Part 5 of 5 in series on Galatians given on May 27, 2011.

<p>Part 5 of 5 in series on Galatians given on May 27, 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

Norman McNulty

Galatians and the Gospel

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, good morning again. Let's have a word of prayer. Father in heaven, we thank you for bringing us together 1 more time this week to study your word, and we pray for a special blessing as we have our last study on the book of Galatians. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Well, today is our last Study on the book of Galatians and Amina just gave me a very interesting pamphlet This is entitled the gospel in Galatians written by EJ Wagner I I have a different version where he actually goes through the entire book.

This looks like the specific issue where he deals with the law in Galatians. This is very interesting. And it deals with some of the issues that we've been talking about this week. Now, just to let you know what we're going to look at today, we're going to finish up by looking at chapters 5 and 6. We're obviously not going to have time to go through all the verses, but we're going to look at the high points.

And just as a way of quick review, Galatians was written by Paul to a church that he had already visited, to whom he had already preached the gospel. And then other teachers came along after him and said, the gospel also includes keeping the Jewish ceremonial system and being circumcised as a means for salvation. And so Paul says in chapter 1, if someone teaches another gospel, then that which you have learned, let him be accursed. Then he tells his personal testimony of how he had been steeped in Jewish tradition. Then he shows how Peter was influenced by these Jewish teachers and was a bad witness in front of the Gentile Christians.

And then he shows that the true gospel is justification by faith, which includes being crucified with Christ. And then in chapter 3, he shows how the Galatians have been bewitched. He shows what righteousness by faith really is by pointing to the example of Abraham. And then he goes through the issue of the law, how it was added because of transgressions. And that includes the moral law and the ceremonial law.

And he concludes by saying that if we are Christ, we put him on, and that we are no longer under a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, because now we have Jesus to show us how to live a righteous life, and we don't need the schoolmaster to specifically point that out. Then yesterday in chapter 4 we saw that we are under tutors and governors when we are children but when we grow up we don't need tutors and governors anymore. And in our case Jesus came in the fullness of time, and so we follow him. We don't need the tutors and governors of the law, so to speak, to teach us, even though yes, the law is still binding, that we see in Jesus how to live a righteous life. And then he concludes by talking about 2 covenants, the old covenant, which is symbolized by Hagar and Ishmael, and the new covenant, which is symbolized by Sarah and Isaac.

So that's where we've been so far. Now we're going to wrap up our study today. Now, I think if you ask most people what they know about the Book of Galatians, I think most Christians would think about Galatians 5 and the fruits of the Spirit. Well, since we've been going through a study of the book of Galatians this week, we're going to see the context in which the fruits of the Spirit are placed. And it's obviously a very, very important part of this book and of the Bible in general.

So let's start chapter 5. Paul says, starting in verse 1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. So he's saying, Christ has made us free, Don't go back to the yoke of bondage. And then he talks about what that yoke of bondage is. Verse 2, Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

So the yoke of bondage is being circumcised. Christ has made us free from that. And then verse 3, 4, I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, you are fallen from grace. So clearly if you try to do works to save yourself, you have fallen from grace.

You no longer have justification by faith. And then verse 5, for we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. And then verse 6 makes it very clear, for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision but faith which works by love. So here's what Paul is saying, and we're going to get to the fruits of the Spirit. And it's very clear, he says, you know, whether you're circumcised or you're not, neither of those causes you to have the fruits of the Spirit.

It's faith which works by love. And then he says the very same thing in Galatians chapter 6, verse 15. Very same thing, just a slightly different strain. He says, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. So in Galatians 5, it's faith which works by love.

In Galatians 6, it's a new creature. So what Paul is emphasizing in here in Galatians is that righteousness by faith is being a new creature. It's having faith that works by love because we see what Jesus Christ has done. In Galatians 3 he says, Jesus Christ was set forth evidently crucified among you, who has bewitched you to go away from that. When you see Jesus Christ crucified, set forth before you, that causes you to love Him and to have faith that works by love because you are a new creature.

