Our Faith Inheritance
Stand Firm in Freedom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
People do foolish things:
I recently read about a woman who was stopped in California at a DUI checkpoint. The woman, extremely drunk, offered up this helpful information to the officers, “My husband’s right behind me, and he’s even drunker than I am!”
How about the story about a Good Samaritan who noticed a elderly man being robbed so he jumped in and punched the thief in the nose. The thief was so upset by it that he called the police to complain.
How about the two men who had what they thought was a brilliant plan: They would shoplift at the local office supply store during a big back-to-school event, figuring the store clerks would be too busy helping customers to notice them. Unfortunately for them, the day they pick just happened to be the annual “Shop with a Cop” day when about sixty officers were there picking out school supplies for their kids. The duo were arrested.
Or, finally, the two guys who were driving their fourteen foot high moving truck who came upon an overpass that was only thirteen feet. They stopped, examining their options. One suggested, wisely, that they turn around and find another route. The other looked around and said, “There aren’t any cops around, we should just drive under the overpass!”
If you asked Paul, far dumber than any of these would be to believe that one could be righteous before God through his or her own works.
That’s what he has been telling the people of Galatia thus far in our study of Galatians.
This morning, Paul will continue on this point, but also remind them of the great inheritance that those who are justified by faith have.
Body: Galatians 3:1-9
Body: Galatians 3:1-9
Verse 1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?
This is a strong rebuke of the Galatians. Behind the rebuke is the realization that because the Galatians were allowing themselves to be influenced by the Judaizers, they were essentially saying the Jesus death was insufficient.
To be “bewitched” only appears here in the NT and points to the idea of having a magic spell put over someone.
Of course, Paul doesn’t believe in such nonsense. His point is, they must have something supernatural happening because he taught them about their salvation in Christ Jesus clearly.
It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
This means that Paul’s teaching on Christ was so clear that they could actually see the truth of the Gospel right before their very eyes.
I understood this once I came to faith in Christ...
Verses 2-5
Four rhetorical questions, all with the same basic conclusion:
Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
The HS is received by faith, not by works.
Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
The works cannot make you more secure in Christ. The HS is our security in Christ.
Did you suffer (experience) so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
Your time with me was wasted if you are saved by works.
Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
The answer, again, is hearing with faith.
In all of this, Paul is challenging them to go back to what he had taught them when he was with them, before they were fooled by the Judaizers.
Verse 6
Since it was the Judaizers that were bewitching the Galatians, Paul points back to the patriarch, Abraham.
This is vital because the Judaizers were essentially telling the Galatians that since they were not circumcised as Abraham was they had no share in the Abrahamic covenant, and therefore no share in Christ.
But before Abraham was circumcised in Genesis 17, he is counted as righteous before God because of his faith.
Genesis 15:1–6 (ESV)
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
It was Abraham’s faith in God that made him righteous before God, not circumcision or any other work.
Verses 7-9
The conclusion Paul draws from this is that a person isn’t a son of Abraham by law keeping, but by faith, just as it was with Abraham.
Paul then goes further, telling them that this isn’t something new, but is found at the beginning of Abraham’s story.
Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV)
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
“all the nations”; not just the Jewish people, but people of all ethnic groups who believe.
The term “blessed” means divine favor. The sons of Abraham through faith are recipients of divine favor, as Abraham was.
So What?
So What?
As a people who have been justified by faith, we have received an inheritance from God.
As a people who have been justified by faith, we have received an inheritance from God.
Have you ever received an inheritance after a loved one died?
Some times they bring a family together, but sometimes they tear a family apart…
Grandma Elenor’s death...
Sometimes we are blessed with what we receive…other times, not so much...
When my dad died...
The inheritance we receive from God is wholly different. Three aspects of our inheritance are found here in this passage.
We are now sons & daughters of Abraham.
We are now sons & daughters of Abraham.
Most of us are not Jewish. And yet, we are now part of God’s people because of Christ’s finished work on the cross!
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
There is more there than I can cover this morning, however notice what Paul says in Romans: “you…were grafted in…and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree.”
I don’t know much about working a vineyard, but I know that a vinedresser can actually take a vine from one plant and graft or affix it to another healthy root and it will actually receive the nutrients and eventually become part of that plant.
So it is with us. We’ve been grafted into the people of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
We are counted as righteous before God.
We are counted as righteous before God.
Other than Jesus, every person who has ever lived on this earth is unrighteous before the Holy, Holy, Holy God.
Nothing anyone can do will change this. No matter how good a person believes they are, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
But those who “believe God” are counted as righteous.
The term counted is a fascinating one. It means credited.
Meaning a person is not righteous by his or her own merits, but they are credited as righteous because someone with the credit has made them righteous.
Imagine it like this: take every single dollar you owe, have owed, or will owed. Let’s say you owe all of it at once to a creditor. Could you pay it? Impossible!
But then you discover that the debt has been paid in full and you are credited debt free.
That’s just a small taste of what it means to be counted to him as righteous!
Every single one of us will, at some point, have to face our sin debt head on. You can’t ignore it forever. For those who are justified by faith in Christ Jesus, our sin debt has be paid in full.
If not, you are essentially saying, “I’ll pay it myself.” I’m here to tell you, it cannot be done.
We enjoy God’s divine favor.
We enjoy God’s divine favor.
Divine favor or blessing is a funny thing. For most American’s today, we see a direct correlation between blessing and material gain.
I got something I wanted; I’ve been blessed!
Money came I wasn’t expecting; what a blessing!
Things worked out better than I could have imagined; big time blessing!
But divine favor is so much more than material gain!
Nothing wrong with appreciating material blessings…however, we need to expand our understanding.
For Paul, divine favor had much more to do with relationship than with material gain.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
What Paul understood that we often miss is the greatest blessings we can receive is the continual presence of our Lord Jesus, His promise that He will never leave nor forsake us, and the community He has made us part of called the church.
Abraham believed his greatest blessing would be his son, Isaac, the son of promise.
But, Abraham eventually proved that his greater blessing was his friendship with God. He even proved it in his willingness to sacrifice his son, if need be. Of course, he didn’t have to, because the LORD Himself provided the sacrifice!
If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, then you enjoy God’s divine favor.
It doesn’t mean things are going to always work out for you or He’s going to grant your wishes.
It means that you are God’s dearly loved son or daughter. You’ve received the gift and promise of God, the Holy Spirit. And you are assured that He will be with you always. He’s also made you a part of His body here on earth, the church. And though the church is imperfect, He loves His church and wants you to love His church as well. It is one of His greatest blessings to us!
How do I receive this inheritance from God?
By grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone...