Part 2 of 5 in series on Galatians given on May 24, 2011.

<p>Part 2 of 5 in series on Galatians given on May 24, 2011.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

AudioVerse

Galatians and the Gospel

Norman McNulty

Galatians 1—Another Gospel

Galatians 2—Justified and Crucified

Galatians 3—The Law in Galatians

Galatians 4—Two Covenants

Galatians 5&6—Flesh Versus the Spirit


All right, so we are in day number 2 out of 5 in our week of worship talks, and yesterday we started and we looked at Galatians chapter 1, and as we see, Paul is writing an epistle to a church that he had visited, where he had taught a clear gospel, and now another gospel, a different gospel, had come into the church. And so, not only is he explaining what the true gospel is, he's also contending against a false gospel, which shows us that there is a time and a place to point out error, to speak out against it at the same time that we promote what truth is. And Paul uses very strong language. We see that he said in verses 8 and 9, especially, that if someone teaches you another gospel than what I have taught you, let him be a curse. So it's very clear.

And why does Paul say that? Because if you are taught a false gospel, it will lead you away from salvation to be lost eternally. So, it's really not unreasonable for Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to make such a statement. Because if you had the way of salvation, and then someone comes in and leads you away from salvation, certainly you could see why Paul would use such language. Now, what we were seeing at the end of chapter 1, and it continues on in chapter 2, Paul is telling his personal testimony and you see he's making reference to how he had the Damascus road experience where Christ came to him personally and called him to follow him.

Now if you look at the timetable, if you recall it was shortly after the stoning of Stephen that Paul was on his way to Damascus. We understand historically that Stephen was stoned in 34 AD. You see that after Paul had his experience, he didn't return to Jerusalem for 3 years, and then in chapter 2, we see that it was another 14 years after that that he came to Jerusalem. So, here we have beginning chapter 2 as we're following the story, we are now at about 51 AD. And it just so happens that This was about the time that the Jerusalem Council took place in Acts chapter 15.

Now how many of you remember what the Jerusalem Council was about? The Jerusalem Council Was a council called forth by the the new Christian Church. It was about 17 years old or 20 years old after Jesus had ascended to heaven and they were dealing with the issue of the Jewish Christians who were claiming that in order to be saved you had to be circumcised. And by this point, Paul has been out in the field preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, and you see that in verses 23 of chapter 1, they see that he who persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith which he once destroyed. So during this whole time, Paul is out and he's now an apostle for God preaching the gospel with power to the Gentiles.

And there's a little bit of a problem for the Jewish Christians because they see that Gentiles who have never been circumcised are being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. And yet they're saying, well, I thought we had to be circumcised to be saved. And how could the Gentiles be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and they've never been circumcised? And so Paul is telling his story here, and as you continue in chapter 2, let's just pick it up here in verse 1, he says, "...then 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me..." and he says in verse 2, "...and I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel, which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run in vain." So here he's saying, I'm out there preaching this gospel to the Gentiles. Now notice what he says in verses 3 and 4, "...but neither Titus, who was with me being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised, and that because of false brethren, unawares, brought in who came in privately to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage." So notice this, you have Paul, Barnabas, and Titus.

Titus is a Gentile. He didn't feel compelled to become circumcised, because he has liberty in Christ Jesus. But notice what Paul says of those who taught that you had to be circumcised. What does he call them? He calls them false brethren, and yes, he calls them spies.

So they're coming in, and notice he says they came in unaware. It's almost as if they snuck into the church. They profess, yes, we are followers of Jesus. But then they say, oh, by the way, if you're going to follow Jesus, you need to be circumcised. And Paul is out there preaching, When Jesus died, that system was done away with, that ceremonial system.

You have liberty in Christ, yes, we still follow the moral law, but the ceremonial law is no longer binding. But the Jews, who were used to that tradition, still wanted to hang on to that tradition as a means of salvation. So this is what Paul is dealing with, and then notice verse 5, he says, "...to whom we gave place by subjection, know not for an hour that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." So he's saying to the Galatians, look, we didn't even listen to those false brethren who teach circumcision for an hour because we wanted the truth of the gospel to continue with you. And yet, he's dealing with a group of believers that are now thinking, well maybe we do need to be circumcised. So let's continue on.