You have been crucified with Christ, and that is the gospel. And those people who are coming along and teaching you that the real gospel is to do an outward act of the flesh, they are deceiving you. And verse 6, notice this, verse 7. You did run well. Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth.

He said, you know, you were running the race of faith. Why are you being hindered with this new teaching? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. And then here's the famous verse that we often quote, a little lovin' lovineth the whole lump. So what Paul is saying is this teaching of circumcision, it's a little lovin', but it's causing the whole experience that you have to be ruined like if you put a little poison on a loaf of bread that makes it all the more dangerous because it looks normal.

You can't tell that there's poison in there. But a little love and ruins the whole loaf of bread. And then he continues on, I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded, but he that troubles you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offense of the cross ceased." So what he's saying here is that these people who are teaching circumcision, it's causing the offense of the cross to cease.

And to understand the first century Christians, there was a certain amount of shame in the fact that their God, their Messiah had been crucified on a cross. In the human mind, in the pagan mind at that time, your God was Triumphant he didn't die on a cross and so Paul saying look the offense of the cross. That's the important thing and he says the same thing basically in Verse 12 chapter 6 Now in the interest of time let me just jump ahead here. He talks about a few more things and then in verse 15 he says, if you bite and devour 1 another, take heed that you be not consumed 1 of another. And then verse 16 is a very crucial verse.

He says, this I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So notice what Paul's saying. He's saying, walk in the spirit by the grace of God. The gospel is not, if you're circumcised you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The gospel is, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

And you know what another term is for fulfilling the lust of the flesh? It's sinning. So what Paul is saying is if you walk in the Spirit, you won't sin. But being circumcised won't keep you from sinning. Only walking in the Spirit will keep you from sinning.

And then he goes into what the works of the flesh are. Verse 17, he talks about how the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And so basically he's saying, just as the man of Romans 7 is walking after the flesh, look, If you're walking after the flesh, it's luck. It's going against walking after the spirit And there's this battle and then he he shows what the works of the flesh are in verse 19 now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before us, I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." And again, circumcision is not going to keep you from committing adultery. If you don't have a heart change, it's not going to keep you.

Same thing with all the other things listed, and you know there's a lot of interesting interesting things they're listed that should never take place in God's church and Unfortunately, we see adultery all too commonly Idolatry which is more common than perhaps people realize, but we can make so many other things an idol in place of God. Whether it's our work or the things that we spend time with away from work. I mean, you know, the bottom line is if you're spending more time, for example, watching television than you're spending in time in communion with the Lord, you're making that your idol. That's just 1 example. Hatred, heresies, and heresies, this is interesting, heresies, that would include false teachings.

And there's a lot of false teachings going around. And you know, people say, oh, you can believe what you want to believe, I'll believe what I want to believe, but we all love Jesus and we'll all go to heaven. And Paul says, if you are teaching heresy, you shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If you're teaching that which is contrary to scripture. So that is the work of the flesh.

And then Paul contrasts the work of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, which we've always talked about. But Paul says, look, hey, Church of Galatia, you know these people, they're telling you about being circumcised and how you need to do this to receive salvation? But I'm telling you that circumcision doesn't profit you anything but faith which works by love and being a new creature. And if you really want to know what the evidence of salvation is, it's not circumcision. It's the fruits of the Spirit.

And let me tell you what those fruits are. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, makeness, temperance. Against such there is no law. So if you want to have a saving walk with Jesus, you should be the most loving person on earth. And as Christians, we should be.

Amen? We should be full of joy. We should have a peace that passes understanding. We should be long-suffering, or in other words, patient with each other. We should be gentle.

We should have goodness. We should have saving faith. We should be meek or humble. And we should have temperance and that's an important thing There's so many things that that relates to our diet how much we eat every meal But also are we temper in other things that otherwise would be good but can be carried to excess. All of these things are crucial elements to having a saving walk with Jesus.

So the fruits of the Spirit are in direct contrast to the works of the flesh. And that is the evidence of salvation. So we often go straight to the fruits of the Spirit and that's fine. I mean they're there in Scripture and they can be studied and understood really separate from the whole issue of the law and Galatians and circumcision and all that. But here in the context, you clearly see Paul is teaching them, hey, don't listen to those guys that say, if you just have circumcision, that will bring salvation.

