Being a New Creation
Galatians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
This study in Galatians has been an enlightening journey. We have seen a pastor’s heart as Paul has written to his beloved Galatians. These folks were dealing with a couple of issues that many today deal with as well. It seems that some bad teaching had infiltrated their church. They were confronted with the question, “are people justified simply by faith or does their salvation come from being religious and following rituals?” They were also confronted with questions about how they should live. Paul does not evade the issue, but he gives them a thorough answer in what we have as six chapters in this book. In the last few verses, Paul restates and summarizes his argument. In essence, he tells us to not practice the old rituals but be a new creation in Christ. As we study Galatians 6:11-18, we will see at least four extraordinary principles that we should follow.
11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
12 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. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
17 Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
An Emphasis to Adhere (vs. 11)
An Emphasis to Adhere (vs. 11)
First, there is an emphasis to which we must adhere. Paul tells us that he is writing this in his own hand and that he is using large letters.
The Great Debate
The Great Debate
There is a great debate as to what this means. Some think that he is wrote in large letters because his thorn in the flesh was an eye disease and he could not see well because of his deteriorating eyesight. Others think that he was using large letters because he was treating his readers like children and rebuking their spiritual immaturity. This belief is that the large letters were used as an emphasis as we would underline or write in all capital letters to make a point. Some add a third aspect to this great debate saying that Paul wrote in large letters because he did not want to weaken his points so he wrote this in his own hand. Nevertheless, all three of these arguments reveal the genuineness of the letter.
The Genuineness of the Letter
The Genuineness of the Letter
Multiple times in Paul’s writings, he makes the point that he responsible for what is written and it is indeed true and accurate.
37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.
13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that,
10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.
15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast.
19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
So you can tell that it was his custom to authenticate that he indeed was writing these thoughts. I think it necessary mention these other verses because we can tell that he wrote simply to give the glory to God and not to himself.
The Glory of God
The Glory of God
This is evident throughout the Book of Galatians. In fact he has already penned that in Galatians 1:3-5
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, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
These verses correlate the previous verses from other books that Paul’s writings are not about him, but are written to glorify God. That is the emphasis to which we must adhere.
An Ego to Avoid (vs. 12-13)
An Ego to Avoid (vs. 12-13)
Paul also gives us an ego to avoid. In verses 12-13, he summarizes the characteristics of those who are making the argument for religious rituals such as circumcision.
The Glamour
The Glamour
The glamour of it is that these persecutors are just trying to fit in to the society in which then live. Perhaps they have followed the law religiously. After all it was quite profitable for the religious leaders to encourage the following of the law. We know from Paul’s writings that often he would receive monetary gifts from these churches that helped support him. We all know how egos get puffed up with and around issues of money.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul is cautioning about the glamour but he also cautions about the gaudy.
The Gaudy
The Gaudy
Gaudy means to be excessively showy. They were boasting about the rituals they had gone through to make them better than the less favored gentiles. Ezekiel used an allegory of gaudiness in describing the unfaithfulness of Jerusalem.
15 “ ‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur.
We live in a world today where gaudiness prevails. The persecutors of the Galatians were legalistic and ritualistic in there approach. They demanded the law to be carried out. However there was a glitch.
The Glitch
The Glitch
The glitch was that even though they were carrying out some of the law they were breaking other parts of the law.
13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.
The ego to avoid here is saying you are one thing yet you are doing another. The egos of the Judaizers here show they are compromisers, persuaders, and hypocrites.
The Everlasting to Adore (vs. 14-16)
The Everlasting to Adore (vs. 14-16)
However, like so many of his writings, Paul gives us a better alternative. Instead of boasting in something that is fleeting and man made, boast the everlasting to which we can adore. Paul says in verse 14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord.” Let’s talk about this cross.
The Person of the Cross
The Person of the Cross
First, let’s look at the person of the cross. Jesus Christ is mentioned at least 47 times in this short letter. That means that one-third of the content of these verses are about Him. The person of Jesus Christ captivated Paul and it was Him that made the cross glorious to him. Paul had spent many years as a devout Jew where he had that ego we talked about and he desired self-glory. Then he met Jesus, the person of the cross. Paul knew that person of the cross bled and died for every one of his sins. Paul knew that the person of the cross gave power to the cross.
The Power of the Cross
The Power of the Cross
Saul as a devout Jew knew the Messiah would come but for Him to come and die on a cursed cross was preposterous. Old Saul had no place for this in his legalism and ritualistic theology. Yet Saul of Tarsus experienced the life changing power of the cross became Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ. Instead of a stumbling block, the cross became the very foundation stone of his message.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
For Paul, we see the Book of Galatians that the cross meant freedom from self.
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.
The cross also meant freedom from the flesh.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
And now in this passage, we see that the cross meant freedom for the world.
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.
Nothing in the Law gives us victory over self, flesh and the world. The Law appeals to “what can I do to please God” and thus encouraging to attempt to humanly try to achieve it. But it is impossible and we could never be right with God. But the power of the cross does this through Jesus Christ. The person and power of the cross reveal to us the purpose of the cross.
The Purpose of the Cross
The Purpose of the Cross
The purpose of the cross was to bring into the world a new people of God. A people that was in relationship with God not in a religion. A people that was redeemed by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. A people that was a new creation and indeed Israel of God. Not two groups, but one. God is calling Jews and Gentiles to be a people for His Name.
14 Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.
In Christ, there is no racial or national barriers. There is no distinction.
27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
That is the purpose of the cross! The cross of Christ and its finished work has redeemed us and the inward work of the Spirit of God in our hearts regenerates us and sanctifies us. What do you see when you see the cross?
An Encouragement to Admire
An Encouragement to Admire
I think first and foremost we see what Paul sees. In these last 2 verses, he gives us an encouragement to admire.
The Brand of Sin
The Brand of Sin
Paul testifies that his body is branded with the marks.
19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
Paul was beaten and bore the marks. I think also the marks for us resemble the sins we have committed over the years.
I am reminded that this is an encouragement for us to remember the brands of sin from which we have been forgiven.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
The brands or marks of my sin became the brands or marks of my Savior.
The Brand of the Savior
The Brand of the Savior
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases.”
He bore our stuff that we could be free and be a holy people that became pleasing and acceptable to His Father!
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
This also means that I belong to a band of brothers.
The Band of Brothers
The Band of Brothers
Just to be clear, the band of brothers is our Christian family that consists of men, women, boys and girls that have said yes to Jesus. And because of that, we can echo the words of Paul. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
When I survey the wondrous cross...