He continues on for a few verses and notice starting in verse 8 he says, "...for he that wrought affectionately in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, " or in other words, Peter preached to the Jews, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. So just as Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when Pentecost happened and they were preaching to the Jews, Paul had the same power preaching to the Gentiles and he wasn't preaching circumcision. Now then, verse 9, this is a description of the Jerusalem Council. Here we read, and when James Cephas, which is Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision, only they would that we should remember the poor, the same which I also was forward to do." Now just so you know that this is speaking of the Jerusalem Council. In Acts chapter 15, you have the Apostle James speaking to the brethren, and in verses 25 through 29, you see them addressing the brethren, and specifically in verse 25, they address Barnabas and Paul.

So here Paul says in Galatians 2, we were given the right hand of fellowship. Acts chapter 15 the Jerusalem Council specifically addresses Barnabas and Paul And notice in verse 28 it says, 28, it says, 28. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these things, that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, for much if ye keep yourselves ye should do well. So here you clearly see that the Christian believers under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said, don't worry about circumcision, just don't eat meat, offer to idols, and take care of the poor and you'll be okay. So this is what Paul is talking about, and he's saying, remember all of this?

Remember how the Jerusalem council met? Remember how under the Holy Spirit they said that we weren't under the bondage of circumcision? And then he continues on. Notice what happens after that, though. Verse 11, But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed." Now this is interesting.

The Apostle Peter, who had been filled with the Holy Spirit, made a mistake here. And what did he do? Verse 12, "...for before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles." So, Peter is like fellowshipping with the Gentiles, those who are not of the circumcision saying we are brothers in Christ. Let's fellowship together We are all 1 in Christ Jesus And then Jews who believed in circumcision came along. So, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision, and the other Jews assembled likewise with him, in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

So notice, Paul and Barnabas, they're the ones ministering to the Gentiles, and even Barnabas, who is a Jew, he's like, boy, I better go along with the crowd here too. So you notice here the power of influence. Peter was a key apostle, but he was even afraid of the Christian Jews who said, you need to be circumcised. And so Peter's like, well, I'm circumcised, so here, I'll hang out with you, and yeah, there's some separation here between Jews and Gentiles. And Paul's like, wait a minute.

We just decided at the Jerusalem Council that we're all 1 in Christ Jesus, whether you're circumcision or not. And so verse 14 he says, "...but when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou being a Jew livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compelst thou the Gentiles as live do the Jews?" And Paul specifically addresses this issue of circumcision in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 5. He says, Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify to every man that is circumcised that He is a debtor to do the whole law. And then notice verse 6 of chapter 5, for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.

So he's saying, look, they're trying to Substitute faith which works by love with an outward act that has no effect on your heart and That's not the gospel the gospel is our hearts are circumcised so to speak And we develop faith that works through the love of Christ. That's the real gospel. And Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jews got afraid. They were afraid of their colleagues, and they didn't want to have some kind of an issue, and so they withdrew themselves, but in effect they were diminishing the power of the gospel, and they were creating questions in the minds of the Gentiles who had been converted who thought, well I thought salvation was through Jesus Christ, not through circumcision. And so Paul makes that very clear.

Notice now, he, in the last few verses of this chapter, and this is where we're going to finish our thought for today, Paul then gets into a very clear description of what the gospel is. So here he says again in verse 14, why do you make the Gentiles live like the Jews? He says, verse 15, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles." But notice verse 16, he says, "...knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law." So he's like, you're not justified by the works of the law, including circumcision, but how are we justified? He says, "...by the faith of Jesus Christ." Now this is a key point here. Justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.

This is the third angel's message in Revelation 14, where it describes a group of people who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Here you see the faith of Jesus. So we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." So it's very clear. You are not justified by works, and that also includes circumcision. So an outward action without a heart change has no role in salvation and even you know our good works after we've been converted don't justifies we're justified by grace through faith and specifically it's by the faith of jesus christ and paul continues this verse 17 but if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin?

God forbid!" Now, some people would say, oh, well if I'm justified by faith, I can have faith and I can keep sinning. And it makes you wonder if Paul is saying to those who are teaching circumcision, you know, you can be circumcised, but you'll still be sinning, but you'll have salvation. And it's another way of saying, just accept Christ's righteousness, but you can keep sinning and you'll still be saved. But notice verse 17 says, "...if we seek to be justified, we are found sinners. Is therefore Christ the minister of sin?" Notice what Paul's saying is, is Christ going to say that you are justified if you are still sinning?