No. What you need is the fruits of the spirit. That is the evidence of salvation. And then oftentimes people stop at verse 23, and they don't read the rest of the chapter. Notice what it says.

They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. So remember this, I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I love yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. When you are Christ you have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts so therefore when you are crucified with Christ there is no chance while you are crucified with Christ that you will do the works of the flesh, which are listed in verses 19 through 21. You're not going to be falling into adultery, fornication, idolatry, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness. That's not going to happen if you're crucified with Christ, because you have been crucified with Christ and the flesh has been crucified with the affections and loss.

And he says, if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking 1 another, envying 1 another. So that's the end of chapter 5. And then in chapter 6, in the first part, he talks about if someone has overtaken a fault, you who are spiritual, restore him." The context of that would be those who fall into the works of the flesh mentioned in 19-21 work to restore him back to the Christian experience. And then he continues on verse 8, "...he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And then verse 9, and this is a good reminder to us, he says, Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." He's saying, look, you may be dealing with an issue right now where everyone around you is saying, get circumcised, get circumcised. And you're saying, no, the gospel is to just be a new creature in Christ Jesus. And you may, after a time, get tired of having to fight all these battles and stand up for what's right, but don't get weary, because in due season you shall reap. In this earth we will have our trials, but a better day is coming. And he continues on, verse 12, as many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh." So notice this, the whole purpose of this issue with the people who were trying to enforce circumcision, they just wanted to say, see, we have all these people who are circumcised, and the focus was not on the glory of the cross of Jesus Christ, how He had died for us so that we can be crucified with Him. And Paul is saying, don't follow that nonsense. They're just trying to make a show of you, and they don't want to suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. And then Paul says the famous verse, verse 14, 14. But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." So Paul is saying, God forbid that I should glory in anything else except in the cross of Jesus Christ.

And when I see Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, the world is crucified unto me. I don't want the world anymore. Jesus is too good. Jesus is my Savior. He died for me.

Why would I want to go back to the things of this world where what the world has to offer is adultery, fornication, lust, idolatry, all of those things. That has nothing for me. I glory in Jesus Christ and His self-sacrificing death for my sins, and by his grace I will be crucified with him as well. And then he says, for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, and we are a new creature when we are crucified with Christ. And then he concludes, As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, amen. Isn't the book of Galatians a powerful book? Paul clearly articulates the gospel, and at the same time he's contending against error. And it's interesting, I've heard people say, we should just preach truth, and we shouldn't point out error.

Let's just preach the truth of the Bible and people will be convicted of error. Well, here is a whole book in the Bible where Paul not only preaches truth, but he speaks out against what error is. And there's a time to contend for the faith and to point out whatever is and this is a powerful book of scripture in the New Testament Short of the Gospels where Jesus describes the truth of the gospel Outside of the 4 Gospels the book of Romans the first 8 chapters and then the book of Galatians These are the 2 New Testament books that clearly articulate what the gospel is. And we see as we go through this that the key element of the gospel to be justified by faith is to be crucified with Christ so that we can be new creatures in Christ, so that we will have the fruits of the Spirit, so that we will not do the works of the flesh, and so that we will glory in the cross of Jesus Christ so that the world will have no effect on us. And that's the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And it's only because of what Jesus has done for us in dying on Calvary. But as we see what Jesus has done for us, we will choose to live the same kind of life. So I pray that we will have that experience. I'm going to say a closing prayer and then we're going to have, do you have a closing song? Okay, well why don't we have a closing prayer and then we can sing that song.

Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for the book of Galatians. We thank you for the gospel in the book of Galatians. We pray that we would have the experience of being crucified with Christ, that we would avoid being deceived by false gospels, that as in the time of Galatia would allow us to get around or teach that we could get around being surrendered and crucified and that we just have to make an outward declaration. May we have the true experience of being crucified, surrendered, having the fruits of the Spirit.

May we glory in the cross of Jesus Christ so that we will be a living demonstration to the world of your character. I pray this in the wonderful 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 5&6—Flesh Versus the Spirit

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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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