse a bit more closely...
I. The Keynote of the Book of Galatians...
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the
present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, {5} to whom
be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 1:4 "strikes the keynote of the epistle", says
Dr. Lightfoot.
The Galatians were being subverted by Judaizing teachers who were
distorting the Gospel.
One distortion being circulated was that salvation was not by
grace through faith alone but by a combination of legal obedience
plus faith....the JESUS PLUS people...
Another erroneous view was that the Christian life was perfected
through keeping of the Law of Moses.
Paul combats both of these errors. Right at the outset Paul
strikes at the very core of the problem by speaking of the
substitutionary death of Christ.
Anyone who would embrace the false teachings being spread around
would be guilty of ignoring the substitionary character of the death
of our Lord.
Christ gave himself for our sins and a proper understanding of
this rules out salvation by legal obedience.
His death is the basis for salvation and also for sanctification.
Thus, with very little introduction, Paul takes them directly to
the heart of the matter - the Gospel of grace expressed in the cross.
II. The Gospel of Grace Brings Deliverance From This Present
Evil Age...
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the
present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, {5} to whom
be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel of grace brings deliverance from this present evil
age. Note some of the aspects of this deliverance as found in
Galatians 1:4,5.
We will talk about: 1) The PRICE of our Deliverance; 2) The
PROBLEM in our Deliverance; 3) The PURPOSE of our Deliverance; and,
4) The PRAISE resulting from our Deliverance...
III. POINT #1.) The Price of our deliverance,
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the
present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, {5} to whom
be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Deliverance from sin could never be known apart from the sacrifice
of Christ.
The use of the little word "gave" is sufficient to
confute all legalizers. The word clearly suggests that Jesus was a
gift. It was all of grace.
The gift was "Himself".
It was not that He gave something from himself but that He gave
him self completely.
When a person has given himself, he has given all.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul tells us that Christ gave himself for us
because He loved us. This was the price paid for our deliverance.
Nothing else would suffice.
IV. POINT # 2.) The Problem in our deliverance
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the
present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, {5} to whom
be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The death of Christ was made necessary because of the problem of
sin. Paul says that He gave himself "for our sins".
In Isaiah 59:2 we read, "But your iniquities have separated
between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you,
that he will not hear."
Sin has produced an estrangement between man and God...
The only way that reconciliation could be effected would be
through a proper satisfaction of God's holiness.
Man himself could never meet such a requirement so God sent His
only Son who could meet all of the demands of holiness and settle the
problem of sin.
Please notice carefully that the text claims that he "gave
himself for our sins" and not merely as the sinner's example.
Any message that excludes the issue of sin is not the Gospel of
God.
In 1 Cor. 15:3 Paul states, "Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures".
In 1 John 3:5 we read, "And ye know that he was manifested to
take away our sins; and in him is no sin."
Again, in 2 Cor. 5:21, Paul exclaims, "For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him."
In other words, man was separated from God by sin and in bondage
to sin.
Man's basic problem is sin and the problem is solved by the
cross of Jesus Christ.
V. POINT # 3.) The Purpose of our deliverance
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue
us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God
and Father, {5} to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
To quote the great Dr. Lightfoot again, "The Gospel is a
rescue, an emancipation from a state of bondage." (Gal. p.73)
Although there are other purposes given for the death of Christ,
Paul stresses that of our deliverance from "this present evil
world".
The word "world" should be properly rendered "age",
and refers to all that transpires during the present eon of time.
Now, if we spoke of deliverance from the flesh and its sinful
appetites, we wouldn't have much difficulty in grasping the meaning.
If we spoke of deliverance from the Devil, we still would have a
fairly good idea of what was meant. But what does deliverance from
the world mean?
Archbishop Trench defines Paul's word as follows:
"All that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims,
speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, at any time current
in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately
define, but which constitute a most real and effective power, being
the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we
inhale, again inevitably to exhale."
It is obvious that Paul does not mean the globe world here.
Paul characterizes this age with the adjective "evil".
A comparison of other texts will reveal that Satan is the god of
this age (2 Cor. 4:4), that the "wisdom of this world stands in
contrast to the "wisdom of God", (1 Cor 2:6,7), and we are
not to be conformed to this age (Rom.12:2).
This age is characterized by wickedness and godlessness and its
end is certain destruction.
According to the New Testament the deliverance that Christ has
wrought for us may be considered judicially, ethically and
eschatologically.
In the first sense, judicially, our deliverance was accomplished when Jesus died on the cross. This would relate to our position in Christ.
In Colossians 1:13 Paul seems to speak of this when he says, "Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:".
This is an accomplished fact for every believer.
In the second sense, ethically, we may speak of our
deliverance in terms of the Christian life.
We will always be tempted by the flesh and assailed by the Devil
but God expects us to live victoriously over both.
We live in a hostile world and its influences are all about us.
But God commands that we be not conformed to this world system that
opposes Him.
Deliverance in this ethical sense relates to a life of
Christian victory and overcoming.
Then, of course, we cannot overlook our deliverance in the future
sense, (eschatologically), when we shall be shall receive
glorified, redeemed bodies, being finally completely rescued from
this present evil age.
ROM 8:21 NIV that the creation itself will be liberated
from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of
the children of God. {22} We know that the whole creation has been
groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
{23} Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies. {24} For in this hope we were
saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he
already has? {25} But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait
for it patiently.
1TH 1:8 NIV The Lord's message rang out from you not only
in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known
everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, {9}
for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They
tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true
God, {10} and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from
the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Most of us rejoice in our judicial deliverance and we are assured
of the fact that we belong to Christ.
