"Grace and the Gospel"
INTRODUCTION: I'm going to ask you a stupid question
today: Did you ever REALLY get TICKED OFF about something? How did
you act? What were your feelings? What kind of things did you say?
Have you ever been so angry that you CURSED someone?
Have you ever been so angry that you told someone to "go to
hell?"
Have you ever been so angry that you wished someone would do
bodily harm to themselves?
Today we're going begin a series of sermons discussing a VERY
ANGRY LETTER written by someone who, in essence, was so UPSET that he
CURSED his enemies with eternal damnation and even went so far as to
wish they would cut off a certain part of their anatomy!
The REASON for his fervent ANGER?
There were those who were trying to get a FOLLOWING for
themselves....
There were those who challenged his apostolic authority....
Even more dastardly than this, there were those who were
PERVERTING the Gospel of Jesus Christ....
There were those who were ADDING TO the requirements for
salvation...
S.P.S.: Today we're going to talk about Paul's letter to the Galatians....
Now here's a guy that TODAY most would term "POLITICALLY
INCORRECT"...
Here's a guy that today's society would say needed "SENSITIVITY
TRAINING"....
Yet the Apostle Paul wasn't out to please PEOPLE...He was out to
PLEASE JESUS CHRIST!
I. At Stake??? The very FABRIC of true Christianity...
What was at stake was the very form Christianity would
take...Would it just be another sect of Judaism, or would it indeed
be the revolutionary, globe-girdling, life-changing RELATIONSHIP with
God that true Christianity is
QUOTE: Richard Longennecker in Word Bible Commentary on
Galatians made this very insightful observation:
"Paul's Galatians is, in fact, like a lion turned loose
in the arena of Christians. It challenges, intimidated,
encourages, and focuses our attention on what is really essential as
little else can! How we deal with the issues it raises, and the
teachings it presents, will in large measure determine how we think
as Christians, and how we live as Christ's own".
Galatians is a dangerous book. It exposes the most popular
substitute for spiritual living that exists in Churches today.
Millions of believers think they are "spiritual" because
of what they don't do - or because of the leader they follow - or
because of the group they belong to.
The Lord shows us in Galatians how wrong we are - and how right we
can be if we'll let the Holy Spirit take over.
II. The Background of the Book of Galatians....
Written sometime in the 50's AD. to the Galatians (most likely
southern Galatia where Paul's first missionary Journey had taken
place).
The Galatians were mostly gentiles who had come to conversion
through the preaching of Paul.
Biggest event to have happened in the church in recent history was
the Jerusalem conference in 49 AD.
Came about because certain Jewish Christians had come from Judea
to Antioch claiming that circumcision and the law of Moses had to be
obeyed before they could become Christians.
ACT 15:1 NIV Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and
were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised,
according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
{2} This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with
them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other
believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about
this question. {3} The church sent them on their way, and as they
traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles
had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. {4}
When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the
apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done
through them. {5} Then some of the believers who belonged to the
party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be
circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
Law of Moses (Gr) Nomos =" Most frequently the divine law
given by Moses, whether moral ceremonial or judicial. Sometimes it
means the books of moses or the Pentateuch containing the law."
- Quoted from The complete Word Study New Testament.
{6} The apostles and elders met to consider this question. {7}
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers,
you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the
Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and
believe. {8} God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them
by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. {9} He made
no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by
faith. {10} Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the
necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have
been able to bear? {11} No! We believe it is through the grace of our
Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." {12} The whole
assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling
about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the
Gentiles through them.
ACT 15:23 NIV With them they sent the following letter: The
apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in
Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. {24} We have heard that some
went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you,
troubling your minds by what they said. {25} So we all agreed to
choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas
and Paul-- {26} men who have risked their lives for the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. {27} Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to
confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. {28} It seemed good to
the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the
following requirements: {29} You are to abstain from food sacrificed
to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from
sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
Conclusion of that conference: Abstain from Idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.
Other things they were to do become evident by looking at the
various sin lists that appear in the New Testament.
Book of Galatians written after this event had taken place. The
main problem in Galatia was the same one.