No way. He is not the minister of sin. Christ does not minister righteousness to those who still knowingly continue to sin. He is not the minister of sin. He justifies those who turn and live a new life and he explains that more clearly.

Now notice verse 18, for if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto Christ." And then here is the famous verse, verse 20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live, Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Now notice, here is how we can connect being crucified with Christ with being justified by faith. Because Paul says, I am crucified with Christ, and that connects with Romans chapter 6 where it says that the old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed.

Now, when you are crucified, this is in a spiritual sense. We're not talking about literally dying the way Christ literally died on the cross. But in order for Christ to die on the cross, he had to surrender his will to the Father in Gethsemane. He said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

So he surrendered his will to the Father. So we're speaking in spiritual terms here because we still live. He says, nevertheless I live. So I'm still alive, but it's not me that lives anymore. It's not that old man.

That old man was crucified. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. So now, as we live our life here on this earth, Christ lives out his life through us. How many of you would like to have Christ living out his life through you? I mean, that would be, that is an amazing experience when you go from being the type of person when every time you get crossed, the old man of sin speaks out through you, and then when you surrender your life to Jesus, you find yourself patiently responding and smiling when someone is trying to get at you.

That's an amazing experience that is a miracle by the grace of God. But it happens when we are crucified with Christ and Christ lives in us. Now notice, when Christ lives in us, it says, "...the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. Who's the Son of God? Jesus Christ.

So Paul says, when I am crucified, I live by the faith of Jesus Christ. And he said in verse 16, I'm justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. So in order to experience justification by faith, we must be crucified with Christ. You must be surrendered to him completely. And Ellen White makes that very clear.

Selected Messages, Volume 1, page 366. She says, God requires the entire surrender of the heart before justification can take place. And you know, that's different than the popular Christian gospel of the world that says, just believe that Jesus died for you, you don't have to surrender your heart, you'll keep living a life of sin, but Christ will cover you with his righteousness while you're sinning, and you have justification by faith. But Paul says, is Christ the minister of sin? No, he's not.

He will only give you justification if you surrender and are crucified to Him completely. And I'll close with verse 21. Paul says, I do not frustrate the grace of God. In other words, I don't keep living a life of sin. I don't cause the grace of God to be frustrated by causing it to be needed over and over and over and over again, time after time, knowingly continuing to sin and saying, I'm under grace.

Now, it is true that if we sin, we have an advocate and we can receive forgiveness, but through the power of God, when we are crucified with Christ, we can have the power of victory in our lives. We do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead and vain. And Paul is saying, look, if righteousness came by trying to keep the 10 Commandments on your own power, or saying that you can just be circumcised and that gives you salvation, that means that Christ died in vain. That is not the way of salvation.

The way of salvation is that Christ died for our sins, and through his crucifixion, when we surrender our lives to him, we also can become crucified with Christ, so that we can live the life here on this earth that he lived here on this earth. And so Paul makes it very clear that this false gospel that had come into the church of Galatia by these Judaizing Christians is a false gospel that would lead to the loss of salvation. Circumcision is not the way of salvation. Trying to keep the law in your own strength, relying on an outward act of the flesh without a surrender of the heart does not bring salvation. What brings salvation is to be crucified with Christ, to surrender to him 100% fully and completely.

And when we have that experience, we will have the life of Christ living out through us and we will have a power to share with the world. And continuing tomorrow, we're going to see even more clearly, Paul gets into the issue of what justification by faith is more completely, and he gets into the law, which was an issue of debate in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and we're going to talk about that tomorrow. So At this time I will say a closing prayer and then we'll have our closing song. Let's bow our heads. Father in heaven, we thank you for how you have made the gospel clear to us in the book of Galatians.

May we be crucified with Christ so that the life we live in the flesh may be by the faith of Jesus Christ. And may we be that type of people described in Revelation 14 who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Go with us now the rest of this day. May we have this experience through faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Amen. If you would like to know more about Audioverse, or if you

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Galatians and the Gospel

Galatians 2—Justified and Crucified

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Other Teachings in Series

Galatians 1—Another Gospel

19m

Galatians 2—Justified and Crucified

21m

Galatians 3—The Law in Galatians

25m

Galatians 4—Two Covenants

20m

Galatians 5&6—Flesh Versus the Spirit

20m

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