Also, many of us look forward with increasing expectation to the
time when our Lord shall come and deliver us from this evil world
scene.
But the question that concerns my heart is this: "How many
of us know very much about deliverance from this present evil world
as it relates to our every day Christian lives?"
In our text this is the stated purpose for our Lords giving of
himself.
The Christian church today is compromising with the world.
We have fallen in with the spirit of the world in every realm of
consideration.
We are afraid to take our stand for the Lord.
We are apologetic when we speak of the things of the Lord.
It is true we are "in the world" but we are not supposed
to be of the world. It is for this reason that Jesus died for our
sins so that He might deliver us from this present evil world.
I ask my own heart, why is it that we Christians know so little
of deliverance from the world?" After giving the question
some thought, I came up with three reasons.
(1) There has been a failure on the part of some converts to
realize that they have received a person into their lives.
I fear that many people look at salvation as receiving something
rather than receiving someone.
Salvation is not just a thing but life in a person.
The fault here may be with the preacher but nevertheless I fear
that many have only viewed salvation as an escape from hell and a
removal of sin.
These facts are true but if we realized that Jesus Christ came
into our life to control us, things would be a lot different.
(2) There has been a failure to relate the cross of Christ to
daily Christian experience.
We rightly see the cross as the basis for our salvation but we
fail to relate the same cross to our Christian experience.
This truth is brought out in Luke 9:23; Romans 6:1-13; Gal. 2:20;
6:14.
LUK 9:23 NIV Then he said to them all: "If anyone
would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily
and follow me.
ROM 6:1 NIV What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning
so that grace may increase? {2} By no means! We died to sin; how can
we live in it any longer? {3} Or don't you know that all of us who
were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? {4} We
were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of
the Father, we too may live a new life. {5} If we have been united
with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united
with him in his resurrection. {6} For we know that our old self was
crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,
that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- {7} because anyone who
has died has been freed from sin. {8} Now if we died with Christ, we
believe that we will also live with him. {9} For we know that since
Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer
has mastery over him. {10} The death he died, he died to sin once for
all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. {11} In the same way,
count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. {12}
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey
its evil desires. {13} Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as
instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as
those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts
of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
GAL 2:19 NIV For through the law I died to the law so that
I might live for God. {20} I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
me. {21} I do not set aside the grace of God, for if
righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for
nothing!"
We fail to reckon ourselves dead to sin.
We fail to deliver ourselves to the Lord for the practical
crucifixion of the flesh. This is evident by the fact that self is
obviously in control in many of us.
(3) There has been a failure to avail ourselves of God's
appointed means for growth.
We need God's Word, God's Church, prayer, service for the Lord,
etc.
We can never know practical deliverance from sin, the world or the
Devil if we fail in these things which I have mentioned.
The only way to keep a "broken vessel" full is to
keep the faucet running!
Christ died that we might know experiential deliverance and
victory in our daily lives.
If we do not know this, something is radically wrong with us.
This greatly concerns me because I do not want people going about
thinking they are saved when in reality they are not.
I believe the Bible is very clear on this fact that a person
cannot be the same again if the Lord Jesus Christ is indwelling and
controlling that life.
VI. POINT #4.) The Praise Resulting from our deliverance
There are two things to notice here.
First that this death and deliverance is according to the will
of God.
The cross is God's way of deliverance over sin.
Many speak of desiring to know God's will. Well, here is an
important part of His will for your life - deliverance from this
present evil world.
His will never changes as far as this is concerned.
Second, whenever this Gospel of rescuing grace is preached and
people are being delivered from sin, there is only one person who
will receive the glory.
The Judaizers took all the glory for what they were doing; God received all the glory for what Paul was doing.
It is always a good test to apply to Christian doctrine or
Christian life - who gets the glory?
If you do, it is highly probable that the flesh is behind your
efforts.
If God does, then Christ is being exalted.
He receives glory through the accomplishments wrought through His
Son.
He receives glory when we realize the truth of deliverance in our
daily Christian experience.
The praise for our deliverance belongs to God alone.
If you desire to bring glory to His name, then permit Him to give
you a life of practical deliverance over sin and this present evil
world, (cf.ll Pet. 2:9).
2PE 2:7 NIV and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was
distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men {8} (for that righteous
man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous
soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- {9} if this is so, then
the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the
unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their
punishment.
CONCLUSION:
GAL 1:3 NIV Grace and peace to you from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ, {4} who gave himself for our sins to rescue us
from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and
Father, {5} to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We have seen today:
The PRICE of our DELIVERANCE...the Lord Jesus' death on a
cross...
The PROBLEM of our DELIVERANCE...our sins, which separate
us...
The PURPOSE of our DELIVERANCE...rescue from this present
evil world...
The PRAISE resulting from our DELIVERANCE....all praise
goes to GOD, not us...
Has the Holy Spirit been speaking your heart today?
Are you saved?
Is He Lord of your life?
Do you know anything of personal deliverance in your life? If He
is your Lord, you will know a life of victory.
Do you remember the familiar words of Romans 12:1,2? Apply them to
your life right now. Present your self to Him.
Confess your failure and neglect. Tell Him your sorry that you neglected HIM and you want things to be different from now on.
Acknowledgement:
I gratefully acknowledge the help of Pastor David W. Haines
of
Palisades Community Bible Church, Revere, PA, who has
graciously shared his notes from over 40 years in ministry