QUOTE: The IVP Bible Background Commentary--New
Testament, Craig S. Keener, p. 518:
Situation. Paul is clearly battling opponents who have
settled in Galatia....These are Jewish Christians who would rather
circumcise the Galatians----thus alienating them from their own
Gentile culture----than allow Judean Jews back home to think that
Christian missionaries were lax....Unlike Paul, a more seasoned
missionary, these missionaries want to impose their own culture on
the Galatians.
The Issue. At an earlier time, some Judean Christians had
insisted that Phrygian...believers be circumcised to be saved (Acts
15:1). Although the Jerusalem Council had apparently settled this
issue, side effects lingered: could Gentiles be part of God's people
without circumcision? Some of the strictest Pharisees may have
required circumcision for salvation, but many Pharisees believed that
any Gentiles who kept the few laws given Noah would be saved. But
even for this more lenient class of Pharisees...,one could not become
part of the people of God without circumcision; very few Jews
were so lenient as to accept Gentiles on such terms. Indeed,
circumcision had even become a major cultural symbol of fidelity to
Judaism: attempts to restrict the practice led to revolts both before
and after Paul's time.
Some Judean Christians were now arguing that one must become
culturally Jewish to become a full Christian, fully righteous; after
all, the Bible itself made this requirement for one who wished to
belong to God's people (Genesis 17:10-14). Further, they may have
reasoned, if Paul argued for baptism (a post-Old Testament Jewish
addition to circumcision), why could Judean Christians not require
circumcision, even though it drove away potential converts? Paul
argues forcefully against this view.
The main question Answered by Paul in Galatia is: Are we saved
by faith in the sacrifice of Christ or do we need the Law as defined
in the Old Covenant to become truly Saved? Is the Law required?
III. Galatians 1: Grace Declared and Demonstrated
Outline of Galatians 1:
1) Grace is declared in Paul's Message - 1:1-10
2) Grace is demonstrated in Paul's Life - 1:11-24
Paul's MINISTRY....
GAL 1:1 NIV Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by
man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from
the dead--
Paul begins by establishing his authority...
No doubt was questioned by the Judaizers...
We'll see a THEME beginning here...Paul NOT a
MANPLEASER....although his opponents no doubt were...
Because Paul was not one of the original apostles, his critics
claimed he was not a "real" apostle. Paul points out that
his apostleship is as real as any of the others.
Since his apostleship came from Christ, he had the authority to
deal with the problems in the Galatian Church.
Paul's ministry had a second reason for authority. He was the one
who had founded the Galatian churches.
He was not some stranger, but the one who had brought them the
gospel in the beginning.
Paul was not the type to lead people to Christ and then abandon
them...
{2} and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia:
Paul's MESSAGE:
{3} 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,
From the very beginning of this epistle Paul clearly states the message of the gospel, because it was this message the false teachers were trying to change.
The gospel centers around a person - Jesus Christ - and what he
did - died for us - so that we sinners could be freed from bondage.
Liberty in Christ is the main theme of this book.
The Judaizers wanted to lead the Galatians out of the liberty of
grace, back into the bondage of law. But Paul knew that bondage was
not a part of the message of the gospel.
Paul's MOTIVE:
{5} to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Like many false teachers today, the Judaizers were not busy
winning lost souls to Christ, but instead were trying to steal other
men's converts and brag about their statistics.
COMMENT: I have yet to be impressed with any group that
separates from us and then goes out TO THE UNSAVED and tries to REACH
PEOPLE...They ALWAYS, in my experience, SHEEP-STEAL....
Paul's motives were pure. He wanted to glorify Jesus Christ -
1CO 10:31 NIV So whether you eat or drink or whatever you
do, do it all for the glory of God. {32} Do not cause anyone to
stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- {33} even as I
try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own
good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
The false teachers were not ministering for the glory of Christ,
but for their own glory.
SUMMARY: We see the 3 aspects of his authority: his
ministry, his message, and his motive.
Paul expresses his ANXIETY:
{6} I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one
who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a
different gospel--
Paul's first cause for anxiety: They were deserting the grace of God.
Paul had to work fast. The Greek verb indicates they were still in
the process of deserting grace. They hadn't fully turned away.
They were abandoning grace for legalism, and doing it quickly
without even consulting with Paul, their "spiritual father".
By deserting grace, they were actually deserting God. He had
called them and saved them by his grace, and now they deserting Him
for human leaders who would bring them into bondage.
We must never forget that the Christian life is a living
relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
You don't become a Christian by agreeing to a set of doctrines.
You become one by submitting to Christ and trusting Him.
Paul's second reason for anxiety: perverting the gospel...
{7} which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are
throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel
of Christ.
The Judaizers were perverting the gospel of God.
They claimed to preach "the gospel", but there can't be
two gospels, one centered in works, and the other centered in grace.
Paul says there aren't preaching "another gospel", but another message so different from the true gospel that it's no gospel at all.
The Judaizers would say, "We believe in Jesus Christ, but we have something you need to add to your belief".
The word translated "pervert" in verse 7 means "to
turn about, to reverse, or to change into an opposite character"...
In other words, the Judaizers had reversed the gospel, turned it
around, and taken it back into the law.
Later in this epistle we'll see Paul explain how the law was
preparation for the coming of Christ.
Paul's third reason for anxiety: the brethren were confused....
All this was troubling the Galatians. In the KJV, this verb
"trouble" carries with it the idea of perplexity,
confusion, and unrest.
Because of these false teachings they were experiencing great
agitation.
God's grace leads to peace, but since they were deserting grace
they had no peace.
We must remember that God's grace involves more than man's
salvation. We are not only saved by grace, but we are to:
Live by grace - 1CO 15:10 NIV But by the grace of
God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I
worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God
that was with me.
Stand in grace, it's our foundation - ROM 5:1 NIV
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, {2} through whom we have
gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Grace gives us the strength we need to be victorious soldiers
- 2TI 2:1 NIV You then, my son, be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus. {2} And the things you have heard me say in
the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also
be qualified to teach others. {3} Endure hardship with us like a good
soldier of Christ Jesus.
Grace enable us to suffer without complaining - 2CO 12:7 NIV
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. {8} Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. {9} But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
When a person turns away from living by God's grace, he must
depend on his own power. This leads to failure and disappointment.
This is what Paul means in Chapter 5:4 by "fallen from
grace", moving out from the sphere of grace to the sphere of
law.
Ceasing to depend on God's resources, instead depending on our own
resources.
SUMMARY: Paul was anxious because the Galatians were
deserting the God of grace, perverting the gospel of God, and
reverting to living by the flesh and their own resources.
Paul exposes his ADVERSARIES:
{8} But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel
other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally
condemned! {9} As we have already said, so now I say again: If
anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted,
let him be eternally condemned!
Christ had entrusted the true gospel to Paul, and he had entrusted
it to other faithful men.
Now the Judaizers had come along and substituted their false
gospel for the true one.
For this Paul pronounces them accursed. The word he uses is
anathema, which means "dedicated to destruction".
No matter who the preacher may be, even an angel from heaven, if
he preaches another gospel, he is accursed!
{10} Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?
Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please
men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul's adversaries are EXPOSED BY:
The FALSE GOSPEL they preach...
The FALSE MOTIVES they have....
Paul's enemies accused Paul of being a compromiser and adjusting the gospel to fit the gentiles.
They called him a "man-pleaser" and said he couldn't be
trusted.
In realty it was the false teachers who were the men-pleasers. In
GAL 4:17 NIV Those people are zealous to win you over, but
for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us , so that you
may be zealous for them.
Paul tells the Galatians the false teachers were looking for a
following.
GAL 6:12 NIV Those who want to make a good impression
outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason
they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
{13} Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want
you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. {14} May
I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through
which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. {15}
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts
is a new creation.
Paul tells the Galatians the false teachers were going back to Old
Covenant practices in order to avoid being persecuted by the Jews.
Paul was definitely not a man-pleaser. His ministry and message
came from God. His desire was to please God, not men. Paul was an
ambassador for Christ, not a politician.
The false teachers, on the other hand, were cowardly compromisers
who mixed law and grace hoping to please both Jews and Gentiles.
Sadly they never asked whether or not they were pleasing God.
CONCLUSION: We've seen Paul begin to win back the Galatians by explaining his authority, by expressing his concern, and by exposing his adversaries.
Next time we'll move on and see how grace has been demonstrated in Paul's life and ministry...